Minnesota Opera's Don Pasquale

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WELCOME LETTER

WELCO M E to Minnesota Opera’s 55th anniversary season!

Thank you for joining us as we open our 2017–2018 season with our first production of Donizetti’s bubbly farce, Don Pasquale. This timeless comedy is the perfect note on which to kick off our landmark 55th anniversary season. Putting a new spin on a classic story, this production places the action in the 1950s, imagining the Don as a wealthy, washed-up silent movie star, struggling to adjust to life in a modern technicolor world. Look out for a few cameos from your favorite stars of the silver screen like Elvis, John Wayne, and Lucille Ball!

Don Pasquale stars bass-baritone Craig Colclough, returning to Minnesota Opera after a memorable turn as Doristo in last season’s Diana’s Garden. Also returning is renowned soprano Susannah Biller singing Norina. Who could forget Ms. Biller’s daffy and duplicitous Kitty Packard in the world premiere of Dinner at Eight this past March? Rounding out the cast are former Minnesota Opera Resident Artists Andrew Wilkowske in the role of Dr. Malatesta and David Walton in the role of Ernesto. We are especially delighted to have them with us, as this season marks the 20th anniversary of our Resident Artist Program. As a former Minnesota Opera Resident Artist myself, I am thrilled to watch the next generation of opera stars launch their careers here as this wonderful program continues to thrive.

Our upcoming season is shaping up to be a truly satisfying lineup, full of hilarious comedies, searing dramas, and new takes on timeless classics. This November we will present Mozart’s masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro, often considered the perfect opera. Next year comes our first production of composer Jake Heggie’s modern classic, Dead Man Walking, the most performed modern new opera of the 21st century, followed by a new take on Verdi’s tragedy, Rigoletto, and our first production of Massenet’s sensuous Thaïs, with Minnesota native Kelly Kaduce in the title role.

Opera entertains, moves, and enlightens. It helps us to empathize — to recognize our common humanity across differences with those around us. Now — more than ever — we need opportunities for people to come together. The Ordway provides a space where we can practice empathy, connect with each other, and experience the power of the human voice. Thank you again for being a vital part of this particularly special season of music and celebration. On behalf of the hundreds of people who work to bring world-class opera and opera education programs to Minnesota, we couldn’t be more grateful for your continued support.

CO NT E NTS

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9 Don Pasquale

Synopsis

10 About the Opera 12 Gaetano Donizetti 13 Director’s Notes 14 Cast and Creative Team 16 Orchestra, Chorus, and Supernumeraries 17 Meet the Artist: Craig Colclough 18 Our New Look 19 Opera Education 20 T he Marriage of Figaro Preview 22 Minnesota Opera Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers 23 Upcoming Events 23 Minnesota Opera Information 24 Individual Giving 26 Institutional Giving 27 Special Giving 28 Opera Gala 2017

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RYAN TAYLOR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL DIRECTOR

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DON PASQUALE 2017–18

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DON PASQUALE 2017–18

We Have Frames No One Else Has.

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SYNOPSIS

Hollywood , California : the 1950s ACT I, SCENE 1

for fooling Don Pasquale: Norina

Don Pasquale is an old film star from

is to enact the role of Malatesta’s

the silent movie era as famous as the

sister, wed the old bachelor in a fake

great Norma Desmond. He lives in

ceremony, and then drive him so crazy

an old mansion on Sunset Boulevard

with her whims and demands that he

that is as devoid of color as his old

will be eager to find a way out of the

black-and-white films. His ward and

unpleasant staged marriage. Malatesta

nephew, Ernesto, has refused an

hires local stagehands to help out, but

arranged marriage, proclaiming his

there is no time to tell Ernesto.

love for Norina, a popular Hollywood starlet. Don Pasquale, outraged,

ACT II, SCENE 1

decides to disinherit the boy and

Don Pasquale’s Mansion

beget his own heirs. To do this he

Realizing that he will never be able to

needs a wife, and he has called on a

marry Norina without his inheritance,

family friend, Dr. Malatesta, to help

Ernesto laments his situation as

him find one. Malatesta, siding with

passionately as any of his uncle’s

Ernesto and Norina, makes a plan

Silent Films. When he leaves, Malatesta

to teach the headstrong Pasquale a

arrives with Don Pasquale’s “bride”

lesson. He glowingly describes to him

and introduces her to Pasquale who is

his beautiful and completely imaginary

outlandishly dressed in an old costume

sister and tells him that the girl is in

worthy of Rudolph Valentino. Without

love with him. Before long, the old

further delay, a ceremony takes place,

bachelor is convinced he loves the

during which Ernesto returns and is

girl and expresses his desire to marry

forced to witness the contract, and he

her with technicolor enthusiasm.

is finally told what is afoot. As soon as

Furthermore, he is prepared to cut

the mock ceremony ends, Norina turns

Ernesto out of his will. Unaware that

into a fiery shrew who torments Don

Dr. Malatesta has a plot afoot, Ernesto

Pasquale with her nasty short temper

grows bitter at the apparent betrayal

and extravagant ways.

by his good friend, Malatesta.

SCENE 2

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A Hollywood Soundstage

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arrives and reveals to Norina his plans

A Room in Don Pasquale’s Mansion

INTERMISSION ACT III, SCENE 1

Shooting a scene for her next

Don Pasquale’s Mansion

Hollywood movie, Norina’s screen

Having turned Don Pasquale’s mansion

persona boasts about knowing all the

into a kind of Hearst Castle, Norina

tricks to win a man’s love. Malatesta

invites the elite of the Hollywood film

world to cavort at Don Pasquale’s expense. Exquisitely gowned, Norina brazenly leaves the house to attend a late-night concert, and as part of the plan, she drops a letter where Don Pasquale must find it. It is a love letter from Ernesto, inviting her to a rendezvous in the garden of the Hollywood Bowl. Don Pasquale realizes that he cannot endure the situation any longer. Furious, he calls Malatesta, who promises to fix everything.

SCENE 2 The Garden of the Hollywood Bowl Disguised as a Hollywood crooner, Ernesto sings a love song to Norina, who responds fervently for Don Pasquale’s eavesdropping ears.

Don Pasquale springs upon the conspirators, who then happily reveal their plot. Immensely relieved to discover that his marriage has been like scenes from a popular Hollywood sex comedy, Don Pasquale forgives everyone involved and happily gives Norina to Ernesto.  Synopsis courtesy of Chuck Hudson

MUSIC BY GAETANO DONIZETTI LIBRETTO BY GIOVANNI RUFFINI AND GAETANO DONIZETTI AFTER ANGELO ANELLI’S LIBRETTO FOR STEFANO PAVESI’S OPERA SER MARCANTONIO WORLD PREMIERE AT THE THÉÂTRE ITALIEN, PARIS JANUARY 3, 1843 OCTOBER 7, 10, 12, 14, & 15 | ORDWAY MUSIC THEATER Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage.

CAST

CREATIVE TEAM CON DUCTOR Ruth and John Huss Chair

D O N PAS Q UALE

Craig Colclough

HA I R A N D MA KEUP DESI GN

David Zimmerman

Jonathan Brandani+ ASSI STA N T DI R ECTOR

N O RINA

Susannah Biller

STAGE DI R ECTOR

David Radamés Toro*

Chuck Hudson CHOR USMASTER

E R NESTO

David Walton+

SCEN I C DESI GN

Matthew Abernathy

Peter Nolle R ÉPÉTI TEUR S

D R . MALATE STA

Andrew Wilkowske+

Kathleen Trott

Jessica Hall* Lindsay Woodward*

PR OJ ECTI ON S DESI GN

EN GLI SH CA PTI ON S

Doug Provost

Arizona Opera

COSTUME DESI GN

A NOTARY

Wm. Clay Thompson* M AX

Ian Christiansen * MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST

SEASON SPONSOR

LI GHTI N G DESI GN

STAGE MA N AGER

Thomas C. Hase

Jamie K. Fuller

| + MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST ALUM

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME Running time is approximately 2 hours and 33 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission. The intermission will occur approximately 85 minutes into the opera.

Scenery, Costumes, Projections and Properties for this production are owned by Arizona Opera.

The appearances of Andrew Wilkowske, regional finalist; and David Walton and Wm. Clay Thompson, district finalists of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, are made possible through a Minnesota Opera Endowment Fund established for Artist Enhancement by Barbara White Bemis.

The appearances of the Resident Artists are made possible, in part, by the Virginia L. Stringer Endowment Fund for the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program.

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

Miriam and Erwin Kelen

9

ABOUT THE OPERA

D

on Pasquale was composed late in Gaetano Donizetti’s brief career.

At that point, he was working at a frenetic pace with such masterpieces as Maria Padilla (Milan; 1841), Linda di Chamounix (Vienna; 1842), and Caterina Cornaro (Naples; 1844) in his wake. He was also showing signs of the mental decline that was symptomatic of his terminal illness, which would claim him in just five years.

Still he would write the work (rumor has it) in just eleven days. That being said, he reused several numbers from earlier works. It was a practice not unheard of in those days — the earlier great bel canto master, Gioachino Rossini, would sometimes recycle from previously failed works that were unlikely to be revived again (at least in his lifetime). However, Donizetti’s music didn’t exactly fit the text, and librettist Giovanni Ruffini refused to have his name listed on the published book.

