Opera Festival of New Jersey will present its 20th anniversary season June 29 through July 19, 2003, at McCarter Theatre Center.
The season will offer Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, a sparkling comedy; Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (based on Pushkin), a melodrama, and Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, one of the most influential operas of the 20th century. All three operas will be company premieres.
In a departure from previous seasons, David Agler, Opera Festival’s artistic director, has compressed the playing season to three weeks from the previous five, with the number of performances increased to as many as five a week.
"This will enable Opera Festival to rehearse all three operas simultaneously and begin rotating repertory immediately, rather than waiting an entire week as in years before. It will also help us create more of a festival atmosphere, reduce production costs and enable us to include recitals, lectures, symposia, and a film or two that are all related to the current season’s fare," Mr. Agler said.
According to Douglas Rubin, Opera Festival’s executive director, "The new schedule also permits us to offer a variety of subscription plans that allow patrons with busy summer schedules to see all three productions without sacrificing their weekend summer travel. In addition to a full Tuesday evening subscription plan, we are excited to offer a Thursday ‘mini-sub’ as well as a ‘pick-your-own’ subscription plan."
Based in Princeton, Opera Festival of New Jersey is ranked nationwide among leading summer opera festivals for its fresh and innovative productions of classic and contemporary repertory, frequently showcasing young singers who are making their mark on the stages of major opera companies. Opera Festival draws its audiences from throughout New Jersey as well as from New York City, Philadelphia and beyond.
Opera Festival of New Jersey can be reached by calling (609) 919-1003.

