Looking for a way to kick-off the holidays this weekend? Head to Calvary United Methodist Church on Sunday for the Annapolis Opera's holiday concert. This a great event whether you are a seasoned opera veteran or a newbie. Tickets are only $45 and the arias to be performed are from many of the most beloved operas of all time, including Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore, Verdi's La Traviata, and Puccini's Madama Butterfly. These are the types of arias that you will recognize even if you've never attended a single opera.

For those opera newbies out there, a concert opera has no sets or costumes - it's just performers signing some amazing music. You don't have to get all dressed up - just wear whatever you would to go out to dinner. This isn't some community theatre troupe. The folks at Annapolis Opera do a really great job of bringing in professional singers from throughout the United States for these performances, and a number of their singers have gone on to perform at places like the Met in New York.

The concert will take place this Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 pm at Calvary United Methodist Church on Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis . Tickets are $45 ($20 with a valid student ID) and can be purchased at the Maryland Hall box office, online at www.annapolisopera.org, or at the door the day of the performance. 

If you can't make the concert this Sunday, there are several other opportunities to catch an opera this winter. On February 1, bring your children to see a specially-adapted version of Mozart's The Magic Flute . This is one of the most imaginative operas ever created and it's a great opportunity to introduce children to opera. The performance will take place at 10:30 am on Saturday, February 1 and tickets are just $15! You can buy tickets to just that performance or get a big discount by purchasing Maryland Hall's new Family Subscription package, which includes tickets to the Opera's Magic Flute, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra's performance of the lost elephant, and the Ballet Theatre of Maryland's Storybook Theatre - all for just $30! Get more information online at www.marylandhall.org.

And finally, no opera lover should miss the Annapolis Opera's main stage performance of Puccini's La bohème, arguably one of the most famous and beloved operas of all time. Even if you've never been to an opera, you probably know the story - Broadway's Rent is a modern day adaptation. This will be a fully staged performance with sets and costumes, English supertitles (yes, you read that right - like a subtitle, but in this case, over the stage), a chorus, orchestra and some amazing professional opera singers. The performance takes place Friday, March 14 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, March 16 at 3:00 pm at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Tickets start at just $65 ($25 for students) and can be purchased at the Maryland Hall box office or online at www.annapolisopera.org.