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The opera premiered at the Théâtre Italien in 1843, and traveled throughout Europe, later receiving its first American viewing in 1845. The setting has always been in dispute. Donizetti wanted the opera to take place in contemporaneous times, emphasizing the reality of the characters. However, the costumes ended up as a mélange of 17th- and 18th-century styles (today’s production quite neatly sets it in the Hollywood film era of the 20th century).

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The plot of Don Pasquale goes all the way back to Ancient Rome, from Plaustus’ The Comedy of Asses, in which an old man is made a fool of by a younger woman. Shades of that story pervade Ludovico Aristo’s poem Orlando furioso. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, wrote Epicone, or The Silent Woman, about a rich old man who wishes to dispossess his nephew in favor of a

speechless bride, as he misogynistically prefers silence and the lack of any potential “nagging.” In a game of mistaken identities, Epicone is revealed to be the notoriously outdated notion of the “shrew” once the papers are signed, and is in fact, a man. As the engineering character akin to Malatesta, Dauphine manages the situation, ensuring the nephew receives his just inheritance. Molière followed a similar plot in L’école des femmes (The school of women), Anatole France (of Thaïs fame) also wrote La comédie de celui qui épousa une femme muette (The man who married a mute wife), and Richard Strauss composed an opera on a similar story, Die schweigsame Frau in 1935, to a libretto by Stefan Zweig.

Donizetti was familiar with Jonson’s play through another opera, Ser Marc’Antonio (1810), with a libretto by Angelo Anelli.Stefano Pavesi, who was famous for a Cenerentola that later led to Rossini’s more treasured version,

“

The plot of Don Pasquale goes all the way back to Ancient Rome, from Plaustus’ The Comedy of Asses, in which an old man is made a fool of by a younger woman.”

Anelli became known in Vienna, and also wrote L’italiana in Algeri for Rossini. In the early 19th century it was commonplace for composers to treat the same subject of a previously performed libretto, as many works failed upon their premiere. Since travel was more difficult in those days, it was not uncommon to produce new treatments based on the same plot for different cities and venues.

Don Pasquale is pure farce, a tradition fading fast in the standard repertory (Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff of 1893; Milan, being the only one since to survive in the modern theater). The opera also bears some resemblance to the Italian commedia dell’arte. The commedia proper evolved during the 16th century from improvisatory scenes played at county fairs and marketplaces into a somewhat codified art form involving stock characters with predictable behavior, both by physicality and costume. Performances of commedia dell’arte were more frequent during Carnival, a time for anonymous celebration of the deadly sins, and these wanton acts made their way into light-hearted plots, giving them a rather ignoble, unsophisticated quality. The use of masks (another practice derived from Carnival) further obscures the identity of the actual person, reinforcing a particular character’s “type,” capturing humankind’s many faces, and allowing uninhibited, occasionally political dialogue. With the Renaissance itself, the genre spread quickly across Europe. Brought to France

by Catherine de’ Medici during the reign of her son, Charles IX, commedia dell’arte enjoyed a revival in the 17th century and is found most famously in the works of Molière. In England, Shakespeare (whose sources were frequently Italian) would draw upon commedia plots and sometimes introduce a comic figure, or “zanni” (from which the word “zany” is derived), a nameless clown only to become a sagacious figure.

Unable to survive the Age of Sensibility, this extemporized art form appears to have died in the written works of these two authors, yet commedia dell’arte remained of interest in the musical world. Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore features a potion-pushing charlatan in the character of Dr. Dulcamara as well as the braggart-bully soldier Belcore (based on another commedia figure, Il capitano, the Spanish captain). Rossini drew upon the Italian comedy more than once: in the Occidental-abduction scenario outlined in L’italiana in Algeri (also utilized in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio), in La Cenerentola with the characters of the helpful servant Dandini and the overblown father Don Magnifico (another personage from the

“

Welcome to the ‘Hollywoodland’ treatment of Don Pasquale, which suits the show perfectly.” commedia), and in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Bartolo, an older doctor of dubious talents in search of a young bride, foiled by the Harlequin-esque Figaro and the two young lovers “Lindoro” (really the Count) and Rosina. Many of the same characters carry over to Beaumarchais’ second installment of the trilogy, Le mariage de Figaro, set by Mozart in 1786. A century later, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci tells the story of a commedia dell’arte troupe and includes an actual performance of a traditional skit featuring the cuckolded husband, and Carlo Collodi managed to include the same plot and characters in his Le avventure di Pinocchio (realized by composer Jonathan Dove in 2009). In the early 20th century, we found the harlequinade reborn in Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot (renamed Ping, Pang, and Pong; 1926), Ferruccio Busoni’s opera of the same name (and in another, Arlecchino; both 1917), Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos (1912/1916), and Hans Werner Henze’s König Hirsch (after Gozzi’s The Stag King; 1956). Dominick Argento cleverly injected a dose of Venetian life with Pulcinella, Tartaglia, and the Spanish Captain, into Act III of his Casanova’s Homecoming (1985; revived in 2009).

These examples, many already familiar

to Minnesota Opera’s audience, are only a few from a larger body of commedia dell’arte-inspired works that continue to survive in the operatic genre. As Pagliaccio may have once portentously stated with solemn finality, “La commedia è finita” — perhaps not just yet ...

Welcome to the “Hollywoodland” treatment of Don Pasquale, which suits the show perfectly. I hope you reflect on the veiled re-creation of Norma Desmond and “Max” of Sunset Boulevard fame (also consider the Carol Burnett spoof from the 1970s …). Please enjoy this fresh and novel interpretation!

DAVID SANDER DRAMATURG

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

Though only visual evidence remains (as the plots were never scripted), elements of commedia dell’arte can be found in the opera Don Pasquale’s characters.

The crafty and romantic valet Harlequin (Arlecchino), left as a foundling (but claiming to be of noble blood), is a mixture of wit and ignorance. He is adept at slipping out of tricky situations and is generally the most familiar to wider audiences. Aspects of his behavior are found in Doctor Malatesta as well as Il Dottore (reflected in Nozze and Barbiere as Don Basilio and Bartolo).

The requisite Noble Lovers (Norina and Ernesto) are also present, though Norina also shares some of her characteristics with Columbine (later Nozze’s Susanna), the mischievous maid who solves all the problems. Various elements of slapstick comedy (though softened in Don Pasquale) of characters hiding behind chairs and inside closets, jumping out of windows, receiving blows meant for others, and creating deception by use of disguise are all descended from the commedia dell’arte, particularly seen in the 18th-century plays of Carlo Goldoni (also a librettist to many opera buffa) and Carlo Gozzi (later to inspire several 19th- and 20th-century masterpieces).

ABOUT THE OPERA

11

COMPOSER

years of relative inactivity. A letter of introduction from Mayr to poet Jacopo Ferretti led Donizetti to Rome, where in 1822 he would have his first unequivocal success, Zoraide di Grenata. His career was just getting started.

B. Bergamo, November 29, 1797 D. Bergamo, April 8, 1848

GAETANO DONIZETTI

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

With nearly 70 operas to his credit, Gaetano Donizetti was the leading Italian composer in the decade between Vincenzo Bellini’s death and the ascent of Giuseppe Verdi. Donizetti was born in the northern Italian city of Bergamo to an impoverished family. After showing some musical talent, he was enrolled in the town’s Lezioni Caritatevoli, where he had the good fortune to study with Giovanni Simone Mayr, maestro di cappella at Santa Maria Maggiore. Originally from Bavaria, Mayr was a successful composer in Italy during the era preceding Gioachino Rossini’s rise to fame, with dozens of operas to his credit. Though offered many prestigious appointments throughout Europe, Mayr remained loyal to his adopted community and greatly enhanced the local musical institutions.

Donizetti arrived at a time when Mayr was writing his greatest operas, and his impression on the younger composer was pronounced. Throughout his life, Donizetti regarded him as a second father, though he would outlive his master by only three years.

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When it came time, Donizetti furthered his education at the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna (shadowing Rossini, who had once studied there).

He had already penned several short operas before receiving his first commission in 1818 from the Teatro San Luca in Venice — this was Enrico di Borgogna to a libretto by Bartolomeo Merelli. (In later years, as impresario of La Scala, Merelli was instrumental in the beginnings of Verdi’s career.) Further works were produced in Venice, but Donizetti returned to Bergamo for a few

Later that year Donizetti settled in Naples and used it as a base for the next 16 years. He arrived just as Rossini was finishing his seven-year contract with the royal theaters. Like Rossini he had the ability to work at the increasingly rapid pace demanded by the Italian theater industry and was able to produce three to four operas a year for most of his life.

Many remain timeless gems. L’elisir d’amore (1832), La fille du régiment (1840), and Don Pasquale (1843) demonstrate his expert handling of lighter subjects.

Lucrezia Borgia (1833), Gemma di Vergy (1834), Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), Maria de Rudenz (1838), and Maria Padilla (1841) display the composer’s mastery of the Italian melodrama fueled by impassioned and unrestrained literature of the Romantic period. His influence on Verdi cannot be underestimated.

