Carson opera-lovers, and those in the South Bay generally, will have an alternative way to enjoy the music and drama later this week — without needing to travel to a concert venue far from their homes.
Rather, LA Opera will present a free live transmission of its opening night production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello” at 7:30 pm Saturday, May 13, to audiences at two outdoor venues, Cal State Dominguez Hills and the Santa Monica Pier.
The operatic masterpiece will be broadcast in high-definition with the help of nine cameras from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, in downtown Los Angeles, to the Santa Monica Pier and the north lawn of the CSUDH campus, near Carson.
The program is a part of Los Angeles County’s efforts to make the arts more accessible for residents throughout the region. It was spearheaded by former LA County Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, a champion of making the arts accessible to all residents, said Joslyn Treece, director of institutional giving and government relations development at LA Opera.
The project began in October 2014 with the live broadcast of “La Traviata” to audiences at the Santa Monica Pier. After that, the program added a second location, which rotates with the chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors every year, Treece said in an emailed statement on Friday, May 5.
There were no broadcasts during the 2020 and 2021 seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the company created three simulcast locations for the 2021-22 season, including at the Santa Monica Pier, and in the first and fifth supervisorial districts.
But next week’s performance will mark the first time the annual simulcast has come to Carson.
“Access to arts and culture programming has the power to transform lives,” Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents the Second District in which CSUDH is located, said in a statement.
“My office is proud to bring one of Verdi’s greatest operas, Otello, for all to enjoy freely and in our community,” she added. “I applaud LA Opera for creatively working to make the arts more accessible throughout LA County.”
It was a goal of both LA Opera and LA County’s Second District to bring the event to communities that historically have fewer arts and cultural investment, as well as arts exposure/participation and access, Treece said.
“Together, we compiled a short list of possible locations,” she said, “and decided on CSUDH for its geographic location, strong presence in the local community and opportunity to reach the larger campus audience.
There will be free shuttle sites in Compton and Lawndale to make it easier for community members to access the event, Treece said.
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, meanwhile, said he is honored and delighted that the opera company has chosen to partner with the university on this event.
“This simulcast is another opportunity for CSUDH to demonstrate that we are not only in the community, but of the community,” he said in a statement. “Showcasing great instrumental and vocal performances is a fantastic occasion that brings people together in a positive way, using music as the catalyst. We look forward to future collaborations with LA Opera.”
“Otello,” inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy “Othello, is about the eponymous governor of Cyprus and a Venetian general, who became ensnared by an evil plot orchestrated by his ensign, Iago. Russell Thomas, LA Opera’s artist-in-residence, will star in the title role, with music conducted by Music Director James Conlon.
The performance will be sung in Italian, but the simulcasts will feature subtitles in both English and Spanish.
Visitors to broadcast locations can begin arriving at 5:30 p.m. for pre-performance activities, which will include arts-and-crafts. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are not required for entrance, but audiences are encouraged to sign up in advance at LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach or LAOpera.org/OperaOnTheLawn.