The Atlanta Opera: Cabaret/As One, June, 2022

THE ATLANTA OPERA

JUNE 2 - 19, 2022

BOOK BY JOE MASTEROFF BASED ON THE PLAY BY JOHN VAN DRUTEN STORIES BY CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD MUSIC BY JOHN KANDER LYRICS BY FRED EBB ORIGINALLY CO-DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY ROB MARSHALL ORIGINALLY DIRECTED BY SAM MENDES

FESTIVAL

AT PULLMAN YARDS

JUNE 9 & 11, 2022

MUSIC & CONCEPT LAURA KAMINSKY LIBRETTO MARK CAMPBELL & KIMBERLY REED FILM KIMBERLY REED

THE DISCOVERIES SERIES SPONSORED BY

ALSO SUPPORTED BY

The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Livingston Foundation

C A B A R E T

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A S

O N E

W E LCO M E Letter From Tomer Zvulun . . . . . .

Come As You Are. . . . . . . . . . . .

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C A B A R E S P O N S O Sponsors. . .

Credits. . . .

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T R S & C R E D I T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F E AT U R E S Director’s Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

P age8

Written by Tomer Zvulun

Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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B E H I N D T H E C U R TA I N Cast & Creative. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Atlanta Opera Orchestra. . . . . 30 A S O N E S P O N S O R S & C R E D I T S Sponsors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 F E AT U R E S Director’s Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Written by Stephanie Havey

Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

P age 46

B E H I N D T H E C U R TA I N Cast & Creative. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 C O M M U N I T Y Community Engagement.. . . . . . . 46 L E A D E R S H I P Board of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . 48 Executive Committee/Advisory Councils.. 49 Staff.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

cover images: Erik Teague, 2022 for The Atlanta Opera

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welcome

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Welcome to Pullman Yards. A brand new immersive experience for us and you, our audience. The pandemic has taught us so much about transforming a found space into a theatrical environment. Our talented technical team was able to convert a deserted baseball field into a magical circus tent where full-scale operas were performed. Now we are entering a new phase: turning a dilapidated warehouse into the chic Kit Kat Klub. At the Opera, we believe anything is possible with a little courage and imagination.

We are pushing the boundaries not only with our environment, but also with repertory choices. We have programmed many popular cross-over pieces over the past few years. From West Side Story to Sweeney Todd and The Threepenny Opera, we have experimented with different musical styles. However,Cabaret is new territory for us, and again, it emerged from the pandemic. During the tent series, we forged groundbreaking partnerships with diverse artists: dancers, puppeteers, actors, and circus performers. These experiences led us to some of the most unlikely, memorable theatrical and musical moments we have ever experienced. We are taking this vital synergy a step further and presenting a piece that will truly celebrate these artists’ diverse talents: the musical Cabaret presented alongside the new opera, As One. As the leader of an opera company, I believe in challenging expectations—not because I don’t value and revere the operatic tradition, but because it takes us into something even more fundamental about this 400-year-old craft. Opera has always defied convention to reveal the truth, be it political, social, or psychological.

Opera takes us into the human heart and does so with a shocking level of poignancy and clarity. If we can achieve this by staging new productions in the ruins of a 20th century industry, I say, why not?

I’m especially pleased to bring these shows to the historic Kirkwood neighborhood, a burgeoning community that boasts wine shops, craft beer, and a massive Easter egg hunt. The Atlanta Opera is here to demonstrate that the Opera belongs to the community, and it belongs in the community. It has a singular capacity to say important things about our lives. And it’s a whole lot of fun.

I hope you enjoy the shows. And if you like us, tell your friends and come back for more. Because if you think tonight’s production is something special, wait ‘til you see what we have in store for next season.

Tomer Zvulun Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director

6 | comeasyouare

FESTIVAL Welcome to The Atlanta Opera’s Come As You Are Festival at Pullman Yards.

The driving force behind the Come As You Are Festival is to create a sense of openness and welcome. As an art form, opera has changed and evolved over its 400-year history, and as we come out of the pandemic, The Atlanta Opera remains as committed as ever to innovating and bringing new experiences to Atlanta audiences.

Our residency at Pullman Yards this June is part of the 10year journey of the opera’s Discoveries series, which brings performances of contemporary opera to unexpected locations in neighborhoods throughout our region.

Cabaret and As One are fantastic examples of contemporary theatrical works that address the ugliness of labeling people as “others.” As we gather together in this unexpected place to enjoy art together, we urge you to take your exploration even further.

The Atlanta Opera has been proud to partner with Out Front Theatre Company, Out on Film, and The Atlanta Pride Committee for a series of Community Programs in May and June that celebrate gender expression and identity through art.

We had fun at a screening of the 1972 Cabaret in May, and delved into meaningful discussions about art and queer identity at Out Front Theatre on May 17 (you can view the panel discussion at stream.atlantaopera.org).

On June 13, we urge you to join us at a film screening of The Sound of Identity, featuring As One’s Lucia Lucas.

The filmmakers will be in attendance, and we are grateful to Out Front Theatre Company for being our host throughout the festival.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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Lucia Lucas is playing Hannah in The Atlanta Opera’s production of As One, and it will be the first time she has ever played a transgender character on stage. Lucia is a proud “heldenbaritonisten” and speaks openly of her journey as a transgender woman in opera.

The Sound Of Identity is a unique, history making, feature length documentary. It features the first ever transgender woman performing an opera lead in the U.S. with a professional company, in a standard work. And, it happened in Tulsa. Playing Don Giovanni, Lucia Lucas breaks archaic social barriers, making way for other trans opera performers. The New York Times says “...as her booming, powerful baritone ricocheted off the walls, Ms. Lucas, 38, became the (Don Giovanni) character...” The Guardian calls Ms. Lucas “a rising star” while the San Francisco Chronicle says while she “boasts a robust, flexible baritone… these (the) roles open up new dramatic vistas.”

Lucia will join filmmaker James Kicklighter and Executive Producer Andy Kinslow for a talkback following the screening. Hosted by Out Front Theatre, this is the third and final event in the Come As You Are series of events.

The event is FREE. Registration is required at outfronttheatre.com.

THE SOUND OF IDENTITY

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING & TALKBACK MONDAY, JUNE 13 @ 7PM OUT FRONT THEATRE COMPANY

8 | cabaretsponsors THE DISCOVERIES SERIES IS SPONSORED BY

The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation THE DISCOVERIES SERIES IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY

The Livingston Foundation

CABARET IS SUPPORTED BY

The Antinori Foundation, Alfredo Martin & Beau Aero THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT IS SUPPORTED BY

Eva & Robert Ratonyi

Official Beverage of The Atlanta Opera Veterans Ticket Sponsor

This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency—the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

THE ATLANTA OPERA DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Barnes Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Laura & Cosmo Boyd Harold Brody & Donald Smith John & Rosemary Brown Dr. Frank A. Critz & Dr. Ann Critz Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Carl & Sally Gable Beth & Gary Glynn Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross John L. Hammaker Howard Hunter, Gramma Fisher Foundation

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mary Ruth McDonald James B. Miller, Jr. Talia & John Murphy Victoria & Howard Palefsky Mr. William E. Pennington Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg Katherine Scott Mr. William F. Snyder Judith & Mark Taylor Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle

*deceased

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cabaretcredits

CABARET

BOOK BY JOE MASTEROFF BASED ON THE PLAY BY JOHN VAN DRUTEN STORIES BY CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD MUSIC BY JOHN KANDER LYRICS BY FRED EBB ORIGINALLY CO-DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY ROB MARSHALL ORIGINALLY DIRECTED BY SAM MENDES

CONDUCTOR Francesco Milioto STAGE DIRECTOR Tomer Zvulun SCENIC DESIGNER Alexander Dodge COSTUME DESIGNER Erik Teague LIGHTING DESIGNER Marcella Barbeau WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Melanie Steele PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Nicholas Hussong CHOREOGRAPHER Ricardo Aponte INTIMACY DIRECTOR & FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER Michelle Ladd Williams SOUND DESIGNER Jon Summers FILMED MEDIA Felipe Barral & Amanda Sachtleben ASSOCIATE SCENIC DESIGNER Emma Antenen ASSOCIATE PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Nicholas Chimienti ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER David Young CAST EMCEE Curt Olds SALLY BOWLES Aja Goes HERR SCHULTZ Anthony Laciura CLIFFORD BRADSHAW Billy Tighe

ERNST LUDWIG / MAX Lee Osorio FRÄULEIN KOST / FRITZIE Deborah Bowman FRÄULEIN SCHNEIDER Joyce Campana BOY SOPRANO Max Cook

ENSEMBLE GORILLA / VICTOR Brandon Nguyen FRENCHE Gwynn Root Wolford CUSTOMS OFFICIAL Curt Olds HERMAN Jacob Attaway RUDY / HANS Patrick Coleman

ROSIE Rachel Shiffman LULU Bailey Jo Harbaugh TEXAS Matti Steriti HELGA Terelyn Jones BOBBY Peyton McDaniel Davis

MUSICAL PREPARATION Elena Kholodova ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Stephanie Havey ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Tamara Dworetz PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Megan Bennett ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Caitlin Denney-Turner & Kristin Kelley Approximate running time: two hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission.

This production of CABARET is a new production by The Atlanta Opera.

CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

10 | cabaretdirector’snote

Director’s Note WRITTEN BY

OREL COHEN

Tomer Zvulun

As a director, I’m always mindful of my audience. But in Cabaret, the audience is more than a passive observer, it is essential to the storytelling. This is why we chose the immersive environment you are in. The events in this story happened a century away from our current times and the world today is completely different, yet somehow nothing has really changed.

The story of Cabaret was conceived by Christopher Isherwood who immortalized his own experiences in interwar Berlin, a city under severe economic distress—but with a spirited nightlife. Not unlike the lost generation in the nearby French Capital, the story of Cabaret has the feel of a huge canvas with seismic events unfolding yet we’re seeing it through intimate portraits of people who don’t quite fit in. Like most everyone, these characters live in pursuit of dreams, love, and rent. But their world is coming unglued, so they come to the Kit Kat Klub for human connection and escape. 100 years on, we know something they don’t know: their only escape is to drop everything and leave Europe.

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During the 1920s, Adolph Hitler created his own narrative and used propaganda to support his egomaniacal ambitions. By repeating his lies, he quashed dissent and turned a population against the free press. At the same time, he acquired a newspaper and fomented hatred toward Jewish people, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and Eastern Europeans. Fast forward to a hundred years later, in the same continent, have things really changed that much?

I wish Cabaret were a history piece; current events say otherwise. This show reminds us that there are plenty of manipulators who will ramp up prejudice to score political gains and feed their ambitions for power. As always, the people caught in the aftermath of these hunger games are both the real victims and heroes of the time.

ERIK TEAGUE

Cabaret happens in the twilight of the Jazz Age, when nightlife was a balm for a crumbling society. Pullman Yards takes us there. (What better place to convey urban decay than a historical train depot?) With our discovery series, we’ve gone about as far from the ivorytower opera house as you can get. Tonight’s show is a cautionary tale. I hope you find it fun and entertaining, but also a timeless slice of truth about our human condition.

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12 | cabaretsynopsis Cabaret SKETCHES BY

Erik Teague

ACT I Germany, New Year’s Eve, 1929: The Master of Ceremonies, or Emcee, welcomes the audience to the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy Berlin nightspot (“Willkommen”).

Meanwhile, in a railway car, an aspiring young American writer named Clifford Bradshaw heads towards Berlin in hopes of finding inspiration for a new novel. Cliff meets Ernst Ludwig, a German who appears to be in the smuggling business. When Cliff inadvertently helps him, Ernst recommends a boarding house in Berlin. Fräulein Schneider, the proprietress of the boarding house, offers Cliff a room for one hundred marks. When he hesitates, she accepts half the usual price; years of oppression have left her weary but pragmatic (“So What?).

On his first night in Berlin, Cliff visits the Kit Kat Klub, where the Emcee introduces a young English singer named Sally Bowles (“Don’t Tell Mama”). After Sally’s number, Max, the proprietor of the club, fires her; he says it’s “time for a new face.” When Cliff comes backstage, Sally flirts and attempts to shock him. Sally leaves Cliff alone in her dressing room, and a young man named Bobby enters. As Cliff and Bobby kiss, Sally sings her final number at the club (“Mein Herr”).

The next day, as Cliff finishes teaching an English lesson to Ernst, Sally suddenly appears in Cliff’s room with her baggage. Max has thrown her out, and she convinces

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Cliff (and Fräulein Schneider) to let her move in (“Perfectly Marvelous”). The Emcee and two companions sing a bawdy number about cohabitation (“Two Ladies”).

Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit seller, woos Fräulein Schneider with the gift of a costly pineapple (“It Couldn’t Please Me More”). On a small gramophone, the Emcee plays a recording of a young boy singing a patriotic anthem to the Fatherland (“Tomorrow Belongs to Me”).

Months pass. Cliff is getting nowhere with his novel, but has grown accustomed to life with Sally. Sally reveals that she is pregnant. After the initial shock, Cliff is excited by the prospect of fatherhood, and Sally allows herself to hope (“Maybe This Time”). Ernst arrives and offers Cliff a job smuggling a briefcase into Germany, and Cliff accepts. The Emcee comments on everyone’s need for cash (“Money”).

Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider has caught one of her boarders, Fräulein Kost, soliciting sailors in her room.

Fräulein Kost notes Fräulein Schneider’s hypocrisy; she has seen Herr Schultz spend the night in Fräulein Schneider’s room. To save Fräulein Schneider’s reputation, Herr Schultz declares they are engaged to be wed in three weeks (“Married”).

At the engagement party, Cliff hands Ernst the smuggled suitcase in exchange for an envelope full of cash. Ernst removes his coat, revealing a swastika armband. Realizing that Herr Schultz is Jewish, Ernst goes to leave, but Fräulein Kost stops him, singing “Tomorrow Belongs To Me.” As Cliff, Sally, Herr Schultz and Fräulein Schneider look on, the entire ensemble joins in singing the Nazi anthem.

ACT II The second act begins with a montage featuring the Kit Kat Girls and the Emcee, that morphs into a goosestep.

Fräulein Schneider expresses her concerns about marrying Herr Schultz, but he assuages her fears (“Married” Reprise). But their moment of reconciliation is interrupted by the crash of a brick thrown through the window of Herr Schultz’s shop. At the Kit Kat Klub, the Emcee performs a duet with a female gorilla, explaining that society will not accept their love (“If You Could See Her”).

Fräulein Schultz breaks off her engagement to Herr Schultz (“What Would You Do?”). Cliff decides to take Sally back to America where they can raise the baby together. Sally protests, declaring how wonderful their life in Berlin is, and Cliff tells her to “wake up” and take notice of the growing unrest around them. As the Emcee

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14 | cabaretsynopsis sings a rueful ballad (“I Don’t Care Much”), Cliff and Sally brutally waken each other to the truth. At the Kit Kat Klub, Cliff and Ernst argue, and Ernst’s Nazi bodyguards beat Cliff and drag him out. On stage, the Emcee introduces Sally, who enters to perform again, singing that “life is a cabaret, old chum,” cementing her decision to live in carefree ignorance (“Cabaret”).

The next morning, as Cliff is packing to leave, Herr Schultz explains that he is moving to another boardinghouse, confident that the bad times will soon pass. He understands the German people, he says, because he is a German too. When Sally returns, she reveals that she’s had an abortion; Cliff slaps her. As Cliff leaves, Sally asks him to dedicate his novel to her. On the train to Paris, Cliff begins to write his novel, reflecting on his experiences: “There was a cabaret, and there was a master of ceremonies, and there was a city called Berlin, in a country called Germany... and it was the end of the world.” (“Willkommen” Reprise).

In the Kit Kat Klub, the Emcee again welcomes the audience (“Willkommen”), but he is now harsh and violent. The set disappears, leaving only void space.

The Emcee sings, “Auf Wiedersehen... à bientôt...” and slowly removes his coat, revealing the clothes of a concentration camp prisoner. There is a drum roll and cymbal crash. Blackout.

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16 | cabaretcast&creative Praised for his energy and integrity on the podium, the Chicago Tribune has said, “Milioto presided with Bernsteinesque bravura.” A rising star of his generation, he is forging a unique career as a versatile conductor and leader. Mr. Milioto is Music Director of OPERA San Antonio and Artistic Advisor to the Florentine Opera Company, while maintaining positions on the music staffs of both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Milioto is excited to return to The Atlanta Opera. Last year, he returned to San Antonio for performances of Lucia di Lammermoor before heading to The Santa Fe Opera FRANCESCO MILIOTO for Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. The 2021-22 season began with his long-anticipated debut with the Florentine CONDUCTOR Opera Company in their postponed production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. Mr. Milioto also made his debut in Charleston ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT with Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera (HALO) conducting THE THREEPENNY a new production of La traviata performed on the local OPERA, 2021 baseball field. Following these performances in Atlanta, he will return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to serve as cover conductor for a production of Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Mr. Milioto will round out his season returning to OPERA San Antonio for their production of Rigoletto.

Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Israeli born Tomer Zvulun is one of the leading stage directors of his generation, earning consistent praise for his creative vision and innovative interpretations. His work has been presented internationally and in the U.S., including The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Boston, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Montreal, Buenos Aires, and the festivals of Wexford, Glimmerglass and Wolf Trap, as well as leading educational institutes and universities such as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, and Boston TOMER ZVULUN University. He spent seven seasons on the directing staff at The Metropolitan Opera, where he directed revivals of STAGE DIRECTOR Carmen and Tosca and was involved with more than a dozen new productions. He is a frequent guest director ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT at companies such as Seattle Opera (Semele, La bohème, THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, 2009 Eugene Onegin, Lucia di Lammermoor), The Dallas Opera (Die Fledermaus, La bohème), Houston Grand Opera (The Flying Dutchman, Rigoletto), Wexford Festival (Silent Night, Dinner at Eight), Cincinnati Opera (The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, The Flying Dutchman), Wolf Trap (Falstaff, Don Giovanni), Israeli Opera (Dead Man Walking, Giulio Cesare) among others. His European premiere of Silent Night at the Wexford Festival received two Irish Times Awards and traveled from Ireland to Washington National Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and the opera companies of Atlanta, Austin, and Salt Lake City. He directed over 15 new productions at his home company in Atlanta, including Dead Man Walking, The Flying Dutchman, Soldier Songs, Silent Night, Maria de Buenos Aires, La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Magic Flute, and Eugene Onegin. During Tomer’s tenure, the company’s fundraising has tripled, resulting in twice the number of productions presented annually. His focus on innovation has garnered national attention and resulted in a Harvard Business School case study chronicling The Atlanta Opera’s turnaround, an International Opera Awards nomination, an ArtsATL Luminary Award, and an invitation to deliver a TEDx Talk about innovation in opera.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

17 Broadway: Anastasia (Outer Critics Nomination); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critic’s nominations); Present Laughter (Tony Nomination); Old Acquaintance; Butley; and Hedda Gabler. Off-Broadway: The Whisper House (59E59); Harry Clarke (Vineyard & Minetta Lane); The Liar (CSC); Ripcord (MTC); Rapture, Blister, Burn (Playwrights Horizons); Lips Together, Teeth Apart (Second Stage); The Understudy (Roundabout); and Measure for Pleasure (Public); Observe the Sons of ALEXANDER DODGE Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Lincoln Center, Lortel Award Winner) Tours: Disney’s Hunchback of SCENIC DESIGNER Notre Dame US, Japan, Germany, Austria. Opera: Samson ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT et Dalila (Metropolitan Opera),The Thirteenth Child (Santa Fe Opera), The Ghosts of Versailles (LA Opera), Dinner at Eight (Minnesota and Wexford), Il trittico (Deutsche Oper Berlin), and Lohengrin (Budapest). Upcoming world premiere of the musical NOIR at the Alley Theatre in Houston. MFA from Yale School of Drama.