Donizetti’s success in dealing with both comic and tragic settings was due in part to his own manic-depressive personality. Well acquainted with personal misfortune, Donizetti lost in the span of eight years his mother, father, two infant sons, an infant daughter, and Virginia Vasselli, his wife of seven years. He never truly recuperated after her death, locking the door to her room and refusing to utter her name again. His melancholia may have been induced by early symptoms of syphilis, which he contracted as a young man. It may have also been brought on by the responsibility he felt for harboring the disease that likely cost him his wife and children.

Donizetti made his Paris debut in 1835 with Marino Faliero at the Théâtre Italien and later premiered Les martyrs (1840) at the Paris Opéra. A French translation of Lucia made his name a household word, and in 1840 the composer captivated audiences with La favorite, which became hugely popular throughout Europe and North America.

One of his very last works for the stage, Dom Sébastien (1843), was cast in the mold of French grand opéra and was extremely well-received.

The composer had hoped to assume Niccolò Zingarelli’s post as director of the Naples Conservatory, but when the 85-year-old composer died in 1837, Donizetti’s considerable musical contribution to the city was overlooked.

Preference was given to a lesser composer, Saverio Mercadante, chiefly because he was a native Neapolitan.

After his brief stint in Paris, Donizetti turned toward the Austrian state, where he became music director of the imperial theaters. Two of his final works had their premiere at Vienna’s principal venue, the Kärntnertortheater: Linda di Chamounix (1842) and Maria di Rohan (1843). After the success of Linda, he was appointed Composer to the Austrian Court, a position Mozart had held a half century earlier.

“

Donizetti’s success in dealing with both comic and tragic settings was due in part to his own manic-depressive personality.”

By 1845, symptoms of his illness had become incapacitating, and his erratic behavior could no longer be excused by overwork. With his family’s intervention Donizetti was placed in a French sanitarium at Ivry for 17 months, then transferred to a Paris apartment. There he was regularly visited by musicians and colleagues, including Verdi, but by this point he was paralyzed, disoriented, and rarely spoke. In September 1847, friends arranged his return to Bergamo, where he passed his final days at the home of a wealthy patroness.

© ED FLORES FOR ARIZONA OPERA

tragic.” I learned that I could change the context or even the meaning simply by changing where and when to “take” to the audience. These silent asides would make or break the comedy and could generate cascades of laughter. I love honoring his influence by inserting flowers from his bouquet into a show now and then, so we have inserted a few into this production — riffing on Bip Commits Suicide, The Mask Maker, and The Pickpocket’s Nightmare.

We wanted to create an environment that would allow the virtuosity of comedy to work hand in hand with the virtuoso vocal work of Opera. When the design team and I settled on Sunset Boulevard as the inspiration for this production, the collaboration and creativity flowed.

“

With Don Pasquale, Donizetti gives us champagne for music ...”

Having singers play Hollywood actors who are playing roles opened up a world of comic possibilities. I have always been amazed with the “theatre magic” of the costume changes during a Japanese Kabuki performance — a Samurai Warrior turns into a Fox right before your eyes, which is not only part of the fun, it is a playful way for us to portray in a theatre the special effects we expect in a movie.

Like a Busby Berkeley chorus becoming a kaleidoscope of human action, even our set transforms one large element into a completely different object in another scene.

On the first day of rehearsal I presented the singers with Marceau’s Comic Timing Exercise — a specific and yet simple sequence of movements that allows comedy to flourish. Armed with this technique, we got to work!

Although he is no longer with us, Marceau’s style and his love of style live on in those of us who worked with him directly. I am privileged to pass it along to the next generation of performers including actors, movement artists, and opera singers.

CHUCK HUDSON STAGE DIRECTOR

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

w

ith Don Pasquale, Donizetti gives us champagne for music and so the comic style of the acting must match this excellence or it would be like mixing bubbles with beer! I had the privilege of working with a master of comedy, Marcel Marceau.

At his school in Paris, Marceau had us study the various styles of comedy from the Italian commedia dell’arte to his own comic inspirations: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and other actors of le Cinéma Muet. It was their virtuosity, their “musicality” in style that struck Marceau. Their comic dignity represented the champagne of Comedy as opposed to the stylistic beer of Slapstick or Vaudeville. Marceau also drilled us in the details of his own comic masterpieces, working the specificity, style, and that elusive skill, Comic Timing. Highlights of touring with Marceau came on the off-nights in a studio improvising together. He put me on stage and tossed out a theme and I would “play.” He gave me specific stylistic directions: “Make the same action tragic, now comic, now dark comedy, now Baroque comedy, now Melodrama …” To increase the subtlety he would say, “Now find the tragic in the comic” or “find the comic in the

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

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C A S T + C R E AT I V E T E A M

SUSANNAH BILLER

CRAIG COLCLOUGH

NORINA

DON PASQUALE

GEORGETOWN, TENNESSEE

CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA

Minnesota Opera Debut Dinner at Eight, 2017

Past

Minnesota Opera Debut L’arbore di Diana, 2017

Past

The Trial, Opera Theatre of St. Louis;

Tosca, Canadian Opera Company;

La Cenerentola, San Diego Opera;

Tristan und Isolde, English National Opera;

Orphée et Eurydice, Des Moines Metro Opera;

Gianni Schicchi, LA Opera;

L’elisir d’amore, Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Silent Night, Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Future

Future

Falstaff, Opera Colorado;

Falstaff, The Royal Opera House;

Der Ring des Polykrates, Dallas Opera

Das Rheingold, Arizona Opera; Rigoletto, LA Opera; Lohengrin, Opera Vlaanderen Antwerp

JONATHAN BRANDANI

THOMAS C. HASE

CONDUCTOR

LIGHTING DESIGN

LUCCA, ITALY

MADISON, WISCONSIN

Minnesota Opera Debut Tosca, 2016

Past L’elisir d’amore, Deutsche Oper am Rhein; La bohème, Minnesota Opera

Future Aida, Daegu International Opera Festival;

Minnesota Opera Debut Don Pasquale, 2017

Past The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, LA Opera; The Rakes Progress, Finnish National Opera; 22 Seasons, Cincinnati Opera

Future

Il mondo della luna, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia;

Fellow Travelers, Lyric Opera of Chicago;

Medea in Corinto, Teatro Nuovo;

Don Carlo, Washington National Opera;

L’oracolo, Wexford Festival Opera

Ariadne auf Naxos, Santa Fe Opera; Der Freischütz, Vienna Staatsopera

IAN CHRISTIANSEN

CHUCK HUDSON

MAX

STAGE DIRECTOR

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

Minnesota Opera Debut Don Pasquale, 2017

Past

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Past

Don Pasquale, Atlanta Opera;

Don Pasquale, Arizona Opera, Atlanta Opera;

Falstaff, Arizona Opera;

Falstaff, Arizona Opera, Opera Saratoga;

Arizona Lady, Arizona Opera;

Rigoletto, Florida Grand Opera;

La fille du régiment, Arizona Opera;

Le nozze di Figaro, Cape Town Opera, Seattle Opera;

Don Pasquale, Arizona Opera

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Minnesota Opera Debut Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2001

La bohème, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Sacramento Opera, Berkshire Opera Festival

Future Don Pasquale, Fort Worth Opera

C A S T + C R E AT I V E T E A M

PETER NOLLE

KATHLEEN TROTT

SCENIC DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGN

HAMBURG, GERMANY

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Minnesota Opera Debut Don Pasquale, 2017

Past

Minnesota Opera Debut Don Pasquale, 2017

Past

Don Giovanni, Arizona Opera;

La bohème, Hawaii Opera;

Florencia en el Amazonas, Arizona Opera;

Don Pasquale, Arizona Opera, Atlanta Opera;

Falstaff, Arizona Opera

Riders of the Purple Sage, Arizona Opera; The Pirates of Penzance, San Luis Obispo Opera; Dido and Aeneas, Central City Opera

DOUG PROVOST

DAVID WALTON

PROJECTIONS DESIGN

ERNESTO

SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Minnesota Opera Debut Don Pasquale, 2017

Past

Minnesota Opera Debut La fanciulla del West, 2014

Past

Don Giovanni, Arizona Opera;

Albert Herring, Union Avenue Opera;

The Magic Flute, Hawaii Opera;

Don Pasquale, Brava Opera Theatre;

Don Pasquale, Cincinnati Opera;

La bohème, The Glimmerglass Festival;

Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Nashville Opera

La Rondine, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Roméo et Juliette, Minnesota Opera

Future Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Madison Opera; Il barbiere di Siviglia, The Glimmerglass Festival

WM. CLAY THOMPSON

ANDREW WILKOWSKE

A NOTARY

DR. MALATESTA

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

WILLMAR, MINNESOTA

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past Le nozze di Figaro, The University of North Texas; La bohème, SOO Opera Theatre; JFK, Fort Worth Opera; La fanciulla del West, Kentucky Opera

Future Le nozze di Figaro, Minnesota Opera; Dead Man Walking, Minnesota Opera; Rigoletto, Minnesota Opera;

Minnesota Opera Debut Transatlantic, 1998

Past Lucy, Urban Arias; Il barbiere di Siviglia, Florentine Opera; Silent Night, Atlanta Opera

Future Don Pasquale, Fort Worth Opera; The Invention of Morel, Long Beach Opera; Dead Man Walking, Minnesota Opera

