PROGRAM: Bravo 1999 Spring Opera and Dance

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

"We believe that when a business gets involved in th e econo mic de ve lopment of our ci ty, it ben efi ts every body That 's why Northwest 's commitment to Detroit means so much to all of us. JJ

The 51 ,000 p eopl e of Northwest Airlines are proud to join Hein z Prec ht e r in inviting th e world to Detroit. And w e' r e proud to ta k e Detroit to the world with 9 daily nonstops to

Euro p e and Asia , includin g n o nsto p selvice to Amsterdam three tim es a d ay , with connec tions to 100 c ities in Europ e , th e Middle East, Africa and India Together , we ca n mak e Detroit an eve n b e tter place for a ll o f us to liv e and work.

Visit our web site a t www.nwa.com . ca ll yo ur travel agent or ca ll No rthwest at 1-800-225-2525. You ca n a lso visit your City Ticke t Office for all your ti c ke tin g n ee ds.

"Detroit has so much to offer, from the people to the industries. I feel like it's part of our responsibility to show the world that the possibilities are endless here."

Heinz Prechter, Detroit Businessperson & Community Leader

Few things are as soothing as a Robertson Brothers hOYne.

Not to blow our own horn, but there's almost nothing as soothing as coming home to a Robertson Brothers home For over 50 years, we 've built homes-and total communities-of exceptional quality and value in many of Southeastern Michigan's most prestigious areas

Robertson Brothers homes feature only the finest

materials and our communities offer all the bells and whistles you 'd expect-like golf courses, walking trails, wetlands and open spaces. If you're looking for a well-built, well-appointed home that's in harmony with the environment, we invite you to visit any of our communities today and see why we're regarded as the area's premier builder.

Oro\lo

Detroit Opera House Program Guide

MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE

LAURA R WYSS Editor

MITCHELL CART E R Contributing Editor

KATTS COMMUNICATIONS

KIMBERLEY A DYKE D esi gn Director

TINA JONES De sign Director

CYNTHIA S E COF CLiSDAL Art Director

TOM JONES Publishin g Consultant

TOBY FABER Director Ad ve rtising Sales

LIVE PUBLISHING Print & Production Direction

COVER PHOTO

Mark J. Mancinelli , MJM Photo graphy

Mi chi ga n Opera Theatre would like to th ank th e Detroit Institute of Arts for th e use of artwork for promotion al materi als.

Mi chi ga n Opera Theatre would like to th ank Harm ony House Record s for th e donati on of seas on recordin gs and vid eos.

Mi chi ga n Opera The atre's 1998/99 subscription and single ti ckets ha ve bee n grac iously spon sored by Grand Aire

Phy sicians' se rvice provided by Henry Ford Medi ca l Center for th e Perfo rming Arts.

Pepsi-Cola is th e official soft drink and jui ce provid er for the Detroit Op era Hou se.

Steinway is th e official piano of th e Detroit Op era Hou se and Michi gan Op era Th ea tre. Steinway pi anos are provided by Hamm ell Mu sic, ex clu sive represe nta tive for Steinway and Sons

Starbucks Coffee is the offi cial coffee of th e Detroit Opera House.

President Tuxedo is the offi cial provid er of form al wea r for the Detroit Opera House.

Mi chi ga n Op era Theatre is a non-profit cultural orga ni za tion whose acti viti es are supported in part by the Michi ga n Coun cil for Arts and Cultural Affairs , th e Nati onal Endowment for th e Arts, and oth er individuals, corporation s and found ation s Mi chigan Opera Th ea tr e is an equ al opportunity emplo ye r

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

15 Madame Butterfly by G iacomo Puccini

23 Paul Taylor Dance Company Mixed Repetoire

33 Eugene Onegin by Peter Tchaikovsky.

39 Samson and Delilah b y Cam ille Saint-Saens

On April 21 , we celebrat e the third anniversary of the opening of the Detroit Opera House. Since the celebrated ribboncutting, we have presented more than seven hundred performances of world-class opera , dance, musical theater and concerts, a myriad of special events and two seasons of our highl y successful Learnin g at the Opera House summer enrichment program

Nearly ten ' years ago , you and countless Michi gan arts supporters had the courage and insight to believe a dilapidated buildin g in the heart of Detroit could, and would , become the cornerstone of the e xtraordinary cultural and civic renaissance of our great city. Now, I am so pleased to share with you news that the same building ranks amon g the top five most successful in the nation (Amusement Business, 1998)

As e x citing as this news is , we have a great challen ge before us! As Jun g said , all great ventures are " a process of becomin g " We have fulfilled the promise to present our community with the finest in the classical performin g arts and entertainment. Now, the Detroit Opera House, home to Michigan Opera Theatr e , must reali ze its destiny to become the cultural resource for the state of Michigan. It is with this goal that we have launch ed The Bold New Century Fund Campaign for the Detroit Opera House.

Sin1pl y put , this is a fund -raising campaign created to support and foster Michigan 's artistic and cultural identity. I encourage you to join us as we launch this ambitious endeavor to finish transforming the'Detroit Opera House into an indispensable member of Michi gan 's artistic community

The New Century Fund enables us to complete the Detroit Opera House! With renovation of the two towers fl anking the Op era House-the Madison and

Broadway buildings-the Detroit Opera House will come alive with cultural education, artistic work and study space Work is progressing on the Madison Tower while the Broadway Tower holds the promise of a restored historic facade and the renovation of the complex 's final remaining building space

While the Metropolitan Opera and companies throughout the nation operat e opera houses and similar educational resource centers , we know of no institution that both owns and houses them together. We stand to benefit greatly from this synergy and efficiency.

This renovation equips the Opera House for the next century-electronic media and high technology will beam cultural education into schools, elementary to graduate, across the state and beyond. It also invites the artistic community and public to utilize the house daily in addition to enjoying world-class performances.

This campaign completes the Opera House , renovates its two flanking towers, eliminates construction debt so that the opera company may focus its funds artistically and educationally, and creates an endowment for future growth

Above all , the New Century Fund Campaign offers the promise of these activities for generations to come.

Of course , we are thrilled that we can launch this exciting new campaign with the highly anticipated Three Tenors Concert, made possible by Ford Motor Company

For more information on The Three Tenors Concert please see page 48 , and for The New Century Fund for the Detroit Opera House please see page 10 in this program, or phone 313 / 237-3433. Thank you for your support.

Enjoy the performance!

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Cecilia Bartoli prizes two instruments above all others. Her voice and her Rolex.

Cecilia Bartoli ' s voice has taken her to the heights of the opera world.

Opening the season at Carnegie Hall was a superb achievement for one so young. "It was very exciting," she says. But, to Cecilia, every performance is exciting "I get a little nervous at first, but I listen to the music and I start to become Ii part of it. It's a wonderful feeling," she says.

Cecilia Bartoli derives pleasure from perfection. Because she knows that when every detail is flawless the performance will be absolutely perfect Which is why her Rolex Oyster Perpetual gives her so much pleasure.

Lady Datejust

Mr. Robert E. Dew ar Dr Da vid DiChi era

Mr Cameron B. Dun ca n

Mr. C. Thomas Toppin

of directors

Mr. Tarik S. Daoud

Juli a Do novan Darlow

Mr. Harry A. Lomason

Mr. Alphonse Lucarelli

Chairman Pr es id e nt Treas ure r Secretary

Mrs Rob ert All esee

Mr s. David Aronow

Mr s. Donald C. Austin

Mrs Bella Ma rsh a ll Ba rden

Mr. J. Addison Ba rtush

Mr. Ri c ha rd A. Brodie

Mrs Willi a m C. Brooks

Mr. Ma uri ce Co he n

Mrs Pe te r Cooper

t rUS tee s

Mr. Robert E. Dewa r C ha irman

Dr. & Mr s Roge r M Ajluni

Mr & Mrs Rog e r Ajluni, Jr.

Mr. & Mr s . Rob e rt A. Allesee

Dr. Lourd es V. Andaya

Mr. & Mr s. Thom as Angott

Mr. & Mr s. Ro be rt L. Anthony

Dr & Mrs Agustin Arbulu

Mr & Mr s. Da vid Aronow

Dr. Haro ld M. Arrington

Dr & Mr s. In g id a Asfaw

Mrs DOr;}a ld Atwood

Dr. & Mr s. Do na ld Austin

Han & Mr s Edward Avadenka

Mr. & Mrs Don Barden

Mrs . Ja mes Me rri a m Ba rne s

Mr & Mr s. Lee Ba rth e l

Mr. & Mr s. J Addison Bartush

Mr. & Mr s. Mar k Alan Baun

Mr. & Mrs W Vi c tor Benjamin

Mr. & Mr s. Ray mond Biggs

Mr. & Mr s . John Boll

Mr. & Mrs Ri c hard A. Brodie

Mr. & Mr s. Willi a m C. Brooks

Mrs Clarence G Ca tallo

Mr. & Mr s . Frede ri c k Clark

Ms Virginia Clementi

Mr. & Mr s. Ma uri ce Cohen

Han & Mr s. Avern L. Cohn

Mr. Thom as Co hn

Mr & Mr s Mi c hae l J Connolly

Shelly & Pe te r Cooper

Mr. & Mrs. Tarik S. Daoud

Mr. Law re nce N. David

Mr. David De nn

Mr s. C ha rl es M. Endicott

Mr. He rm a n Fr a nk e l

Mrs Law re nce Garberding

Mr Ke nn et h E Hart

Mr. Eu ge ne Hartwig

Mr. Ri c ha rd Jan es

Mr. Gary Jo hnson

Mr s. C ha rl es Kessler

Mrs. Rob e rt Klein

Mr. Ge ra ld A. Knechtel

Ri c ha rd W. Kulis D D S.

Mr. David Baker Lewis

Mr. A. C. Li eb ler

Mr s. Jacques Nass e r

Mr Jules L. Pallone

Mr Charles A Parc e lls , Jr

Mrs . Irvin g Rose

Mr William Sandy

Mr. Alan E. Schwartz

Mrs Ro ge r F. Sherman

Mr Fr a nk Stella

Mr s. George Strumbos

Mr Robert C. VanderKloot

Mr. George Vincent

Mr. Gary L Wasserman

Mr. Richard C. Webb

Mr. George M. Zeltzer

Mr. Morton Zieve

Juli a Donovan Darlow & Jo hn Co rbett O ' Mear a

Mr. & Mrs Law rence N David

Mr & Mr s John W Day

Mr & Mr s. Dav id Denn

Mr. & Mr s. Rob e rt N. De rd er ian

Mr. & Mr s. Rob e rt E. Dewa r

Dr & Mr s Fe rn a ndo G Di az

Dr. Dav id DiChiera

Kare n VanderKloot DiChier a

Ms Ma ry Jan e Doerr

Mr & Mr s. Cameron B. Dun ca n

Lady Ja ne Eas ton

Mr. & Mr s. John Edman

Mr s. C ha rl es M Endicott

Dr. Fe rn Es pino & Mr. Tom Short

Mr s. Hild a Ettenheimer

Mr. & Mr s. Roland C. Eugenio

Mr & Mr s Pa ul E Ewin g

Mr. Stephen Ewin g

Dr Haifa Fa khouri

Mr. & Mr s . Alfred J. Fisher, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Alfred J. Fisher, III

Mr & Mr s. C harles T. Fisher, III

Mr. & Mr s. Herbert Fisher

Mr s. El a in e Fonta na

Mr. & Mrs . Nathan Forbe s

Mr & Mrs Mitchell B Fosler

Mr s. Virginia Fo x

He rm a n & Barbara Frankel

Mr & Mr s Ma rvin A. Fre nk e l

Mr. & Mr s Lawre nce G a rb e rdin g

Dr. & Mr s. Rob e rt Geris c h

Mrs Fr a nk Germack, Jr.

Mr s Aaro n H Ge rshenson

Mr & Mr s. Yousif Ghafari

Mr. & Mrs Andy Giancamilli

Mr. & Mrs . Vito P. Gioia

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Gorml ey

Mr. & Mrs H. Jam e s Gram

Mr s. Katherine Gribbs

Mrs. John C. Griffin

Mr s. Be rj H Haidostian

Mrs. Rob ert M. Hamad y

Mr. Dav id Handl e man

Mr. & Mrs. Preston Ha pp e l

Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Ha rris

Ms. Mari a Ha rris

Mr. & Mrs Kenneth E Ha rt

Mr & Mrs. E. Jan Hartm a nn

Mr & Mrs. Eugene Ha rtwi g

Mr. & Mrs . David B. Her me lin

Han. & Mrs. Joseph Imp as ta to

Mr. & Mrs Verne Isto c k

Mr s. Dav id Jacknow

Mr. & Mrs . Darnell D . Jackso n

Mr. & Mrs Richard Ja nes

Mrs Sybil Jaques

Mr. & Mrs . Gary Johnson

Mi ss H. Barbara Johnston

Mrs Willi a m E Johnston

Mr & Mrs. Maxwell Josp ey

Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell I. Kafa rski

Dr. & Mrs . Darnell Kai g ler

Mr. & Mrs. John Ka pl a n

M r. & Mrs . Da niel Karnowsk y

Mr & Mrs Donald W Ke im

Dr & Mrs. Charles Kess le r

Mr & Mrs. Eugene L. Kl e in

Mr & Mrs Robert Kl e in

Mr & Mr s. Gerald A. Kn ec hte l

Mr s. Rev a Kogan

Mr. & Mrs. Mike Kojai a n

Mr & Mrs. William Ku

Dr. & Mrs. Richard W . Kulis

Mr & Mrs. Angelo Lanni

Mr. & Mrs. David B. Lew is

Mr s. Walton A. Lewis

Dr. & Mr s . Kim K. Li e

Mr. & Mr s. A C. Li eb le r

Mr & Mr s. Robe rt Lisak

Mr. & Mrs. Harry A. Lo m aso n

Mr. & Mr s. James H . Lo Pr ete

Mr. & Mr s Alp ho nse S Lu ca re lli

Cardinal Adam Maida

Mrs. Jess ie B. Mann

Mr. & Mr s. Fr a nk S. Marra

Honor ab le Jack & Dr Bettye Arrin gto n-M artin

Ms . Alyssa Martina

Mr. & Mr s. Ri c ha rd McB ri e n

Mr. & Mrs. Willi a m T. McCormick

Mrs W a d e H McC ree, Jr.

