The Chamber Room will be transformed into the North American radio station of the 1940s that received the premiere of this comedy.

The Tenerife Auditorium, a space that depends on the Culture Department of the Cabildo, directed by the councilor Enrique Arriaga, programs The old maid and the thief for the first time in Spain. This opera by Gian Carlo Menotti was commissioned by the North American broadcaster NBC, which premiered it on its airwaves in April 1939 with a success that later took it to the stage. The performances will take place in the Chamber Hall on January 22, 23, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m.

This staged chamber opera will transform the Sala de Cámara into a radio station from the 1940s to revive the live performance of its first broadcast, while introducing the public to the world that Menotti wrote, full of moral dilemmas and lots of fun, through of the radio’s own tools: live music, sound effects and the talent of the singers. Alicia Peraza signs the stage direction and set design, which will feature Javier Lanis on piano as musical director. Leo Martínez designs the costumes for this Ópera de Tenerife production, while Hugo Carugatti will be in charge of the lighting design.

The cast is made up of singers from the Canary Islands: the mezzo-soprano Silvia Zorita will be Miss Todd, the baritone Fernando Campero will play Bob, the soprano Candelaria González will play the maid Laetitia and the soprano Estefanía Perdomo will play the role of the neighbor Miss Pinkerton. This work, inspired by the buffa operas of the 18th century, takes place in a city where, under an apparently picturesque and calm condition, very intimate and powerful desires, gossip and secrets are hidden.

The simple and routine life of a single middle-aged woman, Miss Todd, who shares her days between knitting and gossip with her friend Miss Pinkerton, is blown up when a beggar knocks on her door, the handsome Bob. Miss Todd and her maid Laetitia quickly fall in love with the tramp and take him in under the guise of Steve, the miss’s cousin, despite learning that he could be an escaped convict from prison accused of stealing. When they suspect this possibility, the entanglements begin.

Tickets can be purchased up to fifteen minutes before the start of each show on the Auditorio de Tenerife website and by telephone on 902 317 327 and at the box office from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The purchase of tickets implies acceptance of the measures implemented by the cultural center of the Cabildo to deal with COVID-19, such as the correct use of the mask or assistance only with cohabitants.

Likewise, the public over 12 years and 3 months of age will be required at the time of access to the venue: COVID-19 certificate with complete vaccination schedule, negative active infection diagnostic test carried out in the last 48 hours in a legally authorized laboratory (not self-tests are included) or an official certificate proving that the infection has been overcome between 11 and 180 days prior to the event. With any of these three options, you will also be asked for a personal identification document. The full measures, as well as the contingency plan certified by AENOR, can be consulted on the Auditorium website.