South Shore Opera Company of Chicago presents - Opera at the Movies

Some of the most poignant moments in film happens at the crossroad between cinematography and classical music. Who can forget the emotional anguish of Tom Hank's character, in the movie Philadelphia, as he shares with Denzel Washington's character his favorite aria.

Tom Hanks - This is Maria Callas. This is "Andrea Chenier", Umberto Giordano. This is Madeleine. She's saying how during the French Revolution, a mob set fire to her house, and her mother died... saving her. "Look, the place that cradled me is burning." Can you hear the heartache in her voice? Can you feel it, Joe? In come the strings, and it changes everything. The music fills with a hope, and that'll change again. Listen... listen..."I bring sorrow to those who love me." Oh, that single cello! "It was during this sorrow that love came to me.

Hank's character translates the aria, however listening to the Maria Callas you can hear the death and the pain in her voice, you can also hear her resilience. The synergism between the two performances is transcended. Or the beginning of Amadeus when Antonio Salieri yells out Mozart! then we are propelled into the movie with Mozart's - Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183 setting the scene for us. Later in the movie we are entranced by the Mozart's opera production of the Don Giovanni.

Antonio Salieri - "I saw to it that Don Giovanni was only played five times in Vienna, but in secret I went to every one of those five"

Well, we get to hear these and other classical movie moments live and in concert. South Shore Opera Company of Chicago will be performing "Opera at the Movies" for what will be an entertaining evening.