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To:  Our Opera Unlimited Summer Opera Day Camp Family:
We hope that you and your children are having a wonderful year.  While it is nice to bask in the glow of our 2009 camp and the spectacular performances of The Pirates of Penzance, it is time to start thinking about 2010.  We are planning another summer day camp following essentially the same format.  The 2010 production will be Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, probably their most beloved opera.

Tentative dates are as follows:
Performances:      Friday July 9, 2010 and Saturday July 10, 2010 at The Highland High School Performing Arts Center.
First Meetings: Friday May 21 (6-8 PM) and Saturday May 22, 2010 (1-4 PM).   Location TBA.
    Students should come to one or the other of these meetings prepared to sing something so we can get an idea of their vocal qualities and range.
Rehearsals:    Afternoons twice a week - starting June 7, 2010
    Every weekday afternoon – starting June 21, 2010
    Location:  We are hoping that all rehearsals will be at Highland HS.
The camp is open to all school children from Elementary thru High School who can read.

The tuition for the entire 5-week camp has been $50 per student since 2003.  As costs have risen, it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet.  The Opera Unlimited Board has reluctantly decided to raise the tuition to $75 this year.  We recognize that this will be difficult for some of you in these tough economic times.  Please be assured that we will not refuse a child because of the lack of finances. We intend to offer more scholarships in case of need, especially for families with several students in camp and we are willing to discuss reducing the tuition in exchange for some extra help in mounting the production.

Camp Staff:
   Directors:        Jane & Cy Hoffman
   Musical Director:    Loretta Robinson
   Choreographer:    Wendy Leverenz Barker
   Accompanist:        TBA

Please let us know if your children are interested in camp this year or if you need any additional information. Please pass this information along to any friends you have who may be interested in the camp.  We are also interested in any comments you may have about the program.

Finally, there are two upcoming events that you should be aware of:
1)    Opera Unlimited will be having a fundraising gala at The Adobe Theater on the Saturday afternoon, Feb. 27th which will feature music from some of Albuquerque’s finest singers (including our own Annette Minnich) and some of the kids from our summer camp.
2)    A special event in conjunction with the upcoming Opera Southwest production of Carmen. This could be attending a dress rehearsal and talking with some of the artists, or a pre-opera snack at The Kimo Theater and meeting with some of the production personnel before attending the opera.  More details on this later.

Best wishes,
Jane & Cy Hoffman
822-0849; choffman9@comcast.net