Concert Operetta Theater

Concert Operetta Theater's Mission
Founded in 2001

Concert Operetta Theater is dedicated to presenting, preserving, and educating audiences about operetta through professional performances from the Golden, and Silver ages of operetta. A minimalist production concept highlights the story and the music, bringing the production closer to the audience in an intimate setting.

COT is the only performing arts group in the USA that produces operettas in a concert version in new translations or original language. These productions are unique because this type of music does not get performance time on a regular basis in the USA. In the past nine seasons Concert Operetta Theater has presented sixteen operettas, six which are Philadelphia premieres, and five which are the Philadelphia premiere of a new English translation or new German version.

Concert Operetta Theater

Board of Directors
Daniel M. Pantano, Executive and Artistic Director
Anne Hagan, president
Stephan Stoeckl, vice-president
Nan Altman, secretary
Jerry L. Bennett, treasurer
James Tallman

Honorary Board
Maryann Devine, Smarts & Culture
Nan and Michael Miller, Operetta Archives
Alyce Mott, Victor Herbert Source
Gregg Opelka, American Playwrights
Michael Presser, Inside Broadway
Daniel Rothermel, The Savoy Company
Joseph Rubin, Canton Comic Opera
Albert Sherman, New York City Opera
Richard Traubner, Author and operetta historian

Daniel Pantano is the executive and artistic director of Concert Operetta Theater, a company that he founded in 2001. Concert Operetta Theater (COT) is still the only concert operetta company in the United States.

Mr. Pantano is a trained singer and has been has performed in opera, oratorio and cabaret productions with repertoire that has been most diverse, and from which he has made a home in supporting and character roles. He has worked with such groups as Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Delaware, Augusta Opera, The Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Banff Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera and The Academy of Vocal Arts Theater.

During his time as an Artist -apprentice with The Des Moines Opera Company, he sang Fiorello in their production The Barber of Seville, which was televised live for PBS and aired nationally.

Before his performing years Mr. Pantano studied make-up design and apprenticed with Opera Company of Philadelphia. He later did design work for Boston Opera, New Hampshire Opera, Boston University Opera Theater and was the designer for Boston Lyric Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle that was performed both in Boston and on Broadway in NYC.

Mr. Pantano served for three years as Board President for The Voices for Children Foundation of Philadelphia. During that period they recorded three Christmas CD’s that had the distinction of being the #1 holiday recordings each year at Tower Records helping to raise over $65,000, which was donated in grant-form to local nonprofit groups working with pediatric AIDS.

Daniel was the founder of the only singing waiters group in the state of Iowa, located in Des Moines and called The Hemingway Singers. Mr. Pantano and the Hemingway Singers made frequent television appearances and were invited to open the Iowa State Fair two years running. He was also a regular in cooking segments for local morning television, introducing Chilean Wines and Wild Game recipes to the public.

Mr. Pantano was awarded the DiRoNA ( Distinguished Restaurants of North America) while at the Bellevue Hotel and has also been listed in Outstanding Young Men in America (1986), and in the National Register’s Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals (2001). Mr. Pantano is a graduate of Boston University and an alumnus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and The Academy of Vocal Arts, Philadelphia.

Recent singing credits include a solo recital for the Hadley Memorial Fund of Chester County, The Helena Symphony (MT) and The North Penn Symphony (La bohème), River City Brass Band (Gershwin), Main Line Opera Guild ( The Gypsy Baron), and five recitals for the Brown Bag Concert Series at The Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square.

Mr. Pantano’s recent speaking engagements on operetta include The Nelson Eddy Appreciation Society ( Cambridge Springs, PA), the Friends of Operetta (Los Angeles, CA), OLLI (Osher's Lifelong Learning Center at Temple University Friday Forum, and the Philadelphian - Tuesday Morning Discussion Group.

In May 2005, Mr. Pantano was interviewed by Jill Pasternak for her Crossover broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM. in conjunction with Concert Operetta Theater’s concert – The Music of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.

A History of Concert Operetta Theater Productions
See Past Productions for more information

The Merry Nibelung / O. Straus , Jose Melendez, music director
**COT – USA Premiere of the complete Operetta**
**COT - World Premiere of new English Translation**
Giuditta / Lehar, Jose Melendez, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
**COT - Philadelphia Premiere of new English Translation**
Sári / Kalman, Jose Melendez, music director
**NYC company debut of COT at Merkin Hall**
Gems of the American Operetta, Jose Melendez, piano
The Chocolate Soldier / O. Straus, Jeremy Gill, conductor
**COT – debut with Ocean City Pops Orchestar**
A Waltz Dream / O. Straus, Michele Scanlon, music director
Sári / Kalman, Jose Melendez, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
Naughty Marietta / Herbert, Jose Melendez, music director
The Loves of Lehar, Richard A. Raub, piano
Countess Maritza / Kalman, James Batt, music director
The Student Prince, Luke Housner, music director
The Cousin from Batavia/ Künneke , Jeremy Gill, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
***COT – East Coast Premiere of new English translation**
The Merry Widow/ Lehar, Nicholas Mastripolito, music director
**COT – East Coast Premiere of new English translation**
An Afternoon of Operetta Classics, Nicholas Mastripolito, piano
The Czarevitch / Lehar, Richard A. Raub, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
**COT - Philadelphia Premiere of new English Translation**
A Night in Vienna!, Jeremy Gill, piano
The Music of Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, Gloria Collins, piano
Die Schöne Galathée / von Suppe, Benjamin Blozan, music director
**COT – Premiere of new German edition**
The Chocolate Soldier / O. Straus , Jeremy Gill, music director
The Duchess of Chicago / Kalman, Gloria Collins, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
**COT – East Coast Premier of new English Translation**
Cabaret concert featuring Eileen Duffy, chanteuse & Daniel Pantano, baritone
with Richard Rome, piano and Robert Campbell, bass
The Count of Luxembourg / Lehar, James Batt, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
**COT - Philadelphia Premiere of new English Translation**
Music of the American Operetta, Gloria Collins, piano
Countess Maritza / Kalman, James Batt, music director
**COT - Philadelphia Premiere of new English Translation**
Paganini / Lehar, James Batt, music director
**COT – Philadelphia Premiere of Operetta**
**COT - Philadelphia Premiere of new English Translation**
Operetta in ¾ Time!, Gloria Collins, piano
Recital by Daniel Pantano, baritone & Benjamin Blozan, piano
The Gypsy Princess / Kalman, Gloria Collins, music director
** COT – Premiere of new English Translation**