Lizzie Borden
blo commission a chamber version in seven scenes November 20 – 24, 2013 Opera annex: the castle at park plaza
Esther Nelson, General & Artistic Director
blo.org
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David Angus, Music Director
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John Conklin, Artistic Advisor
Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 1
Esther Nelson, General & Artistic Director
2013/14 A Season of All New Productions
Mozart
The Magic Flute
World Premiere, New English Adaptation
Oct. 4, 6, 9, 11, 13 | 2013 Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Shubert Theatre
Beeson
Lizzie Borden BLO Commission, A Chamber Version in Seven Scenes
Verdi
Bellini
New Production
New Production
Rigoletto
I Puritani
Mar. 14, 16, 19, 21, 23 | 2014
May 2, 4, 7, 9, 11 | 2014
Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Shubert Theatre
Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Shubert Theatre
Nov. 20, 22, 23, 24 | 2013 Opera Annex: The Castle at Park Plaza
blo.org | boxoffice@blo.org | 617.542.6772 2 | Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013
Welcome Welcome to our fifth Opera Annex and to the premiere of our newly created chamber version of Jack Beeson’s Lizzie Borden. We have assembled a remarkable group of artists who will bring to life an operatic portrait of one of the most infamous dysfunctional American families, directed by Christopher Alden, an ingenious stage visionary. We are proud to report that the BSO has invited BLO to perform Lizzie Borden at next summer’s Tanglewood Festival. Seventeen years ago, I sat next to Jack Beeson during a rehearsal of Lizzie Borden at Glimmerglass Opera. We discussed that his opera, for all of its musical forces, seemed to also have an intimate chamber feel to it. With Jack’s customary dry satirical sense of humor he then leaned over to hiss in my ear: “Did you know that the Borden breakfast on the day of the murder was mutton, mutton broth, bananas, cookies, and johnny cakes?” Peering over his glasses at my startled expression he concluded with conviction: “Now, any family eating that for breakfast, on a hot muggy day HAS to be strange – right?” (To this day I don’t know what johnny cakes are). Jack Beeson credits the original inspiration for Lizzie Borden to the German scholar and author, Richard Plant. Jack mentions that Plant considered it an archetypal story, something like a New England Elektra, but with the parents switched. Plant saw the Borden family as a distillation of the main currents of New England history: Mr. Borden as the latter-day version of the hanging judge of Salem and Lizzie as the passionate, repressed, upper class Victorian spinster. A family dysfunction that, nonetheless, both Jack Beeson and Richard Plant felt was timeless. It is with great admiration for Jack Beeson, and with deep gratitude to his daughter Miranda for her valuable contributions towards this new chamber version, that BLO is able to bring back to life one of America’s classic operas. We are thankful to John Conklin for his dramaturgy, to Todd Bashore for realizing the reduced orchestration, and for the help of Boosey & Hawkes, the opera’s publishers. We are also indebted to The D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO, for their generous assistance to bring Lizzie to The Castle, where our Opera Annex actually started five seasons ago with The Turn of the Screw. We are also grateful to our good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Marshall, whose leadership gift has made it possible for Lizzie Borden to begin her journey to Tanglewood. The Opera Annex, which The Boston Globe calls “increasingly essential,” continues to attract national attention. It has been generously supported by the lead donors to our EnVision Opera Challenge. We reflect on our past Opera Annex productions: the thought provoking The Emperor of Atlantis, which was written at the Terezin concentration camp; Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse at the John F. Kennedy Library, overlooking a windswept point in Boston Harbor; and last season’s U.S. premiere of Clemency, our co-commission with The Royal Opera House; Covent Garden; Scottish Opera; and Britten Sinfonia. We look forward to the upcoming release of our Clemency recording. Five years is an important milestone and in the final year of the EnVision Opera Challenge, I want to salute all those who have made this work possible. We look forward to celebrating the tenth anniversary — and beyond — of the Opera Annex with your help and the support of additional visionary supporters. Thank you for joining us today. To paraphrase Lizzie’s illfated stepmother Abby, I hope that you find the opera: “Large – as life – and twice as bold.”
PROGRAM contents Welcome 1 Board of Directors 3 Lizzie the Dramatic Heroine by Magda Romanska 6 BLO Presents Lizzie Borden 8 Meet the Artists 9 Program Notes 11 Orchestra, Chorus, Production Staff & Acknowledgements 12 BLO Staff 13 Education and Community Events 16 Donors 18
Esther Nelson General & Artistic Director
Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 1
Both locally and beyond, Boston Lyric Opera leads the way in celebrating the art of the voice through innovative programming and community engagement programs that are redefining the opera-going experience. Under the vibrant leadership of General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson, BLO’s productions have been described by the magazine Musical America as “part of the national dialogue,” because of their role as entry-points for new audiences, and The New York Times observed that BLO “clearly intends [its productions] to catch the interest of operagoers around the country.” This view is shared by the nearly 40,000 people who experience BLO performances, education and community engagement programs each year, through both the company’s dynamic, fully-staged productions at the Shubert Theatre and in found spaces throughout Boston, and through its extensive partnerships with leading cultural organizations such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Handel and Haydn Society; Boston Public Library; American Repertory Theatre; Boston Children’s Museum; Zoo New England, and many others. The company’s involvement with Boston extends far beyond the walls of the performance hall, embracing the schools, churches, neighborhood centers and cultural destinations of our vastly diverse and exuberant community. BLO’s wide-reaching education initiatives introduce opera to new audiences and new generations. Thousands of high school students attend
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final dress rehearsals of BLO productions at the Shubert Theatre each year for free and the company’s annual Open House introduces the art form to music lovers of all ages through free performances, backstage tours and musical activities. Through its in-school and after-school education programs for children and youth, BLO takes its place among a network of organizations that provide Boston and surrounding communities with services that are available nowhere else, and which help make Boston unique among U.S. cities. In addition, BLO audiences can enjoy free pre-performance lectures, which highlight the productions and music, prior to Shubert Theatre performances. BLO’s commitment to opera in all forms—classic masterworks to contemporary explorations—is evident in its programming, which remains faithful to tradition while trailblazing new ground, building audiences and creating new ways to enhance the opera-going experience. This commitment is further made manifest in the company’s unwavering support for the artists—both established and emerging—who bring the art of opera to you, our valued audiences. BLO provides each year’s class of Emerging Artists with extraordinary opportunities to develop their craft and grow. Many BLO Emerging Artists expand their careers to other world-leading stages, including New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera and Lyric Opera of
Chicago, while others choose to remain in Boston and influence future generations through performance and teaching. Through your support and attendance, BLO is able to employ nearly 500 artists and creative professionals each year—vocalists, artisans, stagehands, costumers, and scenic designers—many of whom are members of our own community, and our neighbors. The company is proud to play a significant role in the livelihood of these individuals and to provide meaningful employment for our vibrant arts community. Since its founding in 1976, BLO has staged significant world premieres, U.S. premieres as well as co-commissions with The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and co-productions with Scottish Opera, and continues to be a destination for some of the leading artists, conductors, directors and designers from around the world.