Mr & Mr s Eugene Miller

Mr. & Mr s Th eodo re Mo nolidis

Mr. & Mr s. Fr ed Morganroth

Mr. & Mrs. E Clare nce Mularoni

Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Munson

Mr. & Mrs . E. Michael Mut c hl er

Mr. & Mrs Jacq ues Nasse r

Mr. C hri stop he r Nern

Mr. & Mr s . Juliu s L. Pallone

Mr. & Mr s. James Pa me l

Mr. Charles A. Parcells, Jr

Mr. & Mr s. Spencer Partrich

Dr. Rob e rt E L. Perkins

Mr. & Mr s. Bro c k E Plumb

Mrs Ra lph Polk

Mrs. David Pollack

Mr. & Mrs. Jo hn Rakolta, Jr

Dr. Irvin Re id & Pa me la Trotm a n Reid

Mr s. Ha ns Rog ind

Mr. & Mrs Peter Ron a n

Mr. & Mrs . Irvin g Ros e

Mr s Caro ly n Ross

Dr. & Mrs. Hersc he l Sandberg

Mr. & Mrs. William Sandy

Mr. & Mr s Arnold Schafer

Dr. & Mr s. Nor ma n Schakne

Mr & Mr s. Fr ed Schneidewind

Dr. & Mr s . Arthur Schultz

Mr & Mr s. Alan E. Schwartz

Mr & Mr s Ge rgo ry Schw a rtz

Mr. & Mr s. Donald Schwendemann

Mr. & Mr s Ll oyd A. Semple

Mr. & Mr s . Fr a nk Shaler

Ms. Elham Shayota

Mr. & Mr s. Roge r F. Sherman

Ms. Albertina Si mon e

Mr & Mr s. Ri c ha rd Sloan

Ms. Ph y lli s F. Snow

Mr. & Mr s . Anthony Soave

Mr. Ri c ha rd Sonenklar

Mr & Mr s Richard Starkweather

Mr. Fr a nk D. Stella

Ms. Ma ry Ann e Ste ll a

Mrs. Mark Stevens

Mr s Rudolph Sto ni sc h

fo unding lllelllbers

Mr. a nd Mrs Lynn A. Townsend Founding C ha irm e n

Mr. a nd Mr s. Ave rn L. Co hn

Mr. a nd Mr s. Jo hn De Ca rlo

Dr. a nd Mr s. Dav id DiChi e ra

Mr a nd Mrs Aaron H. Ge rsh e ns o n

Mr. a nd Mr s. Donald C. Grav es

Hono rab le a nd Mrs. Roman S. Gribbs

Mr. a nd Mr s . Jo hn C. Griffin

Mr and Mrs Ha rr y L. Jon es

Ho norab le a nd Mrs Wade McCree , Jr.

Mr. & Mr s. George Strumbos

Mr Ron a ld F. Switzer

Dr. & Mr s. Anthony Te rsi g ni

Mr. & Mrs Ma rk Th o mas

Dr Robe rt a & Mr. Sh e ldon To ll

Mr. & Mr s. C. Thomas Toppin

Mr & Mr s. Lynn A. Town se nd

Mr. & Mrs Ta ll a l Turfe

Mr. & Mrs Ro be rt C. VanderKloot

Mr & Mr s. George C. Vincent

Mr & Mr s Alvin Was se rm a n

Mr. & Mr s. Gary L. Wasserman

Mr. & Mrs. Ke nneth Way

Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Webb

Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. White

Dr. & Mr s Christopher Wilh e lm

Mr s. R Ja mison Willi a ms, Sr.

Dr. & Mr s Sam B Willi a m s

Mr. & Mr s. Eric A. Wilts hi re

Mr. & Mr s. Don a ld Wor s ley

Mrs. R Alexander Wrigley

Ho n Joa n E. Youn g & Mr. Thomas L. Schell e nb e rg

Mr & Mrs La rry Zan ge rl e

Mr & Mrs. Te d Zegouras

Mr. & Mrs . George M. Zeltzer

Mr. & Mr s Morton Zi e ve

Mr s Pa ul Zuckerman

Ms Lu c ia Z urkowski

Mr. Roy Z urkowski

Mr. Ha rry J. Nede rl a nd e r

Mr. E. Ha rwood Rydholm

Mr. a nd Mrs. Neil Snow

Mr. a nd Mrs Rich a rd Stri c ha rtz

Mr. a nd Mrs. Robe rt C. Va nd erK loot

Mr a nd Mr s Sam B. Willi a m s

Mr a nd Mrs Th eodo re O Yntema

lnlstratlon & staff

Lara Schaaf

Staf/ Accountant

Kendall Smith

Lighting Coordinator

David DiChiera Genera l Director

Tom Tomlinson Managing Director

Brett Batterson

Detroit Opera House Manager

Karen VanderKloot DiChiera Director 0/ Community Programs

Steve Haviaras Director 0/ Marketing

Roberto Mauro Director 0/ Artistic Resources

Eric S. McAlpine Chief Financia Officer

David W. Osborne Director 0/ Production

Mary Parkhill Director o/Development

Laura R. Wyss Director 0/ Public Relations

ADMINISTRATION

Frank Castria

Assistant to the General Director

Linda DeMer s

Board Secretary/Executive Assistant

Beverly A. Moore

Receptionist

Debra Pollack

Three Tenors Coordinator

Community Programs

Gary Moy

Assistant to the Director

Dolores Tobis

Of/ice and Marketing Manager

Mark Vondrak

Associate Director

Development

Holly B. Barr

Assistant Director o/Development

Bradley L. Stroud Director o/Dance Development

Katrina L. Paradine

Corporate Campaign Manager

Stephani Miller Yates

Capital Campaign Coordinator

Roberta Starkweather

New Century Fund Assistant

Donna Crabtree

Development Anuciate, Foundation and Government Grants

Tane Westley

'Development Associate

Finance/Computer Services

William T. Sdiulz Controller

Sharon A. Subjeck

Accountant

Mary E Pihajlich

Systems Manager

Marketing/Public Relations

Mitchell Carter

Publications Manager

Susan Fazzini

Assistant Director 0/ Marketing

Tane t Vukovic

Membership Manager

Dolores Tobis

Group Sales

Mark]. Mancinelli

DOH7MOT Photographer

Teanette Pawlaczyk

"Public Relations Assistant

Ticket Office

Kimberly Mogielski

Ticket Services Manager

Kimberly Gray

Ticket Services Assistant Manager

Tane Coe

Ticket Services Staf/

PRODUCTION

Artistic Administration

Dee Dors ey

Production Coordinator

Monica Lee Tackson

Assistant to Director 0/ Production

Tohn Grant Stokes

Roman Hurko

Copeland Woodruff

Assistant Directors

Antonia Ciaravino

Production Associate

Pat Lewellen

Audition Volunteer

Music Department

Dr David DiChiera

Music Director

Suzanne Mallare Acton

Assistant Music Director, Chorus Master

Diane Bredesen

Orchestra Personnel Manager

Louis Menendez

George Darden

Repetiteurs

Lawrence Picard

Rehearsal Accompanist

Boris Nicoloff

Russian Coach

Stage ManaEement

Tohn Kennelly

"Production Stage Manager

Flawn Barber

Bethany Wright

Rebecca Zuber

Assistant Stage Managers

Nicole Bigelow

Production Assistant

Technical Staff

Vladimir Vukovic

Technical Director

Monika Essen

Property Master

Robert Lott

Assistant Lighting Designer

Yasminelaffri

Technica Assistant

Lawrence Picard

Surtitle Operator

Tohn Kinsora

Head Carpenter

Robert Mesinar

Head Electrician

Alan Bigelow

Head oj Properties

Robert Martin

Head Flyman

Steve Kemp'

Head Sounaman

Mary Ellen Shindel

Hea'd o/Wardrobe

lATSE Local #38

Stagehands

lATSE Local #786

Wardrobe

Costumes

Vila Hettinger

Costume Supervisor

Alice Moss

Wardrobe Mistress

Deborah Acuna

Deanne lovan

Rose Mirjah

Genevieve Palc zynski

Stitchers

Make-up & Hair

Rachel Geary

Cindy Ludwig

Toanne Weaver

'Designers for Elsen Associates

Deanne lovan

Crew Coordinator

DETROIT

OPERA HOUSE

Tennifer Turner

Director 0/ Events

Sandy Muczinski

H ouse Manager

Calvin Williams

Maintenance Supervisor

Rock Monroe Director 0/ Security

Melvin Lowe

Leah McMahan

Burtron Reynolds

Stage Door Security

Kimberley Burgess

Administrative Coordinator

Demetrius Barnes

1esse Carter

Clyde Surell

Building Engineers

Maurice Rivers

Concessions Manager

Michigan Opera Theatre and the Department of Community Programs have lost a dear friend, Ruth R. Mott. Having known her for a large portion of my life, I have personally experienced her wit, graciousness, intelligence, compassion and good sense. She inspired and influenced me. She patiently listened to my adventures, thoughts and dreams and shared her advice with me.

It was Ruth Mott's gift of $20,000 twenty-one years ago that enabled the Michigan Opera Theatre Education Department to be established. With this grant I was able to hire an assistant, audition and hire a pianist and singers, print arid mail brochures and create OUf opera touring program for the State of Michigan.

The grant also allowed the department to commission its first elementary school opera, Fair Means or Foul, by famed children's opera composer Seymour Barab. In fact, we are touring the opera this year and during the past twenty years many other opera companies have produced it as well. So Mrs. Mott's generosity has reached thousands of school children across the country and across time.

Whenever I did a project for Flint schools, Mrs Mott would attend. The last time she attended a Create Opera! performance was in 1997 at the Flint Institute of Music Fifth graders had created a musical about Rosa Parks. When Mrs. Mott was introduced to the audience, the ninety-five year old woman stood up and congratulated the children, their parents and the now named Department of Community Programs.

Mrs. Mott's Ruth R. Mott fund continued to support Michigan Opera Theatre for twenty years. A great source of pride for me is a comment she made when I gave her a copy of our opening gala performance program book. After reading the Community Programs page, Mrs Mott looked up and said, "I think you did a good job with your money!"

Thank you, Mrs. Mott!

We will miss you, Karen VanderKloot DiChiera

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

These gjfts"are. re egn' , throughout the Detroit Opera House and the names Capital Campaign donors will remain in perpetuity on plaques, biigis and the Donor Wall in the lobby. But now we have a new goal in sign-! :4. J11e New CentuIy Fund.

1be go arofThe New CentuIy Fund is to raise a minimum of $25,000,000 in cash and pledges payable over a three to five year period. The New Century Fund will:

• Complete construction of the Detroit Opera House including the Broadway building facade. ,

• Develop a new Educational Resource Center in the Broadway building.

• Build an endowment which will allow Michigan Opera Theatre to expand and constantly improve its programming.

• Retire the debt from the previous construction costs.

Please consider a gift to The New CentuIy Fund. Significant benefits are available including exciting opportunities for special events surrounding The Three Tenors Concert including premium seating. Call 313/237-3433 for information.

Donors to The New CentuIy Fund will be acknowledged in future program inserts and will be recognized according to the giving level on plaques and the donor wall.

We invite you to walk through the undeveloped space and lIDagine World class professionals rehearsing for main stage performances; aspiring local artists preparing to be tomorrow's stars; college students utilizing classrooms; children interviewing celebrity performers; and dance instructors and students watching videos, listening to CDs and accessing the Internet

• a dance and opera resource center

• a media studio

• community performance space

• classrooms equipped for the study of the performing arts

• a costume shop.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

In an , You can discover the deepest reaches of a conlin Unity's sou/. artistic expression in all Its forms is impOrtant to Ford Motor Company Our long hiStory of Involvement With the arts reaches bOOk '0 'h, FO'd {''''il y ', {O.ndin. the DetrOit Institute of Arts, the fifth hugest fine arts museum in the United States tOday

In this same SPirit, we're proud to sUPpon the work of these and Similar Their expressions provide a more inSpiring community for us alJ.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

AVANTI SOCIETY

Michigan Opera Theatre is pleased to announce the creation of a very special membership group-The Avanti Society. This unique group is for people who have included Michigan Opera Theatre in their estate plan.

To become a member of The Avanti Society, our only request is that you name Michigan Opera Theatre in your estate plan. This may be done as a designation in your will, trust , or insurance plan, for example. Through this gift, your generosity can create a · personal legacy and give future generations the wonderful experience of world-class opera and dance in

a historically restored facility. In addition, careful estate planning can increase the amount that you can give to loved ones or other charitable organizations because of reduced estate taxes. You can also increase your income through a tax advantaged life income gift.

Within the first year of this initiative, donors will be included in the "The Avanti Society" founders section of the donor wall in the Grand Lobby at the Detroit Opera House. Other benefits will include ,an

annual Avanti Society dinner attended by world-class artists, The Avanti Society Newsletter, special informational events and invitation privileges to the Board of Trustees Annual Meeting.

If you have included Michigan Opera Theatre in your estate plan, or would like to do so, please contact Holly B. Barr, Assistant Director of Development , at (313) 237 -3268, for more information

Named Gifts

We extend our gratitude to the following donors who have underwritten designated areas in the Detroit Opera House

Dr. & Mrs. Roger M Ajluni

Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Allesee

Anonymous Donor

Dr. & Mrs. Donald C. Austin

Mr. & Mrs. Tarik S. Daoud

Ford Motor Company

Herman and Barbara Frankel

Chaim, Fanny, Louis, Benjamin and Anne Florence Kaufman

Memorial Trust

Delores and Paul Lavins

Oliver Dewey Marcks Foundation

Mr & Mrs. Lynn Townsend

Mr. & Mrs. George C. Vincent

Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Wasserman

Grand Staircase

Allesee Dance Patron Lounge

Grand Lobby

Grand Central Chandelier

Grand Drape

Backstage Renovation and Broadway Lobby

General Director's Circle Lounge

Grand Side Chandelier

Grand Side Chandelier

Third Floor Promenade

Trustee Circle Broadway Lobby

Madison Lobby

Box Level Promenade

Several named gift opportunities are available in the Detroit Opera House. For more information, please call the Development Department at 313/237 -3433.

Special Initiatives

We wish to acknowledge and thank the following people for their efforts in on-going special initiatives that support the restoration of the Detroit Opera House

MOT Volunteer Association Brick Campaign

Mrs. William C. Brooks

General Director's Circle Lounge

Mrs. Barbara Frankel

Rehearsal Hall and Backstage Projects

Mrs. Jacques Nasser

Auditorium Decorative Painting

Amici dell'Opera Founding Committee:

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barbieri, J r.

Dr. Gennaro J. DiMaso

Mr. and Mrs. Roland C. Eugenio

Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Rondina

Dr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Villani

Mr. and Mrs. John]. Vrana

Ms. Sharon Gioia, Campaign Director

The arts and cultural opportunities so vital to this community are also important to us. That's why Comerica supports the arts. And we applaud

lllo0ollle outterfl pril

THE CAST

In order of vocal appearance

Pinkerton

FRANCESCO GRO LLO * (Ap ril 17 , 2 1, 24 & May 1)

CARLO VENTRE (Apri l 18m, 23, 25m & May 2)

Goro

ANDREW FOSTER t

Suzuki

KATHLEEN SEGAR

Sharpless

VICTOR LEDBETTER *

Cio-Cio-San

NATALIA DERCHO *

SUN XIU WEI *

Imperial CommissionerlPrince Yamadori

GARY MOSS t

The Bonze

JAMES PATTERSON

Kate

BARBARA SCHERRER

* MOT debut

tMOT Artist Apprentice

17May 2

Opera in three acts

Pr esent ed by Michig an Opera Th ea tre Music by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by G iusepp e Giacosa and Luigi Illica based on th e play by David Bel asco, adapt ed from the story by J ohn Luther Lon g World Premie re : February 17,1 904, Milan

STEVEN MERCURIO Conductor

MARIO CORRAD I Director

ZACK BROWN Set Design

AN IB AL LAPIZ Costume Design

KENDALL SMITH Lighting Design

ELSEN ASSOCIATES Make -up and Hair Design

SUZANNE MALLARE ACTON Choru s Mas ter

JO HN KENNELLY Stage Manager

Surtitles p rovided b y arrangemen t with Bayshore Opera Translation s English transl ation b y Lindley L. Becker and TJ. Scott Scen ery for this production of Madame Butterfly is owned by The Washing ton Opera Costum es designed for L'Opera Mont real

II"General Motors

The student performance of Madame Butterfly is sponsored by Kmart Corpora tion

se tJ circa 1904

agasa

ACT I A house on a hill overloo king Nag asaki

Butterfly is confident that he'll return ...

