This fresh look at one of the gems of the Bel Canto repertoire is set in Post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless, wistful look at love and longing, pathos, and youthful exuberance. It’s the story of a bashful and naïve farm laborer, who falls in love with the boss’s daughter, Adina. His efforts at love are thwarted by the strapping Sergeant Belcore, who all but kicks sand in Nemorino’s face as he sweeps Adina off her feet. What’s a boy to do? Enter Dr. Dulcamara, a “snake oil” salesman par excellence. From his roadside stand the good Doctor hawks a variety of medicines, potions, and elixirs guaranteed to cure everything from impotence to the infirmities of old age. Nemorino timidly approaches and asks if there is anything for “affairs of the heart,” to which Dr. Dulcamara offers a bottle of cheap red wine disguised as the “Elixir of Love.” Be sure to listen for the famous aria, Una furtiva lagrima. As Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe proclaims, “The Elixir of Love is a potent mix of musical and theatrical delights.”

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