Benno Ressa

Theater audiences, performers, and creative teams have certainly been longing for a live onstage production since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, audiences in Ithaca, New York had their chance to see a creative approach to a live performance with The Cherry Arts fully masked production of the entertaining farce, The Fan by Carlo Goldini under the creative adaptation of director Samuel Buggeln. The performances are now available to watch online and were performed live in front of an audience that was distanced, outdoor, and masked following all of New York state’s safety precautions and guidelines.

Fitz&Startz Productions, Theater for All Ages presents Emmett & Ella: A Doggone Mystery book & lyrics by Rachel Lampert, music by John Coyne at the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street stage, on Saturday February 8 at 11am and 1pm and Saturday, February 15 at 11am and 1pm. Four performances only. Tickets are available online at kitchentheatre.org or fitzandstartzproductions.org, or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8.

Fitz&Startz Productions, Theater for All Ages presents Aunt Mae Comes to Town, book & lyrics by Rachel Lampert, music by John Coyne at the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street stage, on Saturday October 26 at 11am and 1pm and Saturday, November 2 at 11am and 1pm. Four performances only. Tickets are available online at kitchentheatre.org or fitzandstartzproductions.org, or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8. 

Fitz&Startz Productions, Theater for All Ages presents Aunt Mae Comes to Town, book & lyrics by Rachel Lampert, music by John Coyne at the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street stage, on Saturday October 26 at 11am and 1pm and Saturday, November 2 at 11am and 1pm. Four performances only. Tickets are available online at kitchentheatre.org or fitzandstartzproductions.org, or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8.

Fitz&Startz Productions, Theater for All Ages' delightful, fall musical A Case for the Classics bursts onto the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street stage, on Saturday October 21 at 1pm and Saturday, November 3 at 11am and 1pm for three performances only. Book/Lyrics by Rachel Lampert with music by Mozart, Schuman, Donizetti, Vivaldi and contemporary composer Benjamin Costello.  A Case for the Classics is a music and laugh-filled production for the whole family. Tickets are available online at www.kitchentheatre.org or www.fitzandstartzproductions.org or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8.

Fitz&Startz Productions' spring production of Emmett & Ella: The Puppy Plot comes to the Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street, on Saturday, April 28 at 1pm & 3pm, and Saturday, May 5 at 1pm & 3pm. With book/lyrics by Rachel Lampert and music by Lesley Greene, this is a music- and laugh-filled production for the whole family. Tickets are available online at kitchentheatre.org or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8.

Opera Ithaca presents Bizet's masterpiece, Carmen, March 9th and 11th at the Hangar Theatre in a production by director-designer team Adrianna Desier Durantt and Andrew Boyce, lighting designer Seth Reiser and Associate Designer Anna Grigo.

Metropolis Opera Project opens up shop again after a six year hiatus with Tosca in collaboration with Opera Ithaca at the historic Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Sunday, February 18th at 4pm.

Opera Ithaca presents Puccini's Tosca February 16at 7:00pm in Hamblin Hall at Ithaca's Community School of Music and Arts. Opera Ithaca's cast of Tosca features Megan Nielson in the title role, Italian-born tenor and film and tv actor, Paolo Buffagni, as Cavaradossi, Zachary James as Scarpia, Jake Stamatis as Angelotti, Benno Ressa as The Sacristan, Andrew Hudson-Sabens as Spoletta, Nathan Murphy as Sciarrone and Rachel Silverstein as Shepard Boy.

Opera Ithaca presents the regional premiere of Bully Pulpit, a 20 minute English-language opera electronica from composer Kristin Hevner and librettist Royce Vavrek.

Opera Ithaca presents their 3rd Annual New Year's Eve Gala featuring Gilbert and Sullivan's, The Pirates of Penzance, in a gala production at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca on December 31st with a special additional concert performance at the Smith Opera House in Geneva, New York on December 30th.

Fitz&Startz Productions, in collaboration with Opera Ithaca, is bringing a music- and laugh-filled production to Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West MLK/State Street, in October. The Mystery of the Magic Flute by Rachel Lampert, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, plays for four performances only: Saturday, October 21 and Saturday, October 28 at 1pm and 3pm. Tickets are available online at kitchentheatre.org or by phone at 607 272-0570. Adults $12, children (under 14) $8.

Two pampered pups make their way to the big city. A musical about dogs and great adventures. Woof!. Director: Rachel Lampert, Music Director: Travis Knapp. With: Rachel Frank, Ellen Jackson, Stephen Nunley, Benno Ressa, and Sarah Welden

Opera Ithaca presents Rossini's comic masterpiece, Cinderella, May 12th thru 14th at the Hangar Theatre marking the 200th anniversary of the premiere of the opera. Norm Johnson directs with choreography by Tucker Davis and featuring the dance ensemble of the Tucker Davis Dance Company. Opera Ithaca Music Director, Richard Montgomery, conducts the orchestra in a reduced orchestration by Magnus Gilljam from London's touring production with English Pocket Opera.

Kitchen Theatre Company is going to the dogs! with the musical adventureEmmett & Ella's Big Apple Escapade. Performances are on Saturdays April 29th and May 6th at 1 & 3pm.

Kitchen Theatre Company's stage fills with music with The Adventure in Apartment G#, playing at 1pm & 3pm on Saturdays October 29 and November 5.