Erik Teague is a freelance designer based in the Washington, D.C. Originally hailing from Georgia, he is delighted to make his return to the South. Previous works of note: The Threepenny Opera (The Atlanta Opera); The Cunning Little Vixen, La bohéme, Ariadne in Naxos, Odyssey, Wilde Tales, Trouble in Tahiti, The Flying Dutchman (The Glimmerglass Festival); Lohengrin (Opera Southwest); Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera); Rent, Blackbeard (Signature Theatre); Acoustic Rooster (The Kennedy Center); The Lion, The Unicorn ERIK TEAGUE and Me (Washington National Opera); The Touchstone (Wolf Trap Opera); Master and Margarita, The Wild Party, COSTUME DESIGNER Equus (Constellation Theatre); The Phantom of the Opera, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Richard III, The Trial, Titus Andronicus, Sleepy Hollow, The THE BIG TENT SERIES, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Man in the Iron Mask (Synetic SPRING 2021 Theater); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Actor’s Express); Podcast host for Come As You Are, an interview show and part of The Atlanta Opera Podcast series centering LGBTQ+ opera artists. Winner of one Helen Hayes award and two Suzi Bass awards for excellence in costume design. erikteaguedesign.com

18 | cabaretcast&creative

MARCELLA BARBEAU LIGHTING DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE BIG TENT SERIES, SPRING 2021

MELANIE STEELE WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER

Marcella Barbeau (she/her) is a lighting designer based in New York City. Her recent credits include: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Village Theatre), The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (co-design, Austin Opera), Five Guys Named Moe (Playhouse on Park), Club Hertz: Live! (Alliance Theatre), Murder on the Orient Express (Sierra Rep), The Threepenny Opera, The Threepenny Carmen (The Atlanta Opera) Pelléas et Mélisande (Boston University Opera Institute). She has assisted designers at the English National Opera, National Theatre Mannheim, National Theatre Munich, Boston Lyric Opera, American Repertory Theatre, and Cincinnati Opera. As a Chinese American designer, Marcella actively seeks to collaborate and amplify the voices of fellow BIPOC artists of all intersectionalities. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Boston University and frequently visits her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

Melanie Steele lives in Atlanta where she works with The Atlanta Opera, Fox Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, as well as working in film and television. Steele recently toured with the national Broadway tour of The Lion King. She has designed wigs and makeup for The Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Baltimore Opera, Kentucky Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Bard SummerScape, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Opera Pacific, Opera North Carolina, and Saratoga Springs Opera. Some of Steele’s work can be seen in Opera News, Makeup Artist Magazine, Seventeen, Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Voyage Atlanta, IMDB and Texas Monthly Magazine.

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE GOLDEN TICKET, 2011

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

cabaretcast&creative

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Off-Broadway credits include: These Paper Bullets! Drama Desk Nomination (Atlantic Theater Company); Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company, Geffen Playhouse, Yale Rep); Until the Flood (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Goodman, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep, ACT Seattle, Portland Center Stage); White Guy on the Bus (59E59, Delaware Theatre Company); Chix 6 (LaMama). Regional credits: Kleptocracy (Arena Stage) Grounded (Alley Theatre); Christmas Carol, A Streetcar Named Desire (Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre); Two Trains Running NICHOLAS HUSSONG (Arden Theater); The Mountaintop (Playmakers Rep); Ella (Delaware Theatre); Million Dollar Quartet (Berkshires PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Theatre Group). Also designs with FEAST, Listen&Breathe, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Urban Bush Women, Korean Expo, Virginia Museum of Art, Marc Jacobs, Esperanza Spaulding, Enchantment Theatre Company, White Heron, Lantern Theatre Company, Abrons Art Center, Tiny Dynamite, Premieres NYC, Ars Nova, Cantata Profana, Nashville Symphony, Hartford Symphony.

International designs: National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts in Nanjing, Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, Arcola in London, Traverse in Edinburgh. He was the Artistic Associate at Triad Stage. 70th and 71st Tony Awards (CBS). Yale School of Drama MFA and Senior Lecturer at New School for Drama.

NewNeighborhood.net

He/Him | Projection Designer: Grease (MNM), Everything is Super Great (FAU Theatre Lab), Sunday in the Park (PBAU), Silent Sky (PBAU) | Associate/Assistant: The Vagrant Trilogy (The Public) 2 Wolves and a Lamb (Triad Stage), Dracula (Triad Stage), Man of la Mancha (Triad Stage). Nick is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and would like to thank his family and friends for all of their support.

NICK CHIMIENTI PROJECTIONS DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

20 | cabaretcast&creative

RICARDO APONTE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Ricardo Aponte is delighted to return to The Atlanta Opera as assistant director, after choreographing Frida in 2019 and The Threepenny Opera and The Threepenny Carmen as part of the Big Tent Series in 2021. Ricardo is an Atlanta-based director and choreographer and a three time Suzi Bass Award winner, who’s work has been seen at The Alliance Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Aurora Theatre, Actor’s Express, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and Georgia Ensemble Theatre, among other productions around the country. He’s also the founder and artistic director of Theatre Platform Project, a theatre education nonprofit that serves underserved communities.

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT FRIDA, 2019

Michelle Ladd has been working as a professional action director, choreographer, and performer of stunts, staged combat, dance, and acting for over 20 years. Although a native of the Southeast, she honed her stage fight skills in Britain at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and built her career in Los Angeles. She is a recognized Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors and the International Order of the Sword and the Pen. She has worked throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Asia. Her credits span theater, film, MICHELLE LADD WILLIAMS and motion capture and include Motion Capture Stunt Coordinator for Thor; Motion Capture Fight Director for INTIMACY DIRECTOR Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End; Motion Capture & FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER Combat Choreographer for The Lord of the Rings – Return ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT of the King and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, performer with Barneville/Carteret Viking Fest – Freiki 2017 Klan Denmark; fight instruction and demonstration of Parnü Vöitlus Estonia; and featured guest for Korea’s Theatre Magazine. Michelle has staged fights at such venues as Drury Lane and North Park Opera. She and her husband own RE:Action Stunts and Broad-Motion Entertainment while raising their three young stunt boys.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

cabaretcast&creative

JON SUMMERS SOUND DESIGNER

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Jon has enjoyed a sprawling career in the arts, beginning as an Atlanta-based sound designer, working with such companies as Theatrical Outfit, Kenny Leon’s True Colors, Synchronicity Theatre, and many more. Most recently he served as Director of Production for the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and City Springs Theatre Company with such clients as: LiveNation, AEG, and Outback Entertainment. He is working on projects for the Atlanta Hawks and Music Matters. Jon’s endeavors have put him in the forefront of live event management, production management, streaming event services, and film media.

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE BIG TENT SERIES, FALL 2020

Winner of the Adelaide Bishop Award and the OPERA America Director-Designer Showcase, Stephanie Havey has staged productions for Seattle Opera, Opera de Montreal, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Hawai’i Opera Theatre, Michigan Opera Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Opera Omaha, New York City Opera, and others. Her new productions have been featured at Boston Lyric Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Tulsa Opera, Finger Lakes Opera, Charlottesville Opera, Lyrique-en-mer Festival International de Belle-Ile, Curtis Institute of Music, and STEPHANIE HAVEY Carnegie Mellon University. She has also been a member of the staging staff at San Francisco Opera, Houston ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Grand Opera, and The Santa Fe Opera. Ms. Havey is ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT sought after as a collaborator for the development of new opera, staging new works with Opera Philadelphia for their Double Exposure event, OPERA America’s New Works Forum, and is in her fourth season of developing new works as the Resident Stage Director for North American New Opera Workshop. During her two seasons as the first Resident Artist Stage Director for the Pittsburgh Opera, she received rave reviews for her new production of Il matrimonio segreto and directed numerous productions and a staged recital series in the Opera Studio. Ms. Havey is the Director of the Tomita Young Artist Program at Finger Lakes Opera and the Artistic Director of the Oberlin Conservatory Summer Opera Intensive. Her extensive work with Young Artist training programs includes the OPERA America Career Blueprints Program, Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Mannes School of Music at The New School, Manhattan School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera North, University of Delaware, and the Florida State Opera.

She has also been the Director of Opera Workshop at Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University in Nashville.

