Opera Tours

Norm and Tomoko await Nabucco at Verona’s Arena--August 2007

“Norm treats each member of his tours as if they are personal friends. He and his wife, Tomoko, both make sure that everyone is comfortable and happy. Norm’s enthusiasm is infections giving his lectures and tours an added sparkle.”

P.P./Portland, Oregon

Norm Hollingshead’s OperaPlus Opera Tours

OperaPlus Opera Tours

for 2011/2012

NOTE: LA OPERA TOUR # 1 *OCT. 4-8, 2011; VANCOUVER OPERA TOUR, Dec. 2-4, 2011; an LA OPERA TOUR # 2, FEBRUARY 23-27, were successfully completed with 81 tour members (total, all 3 tours)

Below find details of 2 more OPERAPLUS OPERA TOURS in 2012; “8 Nights in Santa Fe” and

“LA Opera Tour # 3

>>8 NIGHTS IN SANTA FE

August 12-20, 2012

TOUR DETAILS BELOW

Santa Fe’s world-famous Opera House

Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers

5 Great Operas, the World-Famous “Indian Market” and a lot more in the

“OperaPlus 8 Nights in Santa Fe Tour”

August 12-20, 2012

What you get on this OperaPlus Tour:

>>Five Operas at the world famous Santa Fe Opera:

Puccini’s TOSCA with famed baritone, Thomas Hampson as Baron Scarpia

Bizet’s exotic PEARL FISHERS, filled with lush melodies

Rossini rarity, MAOMETTO II, not performed in America in over 100 years

Strauss’s satiric yet tender domestic comedy ARABELLA

Szymanowski’s KING ROGER, a romantic Polish opera, with popular Met stars

Marius Kweichen and William Burden

>>Banquet at the Opera House before our first opera (“Pearl Fishers”)

>>A Full Weekend of the world’s greatest showing of Native- American jewelry and art, the “Santa Fe Indian Market”

>>Round-trip air service between Seattle and Albuquerque on Southwest Airlines

>>”Follow the Sun” Executive Coach service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe in addition to round-trip coach service between the Santa Fe Hilton and Santa Fe Opera for 5 operas.

>>8 nights’ lodging at the spacious Santa Fe Hilton, located on Santa Fe’s famous “Plaza”

>>Preview lectures (mostly by Norm) before every opera

You can also enjoy these OPTIONAL (at cost) activities:

>>2-hour guided tour of the “Plaza” our first morning in town

>>Docent-led tour of the current exhibit at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

>>Guided day trip to Taos, exploring this famous town’s historic and artistic legacy, not to mention good food and fine shopping

>>Guided back-stage tour of Santa Fe Opera’s scenery/costume departments

>>”Apprentice Night”--performances, on our last night in Santa Fe, of operatic scenes by Santa Fe Opera’s amazing “Apprentices”. Cost will include transportation and tickets

WHY SPEND 8 NIGHTS IN SANTA FE?

Norm says that Santa Fe is “like a Disneyland for grown-ups”. You play all day, enjoying great nature, great art, great food, and great shopping, then go to the opera at night. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Some people wonder about the altitude and the heat. Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet elevation so, if you have any kind of respiratory condition, you should consult your doctor before you sign up. It gets around 90 degrees at mid-day but cools quickly by late afternoon and you need a coat for the opera (the Opera House is covered but open air). Everything, of course, is air-conditioned, and there are hundreds of shady nooks in town to escape the heat at mid-day.

Why does it cost so much? Santa Fe Opera is an important summer arts destination and the “Indian Market” swells Santa Fe’s population by 20,000 that weekend so they can pretty much charge what they want. Please note that this OperaPlus Santa Fe Opera tour is considerably less expensive than some advertised national opera tours which don’t even include air fare.

HOW MUCH DOES THIS TRIP COST?

$2999 per person (double occupancy). The single supplement is $161 per night (8 nights). If you would like to sign up for this tour, send a deposit check of $500 (made out to Norm Hollingshead’s OperaPlus) to Norm Hollingshead’s OperaPlus at 2360 43rd Ave. E., # 304, Seattle, Washington 98112. If you have questions, call (206) 329-6269 or e-mail normsoperaplus@mac.com. Thanks.

“LA TOUR # 3”

“5 NIGHT IN LA”

October 5-11, 2012

Placido Domingo in Verdi’s

Il Due Foscari

Angela Meade in Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Gustavo Dudamel conducts the LA Philharmonic in all-Beethoven concert

What You Get on this OperaPlus LA # 3 Tour

>>2 Great operas at Los Angeles Opera

# 1 Giuseppe Verdi’s 6th opera, I Due Foscari, in which Placido Domingo, as an aging Doge of Venice, is forced to condemn his son. James Conlon conducts.

# 2 Mozart’s incredible Don Giovanni with rising star, Angela Meade, as Donna Elvira. Placido Domingo conducts a dream cast.

>>LA Philharmonic Concert at dazzling Disney Hall, with Gustavo Dudamel conducting Beethoven--Symphony # 3 (“Eroica”) and Piano Concerto # 3, with amazing Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist.

>>Non-stop flights between Seattle and LAX on Alaska Airlines

>>5 Nights Lodging at the glamorous Omni Hotel on California Plaza, only steps from the shops, restaurants, and museums of vibrant downtown LA, plus only one short block from Disney Hall and 2 short blocks from the LA Opera House.

>>Round trip transport between LAX and the Omni on a Coach America deluxe coach

>>Preview lectures by Norm before each opera

In addition, several at-cost options will be available:

>>”First-Night” Banquet at Patina’s lively Nick and Stef’s Steakhouse, across the street from the Omni

>>Day trip to the amazing LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), a vast seven-building arts campus devoted to fabulous art from around the world. This optional day trip will take place on Monday, October 8, our “free day”.

>>Afternoon trips to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and to the Huntington Library in San Marino, noon to 5 on October 9 and 10.

Total Cost

Of This OperaPlus “LA # 3” Tour is

$1615 per person (double occupancy)

(“Single Supplement” is $156 per night for 5 nights)

To secure your place on this tour, send a check of $300 to serve as your deposit to Norm Hollingshead, 2360 43rd Ave. E., # 302, Seattle 98112.

If you have questions, call at (206) 329-6269 or

e-mail at normsoperaplus@mac.com. Thanks.