SEPT 7: Opera in the Amphitheater

Opera anyone? Fun for the Whole Family! Free admission event: a celebration of our love for opera with an emphasis on outdoor performances of famous arias and songs of the opera, with community activities nurturing opera education. This event is in collaboration with Golden Gate Opera. Download flyer | 2024 Press Release | Social Media Post

WHEN: 2 pm to 5 pm, Saturday, Sept 7 2024 
WHERE: Hamilton Amphitheater located at 500-598 Hamilton Pkwy, Novato, CA 94949.

TICKETING: This is a FREE event; $20 donation tickets are available or feel free to RSVP to reserve your spot. 

MUSIC: 2024 Digital Program
WHO'S INVITED: The event will have opera Italian food, entertainment, opera trivia prizes & games, and the performance will be freely open to the all.

Dress up in your Italian or Opera wear 

2:00 PM - Arrival at Hamilton Amphitheater. Parking on at the Hamilton Theater parking lot.) There will be pre-opera performance trivia games and scavenger hunt for all.

2:30 PM - Grab your favortie seat or bring a picnic basket and blanket and sit in the grass area. We hope to rent cushions for those who do not want to sit on the rocky seats.
3:00 PM - Iniziare lo spettacolo! Opera Arias introduction and live performances.
4:00 PM - After several arias and sets, we will convene for biscotti and bubbly beverage along with more games & more educational opera fun.
5:00 Close out with raffle drawing hosted by Hamilton Arts Foundation Inc.

This event is co-sponsored by Hamilton Arts Foundation and Golden Gate Opera, and generously partially funded by the Fenwick Foundation. Thank you to Novato Park & Recreation for their generous community sponsorship.

​The Hamilton Theater was built and opened on April 7, 1938, where top-flight talent and famous artists visiting the Base like Abbott and Costello (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello), entertained the troops and their families through a live performing arts show or film, offering a reprieve from the stresses of wartime life.

For more info, please contact: Laura van Galen Email: hamiltonartsfoundation@gmail.com | tel: (415) 717-4466

Special thanks to Novato Parks & Recreation for allowing this event to happen as a Community Sponsored event at the Hamilton Amphitheater.

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Also a special thanks to:

- C'era Una Volta (for serving community cookie snack & non-alcoholic bubbly)

- Hamilton Field Museum (for chairs and tables)

- Lucky's Market Novato (for flowers)

- Safeway Hamilton (for flowers)

- San Francisco Ballet (for raffle tickets)

- San Francisco Opera (for raffle tickets & ticketing volunteers)

- and ALL the volunteers to walk flyers and promoting this event.

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PARKING

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Please park at the Hamilton Theater parking lot “or” the Hamilton Landing Hangers parking lots, "or the parking lot near the old Hamilton Gym at 503 Palmer Drive. Please do not park in any of the grass or unmarked areas which is not permitted as it damages the turf and irrigation. Parking Handout >> THANK YOU

Opera was born at the end of the 16th century, as an initiative of a circle of scholars (the Florentine Camerata) who, discovering that Ancient Greek theater was sung, had the idea of setting dramatic texts to music. Thus, Jacopo Peri created Dafne (1597), followed by Euridice (1600), by the same author.

Italian sweets and a bubbly beverage for all to enjoy!

Fun Fact: The first biscotti, often referred to as Biscotti di Prato, were created in 14th-century Tuscany in the city of Prato and were made from almonds, which were abundant in the region. Because the second baking drew moisture out of the biscuit, it rendered the biscotti hard, sturdy and, importantly, resistant to mold.

