TOSCA & Meanwhile Back at Mario's

Only the first act? Really? Yes! Guild Opera Co. presented its successful production of Tosca in its entirety two years ago. This time around, we will present the first act of this beloved masterpiece followed by the hilarious spoof Meanwhile Back at Mario’s: What REALLY Happened after the first act of Puccini’s Tosca. This humorous piece was written by Dr. Robert Chauls, world known composer, educator and president of Guild Opera Co. some years ago. Guild Opera Co. is staging this rare composition as part of our 2024 celebration of Guild Opera’s 75th year celebration. There will be ONLY ONE PERFORMANCE, only one chance to find out what REALLY happened after Tosca’s first act. Included in this performance will be Dr. Chauls’ world famous and charming Alice in Wonderland. In the first act of Tosca we meet the artist Mario Cavaradossi, who is painting a portrait of Mary Magdalene by observing a beautiful and mysterious young woman who comes to the church to pray daily. She turns out to be the Countess L’Attavanti, who is hiding clothes in their chapel for her brother, Angelotti, who has become a political prisoner in the city of Rome, by the evil chief of police, Scarpia. Angelotti escapes from prison and Cavaradossi hides him in the chapel. The great and fiery opera singer Tosca comes in and becomes jealous of the beautiful portrait which Cavaradossi is painting. They express their deep love for each other. Once Tosca departs, Cavaradossi instructs Angelotti to go to Cavaradossi’s villa and hide in a deep well in the garden. A Sacristan arrives with news of the defeat of Napoleon, and he and the choir celebrate. The celebration is interrupted by the evil Scarpia who suspects Cavaradossi at once. Tosca returns and Scarpia weaves a web of suspicion towards Cavaradossi. Scarpia instructs his henchman, Spoletta, to follow Tosca to Cavaradossi’s villa. The first act ends with Scarpia’s evil plan amid the splendor of the Te Deum. In Meanwhile Back at Mario’s: What REALLY Happened after the first act of Puccini’s Tosca, we find out what REALLY happened... Yes, Puccini wrote only Acts I, II and III, but ACT I, Scene 2 takes a different turn from the drama of Act I, where Mario Cavaradossi’s Villa tells us The True Story of What Really Happened to Tosca. Ultimately, all the characters of the opera are in Act I, with the exception of L’Attavanti who doesn’t want Puccini to sing in Tosca, but the composer nevertheless inserts her with some beautiful music. In Meanwhile Back at Mario’s, almost all the characters fall in love, for awhile anyway, but not with whom you might expect. The composer was in a hurry when he wrote this spoof, so some of the music was assisted with occasional thievery from Friedrich Flotow, Wolfgang Mozart, Irving Berlin, a few bars of Barber Shop music, Giuseppe Verdi, Modeste Mussorgsky, all in chronological order and, of course, lying in his grave, Giacomo Puccini. After Intermission, Guild Opera Co. will present Alice in Wonderland which was written by Dr. Robert Chauls. This charming opera, based on the Lewis Carroll classic, is currently being performed at schools in the Los Angeles area. Alice in Wonderland is filled with familiar characters and delightful melodies! The first part of our presentation has adult themes, but Alice in Wonderland is an opera to be enjoyed by all, young or otherwise. If the adult themes are a concern, may we suggest you bring the young ones after intermission? Remember, children are always free of charge at Guild Opera Co.