In the great tradition of the last 30 years, Opera & Broadway of the Hamptons will return to the East End bringing the great “chestnuts” of the Opera and great Broadway favorites in their program “FROM OPERA TO BROADWAY: CRISTINA FONTANELLI AND HER FABULOUS FRIENDS”. (Opera & Broadway of the Hamptons is a 501 c-3 project giving performance opportunities and training opportunities to local children and providing tickets to under-privileged families and Veterans.)
“How terrible it would have been to let yet another summer go by due to the Covid Pandemic without performing for our loyal friends and fans in the Hamptons on the East End of Long Island. We searched and prayed for a venue and, thanks to Father Mike at the awesome Basilica of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (https://shjmbasilica.org), we all can be uplifted and healed through these performances of beautiful music.”
This annual concert will continue the tradition of highlighting famous arias/duets from Opera (e.g. La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, etc.) and Broadway showstoppers (e.g. West Side Story, Hamilton, My Fair Lady), plus famous Neapolitan songs and Spanish favorites.
Starring and hosted by the award-winning singer and PBS-TV, WLIW, CBS-TV host, Cristina Fontanelli will perform (“The best work came from Soprano, Cristina Fontanelli.” – the New York Times; "Vocal genius" - NY Sun; “Cristina Fontanelli at Feinsteins at the Regency is like seeing a cross between Maria Callas and Ethel Merman. She has no equal.” – Forbes Magazine).
Cristina Fontanelli, Soprano/Host (www.cristinafontanelli.com) is a highly acclaimed singer and PBS-TV, WLIW host for Andrea Bocelli “Live From Central Park” and for the Il Volo and Michael Buble PBS specials; Ms. Fontanelli has sung at the Clinton White House and for the inauguration of President George W. Bush; with the Palm Beach Opera, the Cairo Opera in Egypt, the New York Grand Opera and the New Jersey State Opera. Cristina has received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts from the Order Sons of Italy in America (previous honoree Luciano Pavarotti) and has appeared at Guild Hall in East Hampton in the title role of Madame Butterfly. Cristina recently won her 2nd Best Actress Award at the Venus International Film Festival in Las Vegas, NV for her role in SANTINO, a Russo Brothers Grantee film (DJ Higgins, Director/writer) thru the National Italian American Foundation in Washington DC. Short Promo of her award-winning performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE0d1cfHMvI She has appeared on CBS-TV, FOX, Discover channels. and on Bloomberg and Sirius Satellite Radio and has sung throughout the United States, Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East.
Riad Ymeri - Tenor - Born in Prishtina, Kosovo, Riccardo (Riad Ymeri) has been praised for his full lyric tenor voice of strength and beauty and an assured delivery of the character. Riad debuted with the Albanian National Opera and has performed in Belgium at the famous Bozar Hall; The Alighieri Theatre in Ravenna, Italy; at Carnegie Hall; The Town Hall and Alice Tully Hall. His outstanding voice has led to scholarships to coach with Steven Eldredge/ Metropolitan Opera, Arthur Levy, Samuel Ramey and Martina Arroyo. Upon his arrival in the United States, Riad immediately received headline reviews: “Tenor from Kosovo mesmerizes the American public with his performance at Carnegie Hall”– Elton Tota, the Independent Balkan News Agency. In 2018 and 2019 Riad joined Cristina Fontanelli on-stage at Carnegie Hall during her 15th/16th-annual “Christmas in Italy®” concert(s). ( https://www.facebook.com/RiadYmeriOfficial )
Baritone, Ricardo Rivera (https://www.facebook.com/BaritoneRicardoRivera) - A semi-finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, baritone Ricardo Rivera has made major debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera and Musica Viva Hong Kong. In August he sang the role of Escamillo in Carmen for the New York City Opera in Bryant Park, NYC. He has sung with the prestigious Opera Orchestra of NY at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in the title role of “Orsini” and has received numerous outstanding reviews from leading publications: – “The cast was winning overall, especially the baritone, Ricardo Rivera as Orsini.” – Anthony Tommasini, The NY Times; “amazingly precise of musical and verbal gesture” – John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune.
(PHOTO: Mike Ferrante)
