by: Jessi Hafer

I am a huge fan of the Fresno Grand Opera (FGO), and I was not a regular patron of the opera before coming to Fresno. I had never had anything against opera, I just wasn’t overly enthused about it. Once I moved to Fresno and learned about FGO, I knew I had to check it out. I’m not entirely sure what my initial draw was. I suppose part of it was knowing that it was another great way to support arts in Fresno, and I knew that Fresno was fortunate to have the opera at all.

But is Fresno’s opera as good as Los Angeles or San Francisco? I have no idea. I haven’t been to either one. SF and LA have the advantages of bigger audiences, more revenue, and longer runs for the productions. However, tickets to either cost much more than tickets to the FGO, and I have yet to justify the cost or the long drive. That said, after attending the past six performances of the FGO, I think I’m becoming increasingly likely to make the trip because the FGO has constantly increased my appreciation of the art form.

The FGO does have the advantage of having the Friends of the FGO, an outgoing group of dedicated, regular volunteers. When I volunteered as an usher for my first couple of visits to the FGO (volunteer ushers get to attend the “Youth Night” performance for free, and I knew that would be a great way to see how I liked the opera), I was so impressed with how welcoming the Friends were, and it is clear that their support is crucial to Fresno having the FGO as a resource. The Friends are also crucial to the FGO’s “vibe,” which has always struck me as approachable and engaging. The Friends meet once a month (the first Thursday of the month), and their activities support the artists, staff, and technical crew. They also help out “Youth Night,” during which students can attend the final dress rehearsal for a reduced ticket price.

Out of the six FGO shows that I have attended over the past three years, I have been blown away by powerful performances, intriguing stories, and beautiful music. As of this writing, there is one remaining performance of the current opera, Manon Lescaut, on Sunday, April 29 at 2:30pm. Tickets start at $24.50 and are available for purchase on the FGO website (listed below). The sets in Manon Lescaut are wonderful, whisking the audience away to a French village, an ornate room in a mansion, a ship, and a desolate wilderness. The music is fantastic, with moving instrumentals and some powerfully emotional vocals, especially in the later acts. Overall, though, Manon Lescaut was not my favorite FGO performance. I didn’t really care for the story, and the characters were not very likeable (well, the gambling drunkard was fun). Also, the ending felt abrupt. I wasn’t drawn in to the performance the way other FGO performances have so greatly engrossed me.

Next year marks the 10th season for the Fresno Grand Opera, and in celebration, they will be reviving the legendary Madam Butterfly. This is sure to be a great opera for first-time visitors as well as regular patrons. For more information on the FGO, Friends of the FGO, and usher/volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.fresnograndopera.org/