I'm so grateful to the Academy of Vocal Arts for inviting me to see a performance of Rusalka last night. Rusalka is a Czech opera which is based on the same fairy tale as The Little Mermaid, so it was a familiar story but definitely not your typical Disney ending. It was my first time attending a show at AVA and I loved the intimate theater experience! The academy was founded in 1934 and has become one of the top post-graduate opera training schools in the world. Not only did the cast's voices give me goosebumps, but they also delivered great acting performances. As a former high school theater kid who used to work as an extra in opera productions, I was so excited to see the resident artists at the beginning of their careers and remember the excitement of being on stage (Scroll to the bottom for throwbacks of my time at Florida Grand Opera 😂).
If you are looking to delve into some of Philadelphia's cultural scene, then look no further then AVA's current productions. Rusalka runs until February 2nd but there are still many more shows to come this season, including Romeo et Juliette in April. Click the link to get tickets: https://www.avaopera.org/productions/tickets/.
Throwbacks circa 2007 of my time as an extra in Romeo et Juliette for Florida Grand Opera:
