In the Dutchess County Spotlight

The Bardavon opens The Met: Live in HD 2012-13 Season on Saturday, October 20, at 1pm with an encore presentation of a new production of Donizetti's delightful comic gem L'Elisir d'Amore-starring Russian diva Anna Netrebko as the irresistible heroine Adina. Directed by Bartlett Sher and conducted by Maurizio Benini.

Anna Netrebko makes her Met role debut as the beautiful landowner Adina, with Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino, the simple peasant who falls in love with her. Mariusz Kwiecien sings Adina's arrogant fiance, Sergeant Belcore, and Ambrogio Maestri will sing the role of the magic potion-peddling Doctor Dulcamara. "L'Elisir d'Amore is kind of two operas at the same time," Sher says. "It's an opera that's a great entertainment, and it's an opera that has something else happening underneath. It's informed by when in Italian history it was written-you can see the early stirrings of a cry for independence."

Lunch and Learn: The Bardavon and two area restaurants partner on a special opportunity for opera lovers to be nourished by knowledge and great food.  At 11:30am, prior to each 1pm Saturday opera broadcast, ticket-holders can enjoy an insightful talk on that day's production lead by Leslie Gerber, a music teacher at Marist's Center for Lifetime Studies and author of all HVP playbill liner notes. The Artist's Palate at 307 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, 845-483-8074, hosts lunches prior to broadcasts at the Bardavon, and Frank Guido's Little Italy (14 Thomas Street, Kingston, 845.340.1682) will host for UPAC broadcasts. Please call them directly to make reservations.

The Met: Live in HD at the Bardavon is made possible in large part through the generous support from the Jane Nuhn Charitable Trust. Additional support is also provided by the Dr. Edwin Ulrich Charitable Trust, The Louis Greenspan Charitable Trust, and the Benjamin Strong Opera Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The generous corporate sponsor is Premier Medical Group.

Tickets for L'Elisir d'Amore are $26, and $19 for children 12 and under and are available at are available at the Bardavon Opera House Box Office at 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie 845-473-2072 or the UPAC Box Office at 601 Broadway in Kingston, 845-339-6088 or through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com

• Nov. 10, The Tempest - Thomas Ades, 1pm, Met Premiere of New Production
• Dec. 1, La Clemenza di Tito - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1pm
  
• Dec. 15, Aida - Giuseppe Verdi, 1pm, New Production
• Jan. 12, Les Troyens - Hector Berlioz, Encore Presentation, 12pm
  
• Jan. 19, Maria Stuarda - Gaetano Donizetti, 1pm, Met Premiere of New Production
• Feb. 16, Rigoletto - Giuseppe Verdi, 1pm, New Production
• March 23, Francesca da Rimini - Riccardo Zandonai, Encore Presentation, 12pm 
• April 27, Giulio Cesare - George Frideric Handel 12pm, New Production
  

The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that owns and operates two historic theaters; the 944-seat namesake theater in Poughkeepsie and 1505-seat Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston-and the region's premiere orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. It presents top-notch music, dance, theater, and classic films for diverse audiences in both its venues and stages outdoor events. The Bardavon restores and preserves its historic theaters for today's audiences and future generations to enjoy. Visit www.bardavon.org