Open Call: OperaDelaware connects the dots between opera and pop culture

For some people, the first time at an opera can be a daunting experience.

What should I wear? Am I supposed to clap now? Why does everyone keep saying “bravo?''

It can be an unfamiliar environment, and one in which opera newcomers may feel out of place.

At OperaDelaware, we are counteracting opera’s perceived exclusivity and shining a light on access, inclusion and belonging.

The stories told through opera are still relevant today; in fact, you may be surprised to learn that our upcoming mainstage production has inspired iconic movies starring Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. If you’re looking for romance, beauty and a good cry, we’ve got the perfect opera for you – along with a night in Wilmington you won’t forget!

While director Baz Luhrmann credits the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice (another fabulous story set to music, by the way) as the inspiration for 2001’s "Moulin Rouge'' with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, the parallels to "La traviata'' are obvious.

Kidman’s Satine is a courtesan discreetly suffering from “consumption,” which we would now call tuberculosis. Violetta, the heroine of "La traviata,'' endures a similar affliction, suppressing a cough and displaying a frailty that is clear to the audience from the opera’s exuberant start. The two women are also courted by naïve, hopeless romantics who win their hearts.

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"Moulin Rouge’s'' Christian sings, “Never knew I could feel like this, Like I've never seen the sky before. I want to vanish inside your kiss, every day I love you more and more,” in the film's climactic duet, “Come What May.”

Similarly, in a moment of irrepressible joy, "La traviata’s'' Alfredo sings of his devotion to Violetta in his aria, “De' miei bollenti spiriti” by saying, “Since the day when she told me ‘I want to live faithfully to you alone’ I have forgotten the world and lived like one in heaven.”

If you enjoy "Moulin Rouge,'' we know you’ll love "La traviata!''

Many will remember the scene in "Pretty Woman'' (1990) when Richard Gere snaps closed an exquisite jewelry box, sending a giddy Julia Roberts into an iconic fit of laughter. The pair then attend the opera where Julia Roberts, as Vivian Ward, experiences Verdi’s "La traviata'' from box seats at the opera house. She is moved to tears and quips, “I liked it so much I nearly peed my pants!”

"Pretty Woman,'' like "La traviata'' itself, tells the story of an independent woman who lives life on her own terms. Just as Vivian Ward proclaims, “We say who, we say when, we say how much,” Violetta Valéry, the opera’s titular “fallen woman” in "La traviata,'' also expresses a desire for freedom in her act I aria “Sempre libera” (which translates to “Always Free”).

These women are equally possessed by love and by the desire to maintain their own autonomy, drawing a bright line from 19th-century opera to classic film history to the interests of women today.

While "La traviata'' was composed nearly 140 years before Julia Roberts stole America’s heart in Pretty Woman,'' today’s audiences will recognize the similarities between the two women and the dramatic arc the characters experience. If you like a "Pretty Woman,'' we know you’ll love "La traviata!''

All three share a common theme of sacrifice and devotion set against the backdrop of a glamorous lifestyle. While each has a “villain” ("Moulin Rouge’s'' possessive Duke and "Pretty Woman’s'' lecherous Philip Stuckey), the villain in "La traviata'' is motivated by a paternal love rooted in stubbornness and superiority. When Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont, descends upon the young lovers in "La traviata,'' he pulls them apart not for his own greed or lust but to preserve the integrity of his family name. Is Germont truly the villain, or is it fate, destiny, and the mortality of the times that stand in the way of young love? Find out at "La traviata!''

Our spring production of Verdi’s "La traviata'' plays for a limited run at The Grand Opera House on March 31 and April 2, where audiences will experience one of opera’s most timeless and prolific masterpieces, sung by a cast of artists with world-class talent.

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"La traviata'' has maintained lasting popularity since its premiere in 1853, and each cast of "Traviata'' can define the rising stars of a generation (for more information on the cast, visit operade.org to learn more about Lindsay Ohse, Matthew Vickers, and Benjamin Taylor!).

Both seasoned opera fans and newbies will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the history, the music, and behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast with free access to four unique, virtual pre-performance lectures led by Towson University’s Dr. Aaron Ziegel. . The remaining one-hour lectures on Thursday, March 2, 9, 16, and 2 will be presented by OperaDelaware and our partner organization Opera Baltimore, our co-producers on this production, virtually on Zoom (visit operade.org to register).

Opera is about history and culture. Opera is about language, storytelling, and passion. But perhaps most importantly, opera is about connection.

Our ability to connect with each other, to view life through a different lens, and to grow as a community in shared empathy and understanding.

We can’t wait to see you at the opera!

Kerriann Otaño is vice president of engagement of OperaDelaware.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Find opera daunting? You're not alone but OperaDelaware's here to help