PORTopera and Osher Sponsor Romeo and Juliet Film Series

PORTLAND, Maine ’Äì PORTopera and the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute are sponsoring a four-week film festival to coincide with PORTopera's presentation of the opera Romeo et Juliette on July 24 and 26. The films will all be shown at 7 p.m. in the Luther Bonney Auditorium located on Bedford Street on the USM Portland campus. A rare work by Charles Gounod will be featured during the fourth week of the festival.

The Romeo and Juliet Film Festival Schedule

• Thursday, June 26 ’Äì 7p.m. ’Äì "I Capuleti e i Montecchi"
  Vincenzo Bellini's bel canto work written in 1830, in a production from the Ravenna Festival in 2005.

• Thursday, July 3 ’Äì 7p.m. ’Äì "Village Romeo and Juliet"
  Written in 1900 by Frederick Delius in the English Impressionistic style, this 1990 film is by Peter Weigl. A brief video on the life of Delius will be shown first.

• Thursday, July 10 ’Äì 7p.m. ’Äì "West Side Story"
  Written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. The classic 1960's musical features Romeo and Juliet in a 20^th century setting. The film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, won ten Oscars.

• Thursday, July 17 ’Äì 7p.m. ’Äì "Mireille"
  Written by Charles Gounod in 1864, produced by Canadian Television, and aired in 1957. This production features Pierrette Alarie and Leopold Simoneau singing Gounod's most romantic music.

Tickets are $5 each and available at the door. Call 207-879-7678 for additional information.

PORTopera will present two performances of Gounod's Romˆ©o et Juliette on July 24 and 26 at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Visit www.portopera.org for more information. Tickets for the opera performances are available online at www.porttix.com, by phone, (207) 842-0800, or in person at the 20 Myrtle Street box office in Portland, Maine between noon and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

About PORTopera:
PORTopera is Maine's only opera company performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed singers. PORTopera will be celebrating its 14th season in 2008.