hudson opera theatre

Hudson Opera Theatre's concerts are every bit as outstanding as the fully-staged operas. The recent performances of Giuseppe Verdi's "Requiem" at the newly reopened Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center brought a Manhattan-quality musical experience to the Orange County apple-picking region, complete with beautiful autumn foliage and great local eateries. Is there a better formula for a great weekend? I check their website periodically (HOTopera.com).

Top notch soloists and first rate chorus. Sung in Italian with English supertitles . Striking, dramatic 3-D tree to suggest the Druid forest. Expressive acting, well-directed. Small, professional chamber orchestra. 4 performances in a church with great acoustics. You can count on this company for inspiring concerts, recitals, oratorios, and operas. Matches any music in NYC.

We were very agreeably surprised by the quality of this regional opera company, which performs classic operas with full orchestration, costumes and staging for less than $40 per ticket. The singers and orchestra are mainly from the NYC metropolitan area, and they are really excellent. There are different performances every couple of months. This is grand opera, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby to "make an evening of it." We will be going back!