Napa, CA– The Napa Valley Opera House will present 26 diverse artists January through May 2007. The season kicks off with a performance by solo pianist George Winston on January 5. Season highlights include performances by Mandy Patinkin with Paul Ford on piano,The Guthrie Family Legacy Tourfeaturing Arlo and members of the Guthrie family and Pat Metheny with The Brad Mehldau Trio. "A new year, a new season of shows and special events - - sure to please audiences of all ages! I'm really looking forward to the Idol NV competition and the myraid of artists visiting Napa from January through May," said Evy Warshawski, NVOH Executive Director.

The eclectic line-up features a Big Band Series with Steve March Tormé in Tormé Sings Tormé, A Big Band Tribute to the Life and Music of Mel Torméand the Cab Calloway Orchestra, directed by Cab’s Grandson Calloway Brooks. A Jazz Series includes performances by The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Wesla Whitfield and Metheny. Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēki, the San Francisco based Hawaiian dance company, as well as Ballet Hispanico and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet complete the Dance Series. For families, TheatreworksUSA bringsIf You Give A Mouse A Cookie And Other Story Books to life and the international smash hit from Russia, Moscow Cats Theatre, stars 30 cats, two dogs and six clowns.

During An Evening With The Puzzle Master, Will Shortz will discuss everything puzzles. The quintet Rockapella, the “Kings of Contemporary A Cappella” perform two nights. The line-up includes comedy, with political satirists the Capitol Steps and The Best of the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition hosted by Mark Pitta. Aquila Theatre Company brings classical drama to Napa, performing in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Idol NV, a county wide vocal competition, showcases talented teens vying for prizes and a chance to open for an NVOH-presented artist.

In partnership with Z Space Studio, the Opera House will present three Z Space performances including Strangers We know, performed by Word For Word Performing Arts Company, Josh Kornbluth Takes On Democracy, an audience interactive, and The Baseball Plays– Nine Short Plays About Baseball. Lamplighters Music Theatre, in partnership with the Opera House, will present Franz Lehar’sThe Merry Widow and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. A partnership with Donald Pippin’s Pocket Opera bringsMartha by Friedrich Von Flowtow and The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame)by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to the Opera House. For complete details, refer to the 2007 January-May Season Calendar below.

Tickets to Napa Valley Opera House 2007 January-May Season performances are available now by calling 707-226-7372, visiting the Box Office at 1030 Main Street, Napa, Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. or online at www.nvoh.org.

