ZARZUELA FILM FESTIVAL

Relive The Magic Of The Spanish Zarzuela At The Jarvis Conservatory!

The Jarvis Conservatory was built to set Zarzuela on the world stage.  Between 1995 and 2008 sixteen internationally celebrated Zarzuela productions were conceived at this Jewel Box Theater, housed in the Jarvis Conservatory complex. Singers, dancers, musicians and designers from Spain and other parts the world collaborated on these elaborate shows.  Join us as we revisit these timeless pieces and relive the magic of the Spanish Zarzuela.

In 1995, during the first Zarzuela Festival, the Jarvis Conservatory made its inaugural professional recording.  Carefully constructed by festival founder, William Jarvis, the translated English versions of the two classic Spanish Operettas were brought to life. Both the live productions and the recordings of the 1995 La Gran Vía and La Dolorosa at The Jarvis Conservatory were received with accolades.  As a result, a precedent for future English translated Zarzuela recordings was set.  Excerpts from all of these Jarvis produced Zarzuelas can be found on YouTube, and full length productions are available for purchase in HD on Amazon Prime and also on DVD.  They were a real hit for our original live audiences and later for audiences around the world by way of the Jarvis Conservatory's professional recordings.

Zarzuelas are more melodic and more fun than Italian operas which are often based on lofty stories of Royalty. Zarzuelas focus more on human interest stories where characters are often found in real-life comedic situations.

From time to time we get asked, "When is Jarvis going to do the Zarzuelas again?" However, the only source now of Jarvis Conservatory Zarzuela music are the excerpts on YouTube and the full length, high definition productions available on Amazon Prime or on DVD. The timeless appeal of the English version Zarzuelas continues to grow as social media response has been prolific with new audiences constantly coming under its influence.

We are thrilled to be offering our professional recordings in a festival atmosphere this August 11th to 13th, 2023.  Come celebrate with us!