By Southwester Staff
WNO’s Opera in the Outfield 2018
After a three-year hiatus, #OperaInTheOutfield returns to Nationals Park on Saturday, August 28, when Washington National Opera, for its twelfth year of free opera broadcasts, presents an opera broadcast of Cinderella.
Cinderella is a clever girl who seizes the opportunity to change her destiny. When the prince appears to announce he will choose a bride at a glamorous ball, she has no doubts that she will escape her impoverished stepfather’s castle and be free of her tyrannical stepmother and stepsisters!
This is not your same old fairy tale Cinderella, however. Rossini’s rags-to-riches romantic comic opera has a few surprises. There are bracelets instead of glass slippers, a philosophical tutor in place of a fairy godmother, and six adorable dancing rats. All delightful – but what is dazzling is the witty characters, the rainbow bright costumes, and a bit of a surprise at the ending.
American mezzo soprano Isabel Leonard heads a stellar cast of young talent in thrilling bel canto singing. The opera will be performed in Italian with easy-to-follow English titles.
The show begins at 5 p.m. with a presentation of Elephant & Piggie present SLOPERA!: A Bite-Sized Opera. The 20-minute children’s opera is about friends learning to respect and appreciate their differences.
The evening’s activities will also include: performances by local artists, photo opportunities, arts and crafts for children of all ages, and chances to win prizes.
INFORMATION
Opera in the Outfield® will take place rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, covered seating is available. Regular concessions will be available throughout the ballpark. RSVP’s are not required for admission into Nationals Park for this event; walk-ins are welcome.
Ample free seating will be available in the stands and access to seating on the outfield grass will be limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons wishing to sit on the outfield grass will receive a free wristband, which will be distributed near the Family Picnic Area (at sections 141–143) beginning at 5 p.m. Accessible seating is available throughout Nationals Park, and assistive listening devices are also available. The event will be fully captioned. More information is available at OperaintheOutfield.org.
NATIONALS PARK HOUSE RULES
Guests who plan to sit on the outfield grass may bring blankets (must be all fabric with no plastic backing); chairs are not permitted on the grass. Nationals Park concessions will be open for the broadcast and during the pre-show activities. No alcoholic beverages may be brought into Nationals Park. No bags larger than 16 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches are allowed into the ballpark, and all bags are subject to inspection. Guests are prohibited from bringing hard containers into Nationals Park. See a complete list of prohibited items in Nationals Park. For complete information about visiting Nationals Park, go to nationals.com.
See you at the opera!