Continue Your Opera Experience Learn more about the Opera Annex production with Boston Lyric Opera’s post-performance talk-backs. Join us for engaging half-hour conversations with members of the cast and creative team to discover how music and design interact to create dynamic and evocative performances. Post-performance talk-backs are free to ticketholders and are held on the Opera Annex stage following every performance, excluding opening night.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR Welcome to Opera Annex and Lizzie Borden. We are delighted to celebrate our five-year milestone of Opera Annex, which has become recognized as a vital part of Boston Lyric Opera's repertoire and the city’s cultural offerings. As Board Chair, I am so proud to see this innovative series grow to this level and engage new audiences in such a short period of time. BLO’s Opera Annex — with Lizzie Borden — will also achieve another first for the company: the production will move to Tanglewood next summer for a performance in Ozawa Hall. What a fruitful collaboration among two of Boston’s great cultural institutions, and what wonderful acknowledgement of this talented cast, director Christopher Alden, Music Director David Angus and players from the BLO Orchestra. I hope you will all join me on July 31 in Lenox. And we have more reason to celebrate: from its inception, Opera Annex has attracted funding most especially in the form of the 4 year $4 million EnVision Opera Challenge. 2013/14 marks the final and biggest year for the Challenge. I invite you to participate in the EnVision Opera Challenge this season with your contribution of $3,000 or greater. Your gift will be matched by the anonymous family foundation behind this challenge and will have a tremendous impact on the success of Opera Annex, new productions and new works produced by BLO. Steven P. Akin Chair, Board of Directors
Board of Directors CHAIR
Steven P. Akin Vice-CHAIr
Wayne Davis Vice-CHAIR &Treasurer
Frank Wisneski Clerk
Susan Jacobs
Jane Akin David B. Arnold, Jr. Linda Cabot Black Miguel de Bragança JoAnne Walton Dickinson, Esq. Alan Dynner Susan D. Eastman Andrew Eisenberg Kenneth L. Freed Thomas D. Gill, Jr. Barbara Winter Glauber
Anneliese M. Henderson Mimi Hewlett Horace H. Irvine II Amelia Welt Katzen Maria J. Krokidas Stephen T. Kunian Lois A. Lampson Abigail B. Mason A. Neil Pappalardo E. Lee Perry William Pounds
Michael J. Puzo Alicia Cooney Quigley David W. Scudder Susan R. Shapiro David Shukis Ray Stata Christopher Tadgell Wat Tyler Tania Zouikin
James Ackerman Kyla Akin de Asla Ann Beha Debra Taylor Blair Richard M. Burnes, Jr. Ellen Cabot Lynn Dale Carol Deane Jessica Donohue Norma Greenberg
Catherine E. Grein Lila Berman Gross Amy Hunter Louise Johnson Ellen Kaplan William T. Kennedy Russell Lopez M. Lynne Markus Jeffrey Marshall Shari Noe
Jane Pisciottoli Papa Samuel Parkinson Irving H. Plotkin Susanne Potts Malcolm Rogers Wendy Shattuck Sandra A. Urie Mark Volpe Peter J. Wender Bert Zarins
GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Esther Nelson, Ex Officio
Board of OVERSEERS Co-CHAIRs
Willa Bodman L. Joseph LoDato Lawrence St. Clair
EMERITI J.P. Barger Sherif A. Nada Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 3
Boston lyric opera Celebrates Five years of opera annex
At the heart of BLO’s mission is building curiosity and support for opera through theatrically compelling productions and programs. Now in its fifth season, BLO’s Opera Annex program has achieved that goal by taking productions out of the traditional performance hall and placing them in unique, found spaces throughout Boston. From Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, a work written at the Terezin concentration camp, to Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse at the John F. Kennedy Library, to the U.S. premiere of James MacMillan’s Clemency, which BLO co-commissioned with The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Scottish Opera and Britten Sinfonia, Opera Annex has become “increasingly essential” to Boston (according to The Boston Globe). With the world premiere of a new BLO-commissioned chamber version of Jack Beeson’s riveting masterpiece, Lizzie Borden, not only will Opera Annex return to the scene of its first production, but the drama will unfold in a building that is a Lizzie Borden contemporary. BLO’s Opera Annex productions enable collaborations with organizations such as Artists for Humanity, whose youth artists participated in a BLO-led design workshop and then documented the transformation of the AFH EpiCenter into Clemency’s production space. Opera Annex productions further engage communities with unique programs such as conversations with composers, artists and directors, and through recordings, such as the soon-to-be-released commercial recording of Clemency. To learn more about how you can support BLO’s work in bringing opera to the community through its Opera Annex program, please call 617.492.5412 x253.
BLO’s Opera Annex is made possible, in part, through the EnVision Opera Challenge, a 4 year $4 million grant from an anonymous family foundation in support of Opera Annex, new productions, and new artistic directions. Through Opera Annex and the EnVision Opera Challenge, BLO strives to provide opportunity for innovation in opera, foster partnership and collaboration across our community, and engage new audiences for opera. 4 | Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013
NEWS FROM Boston lyric opera Lizzie Borden HEADS To Tanglewood in July 2014 Boston Lyric Opera is pleased to announce that its Opera Annex production of the BLO-commissioned chamber version of Jack Beeson’s riveting masterpiece, Lizzie Borden, will be performed at the celebrated Tanglewood Festival in July 2014, at the invitation of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. BLO Music Director David Angus conducts a chamber ensemble from the Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra, with the current cast reassembled, for the performance at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall next summer. BLO has secured the recording rights for its chamber version of Lizzie Borden and is currently at work to identify funding for a commercial recording of this important performance; the company will soon release a commercial recording of last year’s Opera Annex production, the U.S. premiere of James McMillan’s Clemency, co-commissioned by BLO, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Scottish Opera and Britten Sinfonia.
ABA
www.annbeha.com ▪ 33 Kingston Street ▪ Boston, MA 02111 ▪ 617.338.3000
Wellesley College, Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall Ann Beha Architects
© Peter Vanderwarker Boston lyric opera lizzie Photo borden 2013 | 5
LIZZIE, THE DRAMATIC HEROINE: VERSIONS OF THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY by Magda Romanska, Ph.D., Dramaturg, Boston Lyric Opera
L
izzie Borden’s notorious murder case is part of Massachusetts history. In 1892, Lizzie’s father and stepmother were killed with an axe in their Fall River home. Lizzie became the main suspect, but eventually, after the trial and an inquest, she was acquitted. Thanks to the use of wire and telegraph technology, the case attracted nationwide attention, with reporters covering each day of the proceedings for all of the national newspapers. Since there is still no conclusive evidence, the case remains unresolved, and it continues to generate fascination and speculation. The story of Lizzie Borden has also inspired a number of art works, including books, a ballet, a play, a musical, a number of movies, and, of course, opera. The mysterious and unclear circumstances surrounding the murders make for explosive subject matter that is particularly suitable for the stage.
Fall River Legend (1948) – Ballet In 1948, legendary dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille premiered her ballet, Fall River Legend. Performed by the American Ballet Theatre with music by Morton Gould, the show opened at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In this version of the story, de Mille creates a portrait of Lizzie as a frail and sensitive victim of her circumstances, driven mad by a combination of small-town Puritanism, her emotionally distant father, and her cruel and manipulative stepmother, who interferes with Lizzie’s burgeoning romance with her minister. Using flashbacks and gothic aesthetics, the story ends tragically, with Lizzie being found guilty of the murders and hung. Notable revivals of de Mille’s ballet include a Dance Theatre of Harlem production that was released on home video in 1989, with music played by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The American Ballet Theatre had two revivals, one in 1990 and the other in 2007, with Gillian Murphy playing Lizzie in the 2007 version.
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The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975) – Movie In 1975, an ABC made-for-TV movie called The Legend of Lizzie Borden, starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie, retold the story of the murders through Lizzie’s flashbacks during the trial and inquest. In the movie’s iconic scene, which is supposed to explain why there was never any blood found on Lizzie’s clothes, she commits the murders in the nude and bathes afterwards to wash off the blood. In the end, the movie does not clarify whether the flashbacks are an actual retelling of the story, confirming Lizzie’s guilt, or whether they’re merely Lizzie’s morphineinduced fantasies. Stylishly filmed, with eerie pacing to fuel the dramatic tension, The Legend of Lizzie Borden generated quite a buzz, and the cast and crew were nominated for a number of Emmy Awards: actress Elizabeth Montgomery was nominated for her role as Lizzie, art director Jack DeShields, set decorator Henry Gordon, editor John A. Martinelli, and costume designer Guy Verhille were also nominated. DeShields and Gordon took home awards.
Blood Relations (1982) – Play In her 1982 play entitled Blood Relations, Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock puts a twist on Lizzie’s story, postulating that the murders were a rebellion against the oppressive heteronormativity of her era. Told through flashbacks, dream sequences, and non-linear structure, the play portrays Lizzie as a lesbian in a homoerotic relationship with her friend, The Actress. Pressured by her father and her stepmother to marry a widower neighbor with three young children, Lizzie has a nervous breakdown and murders her parents as a way to escape the inevitable trap of a heterosexual marriage. The surreal, oneiric structure of the play creates a world in which truth and moral choices are ambivalent and murder seems like the only solution to social oppression. Pollock’s interpretation of Lizzie as a lesbian who is forced to commit crime to save herself
from a life she couldn’t possibly bear was based on speculations about Lizzie’s sexuality, as reported at the time of the trial. In real life, following the acquittal, Lizzie spent the rest of her days ostracized by local society, and maintained only one long-term friendship— which happened to be with Boston actress Nance O’Neil. Lizzie visited O’Neil quite often, provoking even more rumors and gossip. Blood Relations treats Lizzie’s story as a vehicle for social commentary on the unbearable position of women in Victorian society.