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C'era Una Volta will be serving Opera Italian delights. Menu >

Shawnette Sulker, colotura soprano,has been described as a singer “…displaying a bright, superbly controlled soprano with perfectly placed coloratura.” Video >

Lila Khazoum, hailed as “an artist of impressive talent” with “soaring high notes” (Piedmont Post), Lila Khazoum is an emerging coloratura soprano based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In July, 2021 she performed Un Raggio di Speme – A Ray of Hope with pianist Alexander Katsman as part of Festival Opera's Artist Recital Series. Videos >

Lori Willis, made her opera debut in 2006 as Malcolm X’s half-sister Ella in the “Life & Times Of Malcolm X” in Oakland Opera. She now participates as a mezzo-soprano in San Francisco Opera; following “The Trojans” in June, she will be performing in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” in November. More >

Olga Chernishiva-Moudry, Spinto Soprano, announced by Opera Online as the best leading female singer in North East in season 2006-2007,and the most dynamic couple with Orlin Goranov for Butterfly in both 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons, described by critics as possessing "a pure, strong soprano with phrasing of sumptuous elegance' (San Francisco Chronicle) , "a strong voice, with well-rounded tone and fullness in all registers" (San Francisco Classical Voice),voice all power and glinting steel" (Boston Globe) and "a lyric voice focused and alluring... subtly expressive" (Opera News), "show stopping" (Opera Online), Olga Chernisheva is one of most interesting and distinctive young singing actresses to emerge on the American scene during the past few years.

Richard Alexandre Rittelmann, baritone, belongs to the new promising generation of opera singers, laureate of many international competitions, from Paris, France. Video >

Eric Levintow, is an operatic tenor, guitarist, and teacher. This season he performed as Borsa (Rigoletto) with Opera San José, Nemorino (Elixir of Love) with the San Francisco Opera Guild, and is creating the role of Ed McCaughan (¡Chicanísima! by Carla Lucero) with Quinteto Latino.

Jerry Kuderna, accomplished pianist, performs widely in the Bay Area and is a favorite soloist with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Video >

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Many Thanks! Last year, 2023, Joseph Raymond Meyers, a.k.a. ”Joe”, tenor, Claudio Santome, tenor and Aléxa Anderson, soprano are highly sought after West Coast singers with projects ranging from Verdi to Weill with many other stops along the way.

SF Musuem of Modern Art: 2 guest passes valued at $60.

SF Ballet: 2 tickets for 2024 Repertory Season in January – April 2025 valued at $200.

SF Opera: Matinee 2PM showing for 2: $244 value

And more coming...click here to buy pre-raffle tickets >

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Please note: Pre-raffle tickets are discounted. Tickets the day of the event will be $5 for 1, $10 for 3 and $20 for 7.

IMPORTANT: There are no chairs available; just spaces to place chairs.

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Going North: Take Hwy 101 north to the Nave Drive exit in Hamilton, Novato CA 94949. Turn right onto Main Gate Rd.  Continue to the Hamilton Theater parking lot across the street from the MOCA. Please park here. If the parking lot is full, overflow parking is at Hamilton Landing at the end of S Palm Drive. Walk along S Palm Drive to Hamilton Parkway, Turn right on Hamilton Parkway. The Hamilton Amphitheater is a short walk on your right.

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Going South: Take Hwy 101 south to exit 459A from US-101 Ignacio Blvd in Hamilton, Novato CA 94949, turn left at overpass light, then the first right onto Nave Dr. Turn left onto Main Gate Rd. Continue to the Hamilton Theater parking lot across the street from the MOCA. Please park here. If the parking lot is full, overflow parking is at Hamilton Landing at the end of S Palm Drive. Walk along S Palm Drive to Hamilton Parkway, Turn right on Hamilton Parkway. The Hamilton Amphitheater is a short walk on your right.

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Handicap: There are limited handicap parking spots at the Hamilton Amphitheater and we ask that you use these spots ONLY if you have a handicap placard.

Special thanks to Novato Parks & Recreation for allowing this event to happen as a Community Sponsored event at the Hamilton Amphitheater.

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Also a special thanks to:

- C'era Una Volta (for serving community cookie snack & non-alcoholic bubbly)

- Hamilton Field Museum (for chairs and tables)

- Lucky's Market Novato (for flowers)

- Safeway Hamilton (for flowers)

- San Francisco Ballet (for raffle tickets)

- San Francisco Opera (for raffle tickets & ticketing volunteers)

- and ALL the volunteers to walk flyers and promoting this event.