Opera Ithaca announces tiered ticket prices for its original film production of Giacomo Puccini’s comedy, Gianni Schicchi. The regular streaming price is $25, with tickets available at $15 for industry members and $10 for students.

This ”backstabbingly socially  distant” orchestrated film version of the one-act masterpiece opera, to be released October 9, will be exclusively available to stream on demand for the first two weeks through Cinemapolis, Ithaca’s premiere independent movie theatre: https://cinemapolis.org/film/opera-ithaca-presents-gianni-schicchi/. Following its run at Cinemapolis, Gianni Schicchi will be streamed on demand at www.operaithaca.org.

“Opera Ithaca is committed to making Gianni Schicchi accessible to everyone,” says Artistic Director Ben Robinson, adding that “we would like to see this exciting medium of film reach a completely new audience and revolutionize what it means to present modern, cutting-edge opera theatre.”

Gianni Schicchi, which was remotely filmed and recorded across the country, is a bold step for the boundary-breaking company. Partnering with the Ithaca-based studio PhotoSynthesis Productions, this film sets the familiar tale of the scheming (and recently disinherited) Donati family in the pandemic-tinged present. “It’s the next step for opera: infusing state of the art technology to create a film that offers a refreshing comment on the present, while staying true to the legacy and history of the art form,” says Robinson.

With the convenience of the stream-on-demand model, this unique production of Gianni Schicchi offers an easy, low-barrier way to access one of the treasures of the operatic repertoire. At a time when most theatres are not able to present live performances, Opera Ithaca is offering the perfect antidote to pandemic-weary arts lovers.

The cast includes Opera Ithaca veterans Dennis Jesse in the title role, renowned soprano Emily Pulley in her role debut as Zita, Elena Galván as Lauretta, Daniel Bates as Rinuccio, and Steven Stull as Simone. Nicholas Davis makes his company debut as Betto. The work was directed by Opera Ithaca Artistic Director Ben Robinson, with Christopher Zemliauskas as conductor. The opera’s audio project design was led by Benjamin Costello and the project was co-directed and edited by David Kossack, working with his studio, PhotoSynthesis Productions.