La gazzetta (The Newspaper) -- an extremely rare Rossini gem.La gazzetta premiered in Naples in 1816, ran for 21 performances and was revived once, in 1928. It was not seen on stage again until the Garsington Opera (England) presented it in 2001. Other European productions include a 2005 production that was presented at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro and at the Grand Teatre del Liceu.  The first performances in the US were given in Boston at the New England Conservatory in 2013. (This performance contained a newly discovered brilliant quintet in Act 1.) POP's production will be only the second in North America and will use a newly commissioned orchestral reduction.

This charming opera buffa is chock-full of Rossini’s trademark ensembles, patter songs, and high flying coloratura for all voices, from bass to soprano.  Rossini fans are sure to recognize melodies from earlier and later better-known Rossini operas including Il barbiere di Siviglia, La cenerentola, and others. The story takes place in a hotel and centers around a Neapolitan father who has advertised his daughter in the newspaper  (”La gazzetta”) searching for the perfect -- or at least the richest-- suitor for his daughter. As is always the case in bel canto comedies, mistaken identies, unexpected arrivals, and general slapstick hijinx ensue. 

POP is commissioning a new orchestral arrangement for La gazzetta and the production will be sung in Italian.