By Darlene Brace
Fredonia is fortunate to be home to the historic Fredonia Opera House, a charming theater that first opened its doors in 1891. Since then, it has been a vibrant hub for the performing arts, showcasing an array of spectacular operas, plays, concerts, and various other events. The Fredonia Opera House is located in the heart of downtown Fredonia, at 9 Church Street within the Village Hall building. This nonprofit organization offers a captivating range of programs that cater to all tastes, making it a must-visit destination for art lovers and entertainment seekers alike.
Saturday, May 10 at 1pm. This documentary
chronicles Picasso’s life and artistic journey
in Paris, highlighting his transformation from
a struggling artist to his rise to fame.
This spring and summer, the opera house will host a series called Arts in the Afternoon, which includes several types of programs. One program is the showing of live performances from the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC (The Met), featuring operas that are taking place in New York City and will be shown live at the Fredonia Opera House. These Live at the Met performances are scheduled for Saturdays at 1pm and usually last around three hours. The Arts in the Afternoon series is sponsored by Doctor James M. and Marcia Merrins, and Live at the Met is sponsored by Daniel Kaufman and Timothy W. Beaver.
The Live at the Met productions remarkably showcase some of the world’s biggest names in opera. Many of the performances include well-known traditional operas that opera enthusiasts love and are familiar with, but they also include a selection of contemporary operas. These more modern works often address current social issues and feature music styles aimed at appealing to a younger and more diverse audience.
The next Live at the Met presentation will be on Saturday, May 3, featuring Le Nozze di Figaro, which translates to “The Marriage of Figaro.” This timeless comedy, with music by Mozart, is filled with love triangles, disguises, and trickery that will have you laughing in your seats while enjoying Mozart’s amazing music.
Similar to the Live at the Met, there are productions called National Theatre Live that take place in London, UK. These productions are recorded live, but because of the time difference, they are shown at a later time. The next National Theatre Live will be The Importance of Being Earnest, shown September 13th.
In addition, part of Arts in the Afternoon is called Art and Architecture on Screen. These documentary-style films explore a variety of topics, including art exhibitions and galleries from around the world. Each film typically runs for about 90 minutes and may focus on a specific artist, artistic era, or gallery. The next presentation in this series is Picasso: A Rebel in Paris, which will be shown on Saturday, May 10 at 1pm. This documentary chronicles Picasso’s life and artistic journey in Paris, highlighting his transformation from a struggling artist to his rise to fame.
The Opera House will also be hosting a variety of Cinema Series movie nights this summer. One of the upcoming films is the Beatles movie Help, which will be screened to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its release. The film offers great music and slapstick, and it will be shown on July 25, 2025.
This summer, there will be some great concerts available. Cellist Jolyon Pegis will return for a special recital on August 29th at 7pm, and pianist Robert Frankenberry will accompany him.
Later this fall, there will be a concert featuring Broadway star Nick Adams on September 19th, followed by The Billy Joel Tribute Experience on October 17th. More details about these concerts and information about other events can be found on the website fredopera.org or visit the Facebook page.
This year, the opera house is offering a variety of amazing programs, with one of the main highlights being the “Arts in the Afternoon” series. Rick Davis, the executive director of the Opera House, stated, “Our Arts in the Afternoon series provides opportunities for patrons to experience global events that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. The variety of programs in the series offers something for everyone.” Visit the website to explore the amazing programs, and you can find the ones that suit your interests!