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August 8, 2005
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Metro Lyric Opera Opens Its 46th Season In Asbury Park
NJ's Oldest Active Opera Company Features International Vocal Artists
ASBURY PARK, N.J., July 20, 2005 - The Metro Lyric Opera (M.L.O.), one of the
leading regional opera companies in the United States and the oldest active opera
company in New Jersey, launched its 46th season on July 9, 2005 with a production
of Madame Butterfly. The famed Puccini opera, featuring acclaimed lyric tenor
Ronald Naldi of the New York City Metropolitan Opera and Korean soprano Yuna
Lee, was presented at Asbury Park's Paramount Theatre, home to the M.L.O. for
most of its four-and-a-half decade existence.
Two more performances are scheduled this summer: Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro
on July 23 and Puccini's La Boheme on August 6. Tickets are still available.
The company has been performing in Asbury Park since its founding in 1957 by
Era Tognoli, herself an accomplished opera singer who has performed in opera
houses throughout the United States and Europe. "I finally decided that I needed
more time for myself, so I moved down here to the Jersey Shore from Manhattan," said
Tognoli. "But then I started getting lonesome for opera music. Asbury Park was
booming at that time, so I decided to start an opera company here."
The earliest performances were held at Convention Hall and then moved to The
Paramount Theatre, which was a more suitable venue.
Allegiance to Asbury Park, Old and New Tognoli has never had a problem attracting
outstanding performers and dedicated audiences. Her maestro for this season,
for example, is noted conductor, composer and librettist Anton Coppola who also
happens to be the uncle of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
She believes Asbury Park is the perfect spot for the opera, because it draws
audiences from the entire area, as well as summer visitors from all over the
country who come to enjoy the unique combination of culture and coastline.
"We attract the young and the elderly, those new to opera and retirees who have
been coming for years," she says. "They make it a part of their summer entertainment.
I have one gentleman who comes here every year from California. He runs a regional
opera out there, but when he visits relatives in this area, he makes a point
of attending our performances. We also get quite a few people from New York City
and Pennsylvania."
Over the years, she has come to know the tastes of her fans. "The Puccini operas
draw more people than Verdi in this area," she noted. "I don't know why. Every
area is different. We also have people who will come only for Mozart."
The Metro Lyric Opera demonstrates its loyalty to the Asbury Park community by
presenting community concerts, opera workshops and educational programs free
of charge to public schools and libraries, and senior citizen groups. It also
offers a scholarship to talented teenage singers who are presented in a concert
with established artists.
Tognoli has seen the town through its highs and lows. "I was here when it was
booming, and I've been through some of the tough times. I have to really thank
the people who are working so hard now for Asbury Park. I know it's coming back,
and we are happy to be here for it."
"My husband keeps urging me to retire so we can have more time for ourselves," Tognoli
added. "But so far, opera in Asbury Park is a pull too strong to resist."
Rebirth of a Cultural and Entertainment Center Asbury Park's Convention Hall
and Paramount Theatre have been home to many of the nation's top performers,
from the Marx Brothers to Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington. The Paramount Theatre
is well regarded for its excellent acoustics, making it a choice venue for jazz
and opera alike.
This summer, Asbury Park will host a broad range of entertainment and a variety
of musical genres, from blues bands to jazz masters, from Rhythm and Blues to
Gypsy Swing.
For more information, call Convention Hall/Paramount Theatre at (732) 775-3533
or visit www.asburyparkconventionhall.com/events.shtml. The Paramount Theatre
Box Office is open daily from 1 to 5 p.m. The Metro Lyric Opera may be reached
at (732) 531-2378.
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