Aria Ready?

Pop-Up Opera Returns to Portland This Summer

It's like a food cart, but for opera.

By Fiona McCann June 19, 2018 Published in the July 2018 issue of Portland Monthly

Soprano Jennifer Forni and pianist David Saffert perform at Ponzi Winery in 2016

Fancy an “O Sole Mio” with a side order of “Figaro”? There is, this being Portland, a cart for that. For the third summer, Portland Opera will roll out its Opera a La Cart, a mobile musical venue complete with foldout stage, boasting a menu of popular arias and musical numbers to be sung to order by Portland Opera artists. You’ll find this food-cart-style effort at Sunday Parkways, art fairs, farmers markets, and at local wineries—order from the daily specials, or enjoy a 45-minute set list of tunes you never even knew were operatic. (We’re looking at you, British Airways commercial tune.)

Alongside the scheduled events, surprise pop-up performances are also part of the summer repertoire. “New Seasons has been a great partner with us,” says Portland Opera’s Clare Burovac. “We’ll sometimes show up in their parking lot and set up, and sing arias as people do their grocery shopping.”

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