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

Thaïs, Minnesota Opera

15

ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, + SUPERNUMERARIES

ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Allison Ostrander* Concertmaster Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Chair

Natalia Moiseeva Assistant Concertmaster Julia Persitz David Mickens Colin McGuire Angela Hanson Conor O’Brien Maisie Block Emily Saathoff

VIOLIN II Laurie Petruconis* Elizabeth Decker Stephan Orsak Melinda Marshall Elise Parker Emilia Mettenbrink Huldah Niles

VIOLA

FLUTE

TRUMPET

David Auerbach*

Michele Frisch* Bethany Gonella (double piccolo)

John G. Koopmann* Martin Hodel

Nina and John• Archabal Chair

Susan Janda Laurel Browne Jenny Lind Nilsson Matthew Mindeman

CELLO Jim Jacobson* Connie and Lew Remele Chair

Teresa Richardson Sally Gibson Dorer Kirsten Whitson Dale Newton

BASS John Michael Smith* Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Chair

Constance Martin Charlies Block

TROMBONE OBOE Michael Dayton* Robert McManus

Phillip Ostrander* Richard Gaynor David Stevens

CLARINET

TIMPANI

Karrin Meffert-Nelson* Nina Olsen

Kory Andry*

PERCUSSION BASSOON Coreen Nordling* Laurie Hatcher Merz

Matthew Barber*

OFFSTAGE GUITAR

CHORUS Alex Barnett Lisa Butcher Phinehas Bynum Benjamin Crickenberger Benjamin Dutcher Michelle Liebl Joel Mathias Lizzie Rainville Alex Ritchie Cathyrn Schmidt Carole Schultz Lindsay Sessing Ashley Sievers Eryn Tvete Colyn Tvete Clark Weyrauch

Chris Kachian

HORN Mike Alexander* Charles Hodgson Timothy Bradley Jenna McBride-Harris

PIANO Lindsay Woodward

SUPERNUMERARIES Josie Olslund David Schneider Amy Sirivie

* principal • in memoriam

MINNESOTA OPERA STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO REMEMBER OUR FRIEND, DOLLY FITERMAN...

For her dedication to and love of Minnesota Opera.

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Those who had the pleasure of meeting Dolly Fiterman were certain never to forget the experience.

She was kind, vivacious, passionate, and, above all, dedicated to the arts.

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Dolly first served as a member of the Minnesota Opera Board of Directors more than 35 years ago and remained a Lifetime Director. She was a steadfast opera attendee and supporter, who brightened events with her effervescent personality and vibrant clothing. The collection of contemporary art and the promotion of living artists were at the heart of Dolly Fiterman. These passions — together with her keen eye for design and generosity — led her to start the Dolly Fiterman Fund for Opera Design. The creation of this permanent endowment fund, which began in 1991, encourages the highest artistic ideals through supporting the design of scenery and costumes for Minnesota Opera productions.

Dolly was one of the Opera’s earliest friends and patrons and dedicated more than 50 years of her life to the Opera. When creating the Opera Design Fund, she said that “Minnesota Opera has become so renowned for its quality productions, and true to its origins it’s still a company that is willing to take risks.” Thanks, in part, to Dolly’s patronage over the years, her statement is still true today, 25 years later.

These performances of Don Pasquale are dedicated to Dolly Fiterman for her lifetime of support and enthusiasm for Minnesota Opera.

MEET THE ARTIST

When did you first fall in love with opera?

Listening to the Amadeus soundtrack in junior high school. The Don Giovanni finale was so terrifying and perfect all at the same time. In high school, my friends and I had a Mustang convertible in which we'd cruise around town. I'd make them blast the Commendatore dragging Giovanni to hell with the top down. They never quite understood, but were kind enough to humor me.

What are some of the joys and challenges of performing Don Pasquale?

Anytime you get to play an eccentric is a gift. The rehearsals are just as fun as the performances. The challenge is not getting jealous of the music the other characters get to sing.

Describe Don Pasquale in three words…

Delusions. Of. Grandeur.

D O N PA S Q U A L E

Are there any themes or underlying elements in the story that you think will resonate with today’s audience?

I think everyone can relate to a parent attempting to strong-arm the behavior of their child. And in order to resolve this tension Donizetti pits the curmudgeonly pantaloon against one of the strongest, emancipated females in all of opera literature.

Family dynamics, financial stress, and female empowerment, all steeped in shenanigans and trickery, will resonate vividly with our modern audience.

What is the strangest or most surprising thing that has ever happened to you during a performance?

Once, as I was the only person facing upstage, I witnessed a meter-long steel pipe fall from the flies, narrowly missing the choristers staring diligently downstage. It was terrifying.

What are some of your favorite things to do while you’re in the Twin Cities?

We have family friends in the Twin Cities and, as I travel with my wife and two small children, our favorite pastimes are playdates with their amazing children.

What’s the best advice you would give to singers just starting their careers?

The craft must be reward enough. If you are trying to receive applause, money, or fame, your spirit will shrivel and die.

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

PHOTO CREDIT, TOP: PHOTO BY CHRIS GLOAG | PHOTO CREDIT, RIGHT: DIANA’S GARDEN, 2017 © DAN NORMAN

CRAIG COLCLOUGH

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OP E R A T HAT UNITES. Sea so n af ter sea so n, M N OP ER A bring s to gether artists a nd audiences to tell tim eless sto ries thro ugh fearless pro duc tio ns. We sing this v isio n thro u g h every no te, and take risks that fo rge th e f uture o f o pera .

J o in us this seaso n, and reim a gine o pe ra.

Silent Night, 2011 ŠMichal Daniel.

m nope ra.org

O P E R A E D U C AT I O N

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2

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SUMMER OPERA CAMP

The sounds of opera filled the campus of ShattuckSt. Mary’s School in June with the annual Summer Opera Camp. High school teens from across Minnesota and Wisconsin spent a very intensive June week improving their skills in singing and acting, attending live performances, and learning about the professional life of an opera singer. College students from around the state also spent a week improving their performance skills and delved into the world of teaching artistry.

Photo 1: Opera Artist+ students at the final dress rehearsal of Skylark Opera’s Don Giovanni. | Photo 2: Heidi Spesard-Noble takes students through an acting exercise. | Photo 3: Campers take a final bow.

More information about our summer camps can be found at mnopera.org/camps.

MINNESOTA OPERA’S NEW TEACHING ARTIST We are thrilled to welcome Pablo Siqueiros as our new Teaching Artist. Pablo comes to us from the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee where he served as the Education Manager and Studio Artist. As the Teaching Artist, Pablo will travel the state introducing Minnesota Opera to thousands of students of all ages, ranging from K–12 schools, libraries, community centers, and senior homes. If you would like to have Pablo visit your school, contact him at psiqueiros@mnopera.org.

PROJECT OPERA

This season Project Opera will present Odyssey with music by Ben Moore and libretto by Kelly Rourke, February 9–11, 2018. The opera is an action-packed telling of Homer’s epic.

The performances will be sung in English with English captions projected above the stage. This opera is ideal for all ages. Tickets on sale soon. Project Opera is a comprehensive vocal training program for singers ages 8–18 that meets on Saturdays throughout the school year. Participants come from across the metro area and western Wisconsin to learn about vocal technique, acting, and movement. For more information, visit mnopera.org/project-opera.

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DON PASQUALE 2017–18

Photo 4: Performers in Project Opera’s 2017 production of The Nightingale. Photo by Sigrid Redpath.

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THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO PREVIEW

I think on the surface The Marriage of Figaro can be enjoyed for its gorgeousness. However, our stage director, Stephen Lawless (La clemenza di Tito, 2001) has chosen to stage the opera in a rather traditional setting while bringing the dramaturgy to the fore.

Perhaps this speech from the play may reveal to us the power that captured Mozart’s attention: “No, my lord Count, you shan’t have her … you shall not have her! Just because you are a great nobleman, you think you are a great genius. Nobility, fortune, rank, position! How proud they make a man feel! What have you done to deserve such advantages?

Put yourself to the trouble of being born — nothing more. For the rest — a very ordinary man! Whereas I, lost among the obscure crowd, have had to deploy more knowledge, more calculation and skill merely to survive than has sufficed to rule all the provinces of Spain for a century!”

Powerful stuff, no doubt! I think one can point to this speech and our eyes are suddenly opened to why The Marriage of Figaro continues to intrigue us generations after its premiere. This production, beautifully designed by Leslie Travers, moves quickly from scene to scene always keeping our attention to the swift dramatic pace. Let the revolution begin!

DALE JOHNSON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

© DANA SOHM FOR LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY

M

ozart’s gem, The Marriage of Figaro, is one of the operas that I never tire of. Yes, I know it’s rather long and the plot can be a bit confusing. But has there ever been another opera that contains such beautiful arias, rich duets, lusty trios, and extraordinary finales? Starting with the overture, this opera is one of the great masterworks of the Classical era. Figaro and Susanna begin the opera with a humorous discussion of where their marriage bed will be placed. This soon leads to the unveiling of the Count’s desire to express his right as the master of the household to bed Susanna before her husband Figaro. This lovely duet sets in place a convoluted plot to expose the Count and in turn discredit aristocratic privilege. Based on the French play La folle journée, ou Le mariage de Figaro

by Pierre Beaumarchais, Mozart has taken a play that “killed off the nobility” and added music of great wit and profound beauty.

