Apprentice alumni Sean Anderson and Anya Matanovic as the ex-boyfriend and girlfriend in The Night Bell.

The Opera’s newest community initiative—One-Hour Operas—continued in 2007 with ten performances of Donizetti’s sparkling comedy, The Night Bell, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Three recent Santa Fe apprentices—Soprano Anya Matanovi?, baritone Sean Anderson, and bass-baritone Ricardo Lugo—were joined by four resident singers in bringing to life this slyly naughty story, in which a jealous ex-boyfriend wreaks hilarious vengeance on his former girlfriend’s wedding night, knowing the groom must depart early the next morning.

The Night Bell was the second offering in our “One-Hour Opera” series, which began last spring with Bizet’s Doctor Miracle. These fully staged productions of shorter operas provide the opportunity to perform leading roles to our finest apprentice alumni and serve as an important element in our community relations, by offering an accessible and affordable “point-of-entry” to new audiences.

Plans for the 2008 One-Hour Opera will be announced later this winter.