Pinkerton , a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, is about to m a rr y Cio -C io -San , the geisha Madame Butterfly Goro , the marria ge broker, is showin g Pinkerton his newly- le ased house when Sharpless, the American Consul, enters . Sharpless tries to dissuade Pinkerton from marrying Butterfly, knowing that th e sailor does not intend to take the ceremony seriously, in contrast to the bride-to-be , who has renounced her religion for it. Pink e rton brush es him off, and the ceremony is p erformed . The celebrations are interrupt e d b y the angr y intervention of Butterfly's uncl e, a Bhuddist priest, who rails

her for abandoning her religion. Pinkerton an gril y orders the priest and his bride's family to leave. When all th e guests are gone, the couple e xpress their love

ACT II Butterfly's house, three years later

Pinkerton has sailed back to America on duty. Butterfly is confident that he 'll return to her and their son, Trouble , whom h e has never met. Suzuki , her servant , is skeptical , but Butte rfly is sure, and refuses an offer of marriage from the wealthy Prince Yamadori Sharpless has heard that Pinkerton is about to return with an American wife , and tries to prepare Butterfl y. She is so ex cited by the first part of the news that Sharpless cannot bring himself to tell her the rest of the truth ; he tries instead to persuade her to accept Yamadori 's offer. As the harbor cannon announces the ships return, Butterfly and Su zuki begin their vigil

ACT ·III Butterfly's house

As dawn breaks, Butterfly is resting when Pinkerton and his wife Kate arrive together with Sharpless. Suzuki is the first to meet them, and when she sees Kate she guesses the truth. Butterfly realizes what has happened, but not before Pinkerton, unable to face the situation, rushes out. At first Butterfly seems to accept that her husband will not return , and when Kate offers to adopt her husband's son , Butterfl y agrees. But left alone with her son, she takes a last farewell of him before stabbing herself. She dies as Pinkerton

The obi a

It was raining the morning I was to marry my "Pinkerton . "

Butterfly's expertise in these arts captures Pinkerton's heart.

Everyone was worried until my obachan (grandmother) explained that the rain was "tears of happiness" from our ancestors who could not attend the wedding ceremony. Obachan, a first -generation Japanese in Hawaii, was reflecting the Shinto belief that kami (the gods) were working for the good of everyone. This optimistic view is a typical Japanese woman's way of dealing with tough times; it colors the heroine's outlook throughout the first two acts of Puccini's Madama Butterfly

I've always felt a special kinship with Butterfly. Married to a Caucasian, I have occasionally felt the tension so prevalent between the two cultures represented in the opera At the time of my marriage , Obachan's cheerful support was welcome, because although I was very much in love, I felt uneasy about giving up my own religious practice to be joined in a Christian

to please my new husband and his parents. In retrospect, my problems pale in comparison with Butterfly 's. Being a third-generation Japanese from Hawaii, I was accepted with only a few questions on both sides, due to a better understanding of our different cultures. It was quite the opposite in the late 1800s, when the cultural clash between Lt. B. F. Pinkerton USN and Cio-Cio -San (Madam a Butterfly) brought on much sadness, making Pinkerton look like an "ugly American" and Butterfly an injured child.

Butterfly was a geisha (the word means "artistic performer, one who lives by art"). She trained in the arts of song, dance, music and conversation in a profession going back to the TokugawalEdo period (1615-1858). The geisha's world was not one of self-expression , but rather, the perfection of traditional arts conforming to a set pattern of ideals. In my own training with similar Japanese art forms, I recall the stinging blows of the dance teacher's closed fan, a motivator used to encourage mastery of classical Japanese movement. As in Butterfly's time, all dance and music is learned by rote , requiring intense concentration and a strong . will to learn quickly to avoid punishment. Butterfly's expertise in these arts captures Pinkerton's heart. I For the marriage, Butterfly is dressed in the traditional wedding y ensemble of the shiromuku kimono and the uchzkake (outer robe).

Shiro (white) and muku (pure) indicate the purity of the bride's intention to take on her husband's family traditions. Dressed in white, she represents an open heart, to be dyed with the learning and acceptance of the husband's household customs. The traditional uchikake is white except for a crimson lining and its decorative pine, chrysanthemum, or crane designs symbolizing good fortune. The bride's white headband signifies the same humility and acceptance of her husband's household and its traditions.

At my wedding, Obachan joked that the headband was meant to cover my "devilish horns" (she considered me naughty by nature). She and two other women helped dress me in a series of arduous steps, leading to a beautiful presentation .

First the proper makeup was applied by someone other than myself, because the bride's neck and hands must also be covered in white. A fabric net covered my hair to flatten it, allowing the wig to be worn. Next came the tabi (split-toed socks), hadajuban (undershirt), susoyoke (half-slip), and nagajuban (under-kimono). Depending on the bride's build, occasionally thin fabric is bound around the torso to flatten the ' chest. Padding fills the hollows and smooths out the waistline so the obi (outer decorative bow) lays flat and makes a straight, cylindrical line from shoulder to floor. I would not recommend this on a daily basis! Taking care that the han eri (half-collar) is properly centered, this layer is fastened

by two fabric ties and the date1ime (waistband) ; the outer kimono is put on in the same manner. The obi ita (obi stay) is placed between the kimono and the obi to keep the obi from becoming wrinkled. The obi is tied in a formal patternwith the ob i mak ura (obi pillow) used to shape the tied bowand then covered with the obi age (bustle sash) to hold the obi makura 's crest line in place. The obi1i me (braided cord ) and ob i -dome (brooch) accentuate the beauty of the obi and kimono. The final touches include hair ornaments, fan , and/or handbag. The process from makeup to finished product can take two hours. Moreover, the bride , changes kimonos three more . times during the course of the weddin g reception !

Butterfly and Pinkerton culminate the marriage ceremony with the ritual sharing of sake The exchange of three sips of this Japanese wine from each of three lacquered cupssansan -kudo ("thrice three , nine times " )- creates a solemn bond between two unrelated people.

With Butterfl y's family denouncin g her for forsaking her religion , and with Pinkerton removing her from the geisha house by purchasing her for marriage, she has no recourse but to r emain hopeful. Th e suffering she experiences waiting for her Americ an husband reflects the Buddhist philosophy that life equals suffering, as does the laborious way a geisha learns the arts of dance and music. Training to pleas e her customer, and accepting the sacrifice of her life for the benefit of other members of her family, also reflect the deep Buddhist belief in the inevitability of life 's tribulations.

After the ceremon y, with family and guests gone , Butterfly, although miserable after their rejection , continues her role as the artistic performer through her responses to Pinkerton in the love

duet. Her innocence betrays her ability to see the prob lem s that lie ahead. Enthralled with her expression of love, Pinkerton returns the same feelings . However, his plan to marry a " real " wife when he returns to America indicates a severe cultural misunderstanding. The American consul Sharpless, the marriage-broker Goro , and the maid Suzuki caution Butterfly about this common foreign practice, but she rejects their warnings. On the contrary, she takes on the Western way of dress in Act Two and worships the Chris ti an God , endorsing the symbolism of the white wedding kimono.

While a continuous thread of hope sustains Butterfly in the opera 's first two acts , in Act Three her fears overtake her, leading to the ultimate tragedy: Facing the loss of Pinkerton and her son , she sees no hope and chooses to commit sepp uku , the Japanese ritual of suicide To the traditional Japanese, the rationale behind such a torturous act is a noble one , representing "honor in death when there is no honor in life " (the words inscribed on the dagger with which Butterfly's father killed himself). During the act of seppuku , Butterfly dresses in wedding white a second time ; this again reflects the idea of purity and the willing-

ness to accept duty, with Butterfl y revealing herself to Pinkerton as 'she was on their wedding da y

Reading the code on her father 's dagger, Butterfly stabs herself in the neck. Unlike th e male tradition of disembowelment-an act requiring great strength-this method was considered more suitable for women. By und ertakin g seppuku, Butterfly fulfills the code practiced by her father , giving honor to her family by d ying with honor,

Hope , sadness, shame, honor, ritual, symbolism, lo yalty and discipline are found in abundance in Puccini 's opera. Throu gh m y interracial marriage , I have experienced man y of these emotions and traditions , but , unlike Butterfly's experience, my "Pinkerton " has never left me It is raining and today is our thirtieth anniversary The kami are happ y

Geraldine Ota ni Grine is a pro/essional cla rinetist and conduCtor who lives in Osh k osh, Wisconsin. She was a co nsu ltant for th e 1997 Pine Mou ntain (Michigan) Music Festival Butterfly production; she and her husban d both played in the orches t ra 0/ the Oshkosh performa nces. Her essay is reprinted co urtesy 0/ Lyric Op era 0/ Chicag o.

Her Innocence betrays her ability to seethe problems that lie ahead.

PloOOPle outterL!

Mic hi ga n Ope ra Th eat re is proud to p rese nt th e fo ll ow i ng art i sts.

NATALI A DERCHO

Soon after grad uating from the Tchaikovski Conservatory in Mosco, Natalia D ercho (title role) made her operatic debut as Amelia in Verdi's I Masnadieri. Th e soprano has also been a guest with opera companies in Torre del Lago , Zurich, tel Aviv, Torino , Marseille and Seville. H e r repertoire includes the title role in JenuEa, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Michaela in Carmen, Elizabeth in Don Carlo and th e title role in Norma This marks Ms Dercho 's North American operatic debut.

Profiles

VICTO R LEDBETTER

Victor Ledbetter (Sharpless) has appeared with opera companies throughout the United States, Europe and the Far East, including San Francisco Opera, New

York C ity Opera , L'Opera de Montreal and Dublin Grand Opera , and now makes his MOT debut. Career highlights includ e cr ea tin g the role of Mr. Maguire in the wo rld premiere of Emmeline at Santa Fe Opera, and traveling to Shanghai to sing Scarpia in th e C hin ese premiere of Tosca. In 1997 Mr. Ledbette r was a soloist in Carmina Burana with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

SUZANNE MA LLARE ACTO N

Suzanne Acton (Chorus Master) has b een MOT's Assistant Music

Direc tor and Chorus Master since the 198 1/8 2 season Sh e has condu<:ted productions during h er tenure, including Th e Barber 0/ Seville and The Daughter 0/ the Regiment For Dayton Opera , sh e has conduc ted West Szde Story , My Fair Lady and The Pirates o/Penzance. Ms. Acton has serve d as coach and accompanist for the opera companies of St. Louis and San Diego, and is Music Director of Rackham Symphon y Choir.

AN

DREW FOSTER

MOT Apprentice

Artist Andrew Foster (Goro) m ade his company debut as Arturo and Normano in last fall's Lucza di Lammermoor.

The previou s season he sang Beppe in I Paglzacci and Rinuccio in Gzanni Schicchi with OPERArLenawee He has also appeared with Atl an t a Opera, Savoyards Light Opera, th e Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Maine and ISOMATA in Idyllwild His repertoire includes The Turn 0/ the Screw, Azda, Faust, Norma and It Trovatore.

MARI O CORRADI

Italian born Mario Corradi (Director) made his debut in 1982 with It Matrimonio Segreto in Palermo. Since then he has staged opera wo rldwid e: La sonnamula in Dallas, Do n Giovanni

and Or/eo ed Euridice in Madrid , Menotti 's A melia al Ballo in Monte Carlo and Madama Butterfly in Spoleto. His work is well known in St. Galle n , Frankfurt, Athens and Tokyo. His MOT credits include Carmen, Th e Elixir 0/ Love an d Lucia di Lammermoor. Mr. Corra di recently directed Spontini's It teseo riconosciuto-its first performance thi s cen tu ry.

FRA NC ESCO G RO LLO

During th e past two seasons , Italian tenor Francesco Grollo (Pinkerton ) h as sun g the role of Pinkerton in Venice , Treviso and Copenhagen

H e has also s un g in Ferrara (Rigoletto), Bonn (Nabucco), Naples (Roberto Devereux) and at th e Anvers Festival in Switzerland (Rigoletto). Mr. Grollo made his North American debut last season in Hamilton , Ontario. This appearance with MOT marks his U.S. debut.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

STE VEN MERCURIO

New York·born Steven Mercurio (Cond uctor) has conducted the opera companies oERome, San Francisco, Brussels , London, Seattle, Costa Mesa, Washington, Dallas and Pittsburgh, among others. He was Music Director oE the Spoleto Festival (Italy), Principal Conductor of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and Associate Conductor ot th e Brooklyn Philh armonic. He is featured on many Sony Classical Label recordings and videos and h as several 6lm credits. TheJuilliard alumnus is both a champion of contemporary music and himself a prolific composer. Maestro Mercurio will also conduct MOT's Eugene Onegin this spring.

GARY MOS S

Baritone Gary Moss (Imperial Commissioner, Prince Yamadori), age rwenty five , is MOT's latest Artist Apprentice Award recipient. While at the Univers ity of Michigan and the Universi ty of Utah , th e prolific competition winner sang the part of Pap ageno (The Magic Flute), Giorgio Germont (La Travzata) , Masetto (Don Giovannz) , Count Almaviva (The Marriage o/ Figaro) and th e Representative (A Game 0/ Chance). This marks Mr Moss's professional operatic debut.

JAMES PATTERSON

Since beginning his career as an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera in 1983, bass James Patterson (The Bonze) has given more than 150 performances with that company including Sparafucile in Rigaletta, and Fafner in the company's widely acclaimed Ring cycle He has also sung with Chicago Lyric Opera (Tasca and The Farce a/ Destiny, among others), and extensively in Canada. This is Mr. Patterson's eighth appearance with MOT; he most recently sang the part of the Mandarin in Turandat.

BARBARA SCHERRER

Mezzo-soprano

Barbara Scherrer (Kate Pinkerton) won MOT's Young Artist Apprentice Awards in both 1996 and 1997, in which she appeared as Annina in La Traviata, Mercedes in Carmen, and Countess Ceprano and , Giovanna in Rigaletta. The following season she sang the Priestess in Aida and the Second Lady in The MagiC Flute. The three-time wtnner of Oakland University's Concerto Competition also has several inusical theater credits, including Nelly in Sauth Paci/ic and Naughty Nancy in Little Mary Sunshine.

KATHLEEN SEGAR

Mezzo-soprano

Kathleen Segar (Suzuki) has sung more than a dozen roles with MOT, notably Smeton to Joan Sutherland's Anna Bolena. The versatile Ms. Segar has also appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, Opera Company of Philad elf' hi a, and New York City Opera's Nationa Company. Her wide and varied repertoire includes The Magic Flute, Lucia di Lammermaar, Rigaletta, The Tales a/ Hal/man, Carmen, Eugene Onegin, Die Walkiire, Ariadne au/Naxas and The Ballad a/Baby Dae.

SUN XIU WEI

Sun Xiu Wei (title role), born in Liao Ning, first gained national attention by winning a vocal competition on Chinese State Television in 1992. The following year she won the International Verdi Competition in Italy, and soon after made her debut in Milan. Her repertoire includes Salame, Faust, Narma, Dan Giovanni and Anna Balena, along with several roles from the works of Puccini and Verdi. This is her North American debut.

CARLO VENTRE

Born in Uruguay into an Italian family, tenor Carlo Ventre (Pinkerton) was the winner of both the 1995 Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition in Philadelphia, and the 1990 Gino Bechi Prize in Barcelona. He made his La Scala debut as the Duke in Rlgaletta, a role he repeated in 1997 at MOT. Mr. Ventre has sung La Baheme in Wales, Trieste, Genoa and Cologne; Rigaletta in Rome, Zurich and Irvine; and Nabucca in Milan, Lecce and Seville.

