Elizabethan celebration brings Gloriana opera, other cultural events this summer

The Central City Opera will bring Queen Elizabeth I to Colorado this summer. Seven Denver and Boulder organizations have come together for a royal jubilation, Gloriana 2001: An Elizabethan Celebration. The festivities include several events throughout the summer.

The Central City Opera’s production of Gloriana, the first production of the opera by an American company, will be the highlight of the celebration. The opera has been presented throughout the United States only by British opera companies until now.

Composed by Benjamin Britten, Gloriana is the regal and romantic story of Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex and her private struggles as a woman. Gloriana premiered in 1953 for the coronation of Elizabeth II. The music has been popular in American concert repertoire.

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Ten performances will run from July 21 through August 11 at the opera house. Members of the Colorado Children’s Chorale are a part of the cast. Tickets for the opera are $39-$69, with a special gala performance July 21 for $200 per ticket. The Central City Opera is in its 69th season. The Opera House was built in 1878 in the small mining town of Central City.

In addition to productions of Gloriana, the Mizel Museum of Judaica in Denver is offering programs about Jews in the Elizabethan Era, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is presenting “An Escape to the British Isles” from May 18-20, and Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting British Week at the Gardens during the first week of June. The Denver Art Museum exhibit “European Masterpieces: Six Centuries of Paintings from the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia” is opening at the end of June as is the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.

Gloriana 2001: An Elizabethan Celebration is supported by the Millennium Fund of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Visit www.centralcityopera.org.