Lizzie Borden (1965) – Opera Lizzie Borden, an opera conducted by Anton Coppola, opened in 1965 at the New York City Opera. Based on a scenario by Richard Plant, the music was composed by Jack Beeson and the English libretto was written by Kenward Elmslie. In this version of the story, Lizzie is portrayed as a thoughtful and caring older sibling who assumes the role of mother to her younger sister, Margret. The sisters live in the shadow of their strict and stingy father and their manipulative and greedy stepmother who controls him. Lizzie is eventually driven insane by her father’s impossible demand that she is the one who should marry Margret’s suitor, Jason.
Lizzie Borden took an axe And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done She gave her father forty-one. Although at first Lizzie helps Margret elope with Jason, thereby sparing her from a lifetime of anticipated isolation and despair at their father’s house, she soon becomes confused and emotionally distraught. Under the spell of her stepmother’s innuendos, she starts to believe that it is she, Lizzie, whom Jason truly loves. Suddenly seeing her parents as the main obstacle to her happiness, a mad and hallucinating Lizzie murders them. The opera opens with a scene that shows Lizzie leading a choir of children in their lesson, which takes place at Lizzie’s family home (since her father doesn’t want her to ever leave the house). It ends with the same children taunting a now lonely, ostracized, and abandoned Lizzie, who is stuck in an empty house following her acquittal. The opera hints at incest as the possible cause of Lizzie’s madness by portraying an unhealthy, sadomasochistic relationship between Lizzie and her overly possessive father. Although modern psychiatrists have suggested that Lizzie’s case exhibits all the characteristics of sexual abuse, there is no known evidence to support this interpretation. Nonetheless, it offers yet another possible psychological angle on the infamous story.
Lizzie Borden - Boston Lyric Opera's Chamber Version Boston Lyric Opera's chamber version of Jack Beeson’s Lizzie Borden frames the psychological arc of the story in terms of the myth of Electra. Beeson and Plant portray Lizzie as an American Gothic figure tangled in a family drama with mythical resonance. In Greek mythology, Electra and her brother Orestes plot the murder of their mother Clytemnestra and their stepfather Aegisthus to avenge the murder of their father Agamemnon. Both of the great Greek dramatists, Sophocles and Euripides, have made Electra the title heroine of their dramas. In modern neo-Freudian psychology, the Electra complex is a female version of the Oedipus complex; it defines a daughter’s psychosexual competition with her mother for the affection of her father. Mythologizing the Lizzie Borden narrative in the context of Electra’s tale allowed Beeson and Plant to
explore the complex dynamic of the family in subtle ways while building the tension of the story to its dramatic, bloody climax. Commissioning the smaller, one-act chamber version of the opera, BLO was inspired by the opera’s mythical framework, thus aligning the form of the opera with its content. Classic, myth-based Greek dramas always follow the Aristotelian rule of the three unities of time, place, and action. Like Greek dramas, Lizzie Borden adheres to this classic Greek structure; it takes place in one room and in one day (with the exception of the epilogue, which occurs after the trial), and it follows one dramatic arc that’s structurally driven by one tragic character. In this way, the shorter version fulfills its classic dramatic function in a more electrifying and suspenseful manner. The mythical framework of Lizzie Borden is also important because it highlights the cultural importance and influence of American Gothic, a homegrown literary genre that has been essential to the development of American culture and the American psyche. American Gothic is a subgenre of gothic fiction characterized by the presence of Puritanism, domestic abjection, irrationality, guilt, shame, macabre images of the dead, ghosts, and monsters. The heroes of American Gothic struggle with perversion or some other kind of dark, hidden desire that they are unable to overcome by rational thought. They eventually succumb to madness and commit horrible crimes for which they often pay in the afterlife. Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne were the two earliest authors whose works fall into the category of American Gothic. Their nightmarish visions of the human condition, framed by the Puritan notions of shame, guilt, and condemnation, had a significant impact on the collective American psyche. Contemporary authors such as Flannery O’Connor, John Hawkes, and J.D. Salinger belong to the subgenre of New American Gothic. Characterized by the dissolution of the family unit, New American Gothic focuses on the antihero, who is prone to inexplicable urges and anxieties and whose psyche eventually becomes a horror-ridden battleground of contradictory social, cultural, and sexual impulses that have destroyed the family. A quintessential story of American Gothic, the case of Lizzie Borden has fascinated people for over a century, and interest in
the story doesn’t seem to be subsiding. In 2011, HBO began developing a four-hour miniseries about the case, with Chloe Sevigny playing Lizzie. In June 2013, Lifetime announced a new film version of Lizzie Borden’s story, with Christina Ricci playing the role of Lizzie. In addition to major TV movies, Lizzie has also been the focus of many horror films, either as a character herself or as the supernatural force that possesses an innocent victim and forces her to commit murders. Lizzie has also become a Halloween icon, and her Victorian costume, complete with a bloody axe and blood splatters, is a staple of many Halloween parties. What’s more, even Universal Studios in Orlando has Lizzie as a Halloween character. By framing the story within a mythical structure, the BLO version of Lizzie Borden brings forth the deep psychological layers of the story while following in the tradition of great American Gothic storytelling. The psychological space of the piece straddles the past and the present; the costumes are historically ambivalent to enhance the mythical dimension of the story. This is a generic American family that tightly guards its secrets until one day, they explode. ___________________________________ Dr. Madga Romanska is Associate Professor of Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy in the Department of Performing Arts at Emerson College and Research Associate for The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University.
“... one of the most dastardly and diabolical crimes that was ever committed in Massachusetts... Who could have done such an act? In the quiet of the home, in the broad daylight of an August day, on the street of a popular city, with houses within a stone's throw, nay, almost touching, who could have done it?” (From the closing arguments for the defense of Lizzie Borden, made by her principal attorney, George D. Robinson, 1893)
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Boston lyric opera Presents
Music Director David Angus 2013/14 Season Sponsor, Linda Cabot Black
A Chamber Version in Seven Scenes Music by Jack Beeson Libretto by Kenward Elmslie Based on a Scenario by Richard Plant Realized by Todd Bashore (orchestration) and John Conklin (dramaturgy) Commissioned by BLO with generous support from Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Marshall This production is sponsored in part by: An Anonymous Family Foundation The Envision Opera Challenge The D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO
Conductor
Stage Director
David Angus
Sponsored by Susan Jacobs
Christopher Alden
Sponsored by Jane and Steven Akin
Set Designer
Andrew Holland*
Costume Designer
Terese Wadden*
Lighting Designer
Allen Hahn*
Wigs and Makeup Designer
Jason Allen
PROJECTED ENGLISH TITLES
KELLEY ROURKE
CHAMBER ENSEMBLE FROM THE BOSTON LYRIC OPERA ORCHESTRA
Sandra Kott Concertmaster
Sung in English with projected text. Performed in one act with no intermission.
Members of Handel and Haydn's youth and women's chorus
Performances:
pals children's chorus
Wednesday, november 20 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, november 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Rehearsal Coach/Accompanist
BRETT HODGDON*
saturday, november 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Assistant CONDUCTOR
MICHELLE ALEXANDER
Sunday, november 24 at 3:00 p.m.