22 | cabaretcast&creative With an active career in both opera and musical theatre, baritone Curt Olds has been seen in productions ranging from Don Pasquale and Die Zauberflöte to musicals such as Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, The Threepenny Opera, Broadway’s Riverdance and Cats. Hailed by Opera News as “A wonderful singing actor, as adept in pointing dialogue as in phrasing song,” Curt is best known for his portrayal of the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and his signature role as Ko-Ko in The Mikado, for which he has some 22 productions to his credit. In January of 2019 he joined the International Tour of The Phantom of the Opera as Andre which continued to hold performances throughout Asia until CURT OLDS the Spring of 2021. Olds is also in demand and has garnered EMCEE/CUSTOMS OFFICIAL international acclaim for his creative portrayals of an array of characters in the operetta repertoire. Career highlights ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT include such performances as: Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. THE PIRATES OF Pinafore with Eugene Opera, Arizona Opera and Central PENZANCE, 2016 City Opera; Ko-Ko in The Mikado with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Central City Opera, Opera New Jersey, Arizona Opera, and Anchorage Opera; The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Edmonton Opera, Lake George Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Arizona Opera; Pangloss/Voltaire in Candide with the New England Conservatory; Falke in Die Fledermaus at Lake George Opera; Dick McGann in Street Scene at Central City Opera; Pangloss/Voltaire/Martin/Cacambo/Candide in Candide with Arizona Opera, Anchorage Opera, and in concert with the South Dakota Symphony; Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance with Intermountain Opera, Nashville Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Utah Festival Opera and Opera, among others; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Hawaii Opera Theatre; and Njegus in The Merry Widow for Utah Opera.

Aja Goes is a versatile actor, singer, and dancer with a confident, vivacious stage presence. Hailed by The Chicago Tribute as “glamorous” with a “creamy belt,” Goes is cherished by Chicago theatergoers where her performances in the windy city garner massive acclaim. At Broadway in Chicago, she wowed audiences as Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet, the elegant, sultry jazz singer who accompanies Elvis Presley to Sun Records’ historic 1956 recording session.

Goes cultivated smooth, sophisticated versions of jazz standards such as “Fever.” The production was a hit and is the longest running in Broadway in Chicago’s history. Critics took notice of her knockout performance in the quirky AJA GOES Sondheim revue Putting it Together at Porchlight Music SALLY BOWLES Theater where Chicago Theater Beat hailed “Her pitch and comedic timing are perfect.” The Chicago Tribune raved, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT labeling her “promising debut” as “top notch.” Well known on regional stages for her dynamic portrayals of ingenues and leading ladies, Goes lent her talents to Music Theater Works’ production of Camelot and The O’Malley Theatre’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, where she dazzled in the sexy, fiery, intensely physical role of Taddy Jo. In How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the O’Malley Theatre, Goes took on the principal role of Rosemary Pilkington; Goes employed a sparkly, charming mezzo-soprano to perfectly embody the effervescent, dreamy, determined romantic lead. Goes also appeared in the Lookingglass Theatre and the Chicago Children’s Choir’s critically acclaimed production of Sita Ram, the heroic tale of a warrior’s quest to save his friends from a demon king, based on the Hindi epic The Ramayana. A demanding role for a vocalist, Goes played Sita to intense emotional and stunning musical effect. The production was named one of the most memorable shows of the decade by The Chicago Tribune.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

cabaretcast&creative

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As a boy soprano, Laciura made his operatic debut in a small role in Louise, in March 1965, at the New Orleans Opera Association, opposite the last performances in this opera of Dorothy Kirsten and Norman Treigle. As an adult, he would give many performances with that company, and would earn music degrees from Loyola University of the South and Tulane University. On the opening night of the 1982–83 season, the tenor debuted with the Metropolitan Opera, where he has since appeared well over 800 times. That first role was the Major-domo in Der Rosenkavalier, with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. In fact, that ANTHONY LACIURA production was televised, as were Laciura’s performances in La forza del destino (directed by John Dexter, 1984), HERR SCHULTZ Francesca da Rimini (with Renata Scotto and Plácido Domingo, 1984), Tosca (1985), Le nozze di Figaro ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT (opposite Ruggero Raimondi, and produced by JeanPierre Ponnelle, 1985), Die Fledermaus (1987), Carmen (in Sir Peter Hall’s production, 1987), Turandot (conducted by James Levine, 1987), Les contes d’Hoffmann (1988), Ariadne auf Naxos (with Jessye Norman, 1988), La fanciulla del West (1992), Falstaff (with Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, and Marilyn Horne, 1992), I lombardi alla prima crociata (opposite Luciano Pavarotti, 1993), Billy Budd (1997), Le nozze di Figaro (1998), and Wozzeck (2001). Several of these productions have been published on DVD. The tenor’s final appearance at the Met was in The Gambler (2008). In October 2011, he returned to the New Orleans Opera, for Emperor Altoum, in Turandot.

Billy is thrilled to be making his debut with the Atlanta Opera. Other recent metro Atlanta credits include playing The Baker in Into the Woods at City Springs Theater and Georges Seurat in Sunday In the Park at Jennie T. Anderson Theater. He has also recently created roles in several Broadway-bound musicals including Brantely Foster in the world premiere of Universal Pictures’ The Secret of My Success at the Paramount Theater and Tucker in the Old Globe’s world premiere of Heart of Rock and Roll, featuring the catalog of Huey Lewis. Billy has performed on a variety of stages internationally BILLY TIGHE including Broadway, the West End, National Tours and Off-Broadway. He is best known for playing Elder Price in CLIFFORD BRADSHAW The Book of Mormon at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre.

Billy made his Broadway debut as an original company ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT member of the 2013 Tony Award-winning revival of Pippin.

He has toured North America on five Broadway National Tours and most recently starred as JM Barrie in Finding Neverland at Tokyo’s Theatre Orb. Other national tour credits include Fiyero in Wicked, Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles, Elder Price in The Book of Mormon and the original company of Dirty Dancing. Billy was also recently part of Barrow Street’s immersive Off-Broadway production of Sweeney Todd as Anthony Hope. Throughout his career, Billy has also had the privilege of playing some of the US’ most prestigious regional theatres, including Paper Mill Playhouse, The Old Globe, the St. Louis MUNY, Ogunquit Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House and the Marriott Theatre among others. As a concert soloist Tighe has performed as a guest artist with various symphony orchestras across North America, including the Vancouver, Toronto, Houston, Long Beach, Modesto and Indianapolis Symphonies and the Cincinnati Pops. Thank you to my family for everything!

24 | cabaretcast&creative Lee Osorio is an Atlanta-based actor, playwright, and audiobook narrator. He has appeared Off-Broadway and on regional stages across the country and has been privileged to work with incredible directors including Kenny Leon, Kimberly Senior, and Woody Harrelson. He is a five-time Suzi Bass Award Nominee and won for Best Lead Actor in 2018 for Richard II. Lee has appeared on network and cable television shows including Your Honor, True Detective, NCIS: New Orleans, and The Resident.

LEE OSORIO ERNST LUDWIG / MAX ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Praised as “hypnotic and unforgettable,” Dynamo Deb Bowman’s performances “are cut from one rare thread” and “must be seen.” Her vocal versatility and unmatched acting have thrilled audiences of all ages worldwide.

Whether belting out Broadway and big band ballads or softly seducing you with sultry standards, she always delivers memorable musical moments that keep people coming back for more. “Bowman leaves everything on the stage.” With a BA focus on classical Theater and Dance from the University of Alabama, Bowman began DEBORAH BOWMAN her professional career in entertainment in 1999 in New York City, performing internationally in TV, film, theater, FRAÜLEIN KOST / FRITZIE and cabaret shows. Stage credits include Chicago, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Cabaret, 42nd Street, Addams Family, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, Oliver first national tour, Evita, Sweeney Todd, and A Streetcar Named Desire. TV/ Film Credits include DC Stargirl, Creepshow, Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Ugly Betty Season IV, Being Mary Jane, The Haves and the Have Not’s, Its Complicated, Wall Street II, and several National Commercials. Her newest endeavors as a songwriter brought much anticipation for her recent jazz album, “Fast Heart” which made the 62nd Grammy Ballot in three categories including Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. Bowman is also an esteemed private vocal and acting coach.

For more info and to follow her on social media, please visit: debbowman.com

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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Mezzo-soprano Joyce Campana has made an international career on the operatic, musical theatre and concert stages.

Representative companies and orchestras with which she has performed major roles include: Dresden Semper Oper, Opera Ireland, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Omaha, Portland Opera, Anchorage Opera, Nevada Opera, The Opera Festival of New Jersey, Connecticut Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Orlando Opera, Cleveland Opera, Syracuse Opera, Opera Nevada, Central City Opera, Connecticut Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Saint Paul JOYCE CAMPANA Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Denver Symphony, Minnesota Symphony, FRAÜLEIN SCHNEIDER Rockford Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Evansville ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Philharmonic, Hartford Symphony, and Kasugai Symphony of Japan among others. Her performance credits include major orchestral works and many leading roles in opera as well as musical theatre, including the title roles in Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, La Cenerentola, L’Italiana in Algeri, and Regina. Her early career began in New York City in the theatre, where she appeared on Broadway with Yul Brynner in The King and I as Lady Thiang, after touring the country with the National Tour. She has appeared with Mandy Patinkin in The Knife at the New York Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theatre, and numerous other regional houses including Paper Mill Playhouse. Television audiences have seen Joyce in the role of Julie in The New Moon with New York City Opera, which was nationally broadcast as part of PBS’s “Great Performances” series. Miss Campana received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. She enjoys running a private vocal studio in Metuchen, New Jersey where she lives with her husband, Patrick Rogers and daughter Emma Rose Rogers.

