Union Avenue Opera Continues 18th Season with Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera"

Union Avenue Opera continues its 18th Festival Season with Giuseppe Verdi's tragic Un ballo in maschera (The Masked Ball) June, 29, 30 and July 6, 7 at 8:00 p.m. in its original Italian.

Accompanied by a thrilling score, Verdi's vivid characters grapple with life and love, betrayal and death. Witness the mystery and intrigue that stems from Riccardo and Amelia's forbidden love; the beguiling Amelia is married to Riccardo's closest friend and confidant Renato. Amelia enlists the aid of sorceress Ulrica in an effort to extinguish her illicit love for Riccardo, but discovers her secret is already out. The culmination takes place at a lavish masked ball as this love triangle turns deadly.

The cast of Ballo, stage director Mark James Meier and conductor Scott Schoonover have been hard at work staging for the past week. Take a look at a few rehearsal shots from Act III:

Soprano Rachel Holtzhausen (Oscar) & Baritone Andrew Cummings (Renato) 

Tenor Emanuel-Cristian Camaran (Riccardo) & Soprano Courtney Mills (Amelia) 

A flurry of dancing by the UAO Ensemble

Tickets start at $32 and are available online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling the box office Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 314-361-2881. Student Rush tickets are available for $15 at the door with a valid student ID (cash only).

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