Assistant Director
R.B. SCHLATHER
Production Stage Manager
Chelsea Antrim
Performance running time approximately: 80 minutes The castle at park plaza 130 columbus avenue, boston
CAST (IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE)
Elizabeth Andrew Borden
HEATHER JOHNSON
Reverend Harrington
OMAR NAJMI#
Abigail Borden
CAROLINE WORRA
Margret Borden
CHELSEA BASLER#
Andrew Borden
DANIEL MOBBS
Cpt. Jason MAcFarlane
DAVID MCFERRIN#
* Boston Lyric Opera Debut # Boston Lyric Opera Emerging Artist 8 | Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013
Sponsored by Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski
Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Puzo
Sponsored by Wayne Davis and Anne Merrifield
Artists Christopher Alden Director
DANIEL MOBBS Bass-baritone
BLO: Lucia di Lammermoor
Andrew Borden
Recent highlights: La Clemenza di Tito, Canadian Opera Company; Die Fledermaus, English National Opera; Le Nozze di Figaro, Los Angeles Philharmonic; La Périchole, New York City Opera
BLO: Escamillo, Carmen
Upcoming: Rigoletto, English National Opera; Norma, Theater Chemnitz; Così Fan Tutte, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Il Turco in Italia, Aix-en-Provence Festival
David Angus Conductor BLO: Music Director since 2010 Recent highlights: Concerts and recordings, London Philharmonic; L’Arlesiana, Wexford Festival; La Traviata, Dublin Lyric Opera Upcoming: I Puritani, Boston Lyric Opera; Don Giovanni, Dublin Lyric Opera; further recordings with London Philharmonic
Andrew Holland Set Designer BLO: Debut Recent highlights: La Clemenza di Tito, Chicago Opera Theater; Louise, Spoleto Festival (USA ); Il Sogno di Scipione, Gotham Chamber Opera; Der Freischutz, Opera Boston; Threepenny Opera, Long Beach Opera
Recent highlights: Handel's Messiah, Rochester Chamber Orchestra; Dandini, La Cenerentola, Pittsburgh Opera; Figaro, Le Nozze di Figaro, Portland Opera; Don Alfonso, Così Fan Tutte, Minnesota Opera; Geronte, Manon Lescaut, Opera Philadelphia Upcoming: Così Fan Tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Metropolitan Opera
CAROLINE WORRA Soprano Abigail Borden BLO: Fiordiligi, Così Fan Tutte; Agrippina, Agrippina; Electra, Idomeneo Recent highlights: Glory Denied, Albany Records Recording, Fort Worth Opera; Biennale (world premiere), The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia; Francesca da Rimini, The Princeton Festival; Le Nozze di Figaro, El Paso Opera; Die Fledermaus, Opera Memphis Upcoming: Embedded/Buried Alive (world premiere), FargoMoorehead Opera; Orphée, Pittsburgh Opera; Amleto, Opera Southwest; Die Fledermaus, Fort Worth Opera
Heather johnson Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Andrew Borden BLO: Hermia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Zerlina, Don Giovanni Recent highlights: Flower Maiden, Parsifal, Metropolitan Opera; Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series; Rosina, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera New Jersey and Opera Southwest; Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible and title role, La Cenerentola, Sarasota Opera Upcoming: La Cenerentola, Intermountain Opera; Salome, Dallas Opera; Soloist, New York Choral Society, Carnegie Hall
Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 9
Artists CHELSEA BASLER Soprano
TERESE WADDEN Costume Designer
Margret Borden
BLO: Debut
BLO: Papagena, The Magic Flute
Recent highlights: House For Sale, Transport Group; As You Like It, The Acting Company; A Florentine Tragedy & Gianni Schicchi, Canadian Opera Company; Cosi Fan Tutte, New York City Opera
Recent highlights: Josephine, HMS Pinafore, Liu, Turandot, Opera Sarasota Upcoming: Countess Ceprano, Rigoletto, Enrichetta, I Puritani, Boston Lyric Opera
ALLEN HAHN Lighting Designer DAVID MCFERRIN Baritone
BLO: Debut
captain Jason MAcFarlane
Recent highlights: Il Sogno di Scipione, Arianna in Creta, Gotham Chamber Opera; Rinaldo, NYCO; Mitridate, Santa Fe Opera; Don Giovanni, Glimmerglass Opera
BLO: Traveler, Clemency; Yamadori, Madama Butterfly; Palante, Agrippina Recent highlights: Elder Son, Prodigal Son, Intermezzo Opera; Aeneas, Dido and Aeneas, Seraphic Fire; Soloist, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Handel and Haydn Society Upcoming: Noah, Noah, Noye’s Fludde, Boston Trinity Church; Will Hutchinson, Anne Hutchinson, Intermezzo Opera
OMAR NAJMI Tenor Reverend Harrington BLO: Second Spirit Messenger, The Magic Flute Recent highlights: St. Brioche, The Merry Widow, Opera Providence; Father Confessor, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Boston University Opera Institute; Don Curzio, Le Nozze di Figaro, Opera North Upcoming: Borsa, Rigoletto; Bruno, I Puritani, Boston Lyric Opera
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Jason Allen Wigs and Makeup Designer BLO: Resident Designer since 2003 Recent highlights: Doubt, Minnesota Opera; The Barber of Seville, Mill City Summer Opera; Hippie Chic, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Upcoming: The Nutcracker, The Boston Ballet; The Dream of Valentino, Minnesota Opera
PROGRAM NOTES Synopsis August 4th was the hottest day in the hottest summer anyone in Fall River could remember. In the white clapboard house on Second Street, Lizzie and Margret, the two daughters of Andrew Borden, live uneasily with their father and their stepmother Abby. Growing tensions, parental denials, repressions and cruel mockery spread like poison in the claustrophobic intimacy. The attempt of Margret to escape by eloping with the sea captain Jason MacFarlane brings all this to an explosive state and Lizzie acts. After her aquittal in the brutal murders of Andrew and Abby, Lizzie lives in Fall River for the remaining 35 years of her life.
JACK BEESON, RICHARD PLANT AND THE MAKING OF LIZZIE BORDEN THE OPERA Richard Plant, author of the opera’s scenario, had been contemplating an idea for an opera based on the story of Lizzie Borden for many years when he joined up with composer Jack Beeson in 1954. At that time, Beeson was busy writing his first major opera, The Sweet Bye and Bye (1956), but he became intrigued by Plant’s enthusiasm for the Borden story. Plant was a mystery buff fascinated with the Borden family tale, which he saw as a “distillation of the main currents of New England history.” To convince Beeson about the dramatic potential of the story, Plant framed it as the archetypal story of Electra. Although the idea appealed to Beeson, he wasn’t sure whether another retelling of the Electra story would be viable. They agreed that the opera should assume that Lizzie committed the murders; this would allow the story to revolve around the question of why she did it, rather than if she did it. Such a narrative structure would help weave the multilayered tale of psychological entanglements and the small town socio-sexual dynamic in all its complexity specific to Victorian-era New England. After their first conversation, Beeson and Plant put the project aside for a few years. During that time, Beeson tested the idea on various people, getting a range of reactions, while Plant passionately researched the story. When the two reconnected again in 1957, Plant had a plot outline. He had decided where the story should depart from the facts
and by how much. One of the elements that needed to change was the ages of Lizzie and her sister “to conform to psychological necessity—in this case the precedent of Electra and Chrysothemis.” In Greek myth, Chrysothemis is Electra’s younger and meeker sister, who sympathizes with Electra’s desire to seek revenge against their mother, but she is not strong enough to do anything about it. Consequently, Lizzie’s real-life older sister Emma became her younger sister Margret in the opera, a passive and appeasing girl whose foremost objective was ensuring her own happiness. Plant and Beeson decided to avoid focusing on the trial, and instead refer to it with slide projections of newspaper articles, town gossip, and an announcement of Lizzie’s acquittal. Eliminating the trial focused the story on the psychological arc of the tragic heroine and her eventual undoing. They didn’t want to write an opera about a murder mystery, but rather about why a woman would kill, and what could potentially happen to her, psychologically and otherwise, after she had committed the crime. Slowly, the details of the opera emerged: the personalities of the characters, the imagery, and the subplots. In 1961, Plant fell ill and invited Kenward Elmslie to help with the libretto. He and Beeson had previously worked on The Sweet Bye and Bye, and they got right to work on Lizzie Borden, “racing neck and neck” by writing and rewriting throughout 1961. By the end of the summer of 1962, the libretto was completed, but it took Beeson another three years to finish the music.
