MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new Minnesota opera company plans to stage its first production under the stars next summer.

The Mill City Summer Opera debuts with “Pagliacci” inside the historic Ruin Courtyard of the Mill City Museum along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

Evening shows are planned for July. If there’s rain, performances will move inside the museum.

Seating will be available for 400. The production will feature two staging areas connected by a bridge, with the opera’s musicians performing above the staging. Costumes and sets will reflect the era of the first fire at the old mill in 1878.

The new opera’s company and board include Minnesota composer Libby Larsen and mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, a White Bear Lake native.

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