Conductor: Steven White
Director: Damon Nestor Ploumis (’99)
Scenic Designer: Cameron Anderson
AVA opens its 92nd opera season with Donizetti’s classic bel canto comedy, L’elisir d’amore.
Set in a village where romance and mischief go hand in hand, the plot follows Nemorino, a hopelessly smitten young man who longs to win the affection of the intelligent and independent Adina. When his earnest attempts fail to capture her heart, he places his faith in a traveling quack doctor’s “magic” love potion, setting off a series of hilarious misunderstandings and unexpected twists.
Premiering in 1832 at Milan’s Teatro della Canobbiana, L’elisir d’amore quickly became one of the most popular operas in Italy and has remained a staple of the international repertoire ever since. Filled with warmth, humor, and unforgettable music, this enduring favorite is Donizetti at his finest, blending laughter and romance into a celebration of the human heart.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
To purchase tickets to AVA’s Opening Night Celebration, November 7, 2026, please call us at 215.735.1685.
November 7, 2026
Opening Night Celebration and Dinner at 5:00 PM
Performance at 8:00 PM
AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater
November 10, 12 & 14, 2026, 7:30 PM
AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater
November 20, 2026, 6:00 PM
Delaware Valley University’s Life Sciences Building
(This performance will be semi-staged with full costumes. The orchestra will be featured on stage.)
Directions to Delaware Valley University
November 22, 2026, 4:00 PM
Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center
Directions to Lehigh University
December 1, 2026, 7:30 PM
The Haverford School’s Centennial Hall
Directions to The Haverford School