Many of the major productions of the last few weeks continue going strong as we enter mid-August, though there are a few new ones to check out.

As was the case with last weekend, we will provide with three recommendations this weekend instead of the customary five.

Queens Without Boundaries – Cornelia Cafe, NY

Budding composer Felix Jarrar will showcase excerpts from his upcoming opera “Mother Goose,” among others things, alongside singers Allison Gish and John Tibbetts II. The performance is set for August 19, 2018.

La Cifra – Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble

Brittany Goodwin directs Salieri’s opera in a production that stars Timothy Stoddard, Charles Calotta, Racherl Barker, Heather Bobeck, Allison Gish, Nicholle Bittlingmeyer, Stephen Steffens, Vincenzo Catarisano, Angky Budiardjono, and Andrew Dwan in two distinct casts. Performances kick off on Saturday night.

Ghost Variations – OperaRox Productions

The opera itself world premieres in 2019 but there will be a workshop preview at The National Opera Center on Sunday evening. The showcase features librettist Aiden Kim Feltkamp, composer Tony Manfredonia, and the cast behind the opera. The work, which is set for a piano quintet will run two hours long and tells the story of Robert Schumann’s final year of life from the perspective of his wife Clara.

Lost in the Stars – Union Avenue Opera 

The Kurt Weill work kicks off a weekend of performances on Friday and Saturday in a production directed by Shaun Patrick Tubbs. Conductor Scott Schoonover leads a massive ensemble cast in the company’s final production of its summer festival.