At the Betsy Hotel, Its Free Opera For All On Ocean Drive

With Ocean Drive as the stage and The Betsy as the set, Gerard Ortega sings during a recent “Opera on the Terrace.” The free series, now in its eleventh year, is performed at 9 p.m. Saturdays once a month. (Photo courtesy of Ryan J. Troy)

The terrace of The Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive looks out onto one of Miami Beach’s busiest corridors, where foot traffic, scooters, and beachgoers provide a steady backdrop in a neighborhood known more for nightlife than classical music. Co-owner of The Betsy, Jonathan Plutzik, says that set up is by design.

The terrace becomes a public opera stage with “Opera on the Terrace,” a 30-minute program of light opera, Broadway selections and other popular music with the series now in its eleventh year.

“Opera on the Terrace” is performed at 9 p.m. Saturdays once a month with the next upcoming on Oct. 25, Nov. 22 and Dec. 27.

Tenor Gerardo Ortega and lyric soprano Megan Barrera perform on the front terrace of The Betsy Hotel as part of the “Opera on the Terrace” series. (Photo courtesy of the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival)

Plutzik describes the series as an effort to let opera meet people where they are rather than wait for audiences to buy a ticket and find a seat.

“When we started celebrating arts and culture at The Betsy, we imagined creating programs that were traditional – in terms of content and space – and those that might pop up in unexpected places like the front Terrace,” says Plutzik. “Our partnership with Miami Beach Classical Music Festival provided a perfect opportunity to bring opera out onto the street, and to surprise tourists walking down Ocean Drive with an introduction to classical music.”

Plutzik believes that the series’ decade-long presence has changed the way people think about Ocean Drive and about opera itself. Partnering with the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival and featuring both students and professionals has connected performers and audiences in unexpected ways. “Because we’ve been offering the program for more than a decade, we have locals that stop by to hear their favorite arias, some even choosing to go live on their phones and share it with friends,” he says.

What excites him even more are those who stumble upon the performances by chance. “The music pulls them in, and they see a side of Ocean Drive and South Beach that they simply didn’t expect.”

Jonathan Plutzik, co-owner of The Betsy Hotel, says the series’ decade-long run has changed how people think about Ocean Drive and opera itself. (Photo courtesy of The Betsy Hotel)

He adds that opera has always been rooted in the lives of ordinary people, with stories and music that explore deep human emotions. By staging it outdoors, he says, the performances remove any perception of opera as distant or overly formal. “What we’ve found in this program is that when opera moves into the street, those concerns disappear.”

The street front format is also part of the hotel’s stated goal to make culture a daily experience. The hotel presents other free programs that feed the same goal, including frequent jazz in the lobby Piano Bar and a weekly Promenade Music Series in Lummus Park.

The larger philosophy, says Plutzik, is to weave the arts into the hospitality experience through exhibitions, partnerships and residencies. “Our walls, halls, and special spaces have all been designed as artistic destinations.”

For opera singers, the terrace setting is both challenging and liberating.

Tenor Gerard Ortega, an alumnus of the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival who now sings on international stages, confesses that the Terrace altered his view of what an opera performance can be.

To tenor Gerard Ortega, there’s something magical about performing on the Terrace. “Seeing someone pause mid-stroll and become captivated reminds me that opera is for everyone.” (Photo courtesy of Gerard Ortega)

“There’s something magical about performing on the Terrace,” he says. “The first time I sang there, it completely surprised me. Classical music had always been formal in my experience—sung in conservatories or opera houses with audiences who could often afford the highest tickets. On the Terrace, it’s completely different.”

The tenor says the environment creates a special kind of immediacy.

“The moment the music starts, the atmosphere shifts—the crowd gathers, phones come out, and a few listeners quickly turn into an entire audience,” says Ortega. “Seeing someone pause mid-stroll and become captivated reminds me that opera is for everyone.”

“Over the years, I have returned many times to perform opera and jazz as part of this series and can personally chart my growth as an artist through those years,” says soprano Elizabeth Zito. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Zito)

Repertoire for the terrace often favors familiar melodies and vocal showpieces that land quickly with a mixed crowd. Ortega says “Granada” by Agustin Lara “always get an amazing reaction,” and he also cites “Maria” from “West Side Story,” “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” “La donna è mobile,” “Una furtiva lagrima,” and “O Sole Mio.”

Soprano Elizabeth Zito has also performed at The Betsy since her student days, and she says the program has become a personal touchstone.

“As a young student with the Miami Beach Music Festival, it was one of the first venues where I got to test and hone my work,” says Zito. “Over the years, I have returned many times to perform opera and jazz as part of this series and can personally chart my growth as an artist through those years. Of all the places I perform, coming back to The Betsy feels like coming home.”

Zito adds that the terrace performances bring a connection not possible in a traditional opera house.

“A traditional opera house is a bit like a private club – the art is intended for those who have already chosen to be there and partake in it,” she says. “But when opera moves beyond the confines of an opera house into an unconventional setting like the Terrace, it transforms. We get to bring art directly into the world, meeting people right where they are.”

Haley Rayfield performs on The Betsy’s front terrace. (Photo courtesy of Miami Beach Classical Music Festival)

For Zito, the stakes for the art form are clear. “Opera needs more of this kind of programming, full stop,” she says. “The Opera on the Terrace program actively demonstrates that, when shared, the music holds universal enchantment, and people just need a chance to engage with it.”

The series has become part of the cultural identity the hotel is trying to advance, according to Plutzik. “Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is our stage, and The Betsy is our set. It’s a place where diversity thrives and global culture is celebrated 24/7/365.”

WHAT:  The “Opera on the Terrace” series

 WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, Nov. 22, and Dec. 27.

 WHERE: The Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

 COST: Free

 INFORMATION: 844-539-2840 or The Betsy Hotel

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