-Anonymous

KENDALL SMITH

Michigan native Kendall Smith (Lighting Designer) has been Lighting Consultant to MOT since 1988. During the span, the master designer has lighted more than twenty-five productions for the company, most recently last fall's Turandat. Mr Smith has also designed lighting for Opera Pacific, Dayton Opera, American Stage Festival and Attic Theater, among others.

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Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

"NECESS1TY may be the mother of invention, but creativity is most certainly its father."

Q UALITY. You KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT.

WHO ENRICH THE QUAUTY OF OUR LIVESTHE ARTISTS, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE MICHIGAN O PERA THEATREWE SALUTE YOU. CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE MAscO FAMILY OF QUALITY COMPANIES AND BEST WISHES FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON

Poul Toylor oan ce Company May 6-9

A MIXED REPERTOIRE

Presented by Paul Taylor Dance Company

FRANCIE HUBER ANDREW ASNES THOM AS PATRICK

Caryn Heilman

Patrick Corbin

Rachel Berman

Lisa Viola

Richard Chen See

Kristi Egtvedt

Silvia Nevjinsky

And y Lebeau

Takehiro Ueyama

Ted Thomas

Heather Berest

Maureen Mansfield

Michael Trusnovec

Artistic Director

PAUL TAYLOR

Lighting Designer

JENNIFER TIPTON

Set / Costu me Designer

SANTO LOQUASTO

Executive Director

ROSS KRAMBERG

R ehearsal Director

BETTIE DE JONG

The 1998-99 Dance Series is sponsored b y DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund DAIMLERCHRYSLER

The May 9 performance is sponsored by Marlene & John Boll

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

METROPOLITAN LIFE FOUNDATION

IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE PAUL TAYLOR DANCE

COMPANY'S 1998-1999 UNITED STATES TOUR

orogro rMay 6,8

MERCURIC TIDINGS

Music b y Franz Schub ert Excerpts from Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 PAUL TAYLOR Choreography

GENE MOORE Costumes

(First Performed in 1982)

Francie Hub e r, Andrew Asnes with Silvia Nevjinsky, Thomas Patroick, Caryn He ilman , Rachel Berman, Kristi Egtvedt, Andy Le Beau , Ta ke hiro Ueyama , Ted Thom as, Heat her Be res t, Maureen Ma nsfi e ld , Michae l Tru snovec

Produc ti on made poss ible in part by a contribu tion from the Na tional Endowment for the Arts.

Intermission EVENTIDE

Music b y Ralph Vaughan Williams Suite for Viola and Orchestra and Hymn- Tune Prelude, No.1 PAUL TAYLOR Choreography

SANTO LOQUASTO Set and Costumes

(First per/armed in 1997)

Francie Hub e r, Pa trick Corb in , Cary n He ilm an, Rachel Be rm a n, Li sa Viola , Silvia Nevjinsky, Andrew Asnes, Thomas Patrick , Ri chard Che n See, Take hiro Ueyama

Prelude Rachel Berman and Andrew Asnes, Caryn Heilman and Thomas Patrick Lisa Viola and Ri cha rd Chen See, Silvia Nevjinsky and Takehiro Ueyama Carol Fr a nc ie Hub e r and Patrick Corb in Christmas Dance Caryn He ilman and Thomas Pat ri c k BaUad Rac he l Be rm an a nd An drew Asnes

Moto Perpetuo Lisa Vio la a nd Rich ard Che n See Musette Francie Hub e r and Patrick Co rbin

Hymn -Tun e Prelude Full Cast

Produc tion made possible in part by generous contributions from The Elea nor Naylor Dana Charita ble Trust, Ca role K. Newman, th e National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Co uncil on the Arts, a State Agency

Intermission Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

PIAZZOLLA CALDERA

Music b y Astor Pia zzolla and Jerzy Peterburshsky

PAUL TAY LOR Choreography

SANTO LOQUASTO Set and Costumes

(First performed in 1997)

EI Sol Sueno Full Cast

Concierto Para Quinteto Franci e Huber, Patri ck Corb in , Li sa Viola

Celo s T h omas P at rick and Richard Che n See, Andrew Asnes and Silvia Nevjinsky

Escualo Full Cast

Commissioned in part by the American Dan ce Fest ival with support from th e National Endowment for the Arts, the Philip Morris Companies Inc. and Brenda & Keit h Brodie.

Production also made possi ble b y th e New York State Council on the Arts , a State Agency; and b y t he E leanor Naylor D ana Trust

Mus ic p erformed by Gidon Kremer from th e recor ding Ho mmage a Piazzolla with special thanks to Robert H urwit z, Pres ident of Nonesuch Records

echoes the) flawed confusion of human beings ... worn away as by the labor of hands, impregnated with sweat and smoke, smelling of lilies and of urine, splashed by the labor of what we do, legally or illegally ... (it is) as impure as old clothes, as a body, with its foodstains and its shame, with wrinkles, observations, dreams, wakefulness, prophecies, declarations of love and hate, stupidities, shocks, idylls, political beliefs, negations, doubts, affirmations ... "

-Pablo Neruda

Photo: Howrard Schatz

"(Piazzolla's music

orogro t rMay 7, 9--

ARDEN COURT

Oliver: Where will the old duke live?

Charles: They say he is already in the Forest of Arden and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They say many young gentleman /lock to him every day, and /leet the time carelessly as they did in the golden world.

-Shakespeare, As You Like It

Music by William Boyce

Excerpts from Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8

PAUL TAYLOR Choreography

GENE MOORE Set and Costumes

(First Performed in 1981)

Francie Huber, Andrew Asnes, Thomas Patrick Patrick Corbin, Rachel Berman, Lisa Viola Richard Chen See, Andy LeBeau , Ted Thomas

Production made possible in part by contributions from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mobil Foundation, Inc., and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.

Intermission

SUNSET

Music by Edward Elgar

Serenade for Strings and Elegy for Strings

PAUL TAYLOR Choreography

ALEX KATZ Set and Costumes

(First performed in 1983)

Andrew Asnes, Francie Huber, Thomas Patrick

Andy LeBeau, Caryn Heilman , Takehiro Ueyama

Rachel Berman, Kristi Egtvedt, Ted Thomas, Michael Trusnovec

Production made possible in part by a contribution from The National Endowment for the Arts.

Intermission

CLOVEN KINGDOM

Man is a social animal. -Spinoza

Music by Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Cowell and Malloy Miller

Combined by John Herbert McDowell

PAUL TAYLOR Choreography

scon BARRIE Women's Costumes

JOHN RAWLINGS Headpieces

(First performed in 1976)

Rachel Berman, Lisa Viola, Heather Berest, Maureen Mansfield

Andrew Asnes, Thomas Patrick, Patrick Corbin, Michael Trusnovec

Francie Huber, Caryn Heilm an, Kristi Egtvedt, Silvia Nevjinsky

Production made possible in part by a contribution from The National Endowment for the Arts.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

We

DaimlerChrysler proudly supports the Detroit Opera House, home to world-class opera and an exceptional venue for dance, musical theater and variety programming. We join with opera fans throughout the region in singing the praises of such a marvelous facility.

DAIMLERCHRYSLER

Expect the extraordinary

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

www.daimlerchrys le r.co m

support creativity in any medium.

Our favorite is aluminum.

Poul lOUin ,t P f-I I\f IS ro I es

PAUL TAYLOR has been a dominant force in dance for four decades. He was born in Pennsylvania, and spent his early years in and around Washington , D .C. He studied painting at Syracuse University before coming to New York City to begin his dance career. From 1955 until 1962, he was a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company while at the same time presenting his own work in concerts in both the United States and Europe. In 1959, he danced with the New York City Ballet as guest artist in George Balanchine's Episodes.

In 1969, Paul Taylor was elected to knighthood by the French government as "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" and has since been elevated to the ranks of Officier (1984) and Commandeur (1990). He is the recipient of more than 40 awards including three Guggenheim Fellowships and six honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees. Awards for lifetime achievement include a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (often called the "genius award") and the Samuel H. Scripps ADF Award. Other awards include the New York State Governor 's Arts Award in 1987 and the New York City Mayor's Award of Honor for Art and Culture in 19 89. In February of 1989 , Mr Taylor was elected one of ten honorary American members of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Mr Taylor received an Emmy Award in 1992 for Speaking in Tongues , produced by WNET /N ew York in 1991. He was a recipient of the 1992 Kennedy Center Honors "for enhancing the lives of people around the world and enriching the culture of our nation. " In 1993 , he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in a ceremony at the White House. In November of 1995 he received the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts, for work which " endures as some of the most innovative and important the world has ever seen." In addition, in 1995 he was named one of 50 prominent Americans honored in recognition of their outstanding achievement by the Library of Congress ' Office of Scholarly Programs.

Since 1968 when Aureole first entered the repertory of the Royal Danish Ballet, numerous works created by Mr. Taylor have been licensed for performance by over 75 companies worldwide These companies include: American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Rambert, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, English National' Ballet , Guangdong Modern Dance Company of China , Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet , Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Teatro alla Scala of Milan. To date over 125 licenses have been issued. In addition to his internationally-renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company, Mr. Taylor formed Taylor 2 in 1993, a company of six young

dancers representing the next generation of dancers in the Taylor tradition. Taylor 2 is directed by Mary Cochran , who is a PTDC veteran.

Mr. Taylor 's autobiography, Private Domain, originally published by Knopf and, in paperback, by North Point Press, has been received with wide critical and popular acclaim. The book was nominated by the National Book Critics Circle as the most distinguished biography of 1987. It is being re-released this spring by the University of Pittsbvrgh Press

"Here, at centuty's end, is the finest example anywhere of the art that has been this country 's great contribution to dance since the turn of the century The Paul Taylor Dance Company is , quite simply, as good as modern dance can get."

-San Francisco Chronicle

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY , now in its fortyfourth year, celebrates the artistry of Paul Taylor, performing his dances throughout the world. The Company 's history includes performances in over 400 cities and in more than 60 nations. It has represented the United States at arts festivals in over 40 different countries , and has completed 11 tours sponsored by the United States Department of State.

Following its New York Season , the company will travel to California, where it will embark on a tour that includes a four-week residency in San Francisco at the Center for the Performing Arts at Yerba Buena, as well as performances at the Ale x Theatre in Glendale. In June they will perform in Santiago, Chile , marking the beginning of the Company's two-year "Cultural Capitals of the World Tour".

Recent foreign tours include performances in Moscow at ADF Russia commemorating the city's 300th anniversary of its founding; in Lisbon at Expo '98 celebrating the opening of the World 's Fair; in Singapore and Hong Kong, marking the Company 's first performances in China ; and in several cities in India , representing the United States in a celebration of India's fiftieth year of independence. Following its month-long engagement in India, the Company received the Ambassador 's Award for Distinguished Service "for excell ence and creativity in fostering cross-cultural understanding. "

The Taylor Company is featured in Dancemaker, a soonto-be-released documentary film on the life of Paul Ta ylor, produced by the Four Oaks Foundation. The Compan y has also enjoyed major television exposure , both here and abroad. Following its first appearance on the " Dance in America " series in 1978 , the Company has appeared on PBS in seven different programs , including the 1991 Emmy Award -winning Speaking in Tongues. More recentCopyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

ly the Company worked with WNET/ New York to create a new "Dance in America " special, The Wrecker's Ball, which includes the dances Company B, Funny Papers and A Field of Grass. Broadcast nationally on PBS , The Wrecker 's Ball was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1997

BETTIE DE lONG (Rehearsal Director) was born in Sumatra, Indonesia , and moved to Holland in 1947 , where she continued her early training in dance and mime. Her first professional engagement was with the Netherlands Pantomime Company. After coming to New York City to st ud y at the Martha Graham School , she performed with the Graham Company, the Pearl Lang Company, John Butler and Lucas Hoving , and was seen on CBS-TV with Rudolf Nureyev in a duet ch oreograp h ed by Paul Taylor. Ms. de Jong h as been with the Taylor Company for over 35 years , having joined in 1962 . Noted for her strong st age presence and long line, she was Taylor's favor it e dancing partner and, as Rehearsal Director, has been his right arm for the past 24 years .

FRANCIE ,HUBER is from Kansas City, Missouri, wh ere she began her dance studies. She has also studied at the Joffrey Ballet , Martha Graham and Alvin Aile y sch ools. She was encouraged to attend The Juilliard School, where she earned a B FA While at J uilliard she performed works by Paul Taylor, Jose Limon , Anna Sokolow, and others She went on to perform with several modern dance companies in New York City Ms Huber made her debut with the Taylor Company in 1987 at the Berlin Opera House.

ANDREW ASNES , a grad u ate from Dartmouth Coll ege with a B .A. in film studies , studied dance under Pepe and Vicki De Chiazza. Prior to joining the Taylor Company in '89, he worked for the Ensemble Studio Theater and was assistant choreograp her for the Broadway Musical Big River. His choreograp h y has been shown at Avery Fisher Hall, The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse , The Helen Hayes Theater, Pace Downtown Theater, Marymount Manhattan Coll ege, and Purchase Coll ege. His work was performed by Rob e rt LaFosse with Margie Gillis and Friends during their 1997-1998 season As guest artist he h as toured Russia with the Stars of American Ballet, as well as improvising with the Parsons Dance Company. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Hopkins CenterlHood Museum at Dartmouth College. Mr Asnes also teaches at The Taylor School as well as other locations.

THOMAS PATRICK grew up in West Virginia and began his dance training at West Virginia University. After continuing his studies at the University of Cincinnati and dancing with the Cincinna ti Ballet, h e joined the Taylor Company in the Spring of 1989 In addi tion to performing with the Company, Mr. Patrick teaches on tour and at The Taylor School. He has appeared in numerous concerts since coming to New York, and his choreograph y has be en performed in New York and North Carolina.

CARYN HEILMAN has been a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company since 1989. She has a B.FA. from

Texas Christian and was awarded schol arships from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the American Dance Festival, as well as a graduate assistantship from TCU Her choreography has been in the repertor y of Contemporary Dance/ Fort Worth and New Century Danscene. Ms. Heilman is on faculty at the The Taylor School and teaches master classes for the Company while on tour

PATRICK CORBIN was born and grew up in Potomac, Maryl and. He began his dance trainin g under the direction of Bernard Spriggs at the District of Columbi a City Ballet in 1977 and continued at the Was hin gton Schoo l of Ballet with M ary Day and Alastair Munro and at the School of American Ballet wit h Stanley Williams an d Andre Kramarevski. He has danced with ABT II , the J offrey II Dancers and , from 1985 to 1989, with the Joffrey Ballet. He made his debut with the Taylor Compan y in 1989 and has become one of its mo st often featured dancers Mr. Corbin also teaches at The Taylor School.

RACHEL BERMAN is originall y from Honolulu, Hawaii, where sh e began her dance training. She also studied at the San Francisco Ballet School and was on sch olarship at the Joffre y Ballet , Alvin Aile y and Paul Taylor schools. Ms Berman received her B.FA. in dance from the State Universi t y of New York at Purchase and has performed with Ballet Hispanico , May O'Donnell, Kevin Wynn , DanceCompass and the Joyce ' Tristler Danscompany. She made her debut with th e Taylo r Compan y at the Spo leto F estival in Melbourne , Australia in 1989. Ms. Berman pres ented her own choreography as a guest artis t with the Tau Dance Theater in Honolulu in JJ.!Ile of 1998 She teaches a t the Taylor School as well as workshops throughout the world, most notably in London , Tokyo , and Hawaii. Ms. Berman is on the board of the Hawaii State Dance Council and is an active member of Dancers Responding to AIDS.

