Boston University School of Music’s Opera Institute and School of Theatre Bring a Magical Journey to Booth Theatre with Florencia en el Amazonas
Steeped in the beautiful style of magical realism, the opera follows the journey of the legendary diva Florencia Grimaldi and her fellow passengers on a boat ride down the Amazon
Boston University School of Music’s Opera Institute and School of Theatre Bring a Magical Journey to Booth Theatre with Florencia en el Amazonas
The opera, running from February 27 – March 2 at BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre, follows the journey of the legendary diva Florencia Grimaldi and her fellow passengers on a boat ride down the Amazon.
Boston University School of Music’s Opera Institute and School of Theatre proudly present Florencia en el Amazonas, coming to BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre from February 27 – March 2, 2025. The opera, with music by the late and beloved Mexican composer Daniel Catán and libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain, is conducted by William Lumpkin and stage-directed by Amy Hutchison.
Steeped in the beautiful style of magical realism, the opera follows the journey of the legendary diva Florencia Grimaldi and her fellow passengers on a boat ride down the Amazon. As they travel through the magical rainforest toward their destination, the opera house in Manaus, each passenger harbors a secret hope of what the trip will bring. Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas has the distinction of being the first opera in Spanish commissioned by a major American company.
A co-production between BU School of Music’s Opera Institute and the School of Theatre, each spring the BU community and beyond is invited to BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre to experience the exceptional talent of the students in the College of Fine Arts in this unique collaboration.
“We are thrilled to share our exploration of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas at the Booth Theatre. Witnessing our students from the School of Music and School of Theatre bring life to the lush score, with its imaginative and evocative orchestration, and create this compelling production has been truly impressive, and I know our audience will experience a magical evening of beauty, artistry, and commitment from everyone involved in this production,” says William Lumpkin, BU Opera Institute, Artistic Director; Associate Professor of Music.
General admission is $20 + $2.50 (convenience fee). Free and discounted tickets are available for the BU community. Contact officebx@bu.edu for more information.
“We are thrilled to share our exploration of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas at the Booth Theatre. Witnessing our students from the School of Music and School of Theatre bring life to the lush score, with its imaginative and evocative orchestration, and create this compelling production has been truly impressive, and I know our audience will experience a magical evening of beauty, artistry, and commitment from everyone involved in this production.”
-William Lumpkin, BU Opera Institute, Artistic Director; Associate Professor of Music
Florencia en el Amazonas
Co-production between BU School of Music Opera Institute and School of Theatre
Music by Daniel Catán
Libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain
Conductor • William Lumpkin
Stage Director • Amy Hutchinson
Show Dates & Times
February 27 – March 2
- Thursday, February 27 • 7:30pm
- Friday, February 28 • 7:30pm
- Saturday, March 1 • 2pm
- Sunday, March 2 • 2pm
Tickets
General admission: $20 + $2.50 (convenience fee)
Free and discounted tickets are available for the BU community. Contact officebx@bu.edu for more information.
Location • Parking • Directions
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA
Street parking is available on and around Commonwealth Avenue. BU parking lots and garages are also available. Booth Theatre’s parking garage can be entered at 128 Essex Street, Brookline, MA.
Visit BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre page for more information on directions, parking rates, and public transit options.
Magical journey down memory lane…
This is a return for Florencia en el Amazonas to Boston University! BU School of Music Opera Institute and School of Theatre presented Florencia en el Amazonas in 2014 at the BU Theatre when it was based at the Huntington Theatre. The joint production was also conducted by William Lumpkin and was directed by Nic Muni, who has directed major productions across the United States.
The College of Fine Arts production of Daniel Catán’s passionate, impressionist opera Florencia en el Amazonas, based on the novels of Gabríel Garcia Márquez
Nickoli Strommer (CFA’14) and Kasey King (CFA’14) are passengers on a jungle steamboat in the opera Florencia en el Amazonas at the BU Theatre.
Magic realism pervades the CFA production Florencia en el Amazonas, an opera sung in Spanish and set on a steamboat on the Amazon.
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Learn more at bu.edu.
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, and think broadly. CFA offers a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.
The Opera Institute at CFA School of Music is an intensive, highly selective two-year performance-based training program for emerging operatic artists. A professional faculty and renowned guest artists provide personal support and training in all areas pertinent to a career in opera, including voice, acting, languages, and movement styles. Additionally, the Opera Institute also selects undergraduate and graduate singers from the School of Music who demonstrate true operatic potential and have mastered an intermediate integration of acting, vocal, and movement skills for the Opera Theater, Opera Workshop, and Opera Project programs. More at bu.edu/cfa/opera.
The School of Theatre at Boston University College of Fine Arts offers conservatory-style education for the study of acting, stage management, design, production, and all aspects of the theatre profession within the setting of a major research university. The School of Theatre seeks to provide students with opportunities for artistic growth through a rigorous curriculum, professional connections, and an emphasis on collaboration and new work.