WHO: George Winston
WHAT: Solo Piano
WHEN: Friday, January 5, 8 PM
COST: $35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Winston will perform songs from his melodic seasonal recordings, Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts pieces, New Orleans R&B piano, stride piano and more.
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WHO: Tormé Sings Tormé
WHAT: A Big Band Tribute to the Life and Music of Mel Tormé
WHEN: Thursday, January 11, 8 PM
COST: $40/$35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Steve March Tormé sings his father’s best known songs, including such hits as Lulu’s Back in Town, Mountain Greenery and The Christmas Song accompanied by a big band conducted by Steve Rawlins.
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WHAT: Idol NV- Napa County Teen Vocal Competition
WHEN:
Competition Rounds:
Saturday, January 13 & 27, 8 PM
Saturday, February 3 & 24, 8 PM
Saturday, March 3, 8 PM
Final Rounds:
Saturday, March 17, 8 PM
Sunday, March 18, 2 PM
COST: Competition Rounds-$15 adults, $10 students with ID
Final Rounds-$20 adults, $15 students with ID
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:The Napa Valley Opera House proudly presents Idol NV, a county-wide competition of outstanding vocal talent. High school age students 13 through 18, in solo or duet formats and in all genres of music, will participate in one of five Saturday evening competition rounds on the Opera House stage, vying for a spot in two Championship Rounds in March.
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WHO: Josh Kornbluth Takes On Democracy
WHAT: An Evening of Improv From The Bay Area’s Favorite Red Diaper Baby
WHEN: February 1, 8 PM, Café Theatre
COST: $15
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Kornbluth’s latest, audience interactive, turns the spotlight on the divided heart of America’s democracy. Rooted in his colorful autobiography and determination to engage “The System,” citizen Josh is smart, poignant and filled with Kornbluthian hilarity. A stirring call to action from one of the Bay Area’s leading monologists.
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WHO: Lamplighters Music Theatre Presents
WHAT: The Merry Widow
WHEN:Saturday, February 10, 8 PM & Sunday, February 11, 2 PM
COST: $40/$35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:A treat for musical theatre devotees as Franz Lehar's gloriously romantic comedy, set in Paris in the early 1900s, is rarely performed. The plot: when she was young and poor, his family wouldn't let him marry her. Now that she's a wealthy widow, his pride won't let him win her back . . . or will love find a way in the city of lights, the city of love?
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WHO: Pocket Opera in
WHAT: Martha by Friedrich von Flotow
WHEN: Sunday, February 18, 2 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Two high-born, sheltered (and frightfully bored) young ladies are unexpectedly swept into the rude current of life and find it most exhilarating!
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WHO: Mandy Patinkin
WHAT: In Concert With Paul Ford On Piano
WHEN: Friday, February 23, 8 PM
COST: $68/$63
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Although known for his awarding-winning roles on Broadway, television and film, Mandy Patinkin’s favorite role is reaching out to live audiences with the power and the passion of popular song. His interpretations of popular standards, superbly accompanied by Paul Ford on the piano, come straight from the heart, mesmerizing audiences from coast to coast.
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WHO: Word For Word Performing Arts Company
WHAT: Strangers We Know
WHEN: Thursday, March 1, 8 PM
COST: $30/$25
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Word for Word presents a two-part evening showcasing two women writers. In the first piece,Mlle. Dias de Cortaby Mavis Gallant, a woman takes a sly look backward on a mysterious tenant, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing France. The second story, Lorrie Moore’sWhich is More Than I can Say About Some People, takes the audience on a humorous and revealing mother-daughter road trip through Ireland. Discover how love,
loneliness and wit can catch the heart off-guard and blow it open, revealing the strangers we
know.
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WHO: Ramsey Lewis Trio
WHAT: Jazz
WHEN: Wednesday, March 7, 8 PM
COST: $55
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Recently designated as a “Jazz Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts, Ramsey Lewis has received three Grammy Awards and seven gold records throughout his amazing career with chart-topping hits like The In Crowd, Hang On Sloopy and Wade In The Water. His performance style and musical selections reflect his early gospel playing and classical training along with a love of jazz and other musical forms.
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WHO: Capitol Steps
WHAT: Political Satire
WHEN: Friday, March 9, 8 PM &
Saturday, March 10, 2 PM & 8 PM
COST: $40/$35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Since they began 26 years ago, the Capitol Steps have recorded 26 albums, including their latest, I'm So Indicted. They've been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS, and can be heard four times a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials.
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WHO: Aquila Theatre Company in
WHAT: Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
WHEN: Friday, March 16, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30/$15 student with ID
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Aquila, a company of British and American artists dedicated to classical drama, is internationally renowned for its uncanny ability to bring a modernly hip sensibility and a universally accessible freshness to classical texts without diminishing these great works. Aquila’s work is sophisticated, dynamic, innovative and while being eminently understandable, it is surprisingly challenging and entertaining.
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WHO: Mark Pitta hosts
WHAT:Best Of The San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition
WHEN: Saturday, March 24, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Mark Pitta, stand up comic, national headliner and former Mornings On 2 personality hosts an evening of comedy featuring the talents of four past comedy competition luminaries.
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WHO: Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau With Larry Grenadier &
Jeff Ballard
WHAT: Jazz
WHEN: Tuesday, March 27, 8 PM
COST: $55
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Guitarist Pat Metheny has always pushed musical boundaries, establishing himself as an international superstar with his unique genre-bending blend of jazz, rock, pop and fusion. Pianist Brad Mehldau is an emerging star whose spectacular skills as an improviser are just as likely to be applied to songs by Radiohead and the Beatles as Gershwin or Monk.
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WHO: Z Space
WHAT: The Baseball Plays - Nine Short Plays About Baseball
WHEN: Friday, April 6, 8 PM
COST: $30/$25/$15 student with ID
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Z Space and the Napa Valley Opera House present an evening of nine short works about baseball featuring playwrights Naomi Iizuka, Eric Overmeyer, Arthur Kopit, Anne Galjour Michelle Carter and others. Explore the mythic power of the national pastime, a prism to distill what makes us American, what makes us human and what makes us fans.
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WHO: Cab Calloway Orchestra, Directed by Calloway Brooks
WHAT: Big Band Jazz Orchestra
WHEN: Saturday, April 7, 8 PM
COST: $40/$35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:The Cab Calloway Orchestra delights audiences nationally from the historic jazz club “Birdland” in New York under the baton of Cab’s grandson Calloway Brooks. Brooks and the Orchestra deliver both the authentic sound of a hot jazz orchestra and a snazzy stage style. They use the Calloway band’s original vintage orchestrations as a starting point, coupled with superb musicians who have played with this big band for decades.
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WHO: Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu
WHAT: Hawaiian Dance
WHEN: Saturday, April 14, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30/$15 student with ID
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:This dynamic San Francisco-based Hawaiian dance company features hula as a full theatrical experience. Their trademark style, called “hula mua,” is unique in the hula world and its progressive style blends traditional movements with non-Hawaiian music. Performances are given in a “talk-story” format that incorporates narration and dance to provide a rich cultural context in which to understand the hula.