LISA VIOLA was born in San Francisco , Californi a and grew up in Honolulu , H awaii wh ere she received her early

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Paul Taylor has been a dominant force in dance for four decades.

Poul TOUI 1St Profiles

training. She continued her ballet studies in New York with David Howard and at the Joffrey School and the School of American Ballet. She has performed with DanceExpress, Sounddance, EastlWest Repertory Dance Ensemble , and with the Rod Rodgers Dance Company. Ms Viola was a scholarship student at The Taylor School from 1990 until the fall of 1992 , when she made her debut with the Company in Costa Mesa , California.

RICHARD CHEN SEE is from the island of Jamaica where he studied ballet, modern and Afro-Caribbean dance He has danced for companies in England, Jamaica and the United States , including Northern Ballet Theatre, Oakland Ballet and Oberl in Dance Company/ San Francisco. Mr. Chen See has worked professionally as a choreographer, children 's storyteller, dance teacher and coach. He is also a kayak instructor/ guide and often works with the physically disabled. His debut with the Taylor Company was at City Center in 1993

KRISTI EGTVEDT came to New York from Mukilteo, Washington to study on scholarship with Mary Anthony and Paul Sanasardo , joining Mary Anthony Dance Theatre a year later. She has also danced with Bertram Ross, Nai Ni Chen, Susan Jacobson & Dancers, Daniel Maloney's Dance Probe, Colin Connor, and spent two years with the Rebecca Kelly Dance Company Ms. Egtvedt was a scholarship student at The Taylor School before becoming a member of Taylor 2 in the summer of 1993. She made her debut with the Taylor Company during the 1993 New YorkCity Center season.

SILVIA NEVJINSKY was born and raised in Lisbon , Portugal, and she received her early dance training from Rui Horta and at the Ballet Gulbenkian School. From 1984 to 1989 she was a principal dancer with the Lisbon Dance Company, a contemporary repertory company. She moved to New York in 1989 and danced with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company for four and a half years, as well as appearing as a guest artist with several dance companies , including the Eglevsky Ballet, the Empire State Ballet, the New American Ballet Ensemble , and David Storey Dance Works. The October 1995 City Center Season marked her debut with the Paul Taylor Dance Comp any. She has taught in New York and abroad and currently studies with Finis Jhung and Wihelm Burmann.

ANDY LEBEAU began dancing with Taylor 2 in 1993 after graduating from the Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. While in Boston , he performed with Ballet Theatre of Boston , Spencer/ Colton , Boston Liturgical Dance Company and The Roxy Dancers. In New York, h e has performed with Cortez & Company, Mary Cochran and Thomas Patrick , and presented his own work at The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse . The 1995 fall tour marked his debut with the Taylor Company.

TAKEHIRO UEYAMA is from Tokyo, Japan, where he began his dance studies with Tatsuo Mochizuki In 1991 he came to New York to study at The Juilliard School where he received his degree in 1995. While at Juilliard he danced works by Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Agnes DeMille , Jiri Kylian , Lila York, and others . He currently studies ballet with Finis ]hung and Kazuko Hirabayashi. In December of 1995 he became a member of the Taylor Company.

TED THOMAS is a native New Yorker and attended the High School of Performing Arts. After receiving his B.F.A. from the State University of New York at Purchase , he went on to earn his Masters degree in Dance and Higher Education from New York University. He has performed with Ballet Hispanico , the Elisa Monte Dance Company, Louis and Nikolais Dance Company, Kevin Wynn Collection and Rebecca Kelly Mr Thomas joined the Taylor Company in June of 1996.

HEATHER BEREST was born in Manhasset, New York. She began her training with her mother, Olga Berest, and studied with Linda Zoffer and Ali Pourfarrokh She went on to earn a B.F.A. at the North Carolina School of the Arts and continues to study with Jocelyn Lorenz and Christine Wright. Before joining the Taylor Company, Ms . Berest danced with Neo Labos Dance Theatre, Momix, . Peter Pucci , Robert Wood Dance ASC and Martita Goshen The 1996/ 97 season marked her debut with the Taylor Company.

MAUREEN MANSFIELD began her dance training at Adelphi University under the direction of Norman Walker. As well as being a member of Peter Pucci Plus Dancers for 7 years , she has performed with the companies of Rebecca Kelly, Gail Gilbert , Robert Sorrentino and Rebecca Stenn. In 1995 , together with Yoav Kaddar, Ms. Mansfield created Double Dance , a dance performance program of solos and duets performed throughout Israel and Germany Her teachers include Megan Gillen , Christine Wright and Jocelyn Lorenz. A student at The Taylor School since 1986 , she toured India as an understudy with the Paul Taylor Dance Company in January of 1997 and joined the Company the following April.

MICHAEL TRUSNOVEC grew up in Yaphank , NY and started dancing at age si x In 1992, he was honored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and also named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts He furthered his dance training at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Te xas performing the varied works of Humphrey, Graham, Balachine, and Taylor After receiving his BFA in dance in 1996 , he began working with Taylor 2, and has also danced with Cortez & Company. Fall 1998 marks his debut with the Taylor Company

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Paul Taylor Dance

THE PAUL TAYlOR DANCE FOUNDATION, INC.

552 Broadway New York, New York 10012

Paul Taylor, Artistic Director

Ross Kramberg, Executive Director

Bettie de Jong, Rehearsal Director

Mary Cochra n, Director, Taylor 2

Jennifer Tipton , Lighting Designer I

Sa nto Loquasto, Costume Designer

D o na ld York, Music Director

Paul Taylor Staff Director 0/ Operations

John Tomlinson Director 0/ Marketing and Development

Darcy Gilpin

Special Assistant to the Executive Director

Jennifer Ramsdell Assistant Director

0/ Development

Lauriejean Reinhardt

Associate Company Manager

Pat Cioffi

Development Associate

Andrew Yick

Marketing Associate

Heather Heckman Administrator

Nicole Vandestienne

Studio Supervisor

George Wilson

Production Stage Manager

Stacey-Jo Marine

Lighting Supervisor

Tony Marques

Wardrobe Supervisor

Sabado Lam

Production Manager, Taylor 2

Donal ee Katz

Dance Notator

Robin Hoffman

Board of Directors

Paul Taylor, Chairman

Rob ert Hurwit z

Norton Belknap, President

Marjorie S. Isaac

Walter Scheuer, Executive Vice President

Hazel Kandall

Carole K. Newman, Vice President

Wilfred Koplowitz

Elise Jaffe, Vice President and Treasurer

Ross Kramberg

Robert E. Aberlin, Vice President

Melinda Asman Krasting

Walter Jaffe, Secretary

LeRoy Rubin

Sally Brayley Bliss

Samuel Scripps

Cecile Engel

William A. Shutzer

Armand B. Erpf

C.F Stone ill

Roger A. Goldman

Christine Wisner

Irene Hunter

Special Thanks

The Paul Taylor Dance Fo un dation gratefully acknowledges major support for touring, revivals, repertory preservation and new productions provided by numerous individuals and the following corporations and foundations: ABC, Inc. Foundation, The Buhl Family Foundation, Chase Manhattan Foundations, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Inc. , The Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust, The G ladys Delmas Foundation, The New York City D epa rtment of Cultural Affairs, Armand G. Erpf Fund, Alex J. Ettl Foundation, The Horace W Goldsmith :foundation, The Harkness Foundations for Dance, The Andrew W Mellon Foundation, The Metropolitan Life Foundation, The Jaffe Foundation, The Jaffe Family Foundation , Marsh & McLennan , JP Morgan Charitable Trust, The National Endowment for th e Arts , The New York State Council on the Arts, Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation , Inc. , Nonesuch Records, Philip Morris Companies Inc. , The Billy Rose Foundation, Inc ., The Fan Fo x and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. , The Shubert Foundation, Inc ., Starr Foundations , Time Warner Inc. , Nina W. Werblow Charitable Trust, Weil, Gotshal, Manges LLP (Listing as 0/ August, 1998)

Private Domain

Paul Taylor's autobiography, Private Domain , was published in April 1987 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc and in paperback in March 1988 b y North Point Press. The book was nominated by the National Book Critics Circle as the most distinguis h ed biography of 1987 To order a copy, send a ch eck or money order for $ 16.00 (includes shipping and handling ) made payable to th e Paul Taylor Dance Company, 552 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

The Taylor School Technique and repertory classes are held throu ghout the year and are taught b y major dance figures associated wi th Mr. Taylor during his career Additional information, schedules and registration forms are available from The Taylor Schoo l, 552 Broadway, New York, New York , 10012. (212) 431-5562.

Curious About Cremation?

After the curtain call, it's on with the show

Just a few minutes away, the night's excitement continues. The PACE and the ENERGY define a very different and exciting brand of fun. Hot gaming, fine dining, and four-star comfort. It's a fabulous feeling!

THE CAST

In order of vocal appearance

Tatyana

SVETELINA VASSILEVA* (M ay 15 , 19 & 22)

MARY MILLS (M ay 16m, 21 & 23 m)

Olga

JULIE DeVAERE

Larina

KATHLEEN SEGAR

Filipyevna, the Nurse CANDACE DELATTRE

Lenski

DAVID MILLER

Onegin

EVGENIj DMITRIEV (May 15 , 19 & 22)

VICTOR BENEDETTI (M ay 16m, 21 & 23m)

Triquet

ANDREW FOSTER t

Zaretsky/Captain

MATTHEW CARROLLt

Prince Gremin

JAMES PATTERSON

;, MOT D e but tMOT Artist Apprentice

onegin

May 15-23

Opera in three acts

Presented b y Michigan Ope ra Theatre

Music b y Peter Illyc h Tchaikovsky

Libretto b y Peter Ill ych Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky, based on the novel in ve rse by Aleksander Pushkin

World ,Premiere: March 17 , 1879 , Moscow

STEVEN MERCURIO Conductor

ROMAN TERLECKYj Director

PIER LUIGI SAMAR ITANI Scenery Design

JON LEHMEYER Costume Design

CHRISTINE SOLGER BINDER Lighting Design

GARY ECKHART Scenery Restoration Consultant

SUZANNE MALLARE ACTON Choru s Master

ELDAR ALiEV Choreographer

ELSEN ASSOCIATES Make-Up & Hair Design

JOHN KENNELLY Stage Manager

Surtitles owned by Th e Washin gton Opera English translation by Fr ancis Rizzo

The scenery for this production is a generous an d deeply appreciated gift of the Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa

Cost um es const ru cted and owned b y A. T. Jon es Cos tum es , Baltimore, Marylan d

General Motors.

The 1999 Spring seaso n is spon sored b y General Motors Corporation

Northern'frust BanI! T1w!Privale Bank

The Saturday, May 15 Opening Night performance is sponsored b y North ern Trust Bank

The Sa turd ay, May 22 p erformance is sponsored b y Lear Corporation

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

sette , Rura u la and

St. Petersburg, 18205

ACT I, Scene one The garden o/Mada me Lan'na's estate.

On a summer evening Madame Larina and the old nurse Filipyevna are making jam. Prompted by her daughter 's singing , Larina recalls her youth and loveless marriage Peasants return from harvesting , and the girls come out to watch their dancing. The sisters , opposite in character, react in different ways; Olga wants to join in the celebrations while Tatyana is lost in daydreams. Visitors are announced: Lensky, a young poet betrothed to Olga , has brought with him Onegin , who has just inherited the neighboring country estate . The couples stroll in the garden; Lensky reaffirms his love for Olga, and Tatyana supposes Onegin to be the hero of her dreams. When the y return , Filipyevna notices the impression the cold, sophisticated man has made on Tatyana.

Scene two Tatyana's bedroom

Tatyana confesses her love for Onegin to Filipyevna. Left alone, she pours out her feelings in a letter, and is still awake when Filipyevna returns at dawn. She persuades the nurse to arrange delivery of the letter.

Scene three Anoth er part 0/ the garden

As the women pick fruit, Tatyana arrives agitated at the prospect of seeing Onegin. His reaction to the letter is cold and correct: though touched by her declaration, he considers himself unsuited for marriage. He also urges her to greater self-control: other men could have responded unscrupulously.

ACT II, Scene one The reception room in Madame Larina's house .

At a ball in honor of Tatyana's name day, Onegin is annoyed to hear gossip linking his name to hers. He decides to take revenge on Lensky for bringing him to the party, and provokes him by dancing with Olga. Lensky's jealousy is aroused, and the two men begin to quarrel. Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel. Onegin , realizes his joke has gone too far, but there is nothing he can do, and the ball ends in uproar.

Scene two Outside the mill at dawn

Lensky awaits Onegin and contemplates his love for Olga. When Onegin arrives, Zaretsky, Lensky 's second, reminds the antagonists of the rules of duelling Both realize that reconciliation is possible, but their stubborness prevents it. Lensky is shot dead, and Onegin is horrified at what he has done.

ACT III, Scene one St. Petersburg, th e ballroom 0/ Prince Cremin's house.

Several years have passed during which Onegin , on distant travels , has tried to erase memories. No sooner has he returned than he finds himself drawn back into society. At a ball attended by Prince Gremin, Onegin is struck by the young Princess Gremin , and recognizes her as Tatyana . Gremin , a retired general, relates to his guests how his new marriage has transformed his life, and introduces Onegin to Tatyana. She is disturbed by their encounter, pleads fatigue, and leaves. Suddenly Onegin realizes that he is consumed with love for her.

Scene two A drawing room 0/ Prince Cremin's house. Tatyana, reading a letter from Onegin, is agitated b y his reappearance. When he rushes in and declares his love, she reminds him of his earlier coldheartedness , and wonders if his new interest has anything to do with her improved social position But Onegin 's passion and evident self-reproach for his past conduct quell her doubts. She admits that she loves him , but resolves to remain true to her husband and insists that Onegin leave. Onegin begs her to elope with him , but she rushes out, bidding him farewell forever. Onegin is left alone.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Tatyana supposes Onegin to be the hero of her dreams.

VICTOR BENEDETTI (title role), making his MOT debut, has appeared several times wirh Lyric Opera of Chicago and New York City Opera.

The versatile baritone's wide repertoire includes Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Escamillo in La Boheme and Marcello in Carmen In 1995 he created rhe lead role for rhe premiere of Bruce Saylor's Orpheus Descending. The finalist at Placido Domingo 's 1997 "Operalia" in Tokyo was winner of rhat year's George London Foundation Award

eugene onegi Qrtist Profiles

Michigan Opera Th eat re is proud to present th e followin g arti sts

JULIE DE VAERE

Mezzo-soprano

Juli e De Vaere (Alisa) is completing her second season at MOT, h aving also appeared in The Magic Flute, Manon , and Lucia di Lammermoor. Before rhat , rhe sourhern California native completed two seasons ;IS an Apprentice Artist wirh Opera Pacific, appearing in Die Fledermaus and Rigoletto. Her repertoire al so includes Nicklausse in The Tales o/Hoffmann, Zita in Giannz Schicchi, and C:herubino in The Marriage 0/ Figaro. Among her awards are a NATS Apprentice Artist Award and rhe Young Musicians Scholarship :

EVGENII DMITRIEV

Evgenij Dmitriev (Onegin) was born and raised in Salavat , Russia , and studied voice at rhe Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. The baritone recently appeared at rhe Vienna State Opera (Un Ballo in Maschera), and at rhe Inn sbruck Opera , Austria. In 1997 he portrayed Miller in a new production of Verdi's Luisa Miller at Canadian Opera , and rhe following season h e made his debut in France Last fall he made his U.S. debut in MOT's Lucia di Lammermoor

DAVID MILLER

Tenor David Miller (Lenski), from Colorado, returns to rhe Company one year after his successful debut as Ch evalier Des Grieux in Manon. He recen tl y appeared as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Flavio in Norma wirh rhe Pittsburgh Opera , and Romeo in [ Capuleti ed I Mont ecchi and F errando in Cosl/an tutte wirh rhe Pittsburgh Opera Cen ter Mr. Miller's reperto ire also includes Beppe in I Paglia cci, Wagner and Nerus in Me/zsto/ele and Ruggero in La Rondine.

