Gulfshore Opera Coming Marco

What influence has opera had on American musical theater? 

That question will be explored during a concert program that kicks off Gulfshore Opera’s 2023 slate of offerings on Marco Island. Entitled “Opera to Broadway - American Composers,” the program ranges from early 20th century pieces by Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin to contemporary works by such notables as André Previn and Stephen Sondheim.

Members of this year’s Gulfshore Professional Artists in Residence tour will give voice to those compositions. Their talents will be on display on January 22 at the United Church of Marco Island.

Gulfshore is a regional opera company that has presented programs on Marco annually since its start in 2014. Based in Estero, the organization serves Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties, presenting high-quality opera theater and classical vocal music performances and musical education programs.

“Our mission is to introduce this art form to a much broader audience than just those people who already attend the opera and love the opera, so we’ve cast the net quite wide,” explained Steffanie Pearce, Gulfshore’s founder and general director. “What we hope will happen is that as people become more familiar with us, with our artists, and they have a good time, that they will then want to venture forth to either Artis-Naples or the Barbara B. Mann (Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers) to see one of our large productions.”

The five vocalists who comprise this year’s Artist in Residence roster hail from diverse backgrounds and perform around the country. The roster includes one South Florida resident, soprano Catherine Ortega Spitzer. Tenor Minghao Liu is making his American debut. A native of China, he trained in Ukraine until the 2014 Russian invasion. He then fled to Italy where he apprenticed at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro. Liu performed extensively in that country since then and he’ll portray Count Amaviva in Gulfshore’s February production of “The Barber of Seville.”

January 31 is the date for Gulfshore Opera’s second program on the island. That’s when the Artists in Residence will perform at the Hideaway Beach Club for an event entitled “Soiree in Seville.” Attendees will enjoy an elegant three-course dinner and a Spanish-themed program that includes scenes from Carmen, Barber of Seville and familiar classic melodies. The program is enhanced by a special menu selected by the club’s executive chef, Tim Smith, and complementary wines.

Gulfshore Opera has additional programs planned for Marco this year. On March 4, “A Night in Italy” will be performed at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island (991 Winterberry Drive). On March 31 “Around the World in Song” will take the stage at the Rose History Auditorium (180 S. Heathwood Drive). 

Tickets for the “Opera to Broadway - American Composers” program start at $35. Tickets for “Taste of Opera at Hideaway Beach Club” are $150.

For more information about Gulfshore Opera, its performances and programs, visit gulfshoreopera.org/.