About the Guild
Founded in November 2013 by Dr. Elizabeth Aversa and a dedicated group of volunteers, the Opera Guild at The University of Alabama (OG@UA) has four purposes:
- to support student artists in the UA Opera Theatre program
- to increase the number of ticket purchasers, donors, and fans
- to enhance the visibility of opera at UA, in Tuscaloosa, and beyond
- to extend opera through outreach and education for diverse audiences in the community
Activities of the Guild include hosting receptions, providing greeters for opera theatre performances, and organizing events to showcase opera and student artists while providing support for UA’s Opera Theatre program in the School of Music. The Guild’s annual GALA is among the major fund raisers for the opera program and generates nearly 80% of the program’s annual operating budget.
We welcome new members, so if you or someone you know would be interested in learning more, please contact 2020-2023 Guild President Susan Fleming by e-mail at sfleming@retiree.ua.edu. You may also contact the Immediate Past President Jim Jolly at jimjolly95@gmail.com.
Guild meetings are held monthly with interim communication by e-mail, telephone, and personal contact. Meetings are generally at Noon on the 4th Thursday of the month and there is sometimes surprise entertainment by opera students at the top of the meeting.
NEW THIS YEAR: In the 2022-2023 Guild season, we will be holding some meetings that are also informal social events and opportunities to learn more about an upcoming production, or just to gather together to share good news or chat about music and relax with a glass of wine at the end of the day. Watch for announcements about dates and locations for these happy-hour meetings. Join us . . . we’re a lively and fun group!
TO JOIN THE GUILD BY CHECK: Please make your check payable to The University of Alabama with “UA Opera Guild” on the subject line and send it Dr. Paul Houghtaling, School of Music, Box 870366, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0366. Membership cost is $30 for individuals, and $50 for couples.
TO JOIN THE GUILD ONLINE: If you pay for your membership online, go to give.ua.edu and select the Unit Arts and Sciences and then UA Opera Theatre Guild Fund in the drop down menu (not the Gift Fund) to make your online donation.
DONATIONS AS Of OCTOBER I, 2022 SINCE OUR LAST OPERA GALA (February 4, 2022)
STELLA GUIDA – $5,000 AND ABOVE
Elizabeth and Rocco Aversa
Linda L. Shumilas & Robert J. Shumilas
IMPRESSARIO – $1,000 – $4,999
Dexter & Shelley Hancock
Susan Fleming
Jim Jolly
Shelley Jones
Ralph & April Lane
Reba Kristi Thomson
Judith L. Bonner
Dennis & Carolyn Dahl
Kathy Grissom
Chet & Paula Boston
Kristi Thompson
| PRIMA DONNA/PRIMO UOMO – $500 – $999
Michael and Camille Mendle
|
COMPRIMARIO – $250 – $499
Sabrina Keating
|
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
We invite you to check out the other pages on the UA Opera Theater site to learn more about the program. Find news about this year’s performances.
CONTACT LIST:
If you would like to be on the Opera Theatre email mailing list, please contact Dr. Paul Houghtaling at phoughtaling@ua.edu. We take our contact list very seriously and we only send email out when we’re announcing an upcoming event or sharing exciting news, no more than five or six times per year. So no worries about excess mail in your inbox.
UPCOMING EVENTS … SAVE THE DATE!!
Friday night, February 3, 2023, 6:00 pm
OPERA GALA
BRAVO 2023! STAND UP FOR OPERA
Sellers Auditorium at the Bryant Conference Center
Tickets will be available in mid-Fall, 2022.
Our most recent Gala, BRAVO 2022! FOR THE LOVE OF OPERA brought a record-breaking development year to a close.
The 2021-2022 giving season raised $104,000 in total, $95,428 of which went directly to the deserving students of the Opera Theatre.
The “big check” was presented to Dr. Houghtaling at the June 23 annual luncheon.
Join the Guild! Join the fun!! Join the mission!!
