Southern Nevada Opera unveils ‘Diva, Diamonds’

Friday, June 1, 2001 | 8:48 a.m.

Tonight will mark another milestone in the nurturing of a new opera company in Las Vegas.

"Diva, Diamonds and Don Juan" will be presented at UNLV by the fledgling Southern Nevada Opera Association, which was conceived almost two years ago by a group of opera devotees who decided the time was right for Las Vegas to expand its fine arts base.

"We are bringing to the fine arts table (of Southern Nevada) a lot of worldwide experience and performance background," said Peter Aaronson, on the board of directors of the company and will conduct its orchestra in tonight's program, which will be a melange of arias from several different operas, as well as some show tunes.

SNOA's first venture was the modest presentation in February of the "The Tale of Three Tenors," at Community Lutheran Church. It featured internationally acclaimed tenor Mark Thomsen, who is a professional opera performer as well as an associate professor in the UNLV music department, artistic director of SNOA and president of its board.

In March SNOA presented "Opera Goes Primetime" at Christ Church Episcopal. The program was a collection of arias featuring baritone Paul Kreider, also a highly respected opera performer. He is chairman of the UNLV music department and the SNOA board.

In April SNOA presented "Shining Brow," a concert version of Daron Hagen's opera about architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

"Diva, Diamonds and Don Juan," the opera's first full production of the 2000-2001 season, will feature international singers Sally Wolf, a soprano, and Kevin Langen (bass). Both performers are highly sought after, Peterson said. They will be joined onstage by Thomsen.

Money raised by tonight's event, which will include a drawing and a search for a one-carat diamond hidden in someone's glass of champagne, will be used to help fund the opera company's next venture -- its first major operatic production.

SNOA plans to kick off the 2001-2002 season in the fall with a full-scale production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni." The second production of that season will be "Madame Butterfly."

"We're very excited about some of the things we've got planned," Aaronson said.

He said SNOA was born after "a group of friends and colleagues, centering around the Fine Arts Department at UNLV, got together with some community movers and shakers a year and a half ago and mapped out strategy for the opera company."

Aaronson, who has a degree in opera, is better known in the Las Vegas community for his role in the local entertainment scene. He was director of entertainment at Bally's for six years, and for the past two years has been vice president of Heftel Media, an agency that operates the Showroom at the Venetian, where Melinda, First Lady of Magic and impressionist Andre-Philippe Gagnon perform.

Aaronson said he sees nothing incongruous about going from "Mozart to saloons. My first love is opera.

"But I have to admit, it is a twist."

Thomsen said he would like Aaronson to become SNOA's resident conductor.

"We haven't made it formal, but that's what we're hoping for," Thomsen said.

Thomsen said he and Kreider, because of their teaching at UNLV, "realized there was a real need for students and the community to have a viable opera performing company."

He said the company is "an umbrella organization for an educational outreach program, a stage production company and a touring group of apprentices."

While the primary mission of the company is to produce excellent operas, Thomsen noted, it also will work with other fine arts organizations, educational institutions and entertainment corporations to develop skills in students through apprentice programs.

Thomsen travels extensively performing in operas around the world. In this country he has appeared at many major opera houses, including those in New York City, Atlanta and Dallas.

"I think this area is ready for opera," Thomsen said. "Locally, I've noticed when UNLV puts on productions, attendance has started to rise. The numbers are up."

He said opera is something both locals and tourists can enjoy.

"In my travels people ask what's happening in Las Vegas, which they believe is a cultural wasteland," Thomsen said. "When I tell them about the opera company they are surprised and say they are eager to come here and have someplace to go when they are gambling."