Philip Alongi to Appear as Cavaradossi in New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera's Tosca
The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera announces that Philip Alongi of Manalapan, New Jersey will play Cavaradossi opposite Canadian soprano Evelyn La Quaif in Tosca on October 16, 2011, 3:00 p.m., at the BergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey.

FORT LEE, NJ, September 30, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera (Verismo Opera) announces that Philip Alongi of Manalapan, New Jersey will appear as the revolutionary painter Cavaradossi with Canadian soprano Evelyn La Quaif as fiery Flora Tosca in the company's upcoming production of Giacomo Puccini's grand opera, Tosca. Verismo Opera kicks off the 2011-2012 performing season of Love, Tragedy, and Suicide with Tosca, one of Puccini's most popular, suspenseful operas, on Sunday, October 16 at 3 p.m. at the BergenPAC, 30 North Van Brunt St. in Englewood, New Jersey.

Under Artistic Director Lucine Amara, one of the Metropolitan Opera's finest performers of Tosca, Verismo Opera, the only professional grand opera company in North Jersey, brings this dark, dramatic love triangle of jealousy, treachery, and death set in Rome. Singers from Canada, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania appear in full costume and perform on traditional staging. Sung in Italian with English supertitles, the nonprofit company presents Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa's libretto in four acts based upon Victorien Sardou's drama, La Tosca.

"Unlike the characters in Sardou's play, Puccini's Tosca is deeply rife with three dimensional, intensely different personalities caught up in love---one's love of country, two romantic hearts, and another's evil quest for power. Thus, before our eyes, we see Caravadossi, Tosca, and Scarpia come first to life and watch in horror as each of them fatefully meets their end," explains Amara.

Philip Alongi's Work

New Jersey native Alongi is a tenor, who has performed over a dozen operatic roles, including Cavaradossi in Tosca and Luigi in Il Tabarro with the Lyric Orchestra. He also appeared as Alfredo in La Traviata with Pineda Lyric Opera Company, and Canio in Pagliacci with the Center City Opera Theater of Philadelphia.

A graduate of the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, he appeared as Sam in Street Scene at Rutgers Opera and as Absolom in the Yiddish operetta Shulamith with the Klezmer Company Orchestra. Alongi made his professional debut as Ruiz in Il Trovatore with the New Jersey State Opera. Other appearances include singing the funeral mass of television journalist Tim Russert, as well as the televised memorial service at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. He has performed live twice on the TODAY show from NBC studios in New York.

Ticket Information

Tickets may be purchased at the BergenPAC box office, located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays or by calling (201) 227-1030 or toll-free at 1-888-PACSHOW. Ticket purchases may be made online at http://www.bergenpac.org/shows-and-events/tickets/.

A special 25% discount on $55, $45, and $35 tickets will be available ONLY from Thursday, October 6 through Saturday, October 8 using the code TOSCA3. Discount tickets may be ordered only through the box office and are not available online.

Press Release Contact Information:

Gianni Simone
NJ Association of Verismo Opera
President
P.O. Box 3024
Fort Lee, New Jersey
USA 07024-9024
Voice: 201-886-0561
Website: Visit Our Website