14-year-old boy soprano Max Cook is the recipient of the 2022 Excellence Award from the Georgia Boy Choir with whom he has been singing since he was eight years old.

He has toured internationally and domestically with the Choir, performing in some of the world’s finest venues.

In addition to his singing, Max is also a pianist, recently having played in his first wedding event. When not making music, he enjoys sailing, free-diving, and playing with his dog, Coco.

MAX COOK BOY SOPRANO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

26 | cabaretcast&creative

BRANDON NGUYEN-HILTON GORILLA/VICTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT OUT OF DARKNESS: TWO REMAIN, 2018

Brandon Nguyen-Hilton is a native of Fort Worth Texas.

He received his dance training at Margo Dean School of Ballet and was later accepted into the Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy of full scholarship. As a professional dancer he performed with Houston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Cirque du Solei’s La Nouba, and Atlanta Ballet. In 2018 he danced in Seoul, South Korea in celebration for the Winter Olympics. He has worked with Mariah Carey, Elton John, and Chaka Khan. He has had the absolute pleasure working with The Atlanta Opera in Out of Darkness: Two remain, The Threepenny Carmen, The Threepenny Opera, and Julius Caesar. He has a massage and bodywork practice called B-right Atlanta Sports Massage where he encourages holistic healing. Brandon would like to thank The Atlanta Opera for having him, and his parents and husband for supporting him. He is forever grateful to his past, present, and future teachers.

Raised in Jonesborough, Tennessee, Gwynn Root Wolford received her dance training at Johnson City Ballet/CYB in East Tennessee; Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, PA; and various intensives. She has danced with the Louisville Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and with Festival Ballet Providence, where she danced in such works as The Firebird, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Rubies, Rite of Spring, in Christopher Wheeldon’s The American, Up Close on GWYNN ROOT WOLFORD Hope and in Viktor Plotnikov’s House of Bernarda Alba, The Widow’s Broom, The Soldier’s Tale, and Carmen. Her DANCE CAPTAIN/ full repertoire also includes Coppelia, Giselle, The BrownFRENCHE Forman and Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Swan Lake, Etudes and works by Tudor, Limon, Helen LA TRAVIATA, 2019 Pickett and Val Caniparoli. She’s performed in various music videos by Atlanta artists, including EarthGang. She is teacher at Dancemakers of Atlanta and the Dance and Music Academy of Woodstock.

She has been on staff at numerous ballet and dance schools as well as a guest teacher, ballet coach, and guest artist for various organizations. As a choreographer, she has set original works on both students and professionals, including recently an all new production of Peter and the Wolf for Dance and Music Academy of Woodstock. Mrs. Root Wolford has previously danced with The Atlanta Opera in the productions of La traviata, Pagliacci, The Kaiser of Atlantis, The Threepenny Carmen and The Threepenny Opera, and she was an original cast member of Tomer Zvulun’s Salome

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

cabaretcast&creative

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Jacob Attaway is thrilled to performing with The Atlanta Opera for his very first time! It’s been a dream to perform in Cabaret and to work with The Atlanta Opera. After earning a BFA in dance performance from Jacksonville University, he returned to Atlanta to continue pursuing his career as a professional dancer. His previous Atlanta Credits include: Song and Dance (Aurora Theatre), Cinderella (Aurora Theatre), The Nutcracker (Gwinnett Ballet), along with holding the role of Demetrius in Midsummer Night’s Dream The Ballet (Gwinnett Ballet), JACOB ATTAWAY Along with these wonderful performance opportunities, Jacob is currently a company member with AtlantaHERMAN based contemporary dance company: Kit Modus, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT directed by Jillian Mitchell. He would like to give thanks to Debra Hoffey, Brian Palmer, Lana Heylock, and all the other inspirational mentors that have led him and guided him through the pursuit of chasing his dreams. Instagram: @jacobraa_

PATRICK COLEMAN

Atlanta: Head Over Heels (Actor’s Express) On Your Feet!

(Aurora Theatre), Mamma Mia! (City Springs Theatre) Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Newsies (Legacy Theatre), Bullets Over Broadway (Georgia Ensemble Theatre), Rocky Horror Show, The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular (Out Front Theatre Company), West Side Story (The Atlanta Opera) Regional: Peter Pan (ArtPark), Ben Butler, Mamma Mia (Kavinoky Theatre), Oklahoma!, Gypsy (The Prizery) Education: BFA in Musical Theatre from Elon University.

Instagram: pjcoalman

RUDY/HANS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT WEST SIDE STORY, 2018

RACHEL SHIFFMAN ROSIE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT LA TRAVIATA, 2019

Rachel Shiffman is excited to be performing again with The Atlanta Opera. She has been seen in productions of La traviata (Gypsy), Frida (Ensemble Dancer), Julius Caesar (Ensemble Dancer) and West Side Story (Clarice). Some of her theatre credits include, Wizard of Oz (Ensemble/ Dance Captain), Disenchanted (Princess Jasmine), Cabaret (Lulu), Stone Mountain Christmas Spectacular (Angelina).

Her recent TV and film credits include, Staircase (HBO) and Take It (Glass Taxi). Rachel is a graduate of The University of Arizona with Honors. She has been privileged to dance around the world including Israel, Poland, and Mexico, but is excited to share the stage with so many fellow artists here in Atlanta.

28 | cabaretcast&creative

BAILEY JO HARBAUGH

Bailey Jo resides in Atlanta, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kennesaw State University. While there she originated roles in choreographies for the KSU Dance Company, and studied abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel, beneath Ohad Naharin, Ido Gidron, and Kelvin Yu. Her performance home is with Staibdance and The Atlanta Opera. Here she dances works by George Staib, Tomer Zvulun, Donald Byrd, Amir Levy, and Ricardo Aponte.

Bailey Jo is thrilled to be in her seventh production with The Atlanta Opera, and grateful to previous and current creatives who have influenced her artistry so deeply.

LULU ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT SALOME, 2020

Matti Steriti (they/them) is thrilled to be returning to The Atlanta Opera for their first theater performance post pandemic! They previously performed with The Atlanta Opera in West Side Story as Big Deal. They have performed in West Side Story multiple times, including with The Lyric Opera of Chicago (Swing/Dance Captain), IHI Stage Around Tokyo (Riff/Dance Captain), Lyric Opera of Kansas City (Big Deal) and The Glimmerglass Festival.

Matti is based in New York City and has a BFA in Musical Theater from Syracuse University. Love to Patrick.

MATTI STERITI TEXAS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT WEST SIDE STORY, 2018

PEYTON MCDANIEL BOBBY

Peyton McDaniel (he/him) is incredibly excited to be making his Atlanta Opera debut in this incredible show!

He’s a proud graduate of The University of Alabama and Aurora Theatre’s Apprentice Company. Previous credits include: Don Kerr in A Chorus Line (City Springs Theatre Company), Himself in Christmas Canteen (Aurora Theatre), Henry in Newsies (Aurora Theatre), Mercedes in La Cage Aux Folles (Out Front Theatre Company), and in the Ensembles of Head Over Heels (Actors Express) and Men with Money (Aurora Theatre). Peyton would like to thank his amazing friends, loving family, and The Brigade for their undying support! Instagram: _peyton_mcdaniel

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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TereLyn received her Bachelor of Fine Arts- Dance with an English minor from Howard University. Upon graduating, she joined the dance company of Disney’s The Lion King choreographer, Garth Fagan. While touring nationally with the company, she began her training in Aerial Silks and Lyra Hoop. TereLyn traveled to Europe and was casted as an aerialist and dancer for Disney’s Tarzan in Stuttgart, Germany where she lived and performed for two years.

When she returned to Atlanta, she performed the lead role as Mary in The Black Nativity for three years. TereLyn was TERELYN JONES also casted in world premiere musical Men with Money (Aurora Theatre), Children of Eden (Aurora Theatre), and HELGA Cinderella (Aurora Theatre). She also choreographed ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Christmas Phenomenon, Madeline (Horizon Theatre), Zombie Prom, (Georgia Gwinnett College)She also choreographed at Alabama State University and at her alma mater, where she was awarded Alumni of the Year for her choreography. TereLyn choreographed for Cynthia Bailey Arts Camp, assisted choreographer and artist Victor Jackson at Broadway Dreams Camp and Kandi Cares Arts and Entertainment Camp. She’s made appearances on popular television series such as TV One’s “One Christmas” with Anthony Hamilton and other series on VH1 and Lifetime. TereLyn is very excited about the opportunity to work with The Atlanta Opera and join the cast of The Cabaret! She would like to Thank God, her family, and friends for the continued support. Jeremiah 29:11 @Iam_TereLyn

30 | orchestra CABARET CLARINET David Odom Justin Stanley† ALTO SAXOPHONE Luke Weathington† TENOR SAXOPHONE Skip Lane† TRUMPET Yvonne Toll TROMBONE Richard Brady

GUITAR/BANJO David Cooper† PERCUSSION/DRUM SET Michael Cebulski SYNTHESIZER Andrew Fazackerley† PIANO Elena Kholodova† PERSONNEL MANAGER James Zellers

DOUBLE BASS Emory Clements

AS ONE VIOLIN I Jessica Stinson VIOLIN II Virginia Respess-Fairchild VIOLA William Johnston CELLO Charae Krueger PERSONNEL MANAGER James Zellers

† Non-Core Musician

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

Musicians employed in this production are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

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TOGETHER, LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR NATION’S HEROES The Home Depot Foundation is proud to partner with The Atlanta Opera to honor our U.S. military, veterans TAO and their families.

