Lyric Opera in Richmond

Lyric Opera Virginia, the new company led by Peter Mark, has announced Richmond dates and venues for three productions in its inaugural 2011-12 season.

A full staging of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” starring soprano Manon Strauss Evrard as Violetta, will be presented at 8 p.m. Sept. 16 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Cramer Arts Center of The Steward School, 11600 Gayton Road in Richmond’s far West End. The school also will be the venue for a “jewel box,” or excerpted, production of Bizet’s “Carmen,” with performances at 8 p.m. May 19 and 7:30 p.m. May 20.

Seating is limited for those performances. The Steward School hall seats fewer than 500.

A production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “The King and I” will be staged at 8 p.m. Jan. 20 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at Richmond’s Landmark Theater.

Lyric Opera had previously set dates for the three productions at the Sandler Arts Center in Virginia Beach and Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Arts Center in Newport News:

* “La Traviata” – Sept. 9 and 11 (Virginia Beach), Sept. 23 and 25 (Newport News).

* “The King and I” – Jan. 6 and 8 (Virginia Beach), Jan. 27 and 29 (Newport News).

* “Carmen” – May 4 and 6 (Newport News), May
23-24 (Virginia Beach).

The company also is planning to perform in Charlottesville.

Subscriptions for the Richmond season are $58-$268.

For more information, call (757) 446-6666 or visit http://www.lyricoperavirginia.org/