Boston Lyric Opera’s (BLO) popular mobile performance venue Street Stage continued its summer tour through out the City of Boston and recently in Charlestown with free live performances in Charlestown, Roxbury and South Boston. Sponsored by HarborOne Bank and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Street Stage brings opera and popular music performances to neighborhoods from Charlestown to South Boston; the series kicked off June 1 on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
For the first time, Street Stage visited the historic Charlestown Navy Yard on August 3.. In partnership with the National Parks Service of Boston, this event will feature operatic arias and music inspired by the sea, set against the backdrop of the Boston Harbor. Performances will take place on the lawn of the 1805 Commandant’s House, with alternating musical sets at 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. The program will also include meet-the-artist interviews and family-friendly educational content.
Conceived and created as a way to bring music to the public during COVID shutdowns, the 26-foot-long Street Stage vehicle is a semi-trailer engineered to open on three sides and offer a 270-degree view of performers. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs to the open-air performances.
“There’s no more exhilarating experience than hearing beautiful music on a gorgeous warm summer day,” says BLO Artistic Director Nina Yoshida Nelsen. “The artists performing this summer season are some of the most accomplished performers in Greater Boston. Different programs and activities are planned at each site, so multiple visits are encouraged!”
Nelsen says support from HarborOne Bank and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is crucial to make the series available for free across the city. Details on the performance listings below, and information on BLO’s other summer events is available at blo.org/events.
Upcoming Events
An Morning Concert at Roxbury’s Madison Park
Date/Time: August 17 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm EDT
Location: 60 Ruggles Street between Dewitt Drive and Sojourner Truth Court
Details: Roxbury’s Madison Park hosts a family-friendly morning music destination as Boston Lyric Opera and Hibernian Hall team up for a one-of-a-kind concert experience. Inspired by the theme RHYTHM, BLO opera singers will perform fan-favorite arias from Europe and the Americas alongside sets by Boston’s beloved Afro-Latin percussionist Cornell Coley and members of his ensemble. The event will culminate in a community dance party led by the traditional West African dancers of the Akwaaba Ensemble. Chairs or blankets are recommended for grass seating; music can be heard in the Park’s playground, chess and basketball court areas.