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WHO: The Guthrie Family Legacy Tour:
Woody, Arlo and the Guthrie Family
Featuring special guests Abe, Cathy,
Annie, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion
WHEN: Thursday, April 19, 8 PM
Friday, April 20, 8 PM
COST: $50
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Celebrating four generations of the historic Guthrie Family, Arlo Guthrie, the eldest son of Woody Guthrie, takes to the stage for a nostalgic celebration of songs, stories, photos and archival recordings. Joining him are his children and grandchildren in an epic interpretation of his father’s songs with homespun candor and tradition.
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WHO: Lamplighters Music Theatre presents
WHAT: Carousel
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 8 PM & Sunday, April 22, 2 PM
COST: $40/$35
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic meditation on love, fate, atonement and redemption, featuring familiar songs such as You'll Never Walk Alone, Soliloquy/My Boy Bill, If I Loved You and the elegant Carousel Waltz. Presented as a staged concert, with full orchestra and singers in costume.
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WHO: Ballet Hispanico
WHAT: Dance
WHEN: Friday April 27, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Founded in 1970, Ballet Hispanico is the foremost dance representative of Hispanic culture in the United States. The company's innovative repertory fuses ballet, modern and Latin dance forms into a spirited image of the contemporary Hispanic world.
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WHO: Wesla Whitfield with Mike Greensill on Piano
WHAT: Jazz
WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Wesla Whitfield inhabits that indeterminate zone where jazz and cabaret meet. Trained in classical music and opera, Whitfield has, for more than three decades, become one of the most gifted performers breathing life into that exquisite body of Broadway tunes, movie songs and Hit Parade numbers known collectively as the Great American Songbook.
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WHO: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
WHAT: Ballet
WHEN: Friday, May 4, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Described by The New York Timesas “A breath of fresh air,” Aspen Santa Fe Ballet stands out as a model of what a small ballet company should be with its “musicality athleticism, and technique-conscious delivery.” The versatile and gifted troupe of 12 young dancers, perform an eclectic repertoire of pieces by some of the world’s foremost choreographers.
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WHO: Will Shortz
WHAT: An Evening With The Puzzle Master
WHEN: Friday, May 11, 8 PM
COST: $38
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: The crossword editor of The New York Times and puzzle master for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, Will Shortz holds the world's only college degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles from Indiana University. He has written/edited more than 150 books, including several best-selling volumes of sudoku puzzles. During his appearance, Shortz will discuss his favorite crosswords and puzzlemakers, how they are created, their curious history, and his lifelong passion for puzzles in general.
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WHO: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie And Other Story Books
WHAT: Family Theatre
WHEN: Saturday, May 12, 2 PM
COST: $25 adult/$15 child
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:TheatreworksUSA, America’s largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences, brings to life eight delightful stories. Children will enjoy several mini-musicals based on popular books includingAmazing Grace, Owen, Martha Speaks, Borreguita and the Coyote, Math Curse, Master Man and Imogene’s Antlers.
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WHO: Moscow Cats Theatre
WHAT: Family Theatre
WHEN: Thursday, May 17, 7:30 PM, Friday, May 18, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 19, Noon, 3 PM, & 7:30 PM
COST: $25 adult/$15 child
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:The international family smash hit from Russia, the only entertainment of its kind in the world, features non-stop action by a group of talented felines performing original and astounding acrobatic feats, integrated into a non-verbal, colorful and fun-filled show starring 30 cats, two dogs and six clowns! Making its U.S. debut a year ago, MCT Theatre has been embraced by the media and fans alike.
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WHO: Rockapella
WHAT: Contemporary A Cappella
WHEN: Friday, May 25, 8 PM, Saturday, May 26, 8 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION:Known as the Kings of Contemporary A Cappella, the group was formed for the sheer love of performing, singing on New York City street corners with a hat out at their feet. They caught the eye of a producer putting together a television special titledSpike & Co.: Do It A Cappella, hosted by filmmaker Spike Lee. This in turn led to a daily appearance onWhere In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, the wildly popular kid's game show on public television. ____________________________________________________________________________

WHO: Pocket Opera in
WHAT: Martha by Friedrich von Flotow
WHEN: Sunday, February 18, 2 PM
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Two high-born, sheltered (and frightfully bored) young ladies are unexpectedly swept into the rude current of life and find it most exhilarating!
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WHO: Pocket Opera Premiere
WHAT: The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
WHEN: Sunday, May 20, 2 pm
COST: $35/$30
WHERE: Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Napa, CA 94559
PUBLIC INFO: (707)-226-7372, www.NVOH.ORG
CONTACT: Teri Stevens, teri@nvoh.org, 707-603-2338
DESCRIPTION: Tchaikovsky’s crowning masterpiece, a tale of wildly romantic passion thwarted by a sinister obsession, in which playfulness and horror, intoxicated rapture and suicidal despair are capped off by a touch of the supernatural.