‘Alcina’ Opens at Pittsburgh Opera; Benedum Center Hosts ‘Shen Yun’ (Sat., 1/25/20)

Ruggerio (Antonia Botti-Lodovico) lounges at the feet of Alcina (Caitlin Gotimer) while Attendant (Yazid Gray) stands at the ready in Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘Alcina.’ (photo: David Bachman for Pittsburgh Opera).

1) The idea may seem strange, but if you are in the mood for adventurous theater, try an opera. Seasons at Pittsburgh Opera are always intriguing, as the company mixes fresh treatments of the classics with new and/or unusual works. Next up is a once-long-forgotten gem of the 1700s, George Frideric Handel’s Alcina. The title character of this whimsically eerie (or eerily whimsical) fantasy is a sorceress ruling an enchanted island. She takes mortal men as lovers, and when she tires of them, turns them into decorative flora and fauna. But then a brave woman arrives, in disguise, hoping to rescue her man before Alcina can win his heart or transform him to shrubbery. Striking arias embellish the intrigues, which include mistaken identities, interlocking triangles of passion, and magical talismans. Pittsburgh Opera performs Alcina with the music played authentically by Chatham Baroque. Soprano Caitlin Gotimer is Alcina and mezzo Laurel Semerdjian is brave Bramante. They and others sing in Italian with English supertitles projected, at an intimate venue: Pittsburgh CAPA Theater. 8 p.m. Performances continue through February 2. 111 9th St., Cultural District. (MV)

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS (dance and theater extravaganza). Jan. 24 – 25, touring company at Benedum Center. 

2) In what has become an annual custom, the Shen Yun Performing Arts troupe visits Pittsburgh with a new feature-length show. Shen Yun’s productions may seem, at first, like a cross between Bollywood spectacle and some odd hybrid of Western dance, but they are distinctly Chinese. The performers’ mesmerizing movements and astounding leaps are from classical Chinese dance, which evolved over the millennia to incorporate elements of martial arts, acrobatics, storytelling pantomime, and spiritual expression. These elements are combined with modern stagecraft to dramatize folk tales and true stories from China’s long history. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Last day. Benedum Center, 237 7thSt., Cultural District. (MV)

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