CORNISH — In planning the upcoming season at Opera North, the performing arts company at Blow-Me-Down Farm, General Director Evans Haile went for shows that offered audiences a form of escape.

“We really want to be an oasis for folks,” Haile said in a recent interview. “We think it’s important, with everything going on in the world, that we represent a place that gives you a break, that allows you to go to a different world…,” he said.

With that goal in mind, on Friday, the  company’s 11 resident artists will gather under the circus-style tent in Cornish to re-create the enchanted universe of “The Little Prince.” Based on French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s 1943 children’s novella, the English opera recounts the story of an aviator who makes an unlikely acquaintance after his plane crashes deep in the desert.

The family-friendly show marks Opera North’s return to circus arts, which were on hiatus last year. Acrobats will perform alongside a singing rose and a humble fox, among other whimsical characters, who will bring to life the music of Academy Award-winning composer, Rachel Portman.

Summerfest takes a comedic turn with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” a romantic comedy whose layers of mistaken identity reach Shakespearean heights over the course of the show.

Opera North’s version is set in a wealthy home in the 1920s, in an homage to the heyday of Blow-Me-Down Farm, which served as a creative hub for the Cornish Colony. The setting also highlights the 18th-century opera’s modern relevance.

“Let’s face it, relationships haven’t changed for thousands of years,” Haile said. “The notion of falling in love, and the compromises and complications of falling in love, are still just as real today as they were when ‘Marriage of Figaro’ was written.” 

Finally, the season will close on a redemptive note with “Man of La Mancha,” an adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century novel “Don Quixote.” Famous for numbers such as the impassioned “The Impossible Dream,” “Man of La Mancha” traces the adventures of the mad-man knight Don Quixote, his sidekick, Sancho Panza, and the sex-worker Aldonza, whom Don Quixote makes his muse.

“It’s really just a story about doing the right thing because you believe it’s the right thing even if everyone isn’t faced in the same direction,” said Carlyle Quinn, who will play Aldonza.

“I think it will always be a piece that artists will connect to because when you start going into the arts there are a lot of naysayers…,” said Quinn, 25, who studied opera at The Juilliard School.

Quinn will play opposite principal artist and Broadway actor George Dvorsky, who performed as Fred and Petruchio in Opera North’s 2017 production of “Kiss Me, Kate.”

“He is a very experienced actor with a lot of ability to bring audiences into his world,” Louis Burkot, Opera North’s artistic director, said of Dvorsky.

This season marks a return to Blow-Me-Down Farm for Quinn and baritone Sergio Manzo, who were among last year’s resident artists.

For Quinn, negotiating Opera North’s stage, which is surrounded by the audience on three sides (an unusual design in opera) had a lasting effect on her approach to performing.

“Working in the round is an experience I think every young performer should have, because it completely changes how you have to project not only vocally, but dramatically as well,” she said.

Every year, Opera North endeavors to improve the setup at Blow-Me-Down Farm, Haile said. Renovations are ongoing at the Beaman House, which the company uses as a backstage and green room. A second trailer of air-conditioned bathrooms will be on site this year, Haile said.

Now in his 11th year as Opera North’s general director, Haile’s ongoing ambition for Blow-Me-Down Farm is to create a hub for artistic disciplines of all kinds.

On July 5, Opera North will host “Tap, Rhythm and Roll!,” a jazz tap performance in collaboration with Warren Curtis, who performed in the company’s production of “West Side Story” in 2015.

“We continue to want to be a destination, an oasis, for the entire family,” Haile said. “As well as being one of the leading arts organizations in the region.”

Opera North’s Summerfest begins Friday. For tickets ($32-$70) and more information, go to operanorth.org.

Rainbow’s end

As Pride month draws to a close, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Pentangle Arts in Woodstock will host a screening of “Remarkable: Voices from the Trans Community,” a documentary by trans activist Logan Ward, who will appear in a Q&A after the film. For more information, visit pentanglearts.org.

Also Pride-related, on Saturday, Sawtooth Kitchen, Bar and Stage will host a Queer Dance Night featuring mixes from DJ GenderEnder. For more information about the event ($5), which is 21+, visit sawtoothkitchen.com.

Songs of summer

This Friday, in South Royalton, singer-songwriter Nate Mott will give a free performance at First Branch Coffee. Artisan and vintage vendors will be at the event, and Royalton Community Garden will provide refreshments. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show. For more information, visit the First Branch Instagram page @firstbranchcoffee.

Art on the green

Also in South Royalton, BALE (Building a Local Economy) will kick-off a summer-long show of work by Bread & Puppet Theater artist Peter Schumann with a participatory exhibition at the Royalton Farmers Market this Sunday. 

Revelations

Newport murals

On Friday evening, the Library Arts Center in Newport will present the Korn Alley Mural Installation in partnership with the Newport Chamber of Commerce. The artists behind the murals will appear at the event, which will include live music and food trucks. For more information, visit libraryartscenter.org.

New Season at the Hop

The Hopkins Center for the Arts recently announced this year’s upcoming season, which includes events like the Dutch collective Touki Delphine’s avant-garde interpretation of “Firebird.” Season tickets go on sale for Hop Members on June 24 and to the general public on July 15.

News of the upcoming season comes as the arts center is preparing to unveil a $123.8 million expansion with a grand opening celebration slated for Oct. 16-19. The event will feature music and dance, including a performance from the legendary cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. For more information, visit hop.dartmouth.edu.

Marion Umpleby can be reached at mumpleby@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.