The Opera Lovers organized in 2004 with the main purpose of enhancing the knowledge and enjoyment of opera in the Villages and supporting opera in the larger community. Membership is open to residents and small yearly dues. We have a considerable collection of opera DVDs, many from the Metropolitan Opera, with opera superstars such as Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Leontyne Price.
2026 Opera Lovers Schedule
Date Title Composer
Jan. 15 Aida G.Verdi
Feb 19 Manon Lescaut G. Puccini
Mar 19 La Fille du Régiment G. Donizetti
Apr 16 La Traviata G. Verdi
May 21 Tosca G. Puccini
June- August Summer Break
Sept 17 Il Tabarro G. Puccini
Sept 17 Pagliacci R. Leoncavallo
Oct 19 Rigoletto G. Verdi
Nov 19 Kismet Wright/Forrest*
Dec 17 The Nutcracker Ballet P. Tchaikovsky
* Adapted from A. Borodin
Please join The Villages Music Society’s Opera Lovers on our third Thursday afternoon, September 17 at 2:00 p.m. in Montgomery Center, when we will present two different tales of infidelity and the consequences.
Both Giacomo Puccini’s “Il Tabarro” (the cloak) and Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” (clowns) introduce us to wives who seek love and escape from their unhappy marriages. Sadly, neither heroine anticipates her husband’s fury and revenge.
These are stories of working-class folks—cargo transporters and stevedores seeking work wherever possible, and a struggling acting troupe constantly on the edge of survival while trying to entertain their audience.
Our productions are from the Metropolitan Opera with James Levine conducting. Soprano Teresa Stratas is not only a gifted singer but also a wonderful actress and stars in both operas, accompanied by baritone Juan Pons. We are lucky to have the two greatest tenors of their generation, Placido Domingo as the lover Luigi in “Il Tabarro” and Luciano Pavarotti as the husband who seeks his revenge during the performance of a comedy in “Pagliacci.”
Please remember that September remains warm and air conditioning can sometimes feel chilly while sitting for extended periods. We recommend bringing a sweater or jacket and a cushion to sit on. A short break is planned between the two operas: “Il Tabarro” runs almost an hour and “Pagliacci” one and a quarter hours.
If you need additional information, please call Opera Lovers’ president, Mary Stradner at (408) 887-3293. We also recommend visiting https://TheVillagesMusicSociety.org for information about other musical events.
If you need a ride to any Villages Music Society event, please call Villages Medical Auxiliary at (408) 238-4230 to arrange your free transportation.
We look forward to welcoming you on September 17. Our DVD showings are open to all Villagers.