he performances take place Friday, February 10, 2006, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 4 p.m., at the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center at Villa Victoria, 85 West Newton St., South End, Boston, MA. Adult tickets cost $25, senior tickets cost $20, and students may purchase tickets for $15. Tickets may be purchased at the door, reserved online by sending an e-mail message to JWOpera@aol.com or by calling 617-899-4261. 

Both performances are fully staged, sung in English, and, in a first for the company, accompanied by a 10-piece chamber orchestra.  David Feltner, artistic director of the Chamber Orchestra of Boston serves as conductor, while Marc Astafan, co-director of the opera program at the New England Conservatory of Music, provides stage direction. William Fregosi, returns as set and light designer. 

The Scarf tells the story of Miriam, an unfortunate young woman married into a wretched life. Miriam senses a glimmer of hope after sheltering a Postman, during a storm, and sends him off with the gift of a romance-inducing magic scarf. Trouble and rage follow when the scarf comes back wrapped around the neck of Miriam's elderly husband.  The production features Boston opera favorites soprano Laura Choi Stuart in the lead role as Miriam, tenor Thomas Oesterling as Reuel, the oppressive husband, and baritone Nikolas Nackley as the Postman, all making their Intermezzo debuts. 

Hoiby composed The Scarf at the request of composer Gian-Carlo Menotti for the first Spoletto Festival in Italy, in 1957. This production is the first Boston-area staging of this opera in more than a decade.

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