‘For the Love of Opera’ to Celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Birthday
By Francisco SalazarOn Monday, March 15, Opera Philadelphia Channel will present a new operatic event showcasing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s favorite arias on what would have been her 88th birthday.
The event will be presented by the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH), Opera Philadelphia, and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Entitled, “For the Love of Opera: Celebrating RBG’s 88th Birthday,” the event will feature commentary, as well as performances, recorded this month in NMAJH’s Dell Theater and UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall.
The program will features performances by Joshua Blue (tenor), Norman Garrett (baritone), Michelle Rice (soprano), and Ashley Marie Robillard (soprano), with instrumental accompaniment by Stephen Karr (piano) and Grant Loehnig (piano).
Among the speakers are Peter Kazaras, Director of Opera, UCLA, Lawrence Brownlee, operatic tenor and artistic advisor to Opera Philadelphia, and Francesca Zambello, the WNO’s stage director and artistic director.
“For the Love of Opera” will also highlight operas that deal with legal issues, justice, and equality including Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and Menotti’s “The Consul” as well as Mozart’s “Cosî Fan Tutte.”
Audiences can watch the live stream via Facebook Live on the NMAJH Facebook page, the Opera Philadelphia Facebook page, and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience, and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Facebook page. The production will be available on-demand after the event on the Facebook pages, NMAJH’s website, and on the Opera Philadelphia Channel.