From Pat DerHovsepian,
President of the SMPAC Board of Directors
The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center’s vision includes providing diverse programming to all. In accordance, the SMPAC Board of Directors was pleased to have the Florentine Opera perform at our venue this year. Although opera has established itself in many of the major cities in the U.S., it remains an elusive genre in the eyes of many people throughout the country. By offering a presentation centered around American Opera and including classic repertoire from composers including Gershwin, Menotti, and Bernstein, the SMPAC hopes to reveal the opera artform to our novice audience in an entertaining and enjoyable manner. We hope that in the future, our audiences will welcome other new performance experiences that we plan to offer.
From Chad Piechocki,
Executive Director of the SMPAC
The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center will present the opera art-form for its patrons and the entire community for the first time. South Milwaukee has a proud history of supporting the arts–from hosting the Spectacle of Music to competition-winning high school musicals at the Pabst, to its vision to build a professional, state-of-the-art performing arts center. The SMPAC’s presentation of the Florentine Opera Studio Artists this Friday, March 23 is a tribute to this legacy and the center’s arts education leaders (who will be in attendance) and an opportunity to continue to foster a deep appreciation for this rich art form. This performance will cultivate new audiences (in both the south shore and south suburban communities) for opera and the performing arts while continuing South Milwaukee’s tradition of arts appreciation.