KATHLEEN SEGAR

Mezzo-soprano

Kathleen Segar (Larena ) has sung more than a dozen roles with MOT, notably Smeton to Joan Sutherland's Anna Bolena. The versatile Ms. Segar has also appeared \vith rhe Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera , Opera Company of Philadelphia, and New York City Opera's National Company. Her wide and varied repertiore includes Th e MagIC Flute, Lucia di Lammermoor , Rigoletto, The Tales 0/ Hoffma n, Carmen, Eugene Onegin, Die Walkure , Ariadne au/ Naxos and The Ballad 0/ Baby Do e

MARY MILLS

Soprano Mary Mills (Tatyana) makes her rhird appearance at rhe Detroit Opera Houseshe performed at its opening gala and as Mimi in MOT's 1996 La Boheme Since th at time Miss Mills has performed in opera h ouses rhroughout rhe United States, Sourh America and E uro pe. Her diverse repertiore includes Zdenka (Metropolitan Opera, 1996) and rhe title role of J anack 's The Cunning Little Vixen (Washington Opera). Miss Mills was winner of rh e 1989 Metropolitan Opera auditions and rhe San Francisco Opera Center Audi tion s.

STEVEN MERCURIO

New York-born Steven Mercurio (conductor)

h as conducted rhe opera companies of Rome, San Francisco, Brussels, London, Seattle, Costa Mesa, Washington , Dallas and Pittsburgh, among oth ers. He was Mus ic Director of rhe Spoleto Festival (Italy ), Principal Conductor of rhe Opera Company of Philadelphia and Associate Cond u ctor of rhe Brooklyn Philharmonic. He is featured on many Sony Clas sical Label recordings and videos and has several film credits. Theluilliard alumnus is borh a champion 0 contemporary music and himself a prolific composer. This marks rhe Maestro's sevenrh visit to MOT.

JAMES PAITERSON

Since beginning his career as an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera in 1983, bass Jam es Patterson (Prince Gremin) has given more than 150 performances with that company including Sparafucile in Rigoletto , and Fafner in the company's widely acclaimed Ring cycle He has also sung with Chicago Lyric Opera (Tosca and The Force 0/ Destiny, among orhers), and ex t ensively in Canada. This is Mr. Patterson 's ninrh appearance with MOT; his most recent appearance here was as the Bonze in this spring's Mada me Butterfly

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

ROMAN TERLECKYI

Roman Terleckyj (director), born in Bradford, England , h as a long association \vith MOT. For the Company, he has directed productions of Carmen, Ariadne au/ Naxos, Turandot, La Boheme, Th e Marrzage 0/ Figaro, The Flying Du tchman, Aida and Manon. In 1993 Terleckyj became the first American awarded the Premio Abbiati by the National Association of Italian Music Criti cs for his direction of Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress at rhe Spoleto Festival in Italy. The former directing assistant to Gian Carlo Menotti was Director of Production for The Washington Opera from 1982 through 1996.

SVETELINA VASSILEVA

Making her MOT debut , Bulgarian soprano Svetelina Vass ileva (Tatyana ) is one of a handful of young artists emerging from Eastern Europe into the international spotlight. Career highlights include singing rhe title role in Fibich 's Sharka for the Wexford Festival; It Trovatore and Russian and Ludmila for San Francisco Opera; Don Carlo for Bulgarian State Opera ; a debut with Covent Garden in new productions of I Pagllacci and Th e Bartered BrIde; and her Canadian Opera Company debu t in Turandot. She ha s also sung concerts throughout Bulgaria , Russia , Poland and th e Netherlands.

by Scott Heumann

eighteen sevety-seven was "The Year of Fate," according to Tchaikovsky's biographer, David Brown Tchaikovsky was obsessed To his patroness, Nadezhda von Meek, he declared tbat his Fourth Symphony was about "that fateful force which prevents the impulse to happiness from attaining its goal , which jealously assures that peace and happiness shall not be complete and unclouded, which h angs above your head like the sword of Damocles , and unwaveringl y, constantly poisons the soul ."

.does

Indeed , 1877 was also the year that Peter Tchaikovsky wrote hi s most successful opera, Eugene

Onegin, based on Pushkin 's classic o poem written half a century

nngso true?

before. When the soprano Elizaveta Lavrovskaya first suggested Onegin, Tchaikovsky dismissed th e idea as untheatrical because it was a departure from the heroic subjects then in vogue. His own attempts at a conventional grand opera, however, such as Mezeppa and The Maid 0/ Orleans, had failed precisely because he found in th em so little that was relevant to his own life and emotions. The more he considered Onegin, the more fascinated he became, for this book mirrored his private concerns: love ,

duty, regret and above all, fate-or wh at a 20th-century poet would later call " the road not taken. "

Put simply, Eugene Onegin is an opera about ordinary human beings who love tbe wrong peopleor tbe right people at the wro ng time-and are fated to make choices tbat adversely affect th e rest of tbeir live s. The key characters are classics of 19th- century literature: the bored gentleman , the sincere country gi rl and the impetuous poet. The title character is a gentleman of leisure, flush with inherited wealth but disillusioned and bored . A quasi-Byronic figure , he does not know what he wants but what is available he finds trivial and unsatisfying . Tatyana , a simple country girl of seventeen when the opera begins , becomes a ' lady of fashion as tlle opera ends . Throughout, however, she is candid, sincere, and yearning for love. The poet Lensky, the third principal figure, is a romantic young man in love with Tatyana 's sister, the pretty but vap id Olga.

What is this construct of Tchaikovsky 's which contains a duel between friends and ill-fated lovers who bemoan their fate? "A psychological study of a small circle of people" is what the conductor Mitropoulos called this work; Tchaikovsky himself called it "lyric scenes," avoiding the term "o pera. " It is unique, a personal work lackin g the impact of grand opera yet speakin g to the heart with an almost cinematic directness.

This insecure, frightened man was also homosexual in an age less tolerant of sexual variety than ours Tchaikovsky brooded endlessly over his attraction to men , to which he referred in his letters by means of code-words or the letter "z," as in, "Z was bothering me again tod ay." The fact of his homose xuality is perhaps less important tb an how he felt about it. His brother Modest was also homosexual yet had none of the same emotional problems. Unlike him , Peter Tchaikovsky was terrified of exposure- as a public figure he perhaps had more to lose th an tbe less celebrated Modest- and he feared the lonel y fate of Onegin. We know from his attachment to his sister Ale xa ndra 's children that he longed for tbe stability of family life and, more pragmatically, he longed for a wife who wo uld be his badge of normality.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Why does Onegin rin g so true ? Perhaps it is that Tchaikovsky the man , and tbe circumstances of his life in 1877 , were so parallel to the opera h e was creating. He was hypersensitive, sickly, sh y and given to crippling anxiety attacks and morbid obsessions. For example , his first attempt at conducting was a failure because on the podium he was so anxious , that he became absolutely certain his head was going to fall off; from th at point on, the a udience saw the bizarre spectacle of the composer waving a baton feebly witb one hand and holdin g onto his chin witb tbe otber

At this vulnerabl e point for tbe composer, Onegin, witb its alienated hero and fatalistic messag e, entered his life and, coincidentally, so did Antonina Ivanova Milyukova . A total stranger, she wro te him a letter in which she claimed to have loved him for years , since her days as a student at the Moscow Conservatory, where he tau ght music. Tchaikovsky disre garded her first letter, but after beginning work on Onegin, he received a second letter, more passionate than the first The sinlliarity to Tatyana's letter was unmistak ab le: " You h ave the power to punish me with your contempt , but if yo u h ave a drop of pity, yo u will not abandon me I could never give my heart to anyone else in the world. It is the will of heaven , I am yo urs. All my life has been a pledge of our union. God sent you to me, you are my keeper till I die ."

Tchaikovsk y, after an exchange of lette rs, met the yo ung woman and found her pleasant enough. Since her object was cl early matrimon y, he e xp lained delicately what the nature of their marriage might be , in a manner perhaps not too different from Onegin 's speech to Tatyana: "If I wis hed to live

my life in the limits of the family circle, if Fate had decreed that I should play the role of husband and father , no doubt I would have sought no bride but you. But I was not made for wedded bliss, it is alien to my soul. Your perfections are in vain , for I am quite unworthy of them. Believe me , married life would be a torment for both of us "

Antonina, however, said that she understood and accepted him as he was . Although he was not in the l east attracted to h er, the composer began to regard it as his fate to marry this girl he barely knew. He confessed his plans to Madame von Meek in a letter which closed with this sentence : "In a day or two my marriage with , her will take place. What will happen after that I do not know If I am marrying without love, it is because circumstance conspired to make it impossible for me to do otherwise. "

The marriage was a dis aster wor:thy of a Russian novel. It l asted only two and a half months , at the end of which tim e Tchaikovsky had a complete nervou s breakdown, attempted suicide b y jumpin g into a freezing river and had to be rescued by his brothers. He never saw Antonina again , althou gh he provided for her the rest of his life.

Antonina was no Tatyana . She was unstabl e, possibly promiscuous and certainly unintelli gent. She seems to h ave pursued Tchaikovsky as "groupies" pursue rock stars today After their marriage th e composer was staggered to learn that his wife had never heard a note of his music. Even more re vealin g is what took place after Tchaikovsky left Antonin a to recuperate at the home of Modest.

Anatoly Tchaikovsky, brother of Peter and Modest , and the composer of Nikolai Rubenstein went to break the news to Antonina th at her husband was under orders from hi s doctor to avoid all contact with her She took the news calmly and offered her visitors tea ; and when Rubinstein stepped out the door, she turned to Anatoly with a smile and e x cl aimed , "I

certainly never ex pected that Rubenstein would take tea at my home toda y "

The trauma of Tchaikovsky 's marriage h ad interrupted Onegin two -thirds through , but once separated from Antonina, the composer resumed work on the score almost as a form of therapy

The man who had recentl y jumped into a river in despair found his feelings voiced in Lensky 's aria : " What does the dawn hold for me? In vain I try to see it. It li es hidden in shadow, for that is the l aw of Fate Whether I am pierced by the arrow, or whether it flies past me , it's all for the best. There is a time for waking and sleeping . Blessed b e the day of care , bl essed be the comin g of night "

Although with some composers , Mozart is an examp le , biograph y can be a misleading means of interpretin g a given score , with Tchaikovsky, life and art are almost inseparable. One gin , Tatyana and Lensky come alive on the stage today because they were personal icons for the composer In Tatyana 's yearning for love, in Onegin 's alienation , and in Lensky 's fata li sm , Tc h aikovsky found points of empathy that awakened his most sincere musical responses. Like the characters of his opera , he had confronted his destin y, made difficult choices and endured the consequences ; out of his experience came a document of comp ellin g truthfulness.

R eprin t ed co urtesy 0/ Sa n Diego Op era.

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sOfllson onO Oelilon

June 5-13

THE CAST

In order of vocal appearance

Samson

MARK lUNDBURG* Uune 5,9 &12)

IAN DE NOLFO Uune 6m , 11 &n 13m)

Abimelech

DONALD C. HARTMANN

High Priest of Dagon

GREGG BAKER

Messenger ANDREW FOSTER t

Old Hebrew

JAMES PATIERSON

Delilah

IRINA MISHURA

" MOT Debut

tM OT Artist Apprentice

Opera in three acts

Presented by Michigan Opera The atre

Music b y C amille Saint-Saens

Libretto b y Ferdinand Lemaire

based on the Biblical story in the Book of Jud ges World Premiere: December 2 , 1877 , Weimar

CHRISTI AN BADEA Conductor

DEJAN MILADINOVIC Director

ELDAR ALiEV Choreographer

ROBERTO OSWALD Scenery Design

BEN I MONTRESSOR Co stume Design

KENDALL SMITH LIghting Design

ELSEN ASSOCIATES Make-up and Hair Design

SUZANNE MALLARE ACTON Chorus Mast er

JOHN KENNELLY Stage Manager

The scenery for this production is owned by the Baltimore Opera. Costumes owned b y H ouston Grand Opera

II ' General Motors.

The 1999 Spring season is sponsored by General Motors Corporation

The Friday,June 11 performance is sponsored by Comerica, In corporated.

Saturda y, June 12 performance is spon so red b y the Detroit Edison Foundation

se tin Iblical times aza In

ACT I A public square in Gaza with the Temple 0/ Dagon, at night.

As the Hebrews bewail their bondage to the Philistines, Samson urges them to have faith in God (Arretez , 0 mes freres!). Abimelech enters , mocking their God and proclaiming the superiority of Dagon. He attacks Samson with a sword , but Samson grabs it and kills him. The Hebrews break their bonds and escape. The High Priest

Philistines to avenge the satrap's death (Maudite a jamais soit la race) . When a messenger arrives to report that the Hebrews are destroying the harvest, the Philistines run away.

As dawn breaks, the Hebrews return to the square, praying (Hymne de joie). Delilah and her maidens come from the temple, bearing garlands for the victorious Hebrews (Voici Ie printemps). When Delilah tries to seduce Samson , an old Hebrew warns him to beware The maidens dance voluptuously, trying to entice the Hebrew warriors . As Delilah sings that she will wait for her lover in the flower-scented valley (Printemps qui commence ), Samson prays for the strength to resist her charms.

ACT" Delilah 's ho use in the valley 0/ Sorek Delilah broods over ways to destroy Samson, the enemy of her gods, and calls upon the magic of love to help her (Amours! viens aider rna faiblesse! ) As lightning flashes in the sky, the High Priest arrives to enlist her aid in overcoming the Hebrews. He fuels her hatred by suggesting that Samson laughs at her attempts at seduction. Angered, Delilah vows to seek vengeance and to uncover the secret of Samson 's physical strength. In the midst of the storm, Samson arrives. Although he tries to resist , he is soon carried away by passion and succumbs to Delilah, who ecstatically sings the alluring Mon coeur s' ouvre atoi voix She begs to know his secret, but Samson refuses , denouncing her as a temptress. Angrily, she enters her house, but Samson follows. Shortly afterwards she calls triumphantly to the Philistines, who have been gradually creeping towards the house , and Samson cries out that he has been betrayed

ACT III, Scene one The prison at Ga za.

Chained and blinded by the Philistines , Samson turns a mill stone in the prison , begging God to take his life in return for his people's freedom (Vois rna misere , helas!) In the distance the voices of the Hebrews denounce Samson for having abandoned them (Samson, qu ' as-tu fait du Dieu de tes peres). Philistines enter and lead him away.

Scene two Th e Temple 0/ Dago n.

The Philistines celebrate their victor y over the Hebrews and dance a wild bacchanal Samson is led into the temple by a child He is mocked by the Philistines, particularly by Delilah , who recalls his former passion by singing snatches of the melodies heard in Act II. Samson asks to be led between the two pillars that support the temple roof. Praying to God for one last burst of strength (Souviens -toi de ton serviteur) , he seizes the pillars , which begin to give way A scream of horror erupts as the roof crashes down , burying Samson along with his enemies.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Photo: Courtesy of Michigan Opera Theat re Archives

stre

Since 1600 when Emilio de' Cavalieri's Representation 0/ the Soul and the Body was performed in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri during Roman carnival season , initiating a genre that would soon be called "ora torio ," there had usually been a distinction between the serious piety of oratorio and the fiery passion of opera. But some works connect to both worlds. Even Handel 's Samson, whose hero is vanquished by hedonism and lust, is actually opera camouflaged as oratorio .

