🎭 "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide || Sung by Hallie Schmidt
Donations Raised
100%
$1,000 of $1,000
A Guild fundraiser for the Central City Opera Gardens
Thursday, February 12, 2026
5:30 PM - Cocktail Reception & Hors d'oeuvres
(wine included; cash bar available)
7:00 PM - Opera Performance Program
Wellshire Event Center
3333 S Colorado Blvd, Denver CO 80222
Cocktail Attire
Join us for an elegant evening of music, mingling, and mission as we raise funds to maintain the beloved gardens of the Central City Opera House — a treasured sanctuary where artistry and nature have flourished together for generations.
An Evening of Sneak Peeks & Social Connection
Be among the first to experience exclusive previews from our extraordinary 2026 Festival Season:
- The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart's beloved masterpiece
- The Ballad of Baby Doe - Celebrating 70 years since Central City Opera commissioned this now-iconic American opera
- Master Class - Terrence McNally's riveting play about the legendary Maria Callas
A New Format for 2026
This year's Opera Teaser offers a fresh take on the evening with no assigned seating. Enjoy an extended cocktail hour with gourmet heavy hors d'oeuvres while mingling with fellow opera lovers. Then we'll come together for the featured performances. Also - see more about how we're reimagining our beloved "Salad Ballad" tradition below!
Every dollar raised enables these historic gardens to flourish and bloom.
Can't attend? Please consider making a donation to support this vital preservation work.
BATTLE OF THE ARIAS
The Salad Ballads, Reimagined
Seven arias enter. Which masterpieces will make it to the stage? We've given our cherished Salad Ballad tradition a competitive twist: each aria needs $1,000 in contributions to be performed live that night. One passionate patron can fund an entire piece, or the song can reach its goal through contributions of $100, $250, $500 — or any amount. Watch the thermometers rise from now until February 12th, and when an aria hits $1,000, we perform it!
Make it personal: Include a dedication with your contribution, and we'll acknowledge it from the stage before the performance!
All proceeds from the Battle of the Arias support the Guild's Garden Fund.
CAST YOUR VOTE FOR:
🌙 "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute || Sung by Hallie Schmidt
Donations Raised
10%
$100 of $1,000
💕 "Là ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni || Sung by Hallie Schmidt and Dante Mireles
Donations Raised
0%
$0 of $1,000
🌾 "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma! || Sung by Katiann Nelson and Andrew Simpson
Donations Raised
0%
$0 of $1,000
🌸 "Flower Duet" from Lakmé || Sung by Hallie Schmidt and Katiann Nelson
Donations Raised
25%
$250 of $1,000
⭐ "Stars" from Les Misérables || Sung by Dante Mireles
Donations Raised
10%
$100 of $1,000
🌅 "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific || Sung by Andrew Simpson
Donations Raised
0%
$0 of $1,000
#100
Mixed Flower Hanging Baskets
Help our Gardens Grow! - Donate to the Garden Fund
5 remaining, Purchase 1 for $50
#101
Scavola Baskets for Urns/Pots
#102
Teller House Round Planter Pots
Help our Gardens Grow! - Donate to the Garden Fund
2 remaining, Purchase 1 for $100
About Central City Opera
Founded in 1932, Central City Opera is the fifth oldest professional opera company in the country and is renowned for exquisite world-class productions, a robust young artist training program, creative education activities and community engagement. Our annual summer opera festival takes place at 8,500 feet above sea level in the Colorado mountain town of Central City, only 35 miles west of Denver, where the company owns and maintains 27 Victorian-era properties, including the intimate 550-seat jewel box opera house built in 1878.