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CHAMBER ENSEMBLE FROM THE
Boston lyric opera Orchestra FIRST VIOLINS Sandra Kott Concertmaster Heidi Braun-Hill SECOND VIOLINS Sue Rabut Acting Principal Jodi Hagen VIOLAS Kenneth Stalberg Principal Donna Jerome
CLARINET/BASS CLARINET Steven Jackson Acting Principal
Boston Lyric Opera extends its gratitude to the following individuals and organizations:
BASSOON Donald Bravo Principal
Acentech – Studio A Carl Rosenberg Benjamin Markham Advanced Lighting and Production Services Jim Deveer American Repertory Theatre Steve Setterlun Be Our Guest, Inc. Susan Bennett, M.D., Company Physician Consultant Associate Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Public Library Boston Symphony Orchestra Mark Volpe, Eunice and Julian Cohen Managing Director The Catered Affair Costume Works, Inc. Liz Perlman Denka Trucking Dick Butler The D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO Elderhostel, Inc./Road Scholar Eric Antoniou Photography Fall River Historical Society Goodwin PR Group Tara Goodwin Frier Margrette Cardone Mondillo JoJo Gutfarb Josh Sarnowitz Handel and Haydn Society Allyson Greer, Conductor of the Young Women’s Chorus Heather Tryon, Conductor of the Singers and Youth Chorus IATSE Local #11 JACET Stefani Koorey Doug McLennan Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Myles Standish Business Condominiums Scott Berry PALS Children’s Chorus Andy Icochea Icochea, Artistic Director Santander Bank United Staging & Rigging Eric Frishman Wheelock Family Theatre Winston Flowers
FRENCH HORN Sarah Sutherland Acting Principal TRUMPET Jesse Levine Acting Principal
CELLO Loewi Lin Principal
TROMBONE/Euphonium Robert Couture Principal
BASS Robert Lynam Principal
TIMPANI Jeffrey Fischer Principal
FLUTE/ PICCOLO Lisa Hennessy Acting Principal
Percussion Jeffrey Fischer Acting Principal Nancy Smith
OBOE/ENglish Horn Mary Cicconetti Acting Principal
Harp Ina Zdorovetchi Principal
Handel and Haydn Youth AND Women's Chorus Sarah Newhall Clary Binns Caroline Pingeton Julia Cavallo Bridgett Sanchez Madison Govaert Luna Zhang Lauren Kagan Miranda Mehta PALS Children'S chorus Maya Prabhakar Noah Sesling
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
with Christian Casiano Jean Furman Clark Rubinshtein Abigail Tenenbaum
Production staff Chelsea Antrim Production Stage Manager Justin Hamblen Assistant Stage Manager Taylor Ruge Assistant Stage Manager Lauren Wong Production Assistant Justin Colantuoni Production Carpenter Tori Sweetser Production Electrician Graham Edmondson Assistant Production Electrician Dianna Reardon Wardrobe Supervisor Patrick Glynn Production Properties / Properties Supervisor Bailey Costa Assistant Lighting Designer Daniel McGaha Surtitle Operator Kate Ellingson Music Librarian 12 | Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013
The orchestrator, Todd Bashore, wishes to acknowledge the collaboration of Charles Tolliver. These performances of Lizzie Borden, A Chamber Version in Seven Scenes, are performed by permission of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. The Artists and Stage Managers employed on this production are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists. All musicians are members of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. The scenic, costume and lighting designers are members of United Scenic Artists Local USA-829 of the IATSE. Stagehands are represented by Local #11 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Boston Lyric Opera is a member of OPERA America, the national service organization for opera in the U.S. and Canada.
Boston lyric opera Staff Esther Nelson General & Artistic Director David Angus Music Director John Conklin Artistic Advisor Artistic
Nicholas G. Russell Director of Artistic Operations Jennifer Feldman Artistic Coordinator Nancy McDonald Artistic Associate Development
Eileen Nugent Williston Director of Institutional Advancement Sarah B. Blume Director of Major Gifts Heather R. Coulter Institutional Advancement Manager Renee M. Dunn Director of Special Events & Corporate Sponsorships Catherine Emmons Director of Institutional Gifts Robin Schweikart Database Administrator Vanessa Wheeler Research and Database Coordinator Education and Community Programs
Megan Cooper Director of Community Engagement Elizabeth Mullins Manager of Education and Community Program Development Heather Gallagher Resident Teaching Artist
Finance and Administration
Steven Glanzman Director of Finance and Administration David J. Cullen Accounting Manager Reingard Heller Finance Manager Marketing and Communications
Ryan Jimenez Managing Director of Operations & Marketing Communications Islanda Khau Design Manager David Lucey Audience Services Coordinator Julie-Anne Whitney Marketing Communications Manager Goodwin PR Group Public Relations Production
Bradley Vernatter Director of Production Casey Smith Interim Director of Production Julia Noulin-Mérat Associate Producer Timothy O’Connell Technical Production Manager Dana C. Ciccotello Production Administrator Garry McLinn Manager, Director’s Office Dan Duro Planning Advisor Magda Romanska Dramaturg INTERNS
Naomi Brigell Melanie O’Neill
VOLUNTEER CORPS Lynn Bregman Clementine Brown Jane Cammack Stephen Chan Ashley Chang Caroline Cole Jose Alberto Colon Barbara Compton Jeannie Ackerman Curhan Ann D’Angelo Jaclyn Dentino Karla De Greef Mary DePoto Frances Driscoll Marian Ead
Susan Eastman Hugh Fitzgerald Audley Fuller Ralph Gioncardi Linda Granitto Jennifer Harris Eric Haskal Bruce Houston Molly Johnson Yasmina Kamal Eva Karger Milling Kinard Jo Anna Klein Esther Lable Melissa Lanouette
Nancy Lynn Deborah Martin Domenico Mastrototaro Terri Mazzulli Anne McGuire Amy Molloy Meg Morton Katherine Nash Kameel Nasr Gail Neff Kellie Pacheco Cosmo Papa Jane Papa Barbara Papesch Mamoud Sadre
Patricia Sadre Jutta Scott Alexandra Sherman Lee Sullivan Debbie Swenson Barbara Trachtenberg Jessica Tybursky Amy Walba Gerry Weisenberg Debbie Wiess Beverly Wiggins Alfred Williams Joe Williams Sybil Williams
Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 13
PERFORMANCE & VENUE INFORMATION Late Seating At the request of our patrons, Boston Lyric Opera observes the national opera standard of a no late seating policy. While we understand that traffic conditions, public transportation, weather and other factors can have unexpected effects on your arrival, we wish to minimize disruptions for our seated patrons and for our artists on stage. Latecomers will be asked to wait in the lobby until the earliest possible break in the performance. As a courtesy to the artists and for the comfort of those around you, please turn off all mobile phones, pagers, watch alarms, and any other device with audible signals prior to the start of the performance. The use of cameras or recording devices in the theatre is strictly prohibited.
ACCESSIBILITY The performance venue can accomodate both wheelchair and companion seating. Patrons unable to use the stairs should enter the venue on Columbus Avenue through the alley entrance between the Castle and DaVinci's restaurant. For special requests or assistance, please contact Boston Lyric Opera's Audience Services department.
TICKET INFORMATION For information on Boston Lyric Opera productions, subscriptions and tickets, visit blo.org or call BLO audience services at 617.542.6772.
Venue Information The Castle at Park Plaza 130 Columbus Avenue, Boston Generous support for Boston Lyric Opera's production of Lizzie Borden is provided by:
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WHERE THE ART SCENE GETS SEEN. The ARTery at wbur.org
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Winter 2014 Education and Community Events Calendar This exciting series of winter community events offers artistic presentations, production insights, and interactive educational programs for youth and adults that explore BLO’s 2013/14 season production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. An Interview with Morris Robinson: Opera at the Boston Public Library Boston Public Library, Central Branch Copley Square | Rabb Lecture Hall Saturday, February 22, 2014 | 11:30 a.m. Free, and open to the public Opera star, Morris Robinson, is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most interesting and soughtafter basses performing today. Emmy Award-winning Arts & Entertainment Critic, Joyce Kulhawik (JoycesChoices.com), conducts this interview with Mr. Robinson. Victor Hugo: From Rigoletto to Les Misérables Signature Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Sunday, March 2, 2014 | Performance 2:00 p.m. | Reception* 3:00 p.m. Tickets: $18 – BLO subscribers, MFA members, seniors and students; $22 – Non-members *Add $50 per person for reception with BLO presenters and performers
BLO gratefully acknowledges funders who make our Education and Community Programs possible: Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation Amphion Foundation
Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a superbly creative poet, novelist, playwright, critic, even an opera librettist. He influenced a wide range of musical creations from Verdi (Ernani and Rigoletto), Donizetti (Lucrezia Borgia), to Poncheilli (La Gioconda) as well as works by Berlioz, Liszt, Bizet, Fauré, and the culture factory that is Les Misérables. We will see and hear many examples that explore this prodigious artist's work and its influence. Featuring performances by Georgia Lyman, David Kravitz and other BLO Artists. Behind the Curtain Boston Center for Adult Education Friday, March 21, 2014 | Course at BCAE 6:00 p.m. | Performance at Shubert Theatre 7:30 p.m. Register with Boston Center for Adult Education Join BLO Director of Artistic Operations Nicholas Russell for a pre-performance presentation on understanding what it takes to produce this beautiful art form, before attending a performance of Rigoletto. Opera 101 is a part of the BCAE’s Behind the Curtain series, where students receive exclusive opportunities with Boston’s performing arts organizations and the chance to attend world class performances. Youth Education Programs Finding Your Voice: the Complete Singing Actor Presented in partnership with Wheelock Family Theatre Two-day Workshops for ages 11 – 15 years | 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily Musical Characters: Developing Your Voice & Physicality | March 1 – 2, 2014 Pitch Perfect: Bringing Your Individual Voice to Auditions & Roles | May 17 – 18, 2014 Co-taught by Heather Gallagher (Boston Lyric Opera) and Grace Napier (Wheelock Family Theatre). Piano Accompaniment by Christina Chao. All workshops culminate in a demonstration for family and friends.
