Tales of Hoffmann by The Pick Up Truck Opera
August 22 | 7pm
The wild adventures of a traveling poet and the dark spirits who pursue him.
Details
Where: Caponi Art Park
Cost: All performances are offered for a suggested donation ($5 – $50). This performance is fun for all ages.
Parking: Main parking lot may be limited. Overflow parking at the Lexington-Diffley Skate Park
Additional Information: Bring lawn chairs or blankets. It is summer in Minnesota so don’t forget to bring some bug spray just in case!
About Tales of Hoffmann
Follow the wild adventures of traveling poet, Hoffmann, as he seeks love and creative inspiration in a world overrun by technology. He meets ghosts, robots, magicians, and shape-shifting demons in this lively fantasy. With a mix of 1990s grunge and R&B, the Pickup Truck Opera is a one-of-a-kind mix of classical opera and pop tunes you’ll love. Full for all ages.
Mixed Precipitation celebrates 18 years of outdoor summer fun with our futuristic version of Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
Offenbach and librettist Jules Barbier based the opera on the short stories of German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. Hoffmann’s dark romantic style is often compared to Edgar Allen Poe for his haunting and fantastical tales. He’s known as the godfather of horror, fantasy, and the uncanny. His work has been adapted for the stage as The Nutcracker and Coppelia, and he’s influenced the work of filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch.
Offenbach is known for his infectious tunes and his hundreds of comical light operas, including La Belle Hélène and Orphée aux Enfers (“Orpheus in the Underworld”). In our version of Tales of Hoffmann, timeless melodies like “The Barcarolle” and “The Doll Song” are featured alongside clever covers of 1990s grunge tunes by Courtney Love, Tori Amos, Offspring, and Deadeye Dick.
About Mixed Precipitation
Mixed Precipitation’s mission is to create festive theatrical events that inspire social engagement. Since 2009, they have presented their signature events, A Picnic Operetta and Pickup Truck Opera, at community gardens, urban farms, parks, orchards, and vineyards throughout Minnesota. The company showcases musicians and theater artists with fun adaptations of operas by Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, Purcell, and many others. Their work has been presented by St. Mary’s University, Carleton College, The Sheldon Theatre of Red Wing, Historic Holmes Theater of Detroit Lakes, and community groups all over Minnesota. Their site-responsive outdoor performances have become a Minnesota summer tradition. Previous projects include the Mpls Pinter Studies, and the Winter Olympic Quadrennial Salon, Tonya and Nancy: The Opera (2010, 2014, 2018).
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