New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Don Giovanni in New Jersey – Everything Old IS New Again.


By Bruce Chadwick

originally published: 02/23/2023

Wolfgang Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni debuted way back in the 18th century and this coming weekend (Feburary 24 & 26) will be staged in a theater that opened recently, just before the Covid Pandemic, the Sieminski Theater (formerly known as the Fellowship Cultural Arts Center) in Basking Ridge, proving that everything old can, indeed, be new again. The grand old opera, first staged in Prague, will be in a new home, with English sub titles and a new emphasis on its comedy, not its drama.

“No matter how you look at it, this opera is one of the very best. People have loved it – people from all nations - for years,” said Jason Tramm, executive director of the Light Opera of New Jersey, that is staging it.

And the theater will be packed with opera fans from New Jersey and New York.

Don Giovanni will be staged at 8 p.m. Friday night and again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. It is the winter opera for the theater, which stages three operas each year as it season. The Light Opera of New Jersey also produces its operas in different areas of the state, giving patrons of many towns the chance to see the productions.

“I  had the opportunity to visit the theater in Prague where the opera was originally staged. What a feeling for me – real history. I was very excited by the visit,” said opera director Jason Tramm.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



Tramm  is looking forward to it. “Ironically, the opera depicts Europe in a bad economy, which is just what we have had the last few years here in America. They laughed a lot about it back then to take their mind off of the economy and we do the same here. The arts are not just a part of our lives, but that part of our lives that we use to cope with life. Don Giovanni does that.”

He added that opera is history. “We often do not realize that opera producers and writers are telling us the story of the past. We can learn from them,” he said. “I think a lot of people today understand that from musical theater, but they do not see the history in opera. They should,” he added.

The opera is the story the ups and downs of a Spanish lover who claims to have slept with over 2,000 different women (hey, I thought basketball great Wilt Chamberlain held that record?)

Tramm  said the theater is emphasizing the comedy in the play. which is set in Spain. “It is, serious yes, but there is a great deal of comedy in it. The end, where Don Giovanni has to pay for his life, is very funny,” said Tramm.

Tramm and his colleagues have been at it with the Light Opera of New Jersey since 1995, when two opera singers,  Bill and Lauren Corson, founded the Light  Opera, the only company of its kind in the state.. Then, the Corson worked with new and established talent. The company does the same thing today.

“We have a lot of veteran singers in the company, but we also have many new people from all over. We have New Yorkers and people from New Jersey. I think we even have someone here from Colorado. The result is a nice mix of talent that gives all of our production a rich backdrop for our audiences. I think, too, that it is nice to be to nurture young performers. Most people do not get their start in the Metropolitan Opera, but in smaller, regional operas like ours. You can come to our productions and, over the years, watch a young performer grow and mature.”

The audiences themselves have a rich backdrop. The members of the Light Opera of New Jersey audiences are from New York and New Jersey. They are young and old, experienced opera goers and new ones. “Together, for all of our productions, they make up a wonderful group of opera lovers,” said Tramm, whose company was just awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



“One of the things that pleases me so much is that the people in our audiences do not just enjoy opera. They talk about the opera and its story, and the history of the play, or the era it depicts. That’s the purpose of opera, to get people into discussions about the show,” said Tramm. “That’s why we selected Don Giovanni. People love to talk about it.”

And people will talk about the Light Opera of New Jersey, too.



Bruce Chadwick worked for 23 years as an entertainment writer/critic for the New York Daily News. Later, he served as the arts and entertainment critic for the History News Network, a national online weekly magazine. Chadwick holds a Ph. D in History and Cultural Studies from Rutgers University. He has written 31 books on U.S. history and has lectured on history and culture around the world. He is a history professor at New Jersey City University.

EVENT PREVIEWS

NJPAC

NJPAC presents Latin Star Natalia Lafourcade

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents the world-renowned singer, songwriter, and music producer Natalia Lafourcade on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 8:00pm. She is one of this century's most influential voices in Latin popular culture.



HOT

HOT 97's Summer Jam 2025 to Take Place at Prudential Center

(NEWARK, NJ) -- HOT 97, New York's #1 station for Hip Hop, is again turning up the heat with Summer Jam 2025, the ultimate one-night-only celebration of the culture. Produced by The Black Promoters Collective and part of the Prudential North to Shore Festival, the biggest names in Hip Hop will take the stage on Friday, June 20, 2025 at the Prudential Center.



North

North to Shore Festival presents Third Eye Blind and Stars at NJPAC

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Prudential North to Shore Festival is set to present an incredible night of alternative rock featuring Third Eye Blind at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 8:00pm. Canadian indie rock band Stars will open the night.



Baroque

Baroque Music and Violin Recital with a Touch of Bluegrass Coming to the Princeton Festival

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Violinist Tessa Lark, The Sebastians, and violin/cello duo Daniel Rowland and Maja Bogdanović, in performance with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, offer refreshing renditions of works showcasing the violin and music of the Baroque era at 2025 Princeton Festival mid-June concerts.



311

311 to Perform in Atlantic City

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- 311 is bringing the energy back to the road with the return of their Unity Tour in 2025. In support of their latest full-length album, Full Bloom, the tour kicks off in Atlantic City at Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort on Friday, June 20, 2025, and will span coast to coast, bringing 311's signature fusion of rock, reggae, and funk to fans nationwide. Joining them on this epic run will be direct support from Badflower, with Sitting on Saturn opening the show as the first of three acts.



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Early

Early Elton Trio

Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Trouble

Trouble Man: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye

Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Axelrod Performing Arts Center
100 Grant Avenue, Deal Park, NJ 07723
category: music


 

Soul

Soul Project Nola

Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Jazz

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Thursday, June 19, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Juneteenth

Juneteenth – The Soundtrack of Freedom

Friday, June 20, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Hamilton Stage at Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
360 Hamilton Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065
category: music