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

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NOVEMBER 11–19 Comedy, classism, and calamity . . .

BU Y T ODAY mnopera.org |

61 2 -3 3 3 - 6 6 6 9

THE MORE YOU BUY, THE MORE YOU SAVE! Introducing New Flex Packs SAVE UP TO 25% off individual ticket prices when you purchase 3 or more operas with our NEW FLEX PACKS . Get ultimate flexibility—choose any performance date, seating area, and number of seats to make your own Flex Pack.

Plus, enjoy one free exchange with your Flex Pack, and unlimited exchanges after that (fees apply). Mix and match for your convenience.

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

F*

E

D

C

B

A

$25

$50–$75

$75–$100

$100–$125

$130–$150

$165–$175

FLEX PACK PRICES – Save up to 25% when you purchase 3 or more operas!

3-Opera Flex Pack (price per ticket)

4-Opera Flex Pack (price per ticket)

5-Opera Flex Pack (price per ticket)

Save 15%

n/a

$42.50

$63.75

$85.00

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$140.25

Save 20%

n/a

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$132.00

Save 25%

n/a

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$123.75

*Seating Area F is partial view. Stage and/or English translations may be obstructed from seats in this area.

Seating Area F is not available for Flex Packs.

mnopera.org 612-333-6669

Please note: Patrons must purchase 3 or more different operas for the Flex Pack discount. Online, discount automatically loads when tickets for 3 or more operas are in the cart. Over the phone, mention Flex Pack. Though Flex Pack orders are non-refundable, patrons may make exchanges, subject to availability. After first free exchange, additional Flex Pack exchanges will incur a transaction fee.

Additional fees may apply.

Are you 21–39 and interested in experiencing opera, meeting new people, and receiving invitations to After Parties and one-of-akind events? Join Minnesota Opera’s young professionals group and enjoy a steep discount on the hottest tickets in town.

mnopera.org/tempo

2017–2018 SEASON MEMBERSHIPS ARE ON SALE NOW!

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

JOIN TEMPO, OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP!

21

S TA F F, B OA R D + VO L U N T E E R S

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MINNESOTA OPERA STAFF

OF F ICE RS

ADMI N I ST RAT IO N

PRO DU CT IO N

Chair | Margaret Wurtele

President and General Director | Ryan Taylor

Production Director | Karen Quisenberry

President and General Director | Ryan Taylor

Director of Board Relations | Theresa Murray

Asst. Production Director | Julia Gallagher

Vice Chair | H. Bernt von Ohlen

Chief Financial Officer | Steve Matheson

Production Stage Manager | Kerry Masek

Secretary | Nadege Souvenir

Human Resources Director | Jen Thill

Stage Manager | Jamie K. Fuller

Treasurer | John Junek

Facility Manager | Steve Mittelholtz

Assistant Stage Managers | Lorely Dedrick, Nick Loweree

Systems Administrator | Tony Ngonekeo

DIRECTORS

Technical Director | Mike McQuiston

AR T I ST IC

Properties Master | Jenn Maatman

Richard Allendorf

Robert Lee

Artistic Director | Dale Johnson

Patricia Beithon

Jeninne McGee

Music Director | Michael Christie

Lighting and Video Coordinator | Raymond W. Steveson Jr.

Sharon Bloodworth

Michael McNamara

Assistant Conductor | Jonathan Brandani

Production Carpenter | JC Amel

Shari Boehnen

Leni Moore

Head of Music | Allen Perriello

Alberto Castillo

Kay Ness

Artistic Administrator | Roxanne Stouffer

Scene Shop Foreman/Supervisor | Mark Maurer

Jay Debertin

Jose Peris

Terrance Dolan

Elizabeth Redleaf

Artist Relations and Planning Director | Floyd Anderson

Sara Donaldson

Connie Remele

Dramaturg | David Sander

Sidney W. Emery

Mary H. Schrock

Maureen Harms

Linda Roberts Singh

Mary IngebrandPohlad

David Smith

Resident Artists | Andres Acosta, Nadia Fayad, Jessica Hall, Mary Evelyn Hangley, David Radamés Toro, Wm. Clay Thompson, Christian Thurston, Lindsay Woodward

Nadege Souvenir

E DU C AT IO N

Costume Director | Corinna Bohren Assistant Costume Director | Beth Sanders Tailor | Yancey Thrift Draper | Chris Bur

Virginia Stringer

First Hands | Helen Ammann, Katrina Benedict, Rebecca Karstad

Greg Sullivan

Teaching Artist | Pablo Siqueiros

Stichers | Ann Habermann, Sara Huebschen

Norrie Thomas

Wardrobe Supervisor | Molly O’Gara

H. Bernt von Ohlen

Project Opera Music Director | Matthew Abernathy

Mary Lazarus

William White

Project Opera Accompanist | Kathy Kraulik

Hair/Makeup Supervisors | Priscilla Bruce, Manuel Jacobo

Cynthia Y. Lee

Margaret Wurtele

Music Out Loud Teaching Artist | Sara Sawyer

Hair/Makeup Crew | Lianna Colestock

J Jackson Diane Jacobson John C. Junek Christl Larson

David Strauss

D IR ECTORS E M ER I T I

DE V E LOPME NT Chief Development Officer | Carley M. Stuber

Karen Bachman

Julia W. Dayton

Development Director | Mallory Roberts

John A. Blanchard, III

Mary W. Vaughan

Institutional Gifts Director | Diana Konopka

Burton Cohen

Development Officer | Nickolas Sanches Events Manager | Anthony Diaz

HONO RA RY D I REC TO R S

Development Associate | Jeremie Bur

Dominick Argento

Development Operations Coordinator | Jonathan Lundgren

Liz Kochiras

Philip Brunelle

Graduate Resident, Grants and Special Projects | Liz Lassiter

L EG AL CO UN SE L Moss & Barnett

TEMPO BOARD OF F ICE RS Chair | Thomas Bakken

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Carpenter | Max Gilbert

Community Education Director | Jamie Andrews

Philip Isaacson

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Master Carpenters | Nate Kulenkamp, Eric Veldey

Vice Chair | Kara Eliason Dorsey Secretary | Emily Engel Treasurer | Veronica Mason

Lynne Beck

Suzan Lynnes

Chief Marketing Officer | Darby Lunceford

Gerald Benson

Mary McDiarmid

Marketing Director | Katherine L. Castille

Debra Brooks

Barbara Moore

Audience Engagement Manager | Kristin Matejcek

Jerry Cassidy

Douglas Myhra

Judith Duncan

Candyce Osterkamp

Design Manager | Kristin Backman

Jane Fuller

Pat Panshin

Communications Manager | Eric Broker

Joan Gacki

Sydney Phillips

Web and Digital Media Associate | Rocky Jones

Merle Hanson

Kari Schutz

Robin Keck

Janet Skidmore

Marketing and Communications Associate | Kate Saumur

Mary Lach

Wendi Sott

Jerry Lillquist Joyce Lillquist

Stephanie Van D’Elden

Melanie Locke

Barbara Willis

Patron Services Director | Greg Campbell Patron Services Manager | Kevin Beckey

Carrie Anderson

Sarah Fowler

Patron Services Coordinator | Brian Johnson-Weyl

Thomas Bakken

Mark Giga

Elizabeth Brenner

Alison Jarzyna

Phone Room / Performance Supervisors | Trevor Schaeffer, Charlotte Summers

Laura Chaffee

Veronica Mason

Kamruz Darabi

Luke Olson

Kara Eliason Dorsey

Aimee Tritt

Katie Eiser

Julia Wilcox

Emily Engel

The following volunteers contribute their time and talent to support key activities of the company. Get involved with Bravo!

Volunteer Corps at mnopera.org/volunteer, or email volunteering@mnopera.org for more information.

MAR K E T ING / CO MMUNICAT IO NS

Associate Patron Services Manager | Karl Annable

M EMBERS

MINNESOTA OPERA VOLUNTEERS

Patron Services Representatives | Kianna Carter, Carol Corich, Henry Dykstal, Elisabeth Hawthorne, Ian Mercer, Joshua Weinberg

Minnesota Opera is a proud member of The Arts Partnership with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Schubert Club.

The Sphinx Virtuosi

Dead Man Walking

OCT. 22, 3PM

JAN. 27–FEB. 3

The Sphinx Virtuosi is one of America’s most dynamic string ensembles, comprised of the nation’s top Black and Latino classical string soloists who are all alumni of the prestigious Sphinx Competition for young American string players. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Sphinx Organization, this 18-piece self-conducted ensemble will perform an exciting program of concerti through the ages.

This heartbreaking story of grief, grace, and redemption has moved audiences worldwide since its premiere. Based on Sister Helen Prejean's memoir that inspired the Oscar-winning movie of the same name, the opera recounts her courageous struggle to provide spiritual guidance to a condemned Louisiana murderer in the months leading up to his execution.

MNOPERA.ORG/DEAD-MAN-WALKING

ORDWAY.ORG/THE-SPHINX-VIRTUOSI

MN Opera @ Books & Bars

Project Opera Performs Ben Moore & Kelley Rourke’s Odyssey

OCT. 24

FEB. 9–11

This open book club perfectly combines opera, literature, and beer! Join moderator Jeff Kamin and special guests, including Minnesota Opera President and General Director Ryan Taylor, for food, libations, and engaging conversations on books related to MN Opera’s 55th anniversary season.

