The St. Petersburg Opera Company received six awards Sunday night at the 2017-2018 Theatre Tampa Bay Awards, held at Opera Central.
Executive and Artistic Director Mark Sforzini won for Outstanding Musical Direction for La Traviata. “I’m honored that Theatre Tampa Bay is recognizing the opera genre as being so significant in the community,” Sforzini said. “That we’re even allowed to be considered with these other groups is a testimony to their recognition of our work. It really is a wonderful honor.”
Deanna Dys was recognized as Outstanding Director of a Musical for the St. Pete Opera production of The Music Man; from that show, Becca McCoy was honored for Outstanding Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, in a three-way tie with two actresses from Jobsite Theatre’s The Three penny Opera.
The award for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical went to baritone Keith Harris, for The Magic Flute. Glenn Breed’s costumes for The Magic Flute received the award for Outstanding Costume Design >$500K.
And a special “Judge’s Discretionary Award” went to Matthew Krob, Adam Cannedy, George Slotin and Branch Fields, aka the barbershop quartet in The Music Man.
The St. Petersburg Opera Company’s 2018-2019 season begins Oct. 19 with Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Palladium Theatre, sponsored by Claudia McCorkle.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21; and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23. Tickets, $20, $40, $55 and $75, are available online at www.stpeteopera, or by phone at (727) 823-2040.
About the St. Petersburg Opera Company
Founded in 2007 by Maestro Mark Sforzini, the mission of the St. Petersburg Opera Company – a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation – is to enrich the cultural lives of the residents of and visitors to the Tampa Bay area, by presenting fully staged professional opera productions of the highest quality, and to make opera accessible to present and future audiences through community outreach, educational initiatives, and collaboration with other arts organizations.