Ainadamar by Golijov February 15, 2013

8 p.m. February 15 and 16, and 2 p.m. February 17

San Francisco's leading contemporary opera company returns after its acclaimed performances of The Great Gatsby last February, with Osvaldo Golijov's riveting opera Ainadamar. Inspired by the confrontation between poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the Fascist regime during the Spanish Civil War, the opera artfully combines singing, visual arts and flamenco. This poignant story, with a libretto by award winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly, Chinglish), is told in flashback through the eyes of actress Margarita Xirgu, Lorca's muse and most fervent advocate. Opera Parallele, under the baton of Nicole Paiement, presents the San Francisco premiere in a production conceived and directed by Brian Staubenfiel.

Opera singers Lisa Chavez, Marnie Breckenridge and Maya Kherani will be joined by La Tania and her troupe of flamenco dancers. Staufenbiel, with the help of Scenic and Lighting Designer Matthew Antaky and Video Artist Austin Forbord, bring the story to life with creative use of new video mapping technology.

Official Website: http://www.operaparallele.org