Schwartz Opera Tour

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Seance On A Wet Afternoon Tour

The following is an announcement by Pro Musica Tours. If you want a special time in Santa Barbara when attending the premiere of Stephen Schwartz's first opera, here is your chance.

Dear Friends:

This season, Pro Musica Tours celebrates its 20^th Anniversary of providing unique performing arts tours around the world – and what better way than to travel to beautiful Santa Barbara for the eagerly anticipated World Premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s first opera, Séance on a Wet Afternoon. One of the country’s most beloved music theater composers, Stephen originally comes from a classical background, and brings decades of theatrical experience to his first work for the opera stage. If you thought Elphaba was Wicked, you definitely need to meet Myra – the medium at the center of Séance’s thrilling plot.

As always, space is limited on Pro Musica Tours. We have put aside a block of excellent prime-orchestra seats for the world premiere performance, and filled out the weekend with supplemental events to celebrate the premiere as well as highlight the beauty of Santa Barbara. Because the Sunday evening and Monday of the world-premiere weekend is Yom Kippur, we are offering two versions of this tour package:

• A two-night, three day package with a Friday afternoon arrival in Santa Barbara and a Sunday Morning departure
• A three-night, four day package with a Friday afternoon arrival in Santa Barbara and a Monday Morning departure

Both tours include all 'Séance' related activities, but the three-night tour also includes a full day winery tour in the Santa Ynez valley, and sunset harbor cruise.

I must urge you to contact us before July 30^th if you wish to join us on this program. You may call us at (212) 541-5122 to pre-register for this program. Tour deposits must be received in our offices by July 30^th, 2009. Late registrations cannot be accepted. Final payments will be due on August 24^th. We are pleased to accept all major credit cards or personal checks for tour payments.

I am very excited about the upcoming tour, and look forward to sharing an incredible week of music with you in Santa Barbara!

Yours,

Larry Edelson

Founder , Pro Musica Tours

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25^th, 2009

Independent Flight arrivals in Santa Barbara. We are pleased to assist you with your flight booking, and with optional ground transportation to the hotel.

3:00 PM

Check In at the Hotel Santa Barbara, Our ‘home away from home’ is conveniently located at 533 State Street, right in the center of world-class shopping, fine dining, cultural venues, superb entertainment, and great beaches. Hotel Santa Barbara is an elegant Mediterranean inspired property, and each morning in the lobby and Palm Court, you'll enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast including a fresh array of pastries, bagels, and croissants, with hot cereal, seasonal fruit, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, apple juice, and orange juice.

6:45 PM

Departure to Film Screening

7:30 PM

This evening, enjoy a film screening of the 1964 classic, “Séance on a Wet Afternoon,” followed by a panel discussion with composer/librettist Stephen Schwartz, stage director Scott Schwartz, and Roger Durling of the world renowned Santa Barbara Film Festival. Following the screening and panel discussion, we will enjoy a wine and cheese reception during which you will have the exclusive opportunity to meet the panel members, including Stephen Schwartz!

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26^th, 2009

9:30 AM

We start the day with a private guided tour of Santa Barbara. We begin at Stearn's Wharf, built by John Stearn in 1872. We'll pass the California Hotel and Santa Barbara's train station featuring the Moreton Bay Fig Tree, which is the largest fig tree in the United States and is 130 years old. We'll visit the Santa Barbara Courthouse, featuring one of the most beautiful views of the city. We’ll also see the Santa Barbara Presidio, a military fort built in 1782, and visit the location of the Lobero Theater, which opened in 1873 as the first legitimate opera house south of San Francisco. We move on to see the original film studios for the American Film Company, which was larger than Holywood during the era of silent film making. Stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle were involved in productions here. We'll enjoy a stop at the Santa Barbara Mission, originally built in 1786. The present version of the church was built in 1820 after successive earthquakes destroyed the former one.

We’ll move on to visit Montecito, one of the wealthiest communties in the United States and home to many famous celebraties such as Oprah, Steve Martin, John Cleese, Rob Lowe, Christopher Lloyd, Troy Aikmen, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Costner, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Dennis Miller, Ellen Degeneres, Ty Warner, Jeff Bridges, and more. You'll see the Montecito Inn which was built by Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle. Finally we'll visit Hope Ranch, where the surf truly meets the turf. Hope Ranch was designed for the rich and famous to have horse ranches with ocean views. A truly comprehensive morning tour to give you an incredibly overview of the Santa Barbara area.

