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Free Outdoor Screening of "The Beggar's Opera" on September 27

As a thank you to the Rappahannock community and as a preview of next summer’s Castleton Festival, The Châteauville Foundation is delighted to present a free, public screening of its recent production of The Beggar’s Opera on Saturday evening, September 27, 2008 in Washington, VA. Projected on a large, outdoor screen, the showing will begin shortly after nightfall (7:30pm), on the hillside lawn behind the County Courthouse, off of Gay Street, adjacent to Avon Hall. No reservations are required, and guests may wish to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating. On-street parking is available nearby. The performance runs about 2 hours.

The fully staged production was recorded in high-definition video at the Castleton Theatre House in March 2008 with Maestro Lorin Maazel conducting an outstanding ensemble of young artists from the Châteauville Foundation’s Castleton Residency program. The Beggar’s Opera is a comic masterpiece, created by John Gay in the 18th century, featuring dozens of popular songs of the day—many are still beloved folk melodies—and depicting characters from London’s criminal underworld. It hilariously satirizes the “elitist” Italian opera of the day and is the basis for many of the most enduring conventions of musical comedy from Gilbert & Sullivan onward. The musical arrangement is by English composer Benjamin Britten.

In the event of inclement weather, the screening will be held indoors, directly across Gay Street, in the Theatre at Washington, VA.

For details on visiting Washington, VA, please see the town’s website at http://town.washington.va.us.