UTICA — “Bon Appetit!,” a short comic opera about chef Julia Child, was presented to sold-out performances June 18 and 19 at St. Mary of Mount Carmel – Blessed Sacrament Church in Utica.
Chelsea Opera, a traveling opera company, put on the production in the Salerno Room, where audience members were treated to wine and hors d’oeuvres as they watched the chef, played by Ann McMahon Quintero, operatically bake a chocolate cake. In recent years Chelsea Opera has expanded its productions to Oneida and Onondaga counties.
“It’s a great little, fun production, of watching Julia Child bake a chocolate cake,” says Chelsea Opera co-founder and Utica native Leonarda Priore. “It’s a real episode of her PBS show that was put to music and we’re just glad to be back in Utica doing this.”
Parishioners were able to see and hear about Child and her cooking skills in a short film. Then, the show was set to music and performed by a few artists. The Salerno Room, where refreshments were served, was also graced with paintings by parishioner and artist Constance Watkins.
“I was honored having my paintings displayed,” Watkins said. She added: “It was a very beautiful and exciting event for our parish.”
