Regina Opera opens 56th season with La Bohème

Francine Garber-Cohen was a student at Brooklyn College, singing with the campus opera society, when she learned that the company did not have enough money to mount a production. It was 1974. Thankfully, she told the Sunset Post, a friend steered her toward the newly formed Regina Opera Company and informed her they were looking for chorus members.

She auditioned, and the rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

In the 51 years since, Garber-Cohen has not only sung in Regina’s choir, she has become president of the company, a role that includes fundraising, reviewing audition materials, and promoting the concerts, special events, and full-scale operas produced each year. This season, for example, the company will stage Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème and Suor Angelica, as well as Georges Bizet's Carmen. They will also host a winter gala and an anniversary concert to mark the start of their 56th year.

The company’s legacy is impressive.

Founded by Brooklyn music lovers Maria Cantoni and Nicholas Tierno, the company was named for Bensonhurst’s Regina Pacis Youth Center, its first base of operations. OPERA America reports that Regina Opera is one of 13 community-based opera companies in New York state. According to the company’s website, its mission has not wavered since its 1970 founding: to provide the public with access to high-quality, professional productions at a fraction of the price charged by larger opera houses.

Now based at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Catholic Academy in Sunset Park, the company also provides up-and-coming artists with a place to train. Likewise, a 34-piece orchestra, added in the early 1980s, gives diverse musicians the chance to perform before a live audience.

Seoyong Lee, a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati who moved to New York City in August, told the Sunset Post that he is thrilled to be performing Marcello in La Bohème. He says he values the opportunities small, community-based companies offer newcomers, allowing them to amass professional portfolios.

Jennifer Moore, who has performed in three Regina operas to date, agrees.

“This is our training ground,” she says. “There is nothing comparable that lets us get on our feet. Regina allows me to do the thing I’ve trained for since I was five years old.”

Productions have garnered praise from both audiences and critics. OperaWire called last year’s Rigoletto “a breath of fresh air.” Harriet S. Goldberg, a Park Slope resident, says that the company’s ability to “make beautiful music on a shoestring” keeps her coming back.

That said, company members are quick to point out that keeping a shoestring operation afloat is challenging and involves constant planning, coordination, and adaptation.

Take casting. "We get resumes from aspiring singers 365 days a year," company president Garber-Cohen says. "We ask for a recording or a video, and if the person might be right for a particular role, we schedule a live audition. Since we always want to pack OLPH's 450-seat auditorium, we want the best fit for every position. Cast members," she continues, "also have to coalesce into a unified group. The process can be very competitive."

As for programming, Garber-Cohen reports that tragedies and older, more traditional operas in French, German, and Italian (translated into English and projected as supertitles) tend to be more popular than comedies or newer works. She has no idea why, but notes that this could shift as audience composition changes. Bringing in new audience members is essential, she says, which is why the company performs at summer street festivals and offers free concerts at libraries, senior centers, and other community venues across the borough.

Regina Opera’s ongoing work – its productions as well as its administration – is funded by small donations, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, City Council members Alexa Avilés and Justin Brannan, and several philanthropies.

“Finances are a constant worry,” Garber-Cohen admits. “But since 2022, we’ve been able to pay our singers and musicians a small amount.”

Last year, the entire budget was about $200,000, according to Garber-Cohen, with 40 percent coming from ticket sales and the rest raised through donations and grants.

Despite the financial stress, Garber-Cohen remains undeterred.

“I love opera. I love the theatricality of it,” she says. “I love working with the singers, most of whom have a positive outlook on life. They strive for perfection and are serious about their art. The Regina Opera brings music to the people. We reach out to the underserved. It’s a pleasure to be part of this.”

The final performances of La Bohème will take place this weekend, Nov. 22 and 23 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25. Seniors age 60 and older and college students younger than 25 pay $20. Teens pay $5. Children are free.

Suor Angelica will be performed on Feb. 28 and March 1, 7, and 8 at 3 p.m. Free dress rehearsals will take place on Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. and on Feb. 24 and 26 at 7 p.m. Prices are the same as above.

Carmen will be performed on May 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 3 p.m. Free dress rehearsals will take place on May 2 at 3 p.m. and on May 5 and 7 at 7 p.m.

The winter gala will take place on Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15.

The 56th anniversary concert is scheduled for April 5 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15.

All performances take place at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy, 5902 Sixth Avenue at 60th Street.

For more information, contact info@reginaopera.org