October 12, 2026
Content sponsored by
Provided Courtesy/The Academy of Vocal Arts
The Academy of Vocal Arts presents L’elisir d’amore, a romantic comedy filled with love, humor and mistaken intentions, at venues throughout the Philadelphia region from November through December.
The Academy of Vocal Arts will open its 92nd season with a distinctly Philadelphia take on Gaetano Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore,” or “The Elixir of Love,” setting the classic comic opera against the city’s 1876 Centennial celebrations and the construction of Philadelphia City Hall. Tickets are on sale now.
The production opens Nov. 7 at AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce St., before traveling to Doylestown, Bethlehem and Haverford through Dec. 1.
Stage director Damon Nestor Ploumis, an AVA alumnus, and resident scenic designer Cameron Anderson place the story on a Philadelphia construction site filled with stone blocks, wooden scaffolding and red, white and blue bunting. The setting draws on the mix of workers, socialites, veterans, immigrants and opportunists who would have been in the city during the nation’s Centennial celebrations.
The Philadelphia setting also gives the production a distinctly American backdrop for the opera’s familiar themes of ambition, romance, social expectations and reinvention.
“Donizetti’s ‘L’elisir d’amore,’ like AVA itself, sits close to my heart and has been fundamental to my development as a singer and stage director,” Ploumis said. “Now, we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation. The country still has its issues and divisions, yet it remains a place worthy of celebration and gratitude for what it represents: a land that still grants opportunity.”
Donizetti’s comic opera follows Nemorino, a young man hopelessly in love with the strong-willed Adina. When his efforts to win her over fail, he turns to a traveling quack doctor selling a supposed love potion that is actually cheap wine, setting off a series of romantic misunderstandings and wine-fueled mishaps.
Conductor Steven White returns to AVA for the production, which he described as a natural showcase for the school’s Resident Artists.
“At times the music is overwhelmingly happy, and at other times it is tender and reflective,” White said. “A genuinely iconic work of great comedy and sentiment, ‘L’elisir d’amore’ is almost perfectly suited to showcase AVA’s commitment to nurturing the great operatic singers of tomorrow.”
The opera, with a libretto by Felice Romani, premiered in Milan in 1832 and remains one of the most frequently performed comedies in the repertoire.
Opening night: Nov. 7, 5 p.m.
Location: Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
Opening Night Gala: $750 premium reserved seating
Philadelphia performances:
Nov. 10, 12 and 14, 7:30 p.m.
$107 premium reserved seating
$72 general admission
Doylestown:
Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Delaware Valley University Life Sciences Building, 700 E. Butler Ave., Doylestown, PA 18901
$150 premium reserved seating
$57 general admission
Free for students
Bethlehem:
Nov. 22, 4 p.m.
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015
$20 general admission
Free for Lehigh University students
Haverford:
Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Centennial Hall at The Haverford School, 450 Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041
$107 premium reserved seating
$72 general admission
$25 Young Professionals, ages 45 and under
$10 students, available by phone or in person
Tickets: Available through AVA at avaopera.org or by calling 215-735-1685
Have an event coming up? Let the PhillyVoice Events team know about it by emailing events@phillyvoice.com.