Photo Credit: Ben Gebo Photography. From top to bottom: Music! Words! Opera! Festival of Classroom Operas, Teen workshops in partnership with Wheelock Family Theatre, Exploring The Magic Flute set model
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All workshops are held at Wheelock Family Theatre. Call 617.879.2252, or visit wheelockfamilytheatre.org or blo.org for more information. Visit blo.org/learn for more information about Boston Lyric Opera’s Education and Community Programs.
the A SEASON OPENIN G CELEBRATION F r iday, Oc tober 4 , 2013
On Friday, October 4, 2013 over 300 guests attended the inaugural Opera Gala at the Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Wang Theatre. The red-carpet, black-tie event raised over $655,000 in support of BLO’s Emerging Artists, productions on stage, and programs in the community. Following dinner at the Wang Center, guests crossed Tremont Street to the Shubert Theatre to see BLO’s world premiere, new English adaption of The Magic Flute and following the production, returned to the Wang Center to celebrate and dance the night away. Thank you to event chairs Ann Beha, Lynn Dale, Jessica Donohue and all of the generous sponsors, attendees and supporters of this event who made it a truly magical evening. Photos (top) Wang Theatre., (left, top to bottom): BLO Overseer Kyla de Asla, BLO Director and Board Chair Steve Akin, BLO Director Jane Akin; Pamela S. Kunkemueller and President of Boston Conservatory Richard Ortner; Gala Co-Chairs and BLO Overseers Lynn Dale, Ann Beha & Jessica Donohue; BLO General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson & So Young Park who sang Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute; BLO Director Ray Stata and his wife Maria Stata. Photos by Eric Antoniou and Roger Farrington. Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 17
Thank You to our 2013/14 Donors We are honored to recognize our donors who generously support the mission of Boston Lyric Opera to build curiosity, enthusiasm, and support for opera by creating musically and theatrically compelling productions, events, and educational resources for our community and beyond. We are deeply grateful for the following contributions made to Boston Lyric Opera between October 2012–2013.
CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Boston Lyric Opera gratefully acknowledges the following organizations for their generous support of BLO’s productions and programs. This list includes contributions and pledges made through October 18, 2013. Crescendo Members ($100,000 and above)
Anonymous Barr Foundation and Klarman Family Foundation Capacity Building Initiative The Calderwood Charitable Foundation The D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO Seyfarth Shaw LLP Fioritura Members ($66,667 to $99,999)
Mattina R. Proctor Foundation
Vivace Members ($33,333 to $66,666)
Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Massachusetts Cultural Council
Presto Members ($25,000 to $33,332)
Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation National Endowment for the Arts
Con Brio Members ($15,000 to $24,999)
Harold Alfond Foundation Medical Information Technology Inc.
Allegro Members ($10,000 to $14,999) The Susan A. Babson Opera Fund for Emerging Artists, part of The Paul and Edith Babson Foundation BNY Mellon Boston Private Bank & Trust Esther B. Kahn Charitable Foundation
Adagio Members ($5,000 to $9,999)
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Neiman Marcus Boston Santander Bank
Grazioso Members ($3,000 to $4,999) Amphion Foundation Corning Corporation Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. Bravissimo Members (2,000 to $2,999)
Anchor Capital Advisors Cabot Corporation OPERA America
Institutional partners Boston Lyric Opera’s programs are funded, in part, by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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Individual donors Crescendo ($100,000 and above) Anonymous Jane and Steven Akin*† Dorothy and David Arnold*†§ Barr Foundation† Linda Cabot Black*†§ Willa and Taylor Bodman* Calderwood Charitable Foundation Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski* Mr. and Mrs. Miguel de Bragança* Jody and Tom Gill*† Horace H. Irvine II*§ Pamela S. Kunkemueller†§ Paul and Sandra Montrone† David and Marie Louise Scudder*†§ Seyfarth Shaw LLP Wendy Shattuck and Samuel Plimpton* Fioritura ($66,666 to $99,999) Wayne Davis and Ann Merrifield* Mr. and Mrs. Alan R. and Lisa Dynner* Mattina R. Proctor Foundation E. Lee and Slocumb Hollis Perry* Susan R. and L. Dennis Shapiro* Vivace ($33,333 to $66,665) Anonymous Citi Performing Arts Center℠ Gerard and Sherryl Cohen† Mr. John Conklin Ted Cutler Faith and Joseph W. Tiberio Foundation† Cerise Lim Jacobs, for Charles Susan W. Jacobs*† Butler and Lois Lampson* Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey E. Marshall*† Massachusetts Cultural Council Mr. and Mrs. Neil Pappalardo* William and Helen Pounds* Alicia Cooney Quigley and Stephen Quigley*§ Mr. David Shukis* Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stata*† Lady Juliet and Dr. Christopher Tadgell* Presto ($25,000 to $33,332) Timothy and Rebecca Blodgett Nonnie and Rick Burnes* Katie and Paul Buttenwieser Fay Chandler Robert and Susan Eastman* Karen Johansen and Gardner Hendrie Mr. and Mrs. Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. The Klarman Family Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Shirley and Kenneth Perry*‡§ Mr. and Mrs. Michael Puzo* Mr. and Mrs. Wat H. Tyler* Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation Ms. Tania Zouikin* Con Brio Members ($15,000 to $24,999) Anonymous Bank of America Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Blumenthal Boston Private Bank & Trust Company Maria Krokidas and Bruce Bullen*† Harold Alfond Foundation Tom and Anneliese Henderson*† Sandra A. Urie and Frank F. Herron*† Medical Information Technology Inc. Anne M. Morgan Ms. Ann Beha and Mr. Robert A. Radloff* Rona and Arthur Rosenbaum Allegro Members ($10,000 to $14,999) Anonymous Sam and Nancy Altschuler Jim and Chris Barker Baupost Group L.L.C. BNY Mellon Mr. and Mrs. John Cabot
The Catered Affair Christine Clifford and Dean Williams Dr. Charles C. Dickinson III and JoAnne Walton Dickinson* Esther B. Kahn Charitable Foundation Mr. Kenneth L. Freed* Temple V. Gill and Christopher R. Yens Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Grein, Jr.*§ Mimi and Roger Hewlett*§ Jane’s Trust In memory of Stevie Giacalone Ellen and Robert S. Kaplan*†§ Ms. Amelia Katzen*† Stephen and Lois Kunian*† Karen Levy Ms. Abigail Mason* Dr. Maura McGrane Neiman Marcus Mr. and Mrs. Richard Olney III Janet and Irv Plotkin*† John and Susanne Potts*† Dr. Douglas Reeves and Amy Feind Reeves Mr. Michael Shanahan Susan A. Babson Opera Fund for Emerging Artists part of the Paul and Edith Babson Foundation Adagio Members ($5,000 to $9,999) Anonymous (2) The Acorn Foundation In Honor of Jane and Steven Akin Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Richard J. de Asla* Be Our Guest, Inc. Ms. Joan Bok Mr. and Mrs. John Bradley Dr. and Mrs. Eric and Elaine Bucher† Ms. Ellen Cabot* Judge and Mrs. Levin H. Campbell Mr. David Cole-Rous and Ms. Norma Greenberg*§ Ms. Elizabeth Coleman Mr. and Mrs. Linzee Coolidge John H. Deknatel and Carol M. Taylor Dr. Nicholas J. DiMauro Mr. and Mrs. Timothy and Jessica Donohue* William C. and Joyce K. Fletcher Dr. Kurt D. Gress and Mr. Samuel Y. Parkinson* Nick and Marjorie Greville Lila Gross* Robert and Bethe Hagopian Mr. and Mrs. Don and Pat Hillman Mr. William Hunter Ms. Louise Johnson* Holly and Bruce Johnstone In Honor on of Jane and Steven Akin Mr. and Mrs. William T. Kennedy*† Christine and David Letts Joe and Pam LoDato*†§ Andrew Sherman and Russ Lopez * Ms. M. Lynne Markus*† Ms. Faith Moore Gregory E. Moore and Wynne W. Szeto Judith K. Marquis and Keith F. Nelson Esther Nelson and Bernd Ulken Shari and Christopher Noe*† Mr. and Mrs. John O’Brien Mr. Winfield Perry In Memory of Shirley Perry Dr. and Mrs. John William Poduska, Sr. Robert and Elizabeth Pozen Mr. and Mrs. John Remondi Dr. Jordan S. Ruboy§‡ Santander Bank State Street Corporation Larry and Beverly St. Clair*† Peter J. Wender*§ Drs. Bertram and Laima Zarins* Grazioso ($3,000 to $4,999) Anonymous Widgie and Peter Aldrich Mr. Frederic Alper and Donna Mager
The Orfeo Society—named for the father of song—and Friends of BLO comprise BLO’s core community of supporters. Founded on a mutual love for opera, members share a passion for masterful works of art and receive exclusive access to a range of benefits that enrich the operatic experience. BLO gratefully acknowledges the generous donors who support artistic productions as well as youth, education and community initiatives. This list includes gifts and pledges made to the Annual Fund, restricted funds and event sponsorships through October 18, 2013. For more information or to become a member of the Orfeo Society or Friends of BLO, please call Sarah Blume at 617.542.4912 x228.