© 2020 Homer TLC, Inc. All rights reserved.

HomeDepotFoundation.org

32 | asonesponsors THE DISCOVERIES SERIES IS SPONSORED BY

The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation THE DISCOVERIES SERIES IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY

The Livingston Foundation

THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT IS SUPPORTED BY

Eva & Robert Ratonyi

Official Beverage of The Atlanta Opera Veterans Ticket Sponsor

This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency—the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

THE ATLANTA OPERA DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Barnes Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Laura & Cosmo Boyd Harold Brody & Donald Smith John & Rosemary Brown Dr. Frank A. Critz & Dr. Ann Critz Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Carl & Sally Gable Beth & Gary Glynn Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross John L. Hammaker Howard Hunter, Gramma Fisher Foundation

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mary Ruth McDonald James B. Miller, Jr. Talia & John Murphy Victoria & Howard Palefsky Mr. William E. Pennington Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg Katherine Scott Mr. William F. Snyder Judith & Mark Taylor Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle

*deceased

asonecredits

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AS ONE Laura Kaminsky MUSIC & CONCEPT Mark Campbell & Kimberly Reed LIBRETTO Kimberly Reed FILM

CONDUCTOR Alexandra Enyart STAGE DIRECTOR Stephanie Havey SCENIC DESIGNER Emma Antenen COSTUME DESIGNER Erik Teague LIGHTING DESIGNER Marcella Barbeau WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Melanie Steele PROJECTIONS CO-DESIGNER Nicholas Hussong PROJECTIONS CO-DESIGNER Nicholas Chimienti SOUND DESIGNER Jon Summers FILMED MEDIA Felipe Barral & Amanda Sachtleben ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER David Young CAST HANNAH Lucia Lucas HANNAH Blythe Gaissert CALLING STAGE MANAGER Cristine Reynolds ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Megan Bennett Performed in English with English supertitles.

Approximate running time: two hours including post-intermission talk-back with the artists.

Please join us ...

Following intermission for an on-stage talk-back with the artists.

34 | asonedirector’snote Director’s Note WRITTEN BY

Stephanie Havey

As One is a coming-of-age story told through a series of episodes about the life of the protagonist, Hannah.

This production will create a ‘memoryscape’ that Hannah walks through as she recalls her youth.

The concept of ‘memoryscape’ comes from the historian Toby Butler who creates ‘Living maps’ at historical sites where the audience can experience ‘the hidden history of a place by listening to the memories of inhabitants both historical and contemporary.’ Butler’s projects aim to ‘present memories coherently in a spatial context’ and to ‘provide a sense of change over time.’

In a similar way, our production will draw the viewer into Hannah’s past and her present intermingled through memories and reflections on her past.

Lucia Lucas, baritone, will play modern day Hannah as she looks back at significant memories and processes each memory on her road to self-discovery.

Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano, will portray Hannah’s inner voice who has guided her throughout her life, since she was a child.

STEPHANIEHAVEY.COM

The two Hannah’s will walk together through the memories – sometimes in harmony and sometimes at odds – to deliver Hannah to a place of reconciliation and inner peace.

Hannah’s memories are symbolized by light boxes – sometimes LED screen, sometimes projections on scrims, and sometimes paper lanterns that reveal a prop as a touchstone to a memory. As the memory is relived, the paper lantern flies away – as if Hannah is releasing that memory. This imagery is reminiscent of sky lantern ceremonies common to Asian and South American cultures that signify the releasing of one’s fears and desires into the sky. It is symbolic of cleansing, of new beginnings, and of illuminating the patch of enlightenment or knowledge.

Our team hopes that this production of As One may be engaging, encouraging, and healing.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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ANNOUNCING THE 2022-23 SEASON

MADAMA BUTTERFLY PUCCINI NOV 5-13, 2022

DON GIOVANNI MOZART JAN 21-29, 2023

CANDIDE BERNSTEIN MAR 4-12, 2023

DAS RHEINGOLD WAGNER APR 29-MAY 7, 2023

ATLANTAOPERA.ORG 404-881-8885

36 | asonesynopsis

As One PHOTOS

Terry Gillam for Opera Columbus

Hannah, played by Blythe Gaissert and Michael Kelly, from Opera Columbus’ 2019 production of As One.

As One is a chamber opera in which two voices—a mezzo-soprano and baritone—share the part of a sole transgender protagonist, Hannah. Fifteen songs comprise the three-part narrative; with empathy and humor, they trace Hannah’s experiences from her youth in a small town to her college years on the West Coast, and finally to Norway where she is surprised at what she learns about herself.

Part I In the memory, “Paper route,” Hannah rides around her suburban neighborhood delivering newspapers and revels in her more feminine impulses. Her youthful challenges in conforming to gender norms are related in “Cursive,” “Sex ed,” “Entire of itself ” and “Perfect boy”— in such disparate subjects as handwriting, sex, a John Donne poem, and exemplary male behavior. However, in “To know,” she discovers that she is not alone in the world and seeks understanding about herself at a local library.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

37 Part II In memories of her college years, Hannah struggles with her bifurcated existence in “Two cities,” but also encounters the joy of being perceived as she wishes in “Three words.” In “Close,” she has made the decision to undergo hormone therapy and briefly suffers its vertiginous effects before feeling at one with her own body. “Home for the holidays,” “A christmas story” and “Dear son” are memories that occur around the Christmas season and relate Hannah’s growing distance to her family and her past, which is countered by an immediate connection with a stranger in a local café. In “Out of nowhere,” Hannah escapes a harrowing assault that prompts her to find a link to the larger transgender community and end her self-imposed alienation.

Reacting to the conflicting voices in her head, she finally resolves to escape in the fragment, “I go on to…”

Part III “Norway.” In this extended aria, Hannah finds, in Nature, solitude, and self-reflection, the simple yet surprising equation that will help her achieve happiness.

38 | asonecast&creative Alexandra Enyart has been called “one of Chicago’s greatest operatic gifts” (Chicago Theatre Review) and “a podium talent to watch”(Chicago Classical Review).

She’s performed with Opera Columbus, Australian Contemporary Opera Company, Opera Orlando, and many others around the country and globe. She has served as a Chicago Sinfonietta Fellow and as a “Turn the Spotlight” fellow with Chicago Opera Theatre music director, Lidiya Yankovskaya. In 2017 Alexandra won the CODA conducting competition and in 2018 she won CCM’s ALEXANDRA ENYART Mozart Overture Conducting Competition. Alexandra served as a panelist at the Opera America conference in CONDUCTOR 2021 and serves currently on the Artistic Advisory Council ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT for American Opera Projects. Alexandra is as comfortable on the podium as she is in the opera pit having made her international debut in Tomsk, Russia with the Tomsk Philharmonic Orchestra in 2016 while finishing her Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Louisville. At the same time she also worked as the apprentice conductor with the Louisville Orchestra and Kentucky Opera as well as the Assistant Conductor for the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

In 2019 she returned to Louisville to conduct Orchestra Enigmatic. As a transgender conductor Alexandra strives to create a more equitable and diverse musical world.

As such she has successfully chartered “Faulty Systems”, an annual program in which activists and artists come together to share stories of underrepresented communities or ideas through music, speech, poetry, dance and other mediums. Alexandra also helped to launch the Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium’s sing–thru program, which functions to create an accessible space for young artists to experiment with musical styles and traditions following their education. Alexandra believes that to conduct is an honor and privilege, and continues to work to support and strengthen the musical community of which she is privileged to be a part.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

C O N T A C T Donna Choate 678-778-1573 donna@encoreatlanta.com

40 | asonecast&creative Winner of the Adelaide Bishop Award and the OPERA America Director-Designer Showcase, Stephanie Havey has staged productions for Seattle Opera, Opera de Montreal, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Hawai’i Opera Theatre, Michigan Opera Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Opera Omaha, New York City Opera, and others. Her new productions have been featured at Boston Lyric Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Tulsa Opera, Finger Lakes Opera, Charlottesville Opera, Lyrique-en-mer Festival International de Belle-Ile, Curtis Institute of Music, and STEPHANIE HAVEY Carnegie Mellon University. She has also been a member of the staging staff at San Francisco Opera, Houston STAGE DIRECTOR Grand Opera, and The Santa Fe Opera. Ms. Havey is ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT sought after as a collaborator for the development of new opera, staging new works with Opera Philadelphia for their Double Exposure event, OPERA America’s New Works Forum, and is in her fourth season of developing new works as the Resident Stage Director for North American New Opera Workshop. During her two seasons as the first Resident Artist Stage Director for the Pittsburgh Opera, she received rave reviews for her new production of Il matrimonio segreto and directed numerous productions and a staged recital series in the Opera Studio. Ms. Havey is the Director of the Tomita Young Artist Program at Finger Lakes Opera and the Artistic Director of the Oberlin Conservatory Summer Opera Intensive. Her extensive work with Young Artist training programs includes the OPERA America Career Blueprints Program, Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Mannes School of Music at The New School, Manhattan School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera North, University of Delaware, and the Florida State Opera.