Odyssey, based on Homer’s epic poem, tells the time-honored tale of the wily king of Ithaca and the trials and tribulations he must face on his journey home from the Trojan War. Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage. Presented at the Lab Theater, 700 North First Street, Minneapolis (next to the Opera Center).

MNOPERA.ORG/BOOKS

MNOPERA.ORG/PROJECT-OPERA

Behind the Curtain NOV. 1, 7PM

Rigoletto

At the historic Opera Center, get the inside scoop on Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of opera.

MAR. 17–31

MNOPERA.ORG/BTC

The Marriage of Figaro NOV. 11–19 Mozart's infectious score brings wit, drama, and humanity to this comedy of errors widely considered the perfect opera. Will Figaro and his charming fiancée make it to the altar as they attempt to fend off the philandering, arrogant Count Almaviva?

MNOPERA.ORG/MARRIAGE-OF-FIGARO

Opera Insights ONE HOUR PRIOR TO EACH PERFORMANCE Enjoy fun, free, and informative half-hour lectures, hosted by Minnesota Opera artistic staff in Ordway’s Target Atrium.

Come early and get an overview of the characters and music, the historical and cultural context of the opera, and highlights to watch for during the show.

MNOPERA.ORG/OPERA-INSIGHTS

Verdi's tale of seduction and bitter revenge is boldly imagined in this new production.

The disfigured jester Rigoletto must do everything in his power to protect his innocent daughter from the lecherous Duke of Mantua before she falls into his clutches. Rigoletto tragically unfurls as it races toward its devastating climax.

MNOPERA.ORG/RIGOLETTO

Resident Artist Program 20th Anniversary Event APR. 8 The Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program 20th Anniversary Event honors the legacy and accomplishments of the company’s esteemed training program founded by Artistic Director Dale Johnson.

Surprise guests perform an eclectic musical program that promises a memorable concert in support of the past, current, and future members of the highly selective program for artists and administrators.

MNOPERA.ORG/COMMUNITY-EVENTS

Thaïs MAY 12–20 A devout monk seeks to convert Thaïs, a ravishingly beautiful courtesan, but realizes too late that his pious obsession is rooted in lust, not religion. Massenet's sensual and melodic creation, set in the deserts and oases of 4th-century Egypt, explores the conflict between the passion of the flesh and the salvation of the soul.

MNOPERA.ORG/THAIS

M I N N E S OTA O P E R A I N F O Minnesota Opera Patron Services 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-333-6669 Regular Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm.

Performances: Weekdays — phones open until curtain. Weekends — phones open at 2pm for evening performances and at 10:30am for matinee performances. Minnesota Opera staff will be available at the Ordway’s Box Office 90 minutes prior to curtain. mnopera.org Visit mnopera.org to watch behind-thescenes videos, read synopses, browse digital programs, and more. Join our e-club to receive special offers and opera news.

Ticket Policies Tickets are not refundable. Subscribers may make exchanges for a different performance or opera up to one hour prior to curtain. Any ticket may be turned back for a tax-deductible donation up until curtain. Call Minnesota Opera Patron Services at 612-333-6669.

Parking Prepaid parking is available for opera patrons at the Lawson Commons Ramp. Call 612-3336669 or visit mnopera.org to purchase passes.

Opera Insights Come early for Opera Insights — free, fun, and informative half-hour sessions held in the lobby one hour before curtain.

Accessibility For patrons with disabilities, wheelchairaccessible seats are available. Audio description will be available or select performances. Please call 612-333-6669 for details and indicate any special needs when ordering tickets. At the Ordway, accessible restrooms and other facilities are available, as well as Braille or large-print programs and infrared listening systems.

At the Ordway Ordway is a smoke-free facility.

Latecomers will be seated at an appropriate break.

Please have all cell phones and pagers turned to the silent mode.

Children under six are not permitted in the hall.

Cameras and recording equipment are strictly prohibited in the theater. Please check these items with an usher.

Food and beverages are available for purchase prior to the show and during intermission. Water and other beverages are allowed in the theater (hot beverages require lids), but food is strictly prohibited.

The phone number for emergencies is 651-224-4222. Please leave seat locations with the calling party.

Lost and Found is located at the Stage Door.

Call 651-282-3070 for assistance.

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

UPCOMING EVENTS

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INDIVIDUAL GIVING

I T I S W I T H D E E P A P P R E C I AT I O N that Minnesota Opera recognizes individual donors who have made gifts to our Annual Fund, Fund-a-Dream, and Opera Innovate NOW campaigns. Thank you for making this exceptional art come to life.

bel canto circle PLATINUM $50,000 AND ABOVE Ellie Crosby – The Longview Foundation & The Crosswols Foundation Julia W. Dayton Vicki and Chip Emery Ruth and John Huss Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson C. Angus* and Margaret Wurtele Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout PLATINUM $20,000 – $49,999 Richard Allendorf Martha and Bruce Atwater Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation & Prospect Creek Foundation

camerata circle PLATINUM $7,500 – $9,999 Anonymous Allegro Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation Michael Birt Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Judith Garcia Galiana and Alberto Castillo Norton Hintz* and Mary Abbe Christl and Andrew Larson Connie and Lew Remele GOLD $5,000 – $7,499 Anonymous Donald E. Benson William Biermaier and David Hanson Susan Calmenson Nicky B. Carpenter* Peter Davis and Pamela Webster Dr. Richard Gregory Dorothy Horns and James Richardson Robert and Susan Josselson The Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of HRK Foundation Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

artist circle

24

$1,000 – $2,499 Anonymous (2) Arlene and Tom Alm Floyd Anderson Rebecca D. Arons and Thomas J. Basting Jr. Annette Atkins and Tom Joyce Ruth and Dale Bachman Thomas and Ann Bagnoli Maria Bales Carl and John Behr Barbara S. Belk Ed and Mimi Bohrer Al Bradley Drs. Eli and Jan Briones Joan and George Carlson Barb and Jeff Couture Mike and Stacey Crosby – The Longview Foundation Helen and John Crosson Cy and Paula DeCosse Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

Patricia Beithon Mary and Gus Blanchard Jay and Rebecca Debertin Sara and Jock Donaldson William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson John and Kathleen Junek Miriam and Erwin Kelen Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Harvey Thomas McLain Leni and David Moore Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan Elizabeth Redleaf Paul and Mary Reyelts Mary Vaughan

H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol William White

Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Ilo and Margaret Leppik Diana Lee Lucker David MacMillan and Judy Krow Kendrick B. Melrose Donor Advised Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Moore Sarah and Rolf Peters Bill and Michelle Pohlad Jennifer and Chris Romans Ken and Nina Rothchild Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Julie Steiner Dr. Andrew J. Thomas

Michael and Alexis Christie Rusty and Burt Cohen Gisela Corbett and Peter Hyman Ruth and Bruce* Dayton Jean Deatrick and Eldon Feist Thomas and Mary Lou Detwiler Ralph D. Ebbott Dr. Mary Anne Ebert and Paul Stembler Joyce and Hugh Edmondson Rosanne and Ken Everson Ann Fankhanel Gail Fiskewold Bruce and Melanie Flessner Patricia R. Freeburg Margaret Poyner Galbraith Kathy and James Ganley Sandi and Mike Genau Mrs. Myrtle Grette Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Roger and Karen Hale Michele Harris and Peter Tanghe Jean McGough Holten Dr. Arthur and Fran Horowitz J. D. Jackson Diane and Paul Jacobson Dale A. Johnson Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness

Hubert Joly Janet N. Jones Lyndel and Blaine King Robert and Venetia Kudrle From the Family of Richard C. and Elizabeth B. Longfellow Dorothy and Roy Mayeske Mary Bigelow McMillan* Velia R. Melrose Sandy and Bob Morris Richard and Nancy Nicholson Luis Pagan-Carlo and Joseph Sammartino Debra Paterson Mrs. William S. Phillips John and Sandra Roe Foundation Thomas D. and Nancy J. Rohde James and Andrea Rubenstein Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Dorothy Sinha Ryan Taylor Dr. Norrie Thomas and Gina Gillson Dr. Craig S. and Stephanie Walvatne Ellen M. Wells Nancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser Woessner Freeman Family Foundation

Constance and Daniel Kunin Laurence and Jean LeJeune Virginia Levy Teresa and Kaiser Lim Benjamin Y. H. and Helen C. Liu William F. Long Darby Lunceford and Todd Wright James W. Lund Leland T. Lynch and Terry Saario Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Martha MacMillan Steve Matheson Carolyn Mayo Barbara McBurney Helen and Charles* McCrossan Deb and Jon McTaggart Eileen and Lester Meltzer David* and LaVonne Middleton Betty Myers David E. and Judy L. Myers Joan and Richard Newmark Brandon and Melissa Novy Ruth and Ahmad Orandi Derrill Pankow Sally and Thomas Patterson

