The Santa Barbara Opera will kick off live performances in 2021 with “Don Pasquale, A Live Drive-in Opera”  as part of its Concerts In Your Car season, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The performance on Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m.

This version of the famed Donizetti comedy will be directed by Josh Shaw and feature rising stars such as soprano Jana Mcintyre as Norina, bass Andrew Potter in the title role, the tenor Matthew Grills as Ernesto, and baritone Efraín Solís as Doctor Malatesta. Kostis Protopapas will conduct the OSB orchestra. The opera will be set during the silent era of cinema with Don Pasquale becoming “Donald Pasquale,” a silent movie mogul.

“I’m thrilled to return to OSB with this light-hearted comedy set during the heyday of Santa Barbara’s motion picture business. Drawing from early comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, you can expect more bits, gags, goofs, and laughs than you’ve ever seen at the opera–just what we all need after a year in the pandemic,” said Josh Shaw, Founder of Pacific Opera Project.

Attendees will be able to enjoy the show from the safe and socially distanced comfort of their vehicles. They can also use a folding chair next to their cars, as long as they wear a face covering at all times.

The opera will be sung in Italian and the English translation will be projected on the screen.