Amphion Foundation Charles and Christina Bascom Mr. Martin S. Berman In Honor of Lila Gross Bob and Karen Bettacchi Mr. Gregory E. Bulger Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Cabot Mr. Fred Daum Jonathan and Margot Davis Christian Courtney Draz David Friend and Margaret Shepherd Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. Ms. Winifred F. Ewing Mr. and Mrs. Ron Feinstein Ron and Kathy Groves Graham and Ann Gund Mr. Joseph Hammer Mr. and Mrs. Morton Hoffman Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hood Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Anita Loscalzo Mary and Sherif Nada* D. Cosmo and Jane P. Papa* William and Lia Poorvu Mike and Rusty Rolland Allison Kay Ryder Lise and Myles Striar Tee Taggart and Jack Turner Mrs. Donald Taylor Mr. Richard Trant Jeannie Ackerman Curhan and Joseph C. Williams Dr. Robert Walsh and Lydia Kenton Walsh Winston Flowers Bravissimo ($2,000 to $2,999) Anonymous (2) Anchor Capital Advisors John and Rosemary Ashby George and Hillery Ballantyne Ronald and Ellen Brown Cabot Corporation Harold Carroll David J. Chavolla Nancy and Laury Coolidge Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Lisa Fulham James Geraghty and Joan Wood Julie and Bayard Henry Arthur and Eloise Hodges Mr. and Mrs. Lou and Sue Jannetty Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 19
Individual donors Mr. Ryan A. Jimenez Dr. Maydee G. Lande In Memory of her Father Pam Lassiter Mr. and Mrs. David S. McCue Mark and Caroline Murphy Ms. Karen O'Neill OPERA America The Honorable and Mrs. Lawrence Perera Stephen and Geraldine Ricci Dr. and Mrs. Edward Roberts Mr. Max Russell Nicholas G. Russell Lisa Geissenhainer Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Maximilian Steinmann Edward H. Tate II Encore ($1,000 to $1,999) Anonymous (3) Richard and Donna Anderson Sarah E. Ashby Mr. and Mrs. David Bakalar Michael Barza and Judith Robinson Edward and Peggy Bell Dr. Susan Bennett and Dr. Gerald Pier Bruce Bauman and Denise Selden Bauman Alan Blume and Margaret Scranton-Blume Dorothy and Hale Bradt Mr. and Mrs. Alan Bressler Mrs. Edmund Cabot Ms. Kathleen McGirr and Mr. Keith Carlson Chris and Lynne Chiodo Marjorie B. and Martin Cohn Wendy Driscoll and Thomas Driscoll Mr. Frazor Edmondson Andrew L. Eisenberg* Endurance Peter Erichson and David Palumb Sean and Candace Fitzpatrick In Honor of Sharon Fitzpatrick Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Franko Mr. and Mrs. M. Dozier Gardner Lena and Ronald Goldberg Drs. John and Olga Guttag Deborah A. Hawkins Ms. Nancy Herndon Stephen Honig and Laura Unflat Eva R. Karger§ Kevin and Kimberly Kavanaugh Stephen Kidder and Judith Malone Mr. and Mrs. John Kucharski Edward Leary Richard and Mary Jane Lewontin Mr. Holt Massey and Ms. Sandra Ourusoff Bruce Edson McLean Dr. Lyle and Anne Micheli Newell and Betty Hale Fund of Greater Worcester Melissa and David Norton Paul and Elaine O’Connell Jack Osgood Mr. Richard Page Mr. Anthony Pangaro Barbara Goodwin Papesch In Honor of Sarah Blume Ann B. Goodman and Arthur B. Pardee Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Perkins, Jr. Finley and Patricia Perry Ms. Ute Prevost Melinda and James Rabb Mr. Malcolm Rogers* Donald and Abby Rosenfeld Mr. Jonathan F. Saxton Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Shafir Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Scheer John and Ruth Schey Mr. Robert and Ms. Natalie Schlundt Dr. and Mrs. R. Michael Scott Mr. John Spooner Mr. Peter Stanton Mrs. William Sweet
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Ms. Nellie Taft‡ Michael and Susan Thonis Ms. Melissa Tully Ensemble ($500 to $999) Anonymous (3) Ms. Carol Ackerman Mr. Mark Alcaide William and Lindy Appleton Mr. Cary Armistead Sara Arshad Jane Atkins and Tarleton Watkins Mr. and Mrs. Hugh and Kimberly Bennett Leonard and Jane Bernstein Mr. David Berry Mr. Steven Biondolillo Mr. Russell Berg Nina and Donald Berk Eric Birch and Sandra Moose Eric and Veronika Breer John and Irene Briedis Pam and Lee Bromberg Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Brunnock Dr. and Mrs. Sheldon Buckler Mr. Thomas Burger Jack Burke and Barbara Stern Ann and Bob Buxbaum Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Cabot Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Cabot Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Chigier Mr. and Mrs. John Coburn Mr. John Conley Corning Incorporated Foundation Mr. Eugene Cox Ms. Sally Currier Joseph and Wendy Czarnecki Gene and Lloyd Dahmen Mr. James DeVeer Willis and Zach Durant-Emmons Eaton Vance Susan Fagerstrom and Doug Johnston Howard and Dorothy Fairweather Mr. John Fallon Ms. Sally Fay Michael S. Flier and David E. Trueblood Mr. and Mrs. Markus and Natasha Frank Ms. Anna Gabrieli Mr. Edward N. Gadsby Mr. and Mrs. Angel Garcia Sonchu Gavell Ms. Martha Gentry Joan and Francis Gicca Dr. Deborah Gobetz Dr. Alfred Goldberg and Dr. Joan Goldberg Dr. David Golan and Dr. Laura Green Luba Greenwood Mr. and Mrs. James J. Harper Bette Ann Harris Mr. Scott D. Harris Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Cile Hicks Mr. Henry B. Hoover, Jr. Mr. Emil Horowitz Fred and Caroline Hoppin Dr. Douglas Horst and Maureen Phillips Mr. Ted and the Rev. Cannon Cynthia P. Hubbard Doris and Howard Hunter Mr. Howell Jackson and Ms. Elizabeth Foote Mr. George Jurkowich Mr. and Mrs. Karim Milling Kinard Yuriko Kuwabara and Sunny Dzik William B. Lawrence III† Mr. and Mrs. Eric Lerner Drs. Lynne and Sidney Levitsky Michael and Dora Lewin Dr. Janina Longtine In Honor of Ann Beha JR Lowry Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Karin Lieberman Mr. and Mrs. Ham and Michelle Lord
