ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

After Cincinnati Opera was forced to cancel its 100th anniversary season last year due to the pandemic, the company pulled out all the stops to stage live opera this summer. The result is “Summer at Summit,” a reimagined open-air festival at Summit Park in Blue Ash July 17-31. JUST THE HITS

The 2021 festival features wellknown operas presented in 90-minute versions that retain their full stories and bestloved music. Carmen will be performed four times, Tosca three times, and The Barber of Seville twice.

THE GANG IS ALL HERE

Each show will highlight what fans love most about opera in Cincinnati, featuring worldclass singers accompanied by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera Chorus (including Victoria Ellington, a locally-based soprano and CCM graduate, right).

THROWBACK OF A SORT

While getting creative in order to salvage a season, Cincinnati Opera leadership also offered a nod to the company’s 50-plus years of presenting outdoor summer opera at the Cincinnati Zoo. (Shows moved to Music Hall in 1972.)

A GREAT LAWN

Performances are being held on a custom-built stage in front of Summit Park’s observation tower. Audience members sit in pods drawn on the lawn to ensure social distancing, bringing their own chairs and blankets; there’s room for about 1,000 spectators each evening.