Suzanne and William Payne Marge and Dwight Peterson Kay Phillips and Jill Mortensen Mary and Robert Price Phyllis Price Scott and Courtney Rile Dr. Donald V. Romanaggi, Sr. Sampson Family Charitable Foundation David E. Sander Fred and Gloria Sewell Cherie and Robert Shreck Stephanie Simon David Smith Joan T. Smith Kevin and Lynn Smith Daniel J. Spiegel Family Foundation Dana and Stephen Strand Carley, Bill, Kirsten, and Carolyn Stuber Jill and John Thompson Mrs. Joanne Von Blon David L. Ward Mark Warnken John W. Windhorst Jr. Jean C. Wirsig*

SILVER $2,500 – $4,999 Anonymous Dan and Martha Goldberg Aronson Alexandra O. Bjorklund Michelle Blaeser Will and Margee Bracken Ann and Glenn Buttermann Laurie Carlson and William Voedisch Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

Charles M. Denny Jr. and Carol E. Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Joan Duddingston Laura and Tim Edman Holli and Stefan Egerstrom Rondi Erickson and Sandy Lewis Ester Fesler Salvatore Silvestri Franco James and Teddy Gesell Heidi and Howard Gilbert Jennifer Gross and Jerry LeFevre Thomas and Mary Gross Bruce and Jean Grussing Marion and Donald Hall Ann Marie Hanrahan Nancy A. Harris Don Helgeson and Sue Shepard Stefan and Lonnie Helgeson Elfrieda Hintze Thomas Hunt and John Wheelihan Jill Irvine Crow Robert and Sandy Klas Sally and Bill Kling Mrs. James S. Kochiras Anna Kokayeff

GOLD $15,000–$19,999 Anonymous (2) Karen Bachman Sharon Hawkins David Strauss SILVER $10,000–$14,999 Anonymous Nina and John* Archabal Stephen and Margaret Blake Shari and David Boehnen Susan S. Boren Rachelle Dockman Chase Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer Mrs. Susan DeNuccio

Nancy and Rolf Engh Dolly J. Fiterman* Mr. and Mrs. William Frels Beverly N. Grossman Maureen and Mike Harms Warren and Patty Kelly Margaret V. Kinney Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson Mary Dearing and Barry Lazarus Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Albin and Susan Nelson Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Don and Patricia Romanaggi Mahlon and Karen Schneider Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Jesse and Linda Singh Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer Greg Sullivan

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

GOLD $750 – $999 Anonymous Laurie Anderson and Jon Hanson Dr. and Mrs. Orn Arnar Gerald and Phyllis Benson Sharon Bloodworth Maureen and John Drewitz David Dudycha and Dorothy Vawter Andrew Grzeskowiak Russell and Priscilla Hankins Karla Miller Lucia Newell and Steven Wiese Carol Peterson Ann M. Rock Liane A. Rosel Richard and Carol Seaberg Cindy and Steven Vilks Frank and Frances Wilkinson SILVER $500 – $749 Anonymous (2) Katherine Anderson August J. Aquila and Emily Haliziw Kay C. Bach Jo and Gordon Bailey Family Fund of the Catholic Community Foundation Ravi Balwada Donald and Naren Bauer

associate circle $250 – $499 Anonymous (2) Paul and Val Ackerman Thomas O. Allen Joy K. and J.C. Amel Jerry Artz James and Gail Bakkom Kenneth J. Berglund John and Cindy Beukema Sharon Bigot David and Diane Blake Barbara Brauer Allen Brookins-Brown Roger and Ronnie Brooks Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Jean and Bruce Carlson Alan E. and Ruth Carp Katherine L. Castille Laura Green Chaffee and Matthew Chaffee Wanda and David Cline Kay Constantine Jeanne E. Corwin Shana Crosson and John Gisselquist Melissa Daul James D’Aurora R. Anthony Diaz Thalia Duffield Patrick Dufour and Molly O’Brien Charlie and Anne Ferrell Steven and Mimi Fisher Carol and Mike Garbisch Greta and Paul Garmers Randy Goetz

Christopher Beaudet Chuck and Estelle Bennett Laura Bishop Mitch and Michele Blatt Martin and Patricia Blumenreich Gerald Bradley Elizabeth Brenner Thomas and Joyce Bruckner Lois Dirksen Ellen Doll and Jay Swanson Leah and Ian Evison Brian M. Finstad April Foley Terence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Joan and William Gacki William W. and Susan G. Gerberich Mary and Brian Green Joseph and Deirdre Haj Rehael Fund – Roger Hale/Nor Hall of The Minneapolis Foundation Clifton and Sharon Hill John Hogie Andrew and Gary Whitford Holey Steve Horan Burton and Sandra Hoverson Mary and Jeffrey Husband Nancy Jones Erika and Herb Kahler

Beverly Kasper Jane and Jim Kaufman Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Mary L. Kenzie Foundation Nathan Kulenkamp Scott and Karla Lalim Natalie Levin and Stephen Gilberstadt Jonathan and Lisa Lewis Ruth W. Lyons Kris and Bill McGrath Judith and James Mellinger Jack and Jane Moran Thomas and Stefanie Murtha Dede Ouren Ilya Perepelitsyn and Lioudmila Sitnikova John and Margaret Perry Walter Pickhardt and Sandra Resnick Karen Quisenberry Lawrence M. Redmond Bob Rose Christopher Ross Enrique and Clara Rotstein Marian R. Rubenfeld and Frederick G. Langendorf Christine Sagstetter Dan Sassenberg Jon L. Schasker and Debbie Carlson

Gale Sharpe Morris and Judith Sherman Bernie and Juliana Simmons Madeline Simon Rhonda Skoby Stanislaw Skrowaczewski* Clifford C. and Virginia G. Sorensen Charitable Trust of The Saint Paul Foundation Jon Spoerri and Debra Christgau Michael Steffes Dr. David M. Steinhaus Allen Steinkopf Sharon Stoffel Kent Stone Craig and Janet Swan Michael Symeonides and Mary Pierce Dr. Anthony Thein Josephine Trubek Kenneth and Kathryn Valentas Susan Weinsheimer Elizabeth Wexler Deborah Wheeler Barbara White Jeff and Joe Wiemiller Barb Wildes John M. Williams Barbara and James Willis

Charlotte L. Grantier Laurie Hacking Charles Hample Laurie Hansen Rosmarie and John Helling Mary K. Hicks Stuart Holland Randy Holt Mark and Kathleen Humphrey Thomas and Vicki Hurwitz Guillermo Irisarri Ray Jacobsen Mark and Jeanne Jacobson Deborah and Ronald Jans Charlie Johnson Kristine Kaplan Ed and Martha Karels Jim and Kathleen Karges Michael and Sheue Keenan Scott Kegler Carole and Joseph Killpatrick Janice Kimes Dr. Daniel and Kerry Kincaid Beatrice H. Langford Kenyon S. Latham David and Darlene Lee Carol and Jeff Ley Stuart MacGibbon Holly MacDonald and John Orbison Dr. Joan E. Madden Donald and Rhoda Mains Aimee and Robert Mairs Bridget Manahan and Joe Alexander Kristin and Jim Matejcek John McAleer

Harry McNeely Laurel and David Mech Susan Mehle Adele Mehta Curtis and Verne Melberg Rita Meyer John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Virginia Miller Theresa, Jim, and Nicole Murray Virginia Dudley and William Myers Sarah Nagle Merritt C. Nequette and Nancy Hartung Mina Fisher and Fritz Nelson Patricia A. O’Gorman Dennis R. Olson Donna and Marvin Ortquist Kathy and Don Park James A. Payne Lana K. Pemberton Janell Pepper Anne and John Polta Bertrand and Nancy Poritsky Nicole and Charles Prescott Dennis M. Ready The Redleaf Family Foundation Barton Reed Ann Richter Philip Rickey Mallory A. Roberts David and J. Susan Robertson Robert E. Rocknem Michael and Tamara Root Daniel Roth

Nickolas Sanches and Peter Eischens Kate Saumur Mary Savina Beatrice C. Sexton Mary Shamrock Emily and Daniel Shapiro Rebecca Shockley Arthur and Marilynn Skantz Joseph and Susan Sorrentino Mark and Kristi Specker Donna Stephenson Carolina and Frederico Stiegwardt Barbara Stoll Susan Swanson Dan and Erika Tallman Joyce Thielen Katharine E. Thomas Marie J. Thomas Robert and Barbara Thomasson Laura Thompson Susan Truman Belen Urquiola Jessica Vanyo John Vilandre Elaine Walker Renee Campion and David Walsh John and Sandra White Wendy Wildung Ruth Wood Jessica and Rob Zeaske

b e c o m e

a

* in remembrance

d o n o r

Bring innovative opera productions to life with your charitable gift, and join Minnesota Opera’s family of donors today. Visit mnopera.org/support to give online. Thank you!

These lists are current as of September 11, 2017 and include donors who gave a gift of $250 or more in annual support of Minnesota Opera. If your name is not listed appropriately, please accept our apologies and contact Mallory Roberts, Development Director, at mroberts@mnopera.org or 612-342-9566.

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

patron circle

25

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING MINNESOTA OPERA G R A T E F U L LY A C K N O W L E D G E S ITS MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTERS: $ 1 0 0,0 0 0 +

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

THE ANDREW W.

MELLON FOUNDATION

$ 50,0 0 0 – $ 9 9, 9 9 9

$ 2 5,0 0 0 – $ 49, 9 9 9

Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation

Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of the HRK Foundation

$ 1 0,0 0 0 – $ 24, 9 9 9

Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation

MAHADH Fund of the HRK Foundation

The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc.