In Honor of Willa C. Bodman Mr. Anthony S. Lucas Peter and Betsy Madsen Rumena Manolova and Alexander Senchak Mr. Ron Marcelo Mary and Michael McConnell Mr. and Mrs. Don McLagan Peter McGrath Ms. Karen McShane Ms. Margaret Meo Houlahan Mr. Domenico Mastrototaro§ Mr. and Mrs. R.T. Paine Metcalf Dr. Harold Michlewitz & Ms. Dina Celeste Marshall Amy Merrill Dr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Moore Ms. Olesia Morrill Dr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Murray In Memory of Shirley Perry Ms. Marilyn Myers Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Robert and Carolyn Osteen Mr. William Overholt Thomas Peters and Susan Sargent Eric and Jane Philippi Dr. Joseph Plaud Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Lois Pond James and Jeannette Post Bruno Psujek and Karen Druffel Mrs. Adrienne Rabkin Clay and Emily Rives Mr. Heaton Robertson Adrianne and Hartley Rogers Mr. and Mrs. Vincent and Robin Rougeau Mark and Lori Roux McKinney Russell Dr. and Mrs. Stefan Schatzki Lisa Schmid and Joel Alvord Mr. Chris Schoettle Arthur and Linda Schwartz Drs. John and Elizabeth Serrage Mr. Allan Singer Mr. and Mrs. William and Gloria Snyder Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Spiro In Honor of Wendy Shattuck Ms. Sandra Steele and Mr. Paul Greenfield Mr. Andrew Szentgyorgyi Marcos and Faith Szydlo Ms. Deb Taylor Blair* UBS Financial Services Kathleen W. Weld Ms. Ruth Wells Ms. Sara G. Withington Ms. Mary Wolfson Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Zilberfarb Aria ($250 to $499) Anonymous (6) Shoma Aditya and Constantin von Wentzel Susan Alexander and Jim Gammill In Honor of Susan Howe Mr. Peter Ambler and Ms. Lindsay Miller Donald A. Antonioli Mr. Bernard Aserkoff Joseph and Janet Aucoin Doris Toby Axelrod and Larry Marks Marc and Carol Bard John Bavicchi and Beverly Lewis John and Molly Beard Dr. and Mrs. Martin Becker Elaine Beilin and Robert Brown Mr. John Belchers Mrs. Lisa Bell Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Benjamin Mr. Clark Bernard Dr. and Mrs. Stuart R. Bless Ms. Christa Bleyleben Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon Bolton Dr. Roger Boshes Ms. Christine Bradt Ms. Kristin Bray and Mr. Ross Dickson
Individual donors Ms. Sally T. Brewster Ms. Sarah Carleton Ms. Eleanor Carr Chris Carrigan Elizabeth Carvelli Mr. John Campbell Ms. Mary Chamberlain Alice Chen Mr. Stanley Cheren Ms. Ann Chiacchieri Ms. Ingrid Christiansen Ms. Mei Po Cheung Michael and Victoria Chu Citizens Bank Rachel and Thomas Claflin Mr. Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Rev. Richard Clifford Mrs. Gale Cogan Patricia Comeau and John Adams Janet Comey Dr. and Mrs. John Constable In Memory of Shirley Perry James F. Crowley, Jr. Rita and George Cuker Mr. Paul Curtis Ms. Frederica M. Cushman Ms. Diane Davis Mr. Terry O. Decima Dr. Amos Deinard Ms. Margaret DePopolo Mr. Mark Donohoe Ms. Jennifer Eckert Mr. and Mrs. John Egan Bill and Susan Elsbree Mr. Martin Elvis Mrs. Terry England Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Epstein Mrs. Susan Epstein Louis Esposito Jack Fabiano and Noel McCoy Dr. Lisa Fitzgerald In Honor of Lila Gross Katherine and Richard Floyd Robert and Kathleen Garner Peter and Debbie Gates Mr. David C. Gaynor Ms. Eileen P. Gebrian Margaret and Bruce Gelin David and Christina Glen Ms. Elizabeth Goodfellow Ms. Ruth Golden Dr. Philip L. Goldsmith and Melissa Boshco Google, Inc. Eric Green Mrs. Eleanor Groel Mr. Stephen Grubaugh and Ms. Carol McGeehan Mr. Terrence Guiney Ms. Joan P. Gulovsen Mr. David Hacin Mr. Kurt Hakansson Lee and Henry Harrison Anne and Neil Harper Mr. Harvey Hayashi Ms. Jasjit Heckathorn Ruth Helfeld and Evan Rizvi Roberta and Doug Herman Mr. and Mrs. Thomas High Mr. Roger Hinman Pauline Ho Bynum Robert and Phyllis Hoffman Mr. Richard Hooper Cyrus Hopkins and Betty Blume Ms. Maisie Houghton Amy Hunter and Steven Maguire*§ Mr. Konstantin Tyurin and Ms. Kirstin Ilse Mr. Benjamin Jackson Dr. Steven E. Janko Rufus Jarman Paul and Alice Johnson W. Richard Johnson Elizabeth Karpati
Elizabeth Kastner Mr. Steven Katz Karen Van Kennen Mr. Kenneth Kenyon Robert Kiely Mr. Richard Kimball Dr. Lester Kobzik Gisela and Helmut Koester Ms. Mary Jane Kornacki and Mr. Jacob B. Silversin George Kostich Ms. Mary Lapointe Ms. Alison Lasiewski Mr. Randolph Lewis Laurence and Maryel Locke Paul Lopes Mr. Jack Lull Lorraine Lyman Mr. Robert Lyons Mr. and Mrs. Stuart E. Madnick Soren and Carlyn Marcus Ekstrom Peyton and Nancy Marshall Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas Mastroianni Mr. Arthur Mattuck Mr. James M. McCloy Robert and Nancy McKersie Ms. Kathleen Meany Mr. Shlomo H. Meislin Harnas Grier Merwin Ms. Karen Metcalf Mr. and Mrs. Kilmer McCully Anna McDormand Bill Nigreen and Kathleen McDermott§ Ms. Carol McKeen and Mr. John Dunton Ms. Dolores Mitchell Dr. Zeyad Morcos Joseph Morrow and Carol Almeda Morrow Ms. Barbara Murray Mr. Kameel Nasr Christian and Darian Neckermann Nuchine Nobari Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Nunes Ms. Suzanne Ogden and Peter Rogers Mr. Richard Ortner Mr. Justin O’Connell and Ms. Danielle Sheer Mr. and Mrs. John O’Donnell Mr. and Mrs. David Parker Olivia and John Parker Mr. William Peiffer Ms. Anne Peretz Mr. and Mrs. Roy and Jean Perkinson Dr. Flora Pirquet and Mr. Gary Beckmann Florence Poy Ms Elizabeth P. Powell Gerald Powers David and Joan Preston Mr. and Mrs. William Quigley Mr. and Mrs. E. Ricardo Quinones Mr. Eben Rauhut Mr. Jack Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. James Righter Mr. Thomas Roney Donald and Nancy Rosenfield Mr. Simon Rosenthal Mr. Michael Rubenstein and Ms. Elizabeth Skavish Ms. Renee Sack Ms. Sarah Salter David and Jocelyn Sand David and Kathy Scadden Stephen and Peg Senturia Varda and Dr. Israel Shaked Robert Sillars Ms. Elizabeth Sluder Ms. Marisa Spilios Diane and Lorry Spitzer Mr. Richard W. Smith Stephen Steiner In Memory of Shirley Perry Mr. Christopher B. Steward Ms. Joan Suit Judith Sydney and Aviva Sapers Mr. Francis Sylvia
Dr. and Mrs. Carter Tallman Ramona Tanabe Mr. David Telle Mr. Wheeler Thackston Beth Thomson Ms. Diane Tillotson Mr. Nicholas Tranquillo Eric and Benedicte Ulken Arthur and Susan Vogt Mr. Anton Vrame Dr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Walther Mr. Matthew Watson Linda and Harvey Weiner Ashley Wisneski and Will Heward Mr. Stephen Wohler Ms. Mildred Worthington Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Wulff Mr. Evan Xenakis Ms. Jennifer Yanco Joan and Michael Yogg Albert and Judith Zabin Norma and Gunars Zagars Cheryl and Mark Zarrillo
Envision Opera Challenge Blue Board Member * Lyric Circle Member † Goldovsky Society Member § Deceased ‡
Special thanks to the anonymous family foundation whose $1 million gift to BLO launched the EnVision Opera Challenge. Now in the final year of the 4 year $4 million Challenge, BLO recognizes donors (in blue) who support Opera Annex, new productions and new works. BLO encourages all donors to consider a qualifying gift to the Challenge this year. To learn more, visit: blo.org/support/envision-operachallenge or call Sarah Blume at 617.542.4912 x228.
Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013 | 21
We are honored to sponsor
Boston Lyric Opera’s 2013-2014 Season
The Castle at Park Plaza
130 Columbus Avenue • Boston, Massachusetts
The D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO Est. 1898 www.dlsaunders.com 22 | Boston lyric opera lizzie borden 2013