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The Four Seasons Opera Club will present Verdi's Aida on Friday, March 14 at 6 pm in The Lodge Theater. Aida is the slave to the Egyptian princess, Amneris, daughter of the king of Egypt. Aida and the Egyptian army commander, Radames, are in love. Amneris makes up the third person in the love triangle. Amneris does not know that Radames loves Aida. Also unknown to anyone is that Aida is the daughter of Amonasro, the king of Ethiopia. Amonasro's army advances upon Egypt and the King sends Radames to lead the Egyptian army in defense. Egypt prevails and the army returns with the spoils of war. Meanwhile, Amneris toys with Aida to confirm her suspicions that Aida is indeed her love rival. High priest Ramfis wants the prisoners executed, but Radames asks for their freedom, which the King grants as his reward for the great victory. Finally, the King gives Amneris' hand in marriage to Radames. As the wedding plans are proceeding, Radames is planning his follow-up invasion of Ethiopia. Aida had kept silent about Amonasro's presence amid the captured prisoners and now receives his instructions to discover the invasion route of the Egyptian army. Aida's conf licted compliance has her discussing future plans with Radames. Nearby, hidden, Amonasro hears Radames' telling of his attack plans. Amonasro reveals himself and Radames is crushed by the realization that he has betrayed king and country. Ramfis and Amneris enter the scene; Aida and Amonasro escape in the confusion; and Radames admits his unwitting betrayal to Ramfis. Radames awaits his punishment, believing Aida to be dead. Amneris tries to win Radames over by offering him pardon if he marries her. He learned moments before that Aida is still alive, and continues to reject Amneris. He is condemned to be entombed alive. Aida learns of the punishment and hides within the tomb, awaiting Radames, having chosen to die with him. The tomb is sealed while Amneris, nearby, prays for peace. This opera is the grandest of all the grand operas. In it, Verdi has given us the aria "Celeste Aida," "Ritorna vincitor!", "Mi patria," and a triumphal march that projects the power and pride of a great nation in victory. The version we will present is from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Met has the largest opera stage in the world and no company can offer a spectacle as grand as can the Met. Join us! ~ Harvey Toyama, yukito@yukito.net, (951) 524-3765 42 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2025 Opera Club Karaoke Classical Music Club Hey singers! February was the month of love and we sang our hearts out. For March, we have karaoke on Tuesday, March 4 and Saturday, March 8. Both nights start at 5 pm. See you then! ~ Dave Rohrbacker We are classical music lovers with an interest in sharing our love of, knowledge about, and interest in classical music. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm in The Lodge Theater. We listen to and watch musical selections on the big screen. Each month we focus on a particular work or several selections of one composer. We also discuss current musical performances in the area. We welcome new members. Contact Steve Benoff at steve. benoff@verizon.net or (310) 413-4896. ~ Steve Beno Aida at the Met Chris, Leah, Mike, and Craiger cranking out the tunes e group singing Take Me Home Country Roads at the end of the night