Mad Scenes are among the most exciting moments in opera! Characters express their mental distractions with high notes, low notes, fast notes, and passionate conviction. In the hands of Baroque masters like Handel and Vivaldi, those moments create pinnacles of drama that tear at your heartstrings as if the characters are people that we know. Sarah Coit and Hadleigh Adams will bring you unforgettable experiences as they move throughout the room and among the audience, delivering gripping theatrics from only an arm's distance away. Of course, specialty cocktails will be designed for the night's theme, and casual cafe-style seating offers easy mingling with the performers.
SFBaroque is American Bach's newest innovation in audience performance experiences. An offshoot of the core of American Bach Soloists, the group's name represents both the new ensemble's musicians and a bold new performance style that welcomes non-traditional classical music audiences and all who seek an informal, fun, and dramatically powerful adventure. This season, the events take place in the spectacular Green Room in San Francisco's Herbst Theatre / War Memorial and Performing Arts Center.
About the Artists
Sarah Coit: "a longtime local treasure who outdid herself with a blazing and tender performance" (San Francisco Chronicle), "flowed with confident legato and beautiful ornamentation" (Opera News)
Hadleigh Adams: "dark strength and supple, expressive tone" (Opera News), "simply beguiling" (The Guardian), "the masterful beauty of his singing were irresistible" (San Francisco Chronicle)
About the Music
Arias from Handel's Ariodante, Hercules, Orlando, Serse, and Teseo and Vivaldi's Il Bajazet