Afternoon at leisure.

5:45 PM Departure for Cocktail Party

6:00 PM Pre-Opera Cocktail Party (Details currently being confirmed)

6:45 PM Pre-Opera Lecture at the Opera House

7:30 PM World Premiere Performance: Séance on a Wet Afternoon. Grenada Theater. Opera Santa Barbara.

Photo: Lauren Flanigan, Soprano plays the leading character Myra in the opera.

SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON is a psychological thriller about a medium, Myra Foster, her doting husband Bill, and the spirit of their deceased eleven-year-old son, Arthur, who speaks to Myra and is her contact for her séances. Because Myra has never received the recognition she feels her gifts merit, they hatch a Plan: They will kidnap the daughter of a local wealthy industrialist, and keep her safe while the media frenzy over her abduction builds. When Myra has a "vision" that leads to the successful recovery of the girl and the ransom, her fame will be assured. As The Plan is put into action, the girl's presence in the house leads to complex psychological responses from Myra, Bill, and Arthur. The delicate balance of Myra and Bill's relationship and Myra's sanity itself begins to fray, as long-buried secrets are revealed. The Plan goes badly awry, and in Myra's final séance, the drama comes to a devastating conclusion.

Cast

Lauren Flanigan, Soprano - Myra

Kim Josephson, Baritone – Bill

Hila Plitman, Soprano – Mrs. Clayton

John Kimberling, Tenor – Mr. Clayton

Craig Hart, Bass – Inspector Watts

Production

Scott Schwartz, Director

Valery Ryvkyn, Conductor

Heidi Ettinger, Scenic Designer

David Lander, Lighting Designer

Alejo Vietti, Costume Designer

Matt Williams, Choreographer

Michael Jackowitz, Executive Producer

Steven Sharpe, General Director, Opera Santa Barbara

Post performance reception with the cast and production team following the world premiere performance. (Black Tie).

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27^th, 2009

Independent Departures for those leaving today.

9:30 AM

Depart for Private Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tasting Tour

Today our group will enjoy a private guided tour during which we will only visit three of the valley's most beautiful vineyards and wineries but also travel through some of the most breathtaking countryside you'll ever see. Along the way, we will also visit Cold Spring Tavern, an original stage coach stop built in the 1860s and also enjoy olive oil and vinegar tasting. Lunch with wine is included today, as are all tasting fees.

4:30 PM

Return to hotel. Freshen up for Sunset Cruise.

TIME TBD Sunset Dinner Cruise. Our final night is Santa Barbara is spent on the water together as we enjoy a harbor cruise on a private 50-ft. Catamaran. You'll enjoy the silhouette of the "Santa Barbara Riviera," the lights from the city, and the twinkling lights from Stearns Wharf. These lights, plus nature's "star power" will light the way as we sail though one of California's most beautiful harbors. Dinner is included, and a cash bar is available.

MONDAY, SEPTEMER 28^th, 2009

Independent Departures from Santa Barbara. Hotel Check out time is 12:00 Noon.

TOUR PRICE

Land Arrangements: THREE NIGHT PACKAGE:

$1195 per person based on double occupancy

$380 Single Supplement

TWO NIGHT PACKAGE:

$795 per person based on double occupancy

$260 Single Supplement

Included: Accommodations, Prime Orchestra Seating for World Premiere Performance, Daily Continental Breakfast, all day tours and meals, taxes and gratuities are included as per the itinerary.

NOTE: THREE NIGHT PACKAGE includes Winery Tour, Wine Lunch, Sunset Cruise and Dinner, as well as one extra night hotel.

A Deposit of $500 is required to hold your space on tour by July 30, 2009

PLEASE CALL (212) 541-5122 to hold your space on tour – seating is extremely

limited.

Balance Due August 24^th, 2009.

Please call (212) 541-5122 to pre-register and reserve your space on this tour. Space is limited, and opera seating will be assigned based on the order that payment is received.

About Stephen Schwartz and the Opera

To Main Séance Opera page

About Composer Stephen Schwartz