The biblical account of Samson, the powerful Hebrew leader, and the beautiful and treacherous DeWah also appealed to '\19th-century French composer Camille Saint-Saens who, like Handel, wanted to torio on the story. Yet when Saint-Saens asked Ferdinand Lemaire for a libretto , the young poet declared , "An oratorio! No, let's make it an opera!"

d make it an

, they didof passion, lust, hatred , and vengeance, all supported by extraordinarily beautiful music and vivid spectacle , yet with the religious underpinnings and powerful choruses of -';3 ()r<l t()r,'() Al-

though more than ten years would elapse between conception and premiere, Samson and Delilah was worth the wait. Combining the best features of opera and oratorio , it is a work of striking beauty and dramatic power, one of the best-loved in the French repertory.

It was in 1867 that Saint-Saens, who had always admired Handel and Mendelssohn's oratorios and had grown up on the grand operas of Meyerbeer, and who enthusiastically supported the renewed interest in French choral music , began collaborating with Lemaire on Samson and Delilah. The composer outlined the story, based on Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges, and sketched in the musical nun1bers, while Lemaire , an amateur Creole poet who had married Saint-Saen's cousin, supplied the verses They omitted the mighty deeds that earned Samson his leadership of the Hebrews , presenting instead a man torn between duty to his people and love for a desirable woman. DeWah is portrayed as a wicked temptress, who seeks to destroy Samson , not merely out of loyalty to her gods or to her people, but because he dared to reject her.

• eSls

by Mary Wisc husen

most people predicting that no theater manager would stage an opera on a religious subject. Discouraged, Sa int-Saens abandoned the score.

A few years later Saint-Saens expressed his disappointment about Sa mson and Delilah to the composer Franz Liszt. Without even hearing the work, Liszt promised to secure a performance in Weimar, where he was music director. Encouraged, Saint-Saens resumed work on the opera. In the meantime , his La princesse jaune was premiered at the Opera-Comique in 1872 , but it was dropped after only five performances

In 1874 Saint-Saens' friend, the renowned mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot , for whom he had conceived the role of DeWah and to whom he eventually dedicated Samson and Delilah, organized a performance of Act II in a Parisian garden. When the composer saw the exotic scenery and costumes and heard Viardot 's DeWah , he exclain1ed, "Ab, how beautiful it is!" Yet the audience of theater managers and impresarios , including the director of the Paris Opera , was unenthusiastic, even hostile , considering the work too Wagnerian in its orchestration and use of motives. Moreover, despite many precedents, some people continued to be alarmed at the prospect of a biblical subject on stage. The following year, Act I was given a concert performance in Paris , but it was harshly criticized for "its absence of melody " and for "instrumentation which nowhere rises above the level of the ordinary."

Discouraged by the prospect of Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

By the time he began Samson and Delilah, Saint-Saens had already composed one opera , the opera fantastique Le timbre d'a rgent, although that work was not staged until early 1877 at the Theatre Lyrique in Paris. He began with the passionate second act, in which DeWah succeeds in seducing the powerful Samson, a portion of which was tried out in private performances later that year. The reception was cool, however, with

"An Oratorio! No, let's make -it an opera!"

ever h avin g Samson and Delilah produced , Saint-Saens once again l ai d th e score aside .

Finall y, as h e had promis e d , Lis zt succeeded in arranging a performance of th e opera in Weimar Saint-Saens comp l e t ed the score , and on 2 Dec em b e r 1877 Sa mson and Delilah was premi ered , in a German transl ation b y Rich ard Pohl , at Weimar's Grossherzogliches Theater. SaintSaens received an ovation after Ac t II , and wh e n th e final curtain fell h e was h eaped with l a urel w reath s. At a dinn er th at even in g, h e gra t efull y to as ted " our dear Lis zt " and l a ter d ecl are d that " but for Li sz t , Samson would never have existed." German conductor Hans vo n Bulo w wrote th a t Samson and Delilah was th e best and most successful op era of it s d ay {in all pr o babilit y wi th th e exception of Wagner 's) and that Saint-Saens was " th e only co ntemp orary mu sici an to have

garden, while colorful percussive effects acco mp a n y the e xo tic dances and intensify th e b a rbarism of th e Phili stin es. A subtle use of r ec urrin g themes and motives , also inspired by Wagner as well as by Saint-Saens' French p redecessors, impart s unity to an opera th a t has m an y di ve rse elements: contrapuntal choruses , psalm-like chant , d elic ate arias , and exotic d ances.

The ch a racter s ar e vivi dl y d raw n Delilah 's melodies are s ubtl y sensuous, imbu ed with a vo luptuous chromaticism, while Samson 's are noble and elegant. The l ove aria / duet th at is central to Act II is memorab le in its simplicity and n atur aln ess, ranking as one of the most b ea utiful in all of French opera. Even th e les ser characters , th e High Pries t , Abimelech, and the Old Hebrew, are carefull y d elinea ted through their musical lin es Lyrical declamation substitutes for bland recitative, an d Saint -

Saens ' wor d se ttin g I S always impeccable Saint-Saens we nt on to wr it e several more operas, but Sa mson and Delilah is his most im ag inative score, an d hi s onl y opera that remains in th e repertory. Although he was eventually to turn aga in st Wagner's music, Sa mson and Delilah was surel y influ e nced b y Der /li ege nde Ho lla'nder and Lo he ngrin. It also owes a debt to Handel's oratorios, Meyerbeer's grand operas , Berlioz's L'en/a nce du Christ and Les Troyens , Gounod's Faust, and th e entire repertory of Itali an romantic oper a. Indeed , with Samso n and Delilah Saint-Saens achieved a uniqu e synthesis of French , German , and Itali an style s; a fu sion of b aroq ue pageantry, cl ass ic repos e, and rom an tic frenzy; and a blend of sp iritu al fervor and carnal desire-in an opera on an ancient tal e th at is as modern as eve r

pr ofited us efull y from Wagner's ,----------- - -theorie s without allowin g him self to be l e d astray by th em." Thirteen years would elapse before Sam son and Delilah was s taged in the origina l F r enc h A second German production took place in H am burg in 1882 , and th e ope ra fina ll y re ce ived its French debut in Rou en in 1890. It was not produced at the P aris Opera until 23 November 1892.

Saint-S ae ns ' music is inspired , displaying his instinct fo r effec ti ve theater. There is no overture , but the somber mood is es tablish ed b y the opening chorus , in which the Hebrews be wail th eir captivity in chant- like phras es. Indeed , the choral w ritin g throughout is powerful , betr ayin g th e opera 's ge nesis as an oratorio. While owing a d ebt to both Berlio z and Wagner, th e instrumentation is distinctly individual an d hi ghl y ima ginati ve In Act I, A bimel ec h 's entrance is m a rk ed b y two op hicl eid es , an d Samson's fervor is und erscore d b y a h ar p The prelude to Act II paints a mu sical p ictur e of Delil ah 's tropical

Technological Craftsmanship

"but for Liszt, Samson would never have existed."

SOPlson &Oelil

ist Profiles

M ic hi ga n Opera Th ea tr e is pro ud to pres e nt th e fo ll ow in g art ists.

ElDAR ALiEV

(choreographed emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1992 and joined Ballet International as a principal dancer, and was named Artisic Director in 1994. The following season he premiered his first full-length ballet , A Tho usand and One Nights. His new, expanded ve rsion of The Nutcracker , seen last December at the Detroit Opera Hous<? has also earned cr iti cal acclaim. Under his direction , Ballet International recently premiered the first North American performance of Th e Creation 0/ the World.

CHRISTIAN BADEA

Christian Badea (Co nductor) has appeared reg ularily at the Metropolitan Opera (including the 1990-91 Gala Opening), the Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera in Toronto , Montreal Opera , Baltimore Opera and other North American companies. He ha s also enjoyed success throughout Europ e, conducting the Vienna State Opera (a new production of The Tales 0/ Hoffmann) , Bavarian State Opera, Hanlburg State Opera, the Grand Teatro Regio in Torino , and others. Maestro Badea 's extended discography features a Grammy Awardwinning recordin g of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra.

G

REGG BAKER

Gregg Baker (High Pri est of Dagon ) first appeared at MOT in 1982 (as Crown in Porgy and Bess), and has returned to sing in several 1 productions , including " the Detroit Opera House opening gala Thi s season the Metropolitan Opera also invited him back to sing Escamillo in Carmen and Amonasro in Azda under the baton ofJames Levin e. Other career highlights include th e role of Amonasro in a n ew Franco Zeffire lli production of Azda in Japan , and a Covent Garden performance of Porgy and Bess which was recorded an d releas ed on home video.

IAN DENO lFO

Tenor Ian DeNolfo (Samson), from Hawaii , is winner of th e 1996 Laurit z Melchior Heldentenor Award, and was recipient of the 1992 Opera Index Award and the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition Award. Since completing his st udies at tile Curtis Institut e in 1993 , h e has been in demand throughout Europe and North Amer ica. Career highlights include Macbeth with D eutsche Opel' Berlin , La Bohem e with the Dresden Opera , and the title roles in Washington Opera's prod uctions of Samson and Delilah and Wolf-Ferrari's Sly. MOT a udiences will rem em ber Mr. D eNolfo as Erik from the 1996 The Flying Dutchman and Radames in Aida (1997).

ANDREW FOSTER

1998-99 Young Artist Apprentice

Andrew Foster

(the Messenger) made his company debut as Arturo and Normano in last fall's LUCIa di Lammermoor. The previous seaso n he sang Bepp e in I Paglzaed and Rinuccio in Gianni Sehiechi \\rith OPERA!Lenawee. He has also appeared with Atlanta Opera, Savoyards Light Opera , the Repertory Th ea t re of St. Louis , Opera Maine and ISOMATA in Id yll wild. His repe rtoire includes The Turn 0/ the Screw , Aida, Faust , Norma and It Trovatore.

MARK LUNDBERG

Mark Lundberg (Sa mson ) has established hinlself as an im po rtan t figure in opera 's new generation P erforming as a Heldent enor for a relatively short period of time, he has mastered a formidable repertoire, including the ro les of Samson and Pagliacci. He has recently appeared with Austin Lyric Opera, Deutsche Opel' Berlin , Royal Scottish Opera and Stuttgart Opera , and can be h eard on the Calig recording label as Siegmund in Die Walkiire w ith I van Torz conducting. This is Mr Lundb erg's Michigan Opera Theatre debut.

DEJAN MllADINOVIC

Yugoslavian -born

Dejan Miladinovic

(Director ) ha s b een

Director of Belgrade

National Opera since 1978 , staging more than one hundred productions in Europe and abroad. Since making hi s American debut at Dall as Opera in 1990 (Prince I gor), his work ha s been seen throughout the United States. His work in this country ha s included Eugene Onegin , Aida, Don Carlos, The Flying Dutchman, La Gioconda, Carmen, Andrea Chenier and Madam e Butt erfly. For Michigan Opera Theatre , h e has directed Rigo letto (1997) and Turandot (1998).

IRINA MISHURA

For several years the leading mezzo-soprano of the Moldavian State Opera in Russia , Irina Mishura (D eWall) ; moved to th e U.S. in 1992 and caught the attention of the western opera world as Suzuki in MOT's Madame Butterfly. Performances throughout the U.S. soo n followed. She returned to MOT as Carmen in 1996 (a role she repeated at San Francisco Opera ), and Arnneris in Aida in 1997. The rising star, who no w calls D etro it home , will soon make h er Metropo li tan Opera d ebut.

DONALD HARTMANN Bass-baritone

Donald Hartmann (A bimelech ), born in Greensboro , No rth Carolina , h as appeared \vith Michigan Opera Theatre e ight times 's ince 1994. The veteran of more than seventy opera productions ha s a varied rep ert oire of dramatic and comedic roles He has sung Alfio (Cavallena Rustica na), Sacristan and Angelotti (Tosea ), the King (Azda), Don Giovanni , Marcello and Colline (La Boheme) , Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus) and many others . Dr. Hartmann is an Associate Professor of Musi c at Eastern Michi ga n University.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

JAMES PAITER SON

Since beginning his career as an Adler Fell ow with the San Francisco Opera in 1983, bass James Patterson (th e old Hebrew) has given more than 150 performances

"rith that company includin g Sparafuc il e in Rigaletto, and Fafner in th e company's widely acclaimed Ring cycle H e ha s also sun g \vith Chicago Lyric Opera (Tosca and The Force o/Destiny, among others ), and extensively in Canada This is Mr. Patterson's ninth appearance with MOT-his most recent appearance was as the Bon ze in thi s spring's Madam e Butterfly.

COOL STUFF FOR A HOT SUMMER

Learning at the Opera House '99

Michigan Opera Theatre's Summer Leaming Program

, Musical Theatre Workshop

Vocal Health

Jazz Demonstration-Lectures Crea te Opera!

Overcoming Stagefright Poetry

Women's Studies

Dance

History of Detroit's Arts Family Stuff

, , , and more than 70 other classes!

cali 313.237.3270 for a course catalogue

Michigan Opera Theatre 's Department of Community Programs , Karen VanderKloot DiChiera , Director

ooeror

Creativity abounds in the in spiring settings of th e De troit Op e ra Hou se

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

lar ges t variety of cl asses anywhere!

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

m iChigan ope r a theatre

Michigan Opera Theatre gratefully acknowledges the generous corporate donors who's contributions were made between July 1,1997 and June 30, 1998 . Their generosity p l ays an integral part in the Company's financial stability, necessary for producing quality grand opera, musical theatre and classical ballet. In addition to enjoying outstanding entertainment on stage, MOT contributors are offered a number of opportunities which allow them to observe the many phases of opera pro du ctio n , meet the artists, and experience oth er "behind the scenes" activities.

CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

G ra nd Benefac tor s

($2 00 , 000 and Abov e)

Ford Motor Company

1997" Fall Season Sponsor

1997 Opera Ball Sponsor

General Operating Support

General Motors Corporation

1998 Spring Season Sponsor

Porgy and Bess Production Sponsor

General Operating Support

Si gnal Benefactor s

($ 50 , 000 to $ 19 9, 000 )

Chrysler Corporation Fund

1997/ 1998 Dance Series Sponsor

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($25 , 000 to $ 49 ,9 99)

Ameritech

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($ 15 , 000 to $ 24 , 999 )

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The Eltxir 0/ Love Performance Sponsor

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Thomas Group, Inc.

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($10, 000 to $ 14, 999 )

Consumers Energy Foundation

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($5 ,000 to $9,999)

AlliedSi gnal Inc

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Kelly Services Inc.

Porgy and Bess Student Sponsor

Thomas Madison Incorporated

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($2, 500 to $4,999)

Alcoa Foundation

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($1 , 000 to $2 , 499 )

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GenCorp Worldwide Vehicle Sealin g

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Porgy and Bess Patron Sponsor

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($5 00 to $999 )

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Support er s

($100 to $499 )

The Aldoa Company

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Ash Stevens Inc.

The Birmingham Musicale

B & W Cartage Company

The Broad Group

Carhartt, Inc.

CBS Television Network

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Kemp , Klein , Umphrey & Endelman Foundation

The Kroger Company of Michigan

Maddin , Hauser, Wartell , Roth , Heller & Pesses, Pc.

