Tired of Three Tenors? Make Way for the Three Sopranos

You’ve heard of the Three Tenors, but how about the Three Sopranos?

The executive producer of “The 3 Sopranos”--three singers making their debut appearance as a group Sept. 5 in an outdoor concert at Century Plaza--says any comparisons between this fledgling trio of up-and-coming divas and that huge concert, recording and TV franchise that is Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras are unfair.

But it’s hard to deny the obvious: Both trios are presented by Tibor Rudas, both are singing in outdoor settings (recall the Three Tenors mega-concert at Dodger Stadium in 1994) and both bear essentially the same name.

The “Sopranos” concert--featuring Kathleen Costello, Kallen Esperian and Cynthia Lawrence--will take place on a 60-by-80-foot stage constructed on a grassy area between the Century Plaza Hotel and the Century Plaza Towers with chairs placed for seating. “Sopranos” executive producer Wayne Baruch says the concert will have 3,000 available seats, priced at $25, $50 and $100. The latest Three Tenors World Tour had tickets priced from $25 to $1,000 when the tenors performed at Giants Stadium outside of New York City.

Also like the Three Tenors, the Three Sopranos concert will be recorded for release near the holiday season (Atlantic Records) and will be taped for broadcast on PBS during a December pledge drive.

And, while he discourages comparisons, Baruch acknowledges a direct connection between the ladies and the gentlemen. “There has been a big clamor for three sopranos ever since the three tenors performed in Dodger Stadium, and Tibor [Rudas] is the one who presented them,” he said Friday.

“So he has created this concept of the Three Sopranos, using three magnificent young singers who are each making a tremendous impact on the opera stages of the world, and who are just beginning to be well known off of the opera stages as well.”

One singer, Esperian, performed to an enthusiastic audience Thursday night at the Hollywood Bowl, and both Esperian and Lawrence have been seen frequently on PBS. Baruch says Cassello is better-known in Europe, though “that is about to change.” But he acknowledges that, unlike the tenors, the singers are not yet household names.

“They are not well known outside of opera circles, but we found with the Three Tenors that, as important as the marquee value of the names is, the other thing that is extremely important is the music,” Baruch said. “People love to hear this kind of music, so in this case we think we will create a program, a repertoire, that will captivate people and attract them to these artists who will become better known as time goes by.”

Baruch said that the producers considered a more traditional concert venue but “it is not the Rudas way--this is going to be spectacular.” He added that the program will include not only operatic arias but Broadway show tunes and other music performed in a light-opera style to appeal to a general audience.