She has also been the Director of Opera Workshop at Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University in Nashville.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

asonecast&creative

EMMA ANTENEN SCENIC DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

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Emma Antenen is a freelance scenic designer based in Brooklyn, New York. She currently works as a designer and an associate for Alexander Dodge. Emma has worked primarily in theatre, but is always looking for new and exciting projects! Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet (The Woolgatherers), Hidden Away: A Pirate Musical (CO/LAB Theater Group), and Adam Minus Josh (Willow Theatricals). As an associate/assistant set designer, she has worked with Alexander Dodge, Jason Ardizzone-West, Ann Beyersdorfer, Caite Hevner, and Brittany Vasta on their Off-Broadway, Regional, Touring and International productions. Emma is from Atlanta, GA and received her BFA in Theatre Design and Technology from Syracuse University.

Erik Teague is a freelance designer based in the Washington, D.C. Originally hailing from Georgia, he is delighted to make his return to the South. Previous works of note: The Threepenny Opera (The Atlanta Opera); The Cunning Little Vixen, La bohéme, Ariadne in Naxos, Odyssey, Wilde Tales, Trouble in Tahiti, The Flying Dutchman (The Glimmerglass Festival); Lohengrin (Opera Southwest); Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera); Rent, Blackbeard (Signature Theatre); Acoustic Rooster (The Kennedy Center); The Lion, The Unicorn ERIK TEAGUE and Me (Washington National Opera); The Touchstone (Wolf Trap Opera); Master and Margarita, The Wild Party, COSTUME DESIGNER Equus (Constellation Theatre); The Phantom of the Opera, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Richard III, The Trial, Titus Andronicus, Sleepy Hollow, The THE BIG TENT SERIES, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Man in the Iron Mask (Synetic SPRING 2021 Theater); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Actor’s Express); Podcast host for Come As You Are, an interview show and part of The Atlanta Opera Podcast series centering LGBTQ+ opera artists. Winner of one Helen Hayes award and two Suzi Bass awards for excellence in costume design. erikteaguedesign.com

42 | asonecast&creative

MARCELLA BARBEAU LIGHTING DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE BIG TENT SERIES, SPRING 2021

MELANIE STEELE WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER

Marcella Barbeau (she/her) is a lighting designer based in New York City. Her recent credits include: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Village Theatre), The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (co-design, Austin Opera), Five Guys Named Moe (Playhouse on Park), Club Hertz: Live! (Alliance Theatre), Murder on the Orient Express (Sierra Rep), The Threepenny Opera, The Threepenny Carmen (The Atlanta Opera) Pelléas et Mélisande (Boston University Opera Institute). She has assisted designers at the English National Opera, National Theatre Mannheim, National Theatre Munich, Boston Lyric Opera, American Repertory Theatre, and Cincinnati Opera. As a Chinese American designer, Marcella actively seeks to collaborate and amplify the voices of fellow BIPOC artists of all intersectionalities. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Boston University and frequently visits her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

Melanie Steele lives in Atlanta where she works with The Atlanta Opera, Fox Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, as well as working in film and television. Steele recently toured with the national Broadway tour of The Lion King. She has designed wigs and makeup for The Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Baltimore Opera, Kentucky Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Bard SummerScape, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Opera Pacific, Opera North Carolina, and Saratoga Springs Opera. Some of Steele’s work can be seen in Opera News, Makeup Artist Magazine, Seventeen, Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Voyage Atlanta, IMDB and Texas Monthly Magazine.

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE GOLDEN TICKET, 2011

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

asonecast&creative

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Off-Broadway credits include: These Paper Bullets! Drama Desk Nomination (Atlantic Theater Company); Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company, Geffen Playhouse, Yale Rep); Until the Flood (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Goodman, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Rep, ACT Seattle, Portland Center Stage); White Guy on the Bus (59E59, Delaware Theatre Company); Chix 6 (LaMama). Regional credits: Kleptocracy (Arena Stage) Grounded (Alley Theatre); Christmas Carol, A Streetcar Named Desire (Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre); Two Trains Running NICHOLAS HUSSONG (Arden Theater); The Mountaintop (Playmakers Rep); Ella (Delaware Theatre); Million Dollar Quartet (Berkshires PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Theatre Group). Also designs with FEAST, Listen&Breathe, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Urban Bush Women, Korean Expo, Virginia Museum of Art, Marc Jacobs, Esperanza Spaulding, Enchantment Theatre Company, White Heron, Lantern Theatre Company, Abrons Art Center, Tiny Dynamite, Premieres NYC, Ars Nova, Cantata Profana, Nashville Symphony, Hartford Symphony. International designs: National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts in Nanjing, Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, Arcola in London, Traverse in Edinburgh, as well as Galway, Vienna, and Toronto. Nicholas was the Artistic Associate at Triad Stage in Greensboro, North Carolina where he continues to design new works based on Appalachian life written by Preston Lane. 70th and 71st Tony Awards (CBS). Yale School of Drama MFA and Senior Lecturer at New School for Drama.

NewNeighborhood.net

JON SUMMERS SOUND DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE BIG TENT SERIES, FALL 2020

Jon has enjoyed a sprawling career in the arts, beginning as an Atlanta-based sound designer, working with such companies as Theatrical Outfit, Kenny Leon’s True Colors, Synchronicity Theatre, and many more. Most recently he served as Director of Production for the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and City Springs Theatre Company with such clients as: LiveNation, AEG, and Outback Entertainment. He is working on projects for the Atlanta Hawks and Music Matters. Jon’s endeavors have put him in the forefront of live event management, production management, streaming event services, and film media.

44 | asonecast&creative Hailed as “one of the most powerful and beautiful baritone voices you could hear”(The Side Balcony), American baritone Lucia Lucas is making waves on the operatic mainstages. Lucas has resided in Germany for the past decade and has performed in cities all over the globe include Dublin, London, Brussels, Berlin, Torino, Essen, Daegu, Korea and the US. She made her role debut as Wotan in Die Walküre with Theater Magdeburg to great critical acclaim. Lucas’ portrayal of the role was considered “a powerfully clear-singing” and “dramatically intense Wotan”(Volksstimme). She also made a triumphant LUCIA LUCAS debut in the title role in Don Giovanni with Tulsa Opera.

HANNAH “The Sound of Identity,” a cutting edge documentary by ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions centered on Lucia’s life culminating in her performance in Tulsa was released June 1, 2021 by Shout! Studios and can be viewed on Starz and Hulu. In the past season, Lucia made her début with English National Opera as Public Opinion in a glitzy new production

by Emma Rice of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, performed the baritone soloist in Cage’s Europeras 1 & 2 with Wuppertal Oper, and made an appearance on Houston Grand Opera’s serial web opera entitled “Star Cross’d.” Additionally, she performed in a concert recital with Justin Kim at National Sawdust in New York, and sang the World Premiere of Die Neuen Todsünden (The New Deadly Sins) with the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Upcoming engagements include the title role in Rigoletto and Balstrode in Peter Grimes for Theatre Magdeburg, performances with the Monheim Musikfestival, Kunstfest Weimar, the Ragazze Quartet, and the Venetian Arts Society. She will also join the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Iphigénie en Tauride and Tosca and star in two World Premiere productions, one with Theater St. Gallen and one with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2023.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

asonecast&creative

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Mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert has established herself as one of the pre-eminent interpreters of some of the brightest stars of new classical music. A true singing actress, she has received critical acclaim for her interpretations of both new and traditional repertoire in opera, concert and chamber repertoire. Recent performances include the role of Georgia O’Keefe Today It Rains with American Opera Projects and Opera Parallele, Gertrude Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 for Intermountain Opera, Bozeman, Walker Loats in Mikael Karlsson’s Echo Drift for American Opera Projects at BLYTHE GAISSERT the Prototype Festival, Hansel in Hansel Und Gretel with HANNAH San Diego Opera, Sadie in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Star with On-Site Opera, the role of Hannah After in As One with American Opera Projects, Opera Colorado, Opera Columbus, Opera Idaho, Opera Memphis, New York City Opera and San Diego Opera, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Sarasota Orchestra, Berio in Folk Songs and Siegrune in Die Walkuere with the Dallas Symphony and Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro RTVE conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya. Ms Gaissert’s engagements include world premieres by John Adams, Tom Cipullo, Mohammed Fairouz, Renee Favand-See, Yotam Haber, Martin Hennessy, Gabriel Kahane, Laura Kaminsky, Mikael Karlsson, Gilda Lyons, Jorge Martin, Jessica Meyer, Robert Paterson, Glen Roven and Richard Pearson Thomas. Companies with whom Ms. Gaissert has performed include the Aldeburgh Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Lyrique en Mer, Metropolitan Opera, Opera Saratoga, San Diego Opera, Sarasota Opera and Tulsa Opera. Ms Gaissert’s debut album Home, comprised of world premieres written specifically for her, was released in 2021 to superb reviews and reached Number 1 in the Billboard Classical Charts.

46 | communityengagement

Telling the Stories of Georgia WRITTEN BY

JEFF ROFFMAN

Jessica Kiger

One of the competing teams performs in the 2015 showcase at Theatrical Outfit from the 24-Hour Opera Project.

Long-time fans of The Atlanta Opera may remember the company’s 24-Hour Opera Project, which brought artistic teams together to create and perform an original opera scene in twenty-four hours. This season, we are bringing the concept back with a bold new vision, and you are invited!