Meijer, Inc .

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Mu Phi Epsilon

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Opus One

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PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Schreiber Corporation

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The FD. Stella Products Company

The Tuesday Musicale

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FOUNDATION AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

National Endowment for the Arts

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$ 100, 000 and above

McGregor Fund

The Skillman Foundation

M ajor Ben efactor

$2 5, 000 - $99 , 999

Matilda R. Wilson Fund

Ben efactor s

$ 15, 000 -$ 24,999

J ames and Lynelle Holden Fund

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

David M Whitney Fund

Mr. & Mrs. Jo sep h].

Franzem

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Ha go pian

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Hart

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Impastato

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Kasle '

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Knob lauch

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Hon Ja ck Ma rrin & Dr Bettye ArringtonMartin

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Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Pickel

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rmation

PHOTOGRAPHY AND RECORDING DEVICES Unauthorized cameras and recording devices are not allowed inside the theater at any time The taking of photographs of the theater or any performance is strictl y prohibited As a courtesy to our guests, we ask that all paging devices and alarm watches be switched to a silent mode prior to the start of a performance.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Doctors and parents are advised to leave their seat location (located on ticket ) and our emergency number, 313 / 237 -3257 , with the service or sitter in case of an emergency. Please observe the lighted exit signs located throughout the theater. In the event of fire or similar emergency, please remain calm and walk - do not run - to the nearest exit. Our ushers are trained to lead you out of the building safely A trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is on site during all events. Please see an usher or staff member to contact the EMT.

basis. Please see an usher or Ticket Office representative to request this service. Although this is a complimentary service , we will request to hold a piece of personal identification while you are using the device If you desire other special consideration please inform the ticket office when purchasing your ticket.

CHILDREN Children are welcome , however, all guests are required to hold a ticket, regardless of age. We kindly ask that parental discretion be exercised for certain programs , and that all guests remember that during a program such as opera or ballet , the ability of all audience members to hear the music is a prerequisite to enjoyment of the performance In all cases, babes in arms are not permitted.

RESTROOMS

Ladies ' restrooms are located off the Ford Lobby (Broadway side) , down the stairs and also on the third floor (Madison side). Please press 3R on the elevator. Gentlemen 's restrooms are located under the Grand Theatre staircase, down the stairs and also on the third floor (Broadway side) Please press 3 on the elevator. Please note: All third floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible

NO SMOKING Detroit Opera House is a smoke-free facility. Ash receptacles are provided on the exterior of all entry doors for those who wish to smoke.

USHERS Ushers are stationed at the top of each aisle. If you have a question or concern, please inform an usher, and they will contact management. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer usher, please call the usher hotline at 313 / 237-3253.

LATE SEATING POLICY Latecomers will be seated only during an appropriate pause in the program , and will be asked to view the program on closed-circuit television monitors located in the lobbies until an appropriate program pause occurs. Late seating policy is at the discretion of the production, not opera house management.

LOST AND FOUND Lost and Found is located in the Security Department. Please see an usher if you have misplaced an article, or call 313 / 961 -3500 if you have already left the theater Items will be held in Lost and Found for thirty days.

PARKING Parking is available for all events in the Opera House Parking Lot and the Opera House Garage, located directly across John R. from Detroit Opera House on Broadway Pre-paid parking is available through the box office Please call 248 / 645-6666 for parking information.

ACCESSIBILITY Accessible seating locations for patrons in wheelchairs are lo cated in all price ranges on the orchestra level. When inquiring about tickets, please ask about these locations if you require special accommodations. Assisted Listening Device s are available on a first -come, first -serve

SERVICES Concession stands are located on all levels. Please note: Food and drinks are not allowed in the auditorium at any time. Coat Check is located in the Madison lobby. The cost is $1.00 per coat. Please note that Detroit Opera House does not accept responsibility for any personal articles that are not checked at the Coat Check. Drinking fountains are located in the lobbies on floors 1 and 3. Public pay phones are located in the vestibule of the Ford Lobby and in the restrooms. Patrons in wheelchairs can access pay phones through the Broadway storm lobby.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Detroit Opera House is available for rent by your organization. Please call Brett Batterson , DOH Manager, at 313 / 961-3500 to receive rental information. Tours are available for individuals at predetermined times throughout the year and for groups by appointment. P lease call 313 / 961 -3500 to inquire about our tour schedules and prices.

TICKET INFORMATION

Detroit Opera House Ticket Office hours are: Non-performance weeks: Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m to 5:30 p.m.Performance days: 10:00 a.m. through the first intermission of the evening 's performance , except Saturdays and Sundays when the Ticket Office will open two hours prior to curtain. Tickets for all public events held at Detroit Opera House are also available through all TicketMaster phone and retail outlets.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

EMERGENCIES: : .313 / 237-3257

Detroit Opera House

General Information: .313/961-3500

Lost & Found: .313 / 961-3500

Ticket Office: .313 / 237-SING

Usher Hotline: .313 / 23 7 -3253

Theater Rental Information: .313/961-3500

Michigan Opera Theatre: .313/961-3500

Detroit Opera House Fax: .313 / 237-3412

Press and Media Relations: .313 / 237-3416

E-Mail address: motopera.org

Internet address: .. .. .. ..... ... ..... ... ........ http: //www.motopera.org

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Madame Butterfly Casting Information

Cia-Cia-San

SUN XIU WEI (April 17, 21 , 24, May 1)

NATALIA DERCHO (April 18m, 23, 25m, May 2)

Supers (Men)

HENRY COUCKE

STAN GAWEL

JOE GORALCZYK

ASHTON HOPKINS

DAVID KIRSCH

JEFF KIRSCH

BILL KUPSKY

DAVID ODENBACH

PAUL PLAMONDON

BILL ROSS

JONATHAN SCHNEIDER

RICHARD SWITZER

SEAN THOMAS

MIKE TRAPP

WILLIAM WILFORD

Supers (Women)

CHRISTINE LIM

TARINA POUNCY

JENNIFER SECORD

ROSE MARIE STOLK

Sorrow

JILLIAN HOFFMAN

ANDREA LEWELLEN (understudy) Special thanks to D.C.C. for providing eyeware Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Eugene Onegin

Additional Cast

JEFFREY BLACK, in his MOT debut, will sing the title role May 16,21 , and 23 . Born in Brisbane, Australia, he began his career in 1984 when, at the age of 21, he joined the Australian Opera as a principal artist. Two years later he made his European debut as Harlequin iri Ariadne auf Naxos in Monte Carlo and his British debut as Sid in Albert Herring at the Glyndebourne Festival. His repertory also includes Romeo and Juliet, La Boheme , The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville and Tannhiiuser. Mr. Black has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, the Netherlands Opera, Geneva Opera, and the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich.

VICTOR BENEDETTI, originally scheduled to sing the title role, withdrew from the production due to illness. We wish him a speedy recovery .

PROFILE OF OUR JOYCE H. COHN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Michigan Opera Theatre Young Artist Apprentice Andrew Foster (Triquet) is the 1998 / 99 Joyce H. Cohn Scholarship winner. He made his company debut as Arturo and Normano in last fall's Lucia di Lammermoor; he also appeared in this spring's Madame Butterfly. The previous season he sang Beppe in I Pagliacci and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with OPERA!Lenawee. Mr. Foster has appeared with Atlant<} Opera, Savoyards Light Opera, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Maine and ISOMATA in Idyllwild. His repertoire includes The Turn of the Screw, Aida, Faust , Norma and II Trovatore.

THE JOYCE H. COHN APPRENTICESHIP AWARD FUND

The Joyce H. Cohn Apprenticeship Award Fund was founded in 1991 to provide annual scholarships to MOT's most promising operatic talents . The award is named for the late Joyce Cohn, MOT Founding Board Member, who quietly gave financial assistance to deserving young talent and publically championed programs that advanced the careeers of future opera stars.

DANCERS

MindiBower

Lindsey Hanlon

Andrey Kasatsky

Vadim Pijicov

Rachel Rutland

Janna Sinitsyna

Oybek Tashpulatov

PeterVolz

SUPERS

Austin Andres

Rene Bacon

Ramsay Coronado

Matt Daigler

Joe Goralczyk

Becky Head

Richard Hill

Jillian Hoffinan

Jeff Kirsch

Mary Kurtz

Fred Lebowitz

Mary Malaney

Maddie Merritt

David Piotrowski

Richard Switzer

Mandie Woollcott

Special thanks to HAGOPIAN RUGS.

WIG CREW

April Jones-Boyle

Mary Elizabeth Corbett

Theresa Donnelly

Corinne Fine

Gretchen Gonzales

Violeta Kapayo

Karlie Louks

Leslie Louks

Parker Plague

Marta S'awczuk

Therese Shmina

Ann St. Peter

Marta Stefaniuk

Robyn Williams

Michigan Opera Theatre archive recordings are engineered by Dan Dene, assisted by Rudy Lauerman. Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

OUR DELILAH WILL SING AT THE MET

Michigan Opera Theatre star Irina Mishura will make her Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2000-2001 season.

Once a star of the Moldavian State Opera, Irina was forced to give up her career and flee her homeland when ethnic violence broke out following independence. The suddenly unknown singer landed in Detroit in 1992 and struggled professionally before David DiChiera cast her as Carmen. She caught the attention of the opera world, and became an "overnight" success .

Over the last two seasons she has triumphed in San Francisco, Dallas, Vienna, Munich and other Cities throughout North America and Europe. Soon she will sing at the Met. Some opera stories have happy endings .

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION INFORMATION

BERNARD UZAN (director), General and Artistic Director ofL'Opera de Montreal, brings his cre. ativity and expertise to Detroit for the season's final opera. A native of France, Mr. Uzan staged his first , operas in 1982 with the Lake George Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The following year he made the first of six visits to MOT. In North America, his productions have graced stages in San Franciscp, Dallas, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, New Orleans and others. Engagements throughout Europe and South America have included those in Zurich, Monaco, Palermo, Lyon, Marseilles, Mexico City and Buenos Aires.

DEJAN MILADINOVIC, originally scheduled to stage the production, was forced to withdraw due to travel restrictions in Yugoslavia. We look forward to a return engagement by Mr. Miladinovic in the near future.

Guest Artists of Ballet Ilttemational

ERLANDS ZIEMINCH (principal dancer) returned to Ballet Internationale in the 1996-97 season from New York City Ballet where he won critical acclaim as soloist in George Balanchine's Firebird, Diamonds, Concerto Borocco, and Vienna Waltzes. A native of Latvia, Ziemlinch attended the Riga Choreographic Institute and joined the Ballet of the Latvian National Opera. He toured Italy, the USSR, France, Singapore , Malaysia, Sweden, Norway and Egypt before coming to the U.S. in 1990. His classical repertoire includes lead roles in Giselle, Swan Lake , Don Quixote , Paquita, Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.

SARA VIALE (principal dancer), a native of Italy, studied at the Accademia della Danse de Princess Grace in Monaco and the Accademia Regionale di Danza Teatro Nuovo Torino . She danced in Italy with T.N.T. and Ater Balletto, and in Switzerland with Zurich Ballet. Ms Viale is in her seventh season with Ballet Internationale where she has enjoyed. critical acclaim for solos in Carmen, A Thousand and One Nights, The Creation of the World , and The Nutcracker Ms Viale is on the faculty of Ballet Internationale.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Melinda Bower, Lindsey Hanlon, Andrey Kasatsky, Vadim Pijicov, Rachel Rutland, Janna Sinitsyna, Oybek Tashpulatav, Peter Valz

THE JOYCE A. COHN ARTIST APPRENTICESHIP AWARD FUND

The Joyce H. Cohn Apprenticeship Award Fund was founded in 1991 to provide annual scholarships to MOT's most promising operatic talents The award is named for the late Joyce Cohn, MOT Founding Board Member, who quietly gave financial assistance to deserving young talent and publicaUy championed programs that advanced the careers of future opera stars. This year's Joyce H. Cohn Scholarship winner is University of Michigan voice student Andrew Foster, who performs the role ofthe Messenger in the current production. This season he also appeared as Arturo and Normano in Lucia di Lammermoor, , Goro in Madame Butterfly and Triquet in Eugene Onegin.

Supers

Danny Bradley

Amanda Clampitt

Matt Daigler

Bruce M. Davis

Ellen Dickson

Dellashon DiCresce

Ira Harris

Frank Kong , Chester Kosulinski

Wig Crew

April Jones-Boyle

Mary Elizabeth Corbett

Carolyn D' Ambrosio

Corinne Fine

Gretchen Gonzales

Randy Kulhanek

Steve La Grassa

Kim Marsh

David Odenbach

Paul Plamondon

Karla Roberson

Bill Ross

Jonathan Schneider

Jennifer Secord

Jim Slowik

Sean Thomas

Nate Topie

Ted VanDusen

AI Wisnieski

Patrick Woollcott

Julie Yurconis

Carol Hudson

Violeta Kapayo

Karlie Louks

Leslie Louks

Parker Plague

Musical preparation by George Darden.

Marta Sawczuk

Therese Shmina

Deldon Treece

Lannon Unick

Robyn Williams

This production is jointly owned by L'Opera de Montreal and Baltimore Opera Company. Additional costumes provided by Malabar Ltd ., Toronto .

Archival recordings engineered by Dan Dene with assistance by Rudy Lauerman .

WARNING: THIS PRODUCTION USES STROBE LIGHTING

Did you register for your classes at Learning @ The Opera House '99 yet?

To see the class catalog online, please visit: http://leamingattheoperahouse .detroit.net

Come discover what you can learn this Summer at the Detroit Opera House.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

ver: 4127/99

1. Roman Carnival Overture, op. 9

2. Lamento di Federico from L' arlesiana • Carreras

3. 0 Souverain, from Le Cid • Domingo

4 Recondita armoniafrom Tosca • Pavarotti

.5. Musica Proibita· Carreras

6. Granada • Pavarotti

7. No puede ser from La Tabemera del Puerto • Domingo

8. Melange de Roman • Carreras, Domingo , Pavarotti

Sous Ie ciel de Paris

Solamente una vez

Maria, Marl!

Torero Quiero from El Gato Montes

Parlarni d'amore Mariu

Tu, ca nun chiagne!

Manha de Camaval

Ti voglio tanto bene

James Levine, Conductor

Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra

BERLIOZ

CILEA

MASSENET

PUCCINI

GASTALDON

LARA

SOROZABAL

Arr. Lalo Schifrin

JEAN DREJAC, HERBERT GIRAUD

AUGUSTIN LARA

E. DICAPUA

M.PANELLA

C. BIXIO

E.DE URTIS

II BONFA

E. DE CURTIS

Intermission

. Voce ' e Notte • Carreras De CURTIS

10. Dein ist mein ganzes Herzfrom Das Land des Uichelns· Domin go LEHAR

1. Caruso • Pavarotti

12 Bacchanale from Samson and Delila (orchestra)

13. Improvisio from Andrea Chenier· Carreras

14. E1ucevan Ie stelle from Tasca • Domingo

15. Nessu Dormafrom Turandot· Pavarotti

16. American Medley • Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti

Mariafrom West Side Story

Tonightfrom West Side Story

yWay

L. DALLA

Arr. Wirn Bohets

SAINT-SAENS

GIORDANO

PUCCINI

PUCCINI Arr. Lalo Schifrin

BERNSTEIN

BERNSTEIN

JACQUES RAVAUD

MERCERIMANCINI

D' HARDELOT

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN

Arr. Rob Mathes

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre