Artists collective Opera by the Glass will present its contemporary interpretation of Gaetano Donizetti's historical masterpiece, Anna Bolena, sponsored by the Museum of Ventura County for two special performances on Friday, November 17 (8:00pm), and Sunday, November 19, 2017 (5:00pm). Anna Bolena, a thrilling bel canto opera in two acts, recounts the final days of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's notorious King Henry VIII, once he had lost interest in her and ruthlessly moved on to Jane Seymour. The fast-paced immersive experience is staged in the museum's exquisite Martin V. & Martha K. Smith Pavilion, which is punctuated with striking walls of glass and river rock. Anna Bolena features first-rate Ventura-based artists in collaboration with performers from outside the area who have appeared in regional, national, and international productions.

Anna Bolena is a magnificent, yet often-overlooked opera which rarely gets produced, despite having a tragic story, larger than life characters, and a fantastic score, says Zeffin Quinn Hollis, Opera by the Glass Artistic Director. It's also incredibly accessible. since we all know the eventual fate of Henry's second wife; the plot is easy to follow for audiences new to opera.

Anna Bolena is widely considered the strongest of Donizetti's three "Tudor queen" operas, noted for its inspired music and fully realized characters. Donizetti's original opera was over 3 hours in duration. For this production, Opera by the Glass has carefully trimmed the work down to a more palatable 2-hour length. The high-quality production will be presented in its original Italian with English supertitles.

Hana Chelberg is featured in the challenging role of Anne Boleyn, the ambitious, doomed Tudor queen, as she languishes in anxiety, confusion, and eventual madness while facing execution (remedial spoiler: she's totally a goner). Dianna Burdick plays the conflicted Jane Seymour, who replaced Anne in the king's affections. Luvi Avendano is Lord Rochefort, Anne's brother, with whom she was accused of having an incestuous relationship. Lord Percy, Anne's former love, is played by Alex Rodin Mendoza. Sally Rose Bates, as Anne's page Mark Smeaton, and Ricardo Mota, as court official Sir Hervey, round out the cast.