Over four days in June, teams of composers and librettists from historically underrepresented communities, will craft compelling, completely new 10-minute operas. The operas will focus on stories from Atlanta and Georgia’s diverse communities, which have rarely been featured on operatic stages. The winning team will be awarded a future opera commission with The Atlanta Opera and $10,000. We’re calling it the 96-Hour Opera Project.

Atlanta native and international opera star bass Morris Robinson is our artistic advisor on the project and will also join the judging panel which includes Priti Gandhi,

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

encoreatlanta.com

Artistic Director of Portland Opera; librettist and writer Andrea Davis Pinkney; choreographer and stage director Donald Byrd; composer Kevin Puts; and Khori Dastoor, General Director of Houston Grand Opera.

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presents

Judges

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, We Love Buford Highway, the Fulton County Library System, the Japan American Society of Georgia, and The Atlanta History Center have provided compelling local story prompts and creative briefs for the participating librettists and composers. The creative teams are currently working on their mini-operas.

The four-day competition runs from June 17th to June 20 th .

The showcase is hosted in partnership with Morehouse College School fo Music and held at the Ray Charles Center for the Performing Arts at 7pm on June 20 th .

The 96-Hour Opera Project is supported by UPS and The Rich Foundation.

For more information about, or to reserve free tickets to the 96-Hour Opera Project, please visit: www.atlantaopera.org/ competition

Clockwise from top left: Donald Byrd, judge; Khori Dastoor, judge; Priti Gandhi, judge; Morris Robinson, judge and artistic advisor; Kevin Puts, judge; Andrea Davis Pinkney, judge

48 | leadership BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chair Mr. Rhys T. Wilson Immediate Past Chair Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams Vice Chair Mr. John L. Hammaker Treasurer Ms. Bunny Winter Secretary Mr. Michael E. Paulhus

MEMBERS Mrs. Elizabeth Adler Mrs. Wendy Anzalone Mr. Bryan H. Barnes Mr. Dante Bellizzi Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Dr. Harold J. Brody Mrs. Rosemary Kopel Brown Mr. Frank H. Butterfield Mr. Mario Concha Dr. Frank A. Critz Mr. Robert Dean Mr. Dieter Elsner Dr. Donald J. Filip Mr. Kevin Greiner Mrs. Joanne Chesler Gross Mr. John Haupert Mr. Howard W. Hunter Mr. Andrew R. Long Mr. James B. Miller, Jr. Mrs. Stephanie Morela Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli Mrs. Talia Murphy Mr. Howard Palefsky Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. Herbert J. Rosenberg Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr. Mrs. Christine St.Clare Mr. William E. Tucker Mr. Tomer Zvulun, ex officio

HONORARY MEMBERS Mr. Ronald Antinori The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler Mr. Robert G. Edge Mr. Carl I. Gable, Jr. Mrs. Nancy Hall Green Mr. Gregory F. Johnson Mr. Carter Joseph Mr. Alfred Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Michael Keough Mrs. Emily C. Knobloch Mr. George Levert Mrs. Peggy Weber McDowell Mr. J. Barry Schrenk Mr. Timothy E. Sheehan Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr. Mr. Mark K. Taylor Mr. Thomas R. Williams Mr. Robert G. Woodward Mr. Charles “Charlie” R. Yates

*deceased

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Board Chair Mr. Rhys T. Wilson

Development Chair Mr. Howard Palefsky

Immediate Past Chair Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Chair Mrs. Stephanie Morela

Vice-Chair Mr. John L. Hammaker Nominating & Board Engagement Chair Mrs. Talia Murphy Secretary | Governance Committee Chair Mr. Michael E. Paulhus Treasurer | Finance Committee Chair Ms. Bunny Winter Audit Chair Mr. Bryan H. Barnes

Investment Chair Mr. Frank H. Butterfield Strategic Planning Committee Chair Mrs. Christine St.Clare At-Large Members Mr. Howard W. Hunter Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director, ex-officio member Mr. Tomer Zvulun

Community Engagement Chair Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr.

ADVISORY COUNCIL Mr. Andrew J.M. Binns Ms. Sally Bland Fielding Mr. Kenny L. Blank Mrs. Inge Bledel Ms. Mary Calhoun Mrs. Beth W. Glynn Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr. Mrs. Erin Quinn Martin Mr. Paul Snyder

ARTISTIC ADVISORY COUNCIL Ms. Jamie Barton Mr. Kevin Burdette Mr. Michael Mayes Mr. Morris Robinson

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50 | staff EXECUTIVE Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun Managing Director Micah Fortson Executive Assistant Misty Reid

ARTISTIC/MUSIC Carl & Sally Gable Music Director Arthur Fagen

Chorus & Orchestra Manager Chris Bragg

Artistic Administrator Meredith Wallace

Pianist/Coach Elena Kholodova

Artistic Associate Annie Penner Gilstrap

Orchestra Librarian Phil Parsons

PRODUCTION Director of Production Robert Reynolds

Props Manager & Artisan Wanda Amanda Creech

Head Properties Cory Robertson*

Associate Director of Production Meggie Roseborough

Assistant Lighting Designer Toni Sterling

Head Sound Teddy Murray*

Technical Director Joshua Jansen

Lighting Supervisor Marissa Michaels

Head Video Jay Holloway*

Assistant Technical Director Britt Reagan

Head Carpenters Tyler Malovoz* Tyberious Alexander*

Union Steward Pete Cocchiere*

Production Stage Manager Megan Bennett Assistant Stage Manager Kristin Kelley

Head Electrician Amanda Joyce*

COSTUME Costume Director Joanna Schmink

Wardrobe Supervisor Kelly Chipman†

First Hand Fiona Leonard

Wardrobe Crew/Dressers Walter Dean Marianna Martin Stefanie Pifer

Stitchers Jordan Carrier Hauzia Conyers Lauren Dunlop Matt Mallard Megan Maude

Wig & Makeup Artists Rick Salazar Angie Acedera Yara Andriamaromanana

* denotes members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - Local 927

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

† denotes members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - Local 859

Wig & Makeup Assistants Jennifer Ivey Ariane Turner Costume Contractors Ré Teague Molly Doan Raina Clare Parker

staff

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION Director of Community Engagement & Education Education Manager Jessica Kiger Cantrell Williams

DEVELOPMENT Chief Advancement Officer Paul Harkins Associate Director of Development – Leadership Giving Jessica Langlois

Associate Director of Development - Operations Sandy Feliciano Senior Institutional Giving Officer Elana Grossman

Associate Director of Development – Major & Planned Gifts Jonathan Blalock

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Director of Finance Kathy J. White

Bookkeeper Ruth Strickland

Controller Inga V. Murro

Accountant Ben Imbert

Human Resources & Facilities Manager Kenneth R. Timmons

MARKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Chief of Marketing & Audience Development Ashley Mirakian

Guest Services Concierge Emily Crisp

Director of Sales & Marketing Rebecca Brown

Creative Services Manager Matt Burkhalter

Senior Manager, Ticketing Services Renee Smiley

Digital Content Manager Matt Dykeman

TAO FILM STUDIO Director of TAO Film Studio Felipe Barral

Film Associate Amanda Sachtleben

GLYNN STUDIO ARTISTS Bruno Baker Susanne Burgess Sankara Harouna Gretchen Krupp William Meinert The Glynn Studio Artists are supported by gifts from Beth & Gary Glynn and the Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation.

52 | givingcircles&patronbenefits Patrons of The Atlanta Opera Gold $10,000+ All the benefits listed below, plus the following: •O ne additional guest pass for two to the Intermezzo Lounge for each mainstage production - admission for a total of six •F our Final Dress Rehearsal tickets to each Mainstage Production •P riority invitations for all special fundraising events •T he opportunity to sponsor a final dress rehearsal for students or an individual artist in an upcoming role

Silver $5,000+ All the benefits listed below, plus the following: •O ne additional guest pass for two to the Intermezzo Lounge for each mainstage production - admission for a total of four •A n invitation to our Digital Design Presentation, an opportunity to see an exclusive first look from the creative team before the production begins rehearsal

Bronze $2,500+ All Friends of The Atlanta Opera benefits, plus the following: •A VIP parking pass for each mainstage production •O ne pass for two to the Intermezzo Lounge for each mainstage production •A dvance notice of the 2023-24 season announcement • I nvitation to Season Preview Party • I nvitations to exclusive Patrons Circle events throughout the year

KEN HOWARD

•E xclusive Patrons Circle concierge services for all your Atlanta Opera needs

Considering a gift of $25,000 or more?

Director’s Circle $25,000+ Director’s Circle provides vital support towards The Atlanta Opera’s artistic quality and permanent sustainability. Donors enjoy major recognition opportunities and benefits.

For more information, please contact the Development Office at 404-881-8885.

atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera

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RAFTERMEN

encoreatlanta.com

Friends of The Atlanta Opera Investor $1,000+

All the benefits listed below, plus the following:

•T wo drink vouchers for each mainstage season production (eight total) • A copy of The Atlanta Opera’s annual report •T wo Final Dress Rehearsal tickets for each mainstage production •O ne pass for two to the Intermezzo Lounge for one mainstage production • Digital Invitation to Season Preview Party •C omplimentary access to Spotlight Media, The Atlanta Opera’s streaming service

Supporter $500+ •T wo Final Dress Rehearsal tickets for one mainstage production of your choice •T wo drink vouchers to use during the mainstage season •L isting in every mainstage program book of the season

Contributor $250+ • Recognition in every mainstage program book of the season

Friend $100+ • Recognition

in the final mainstage program book of the season