Although Wednesday, July 10th, was a very windy, gusty night, that didn’t affect the powerful singing voices of the beloved Regina Opera, regulars who have been performing for the last few years at the popular Marine Park Concert series, sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams.
Francine Garber introduced the talented Regina Opera musical artists to the crowd before the two-hour, free “Al Fresco” concert, consisting of favorite operatic and instrumental selections, entertained opera lovers and welcomed the arrival of summer. And if you didn’t love opera, you certainly did by the end of this concert!
There were selections from popular operas like La Boheme, including heartfelt performances of “Quando m’en vo” by soprano Nicole Magallon and “In un coupe” by tenor Paolo Buffagni and baritone Eliam Ramos Fuentes. Carmen’s “Seguidilla” was performed by Anna Viemeister (mezzo-soprano), and everyone’s favorite – the “Toreador Song” – was passionately sung by Ramos Fuentes.
Everyone loves Broadway show tunes, and Ramos Fuentes didn’t disappoint with his rendition of “Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, as well as Sabrina Palladino’s performance of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess.
The talented Mikhail Parkhomovsky performed several violin solos, including a stirring performance of the theme from Schindler’s List.
Pianist Victoria Ulanovskaya ended the evening with a medley of the most popular waltzes before the entire opera company took their final bow.
The Brooklyn-based opera company has been in existence for 54 years and returned to Marine Park by popular demand. To learn more about The Regina Opera, visit reginaopera.org.
The Marine Park concerts are sponsored by Marine Park Alliance, Kings Plaza and Nick’s Lobster House, among others, in coordination with State Senators Simcha Felder and Roxanne Persaud, and District Leader Frank Seddio, and in partnership with Millennium Development, NYC Parks and the Marine Park Community Association.
The next concert will be held on Wednesday, July 17th, where Plastic Soul will be performing Classic Rock hits from the 1960s and 1970s. Rain date is July 18th.
All concerts take place on the lawn near the bocce courts at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket, chair and your friends and family! For more information, call 718-252-2124.
