Gulfshore Opera and Gulfshore Ballet join forces to present an evening of Song & Dance on Oct. 24. In its second year of this collaboration, singers of Gulfshore Opera join the studio of Gulfshore Ballet to interpret songs of French Impressionists and selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.
Camille Ortiz and mezzo-soprano Lauryn Kay will perform French repertoire with pieces by Debussy, Bizet and Berlioz in the first half of the concert. In the second half of the program, Florida Grand Opera tenor Chad Johnson joins Camille Ortiz and Lauryn Kay to perform highlights of West Side Story, including “Something’s Coming,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Tonight.” In both portions of the program, Gulfshore Ballet dancers provide visual accompaniment to the pieces.
Internationally recognized for her compelling performances of baroque and concert repertoire, native Puerto Rican soprano Camille Ortiz is quickly establishing herself as a leading artist in standard operatic roles. Recent appearances include Micaëla in Magic City Opera’s Carmen; a debut with the Naples Philharmonic as soloist in their Link-Up Series; Norinain Don Pasquale with Gulfshore Opera; a return to San Francisco for the “Mozart Magnified” series with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale as the featured soprano soloist in Exsultate, jubilate, Coronation Mass in C major, and Litaniae Lauretanae; and a Houston debut as Poppea in Handel’s Agrippina with Ars Lyrica Houston.
Chad Johnson has led quite a prolific career as a tenor in a variety of operas across North America. Recently, he has taken on many great tenor roles including Niklaus Sprink in Silent Night; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni; Tonio in La fille du régiment; Gerald in Lakmé; Lenski in Eugene Onegin; Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles; Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Lauryn Kay, mezzo soprano, is a native from Charleston, SC. She is a recent graduate of the University of Florida and holds a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance. Miss Kay has performed as a soloist and chorister throughout the southeast and abroad including England, Spain, Hungary and Vienna. While in Gainesville, Lauryn performed the alto solos for Handel’s Messiah, Durufle’s Requiem, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, and John Rutter’s Every Time I Feel the Spirit.
The performance will be Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Gulfshore Ballet studio, 5636 Youngquist Road Unit 1, Fort Myers. Tickets are $75 for premium seating, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres reception beginning at 6 p.m. with a silent auction to benefit Gulfshore Ballet. Or audiences can join for the performance only at 7 p.m. for $45. Tickets are on sale by visiting www.gulfshoreopera.org or calling 239-529-3925.