For more information about making a corporate or foundation contribution to Minnesota Opera, please contact Diana Konopka at dkonopka@mnopera.org or 612-342-9565.

MINNESOTA OPERA SPONSORS

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

SEASON SPONSOR

26

OFFICIAL MAKE-UP PARTNER

TEMPO AFTER PARTIES

TEMPO PRINT SPONSOR

Sakura OFFICIAL HOTEL OF MINNESOTA OPERA

IN-KIND

MEDIA PARTNER

CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT GOLD $5,000 – $9,999

Boss Foundation Dellwood Foundation Faegre Baker Daniels Hardenbergh Foundation Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts Anna M. Heilmaier Charitable Foundation R.C. Lilly Foundation Mayo Clinic RBC Wealth Management James Rubenstein, Moss & Barnett

Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner P.A. St. Paul Cultural STAR Travelers Foundation Xcel Energy

Tennant Foundation Thomson Reuters Twin Cities Opera Guild

BRONZE $250 – $2,499

SILVER $2,500 – $4,999

Anonymous Amphion Foundation Hutter Family Foundation Margaret Rivers Fund Peravid Foundation The Elizabeth C. Quinlan Foundation

Carlson Family Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc. McVay Foundation Onan Family Foundation Sit Investment Foundation Wells Fargo Insurance Services

SPECIAL GIVING LEGACY CIRCLE Minnesota Opera thanks the following donors who, through their foresight and generosity, have included the Opera in their wills or estate plans.

innovate now initiative Minnesota Opera has received generous leadership commitments for new initiatives in education, infrastructure, and community programming.

Norton Hintz* and Mary Abbe

Russell and Priscilla Hankins

Mildred McGonagle*

Paul and Val Ackerman

Julia Hanna*

Mary Bigelow McMillan*

Thomas Allen

Frederick J. Hey Jr.*

Sheila McNally*

Dr. and Mrs. Rolf* Andreassen

Elfrieda Hintze

Mrs. Walter Meyers Estate*

$250,000+

Miriam and Erwin Kelen

John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort

Julia W. Dayton

Mary Ash Lazarus and Barry Lazarus

Mary A. Andres

Jean McGough Holten

Anonymous (4)

Charles J. Hudgins*

Karen Bachman

Karla Miller

Ruth and John Huss

Thomas and Ann Bagnoli

Cordelia Anderson and John Humleker

Susan Molder*

Randolph G. Baier*

C.T. Bundy II

Edith Mueller*

Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson

Mrs. Harvey O. Beek*

Dale and Pat Johnson

Richard and Joan Newmark

Barbara* and Sandi Bemis

Ruth Jones*

Dr. Lee A. Borah, Jr.*

Charles and Sally Jorgensen

H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol

Allan Bradley

Robert and Susan Josselson

Scott J. Pakudaitis

Margaret M. Carasik

Markle Karlen

Mrs. William S. Phillips

Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

Charlotte Karlen*

Phyllis Price

Mary H. Keithahn

Brian and Trish Huberty Prokosch

Warren and Patty Kelly

Richard G.* and Liane A. Rosel

Joan and George Carlson

Margaret Kilroe Trust*

Ken and Nina Rothchild

Estate of Robin J. Carpenter*

Lyndel and Blaine King

Berneen Rudolph

Julia and Dan Cross

Gretchen Klein*

Mary Savina

Julia W. Dayton

Sally and Bill Kling

Josef Schermann

Stephanie C. Van D’Elden

Gisela Knoblauch*

Frank and Lynda Sharbrough

Charles M. Denny Jr. and Carol E. Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation

Robert Kriel and Linda Krach

Drew Stewart

Liz and Jim Krezowski

James and Susan Sullivan

Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer

George* and Susan Doty

Robert and Venetia Kudrle

Anthony Thein

Sara and Jock Donaldson

Rudolph Driscoll*

Helen L. Kuehn*

Mary Vaughan

Anne P. Ducharme

Robert J. Lawser, Jr.

Ester Fesler

Jean Lemberg*

Gregory Swinehart and Mitra Walter

Ellie Crosby – The Crosswols Foundation

Dr. Paul Froeschl

Rondi Erickson and Sandy Lewis

Nettie Grabscheid* Robert* and Ellen Green Dr. Ieva M. Grundmanis* Robert Shearer and Joan Gustafson Michelle Hackett

Jean C. Wirsig*

Kay Ness

$100,000 – $249,999

Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner

Anonymous Susan S. Boren Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad John and Kathleen Junek Paul and Mary Reyelts Mary Vaughan

$50,000 – $99,999 Marth and H. Brewster Atwater

Leni and David Moore Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation

Kay Ness

Dawn M. Loven

Richard Zgodava*

Patricia Ruth Lund*

Daniel Richard Zillmann

H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol

David Mayo

Philip Oxman and Harvey Zuckman

Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout

Thomas R. McBurney*

Jesse and Linda Singh * in remembrance

Mary McDiarmid

For more information on making planned giving arrangements, please contact Carley M. Stuber, CFRE, Chief Development Officer, at cstuber@mnopera.org or 612-342-9579.

William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust

In Memory Of: John Archabal John and Ruth Huss Carley and Bill Stuber

Arlene Bryant Maureen and John Drewitz

Josephine B. Carpenter Sara and Jock Donaldson

Robin J. Carpenter Netsmart Technologies

Kathleen Fairbrother Carol Fairbrother

Dolly Fiterman Mary W. Vaughan

Leroy Genaw Jessica Vanyo

Helen Hines Maureen and John Drewitz

Heinz F. Hutter Theresa, Jim and Nicole Murray

Mary B. Martin Renee and Juan Cristiani

Charles S. McCrossan Lynn Chromanski Mathy Construction Co.

Matthew von Ohlen Rachelle Dockman Chase Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson Carley and Bill Stuber

Ruth Wallentine Maureen and John Drewitz

C. Angus Wurtele Rachelle Dockman Chase Sara and Jock Donaldson Ruth and John Huss Krystal Kohler and Dan Norris Nickolas Sanches and Peter Eischens Carley and Bill Stuber

In Honor Of:

Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Julie Steiner David Strauss William White

$10,000 – $24,999 Anonymous (4) Karen Bachman Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Michael Birt Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Shari and David Boehnen Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Mrs. Susan DeNuccio Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Gail Fiskewold The Engh Foundation Maureen and Mike Harms Sharon Hawkins Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson Margaret V. Kinney

Anonymous (2)

Albin and Susan Nelson

Richard Allendorf

Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson

Will and Margee Bracken

Opera acknowledges those who have made gifts in the name of a friend, loved one, or colleague.

Jennifer and Chris Romans

$25,000 – $49,999

Nina and John* Archabal

COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS It is with deep appreciation that Minnesota

Mary Bigelow McMillan*

C. Angus* and Margaret Wurtele

Joyce and Jerry Lillquist

Barbara McBurney

Cynthia and Lawrence Lee

Jay and Rebecca Debertin Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison

Connie and Lew Remele Don and Patricia Romanaggi Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer Dr. Andrew J. Thomas * in remembrance

Ian Alexander Mani Nease Peterson

Cory Daignault Nancy Scott-Rudnick

Julia W. Dayton Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson

The wedding of Mary Jo Flynn and S. Hubig Susan Olson

Harvey T. McLain Patrick Dufour and Molly O’Brien

Karla Miller Carley and Bill Stuber

Robert Riordan Manilan Houle

Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout Douglas Myhra and John Clingerman

F L X : I I @MNOPERA

DON PASQUALE 2017–18

Katy Gaynor

Sandra and Dale Wick

Vicki and Chip Emery

27

MINNESOTA OPERA’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON GALA

GALA CHAIRS

Honorary Gala Chairs: Arthur and Martha Kaemmer Gala Chair: Mary Ash Lazarus

GALA COMMITTEE Jane Confer Sara Donaldson Kara Eliason-Dorsey

Kay Ness Mary Schrock Norrie Thomas

CORPORATE SPONSORS

INDIVIDUAL TABLES

Kathleen and Jeff Baradaran • Mary and Gus Blanchard • Shari and David Boehnen Sara and Jock Donaldson • Vicki and Chip Emery • Ruth and John Huss • Diane and Paul Jacobson Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson • Martha and Arthur Kaemmer • Mary and Barry Lazarus Jennine McGee • Leni and David Moore • Elizabeth Redleaf • Mary Schaffner and Robert Lee Karen and Mahlon Schneider • Linda and Jesse Singh • Norrie Thomas • Margaret and Angus* Wurtele

APPRECIATION

Minnesota Opera Board of Directors • Gala 2017 Committee • Tempo Board of Directors DJ Jonathan Ackerman • The Black Tux Vestiges Inc. • Sharon Bloodworth • Children’s Museum Michael Christie • Jane and Ogden Confer • Corbin Manor Inn • Guthrie Theater • Jenn Maatman Kerry Masek Karla Miller • Project Opera • Punch Pizza • Sarah Rockler • Peter Rothstein • Sebastian Joe’s Stages Theater • Ryan Taylor • Tesla Motors, Inc. • Mary Vaughan • Voices of Opera • Walker Art Center * in memoriam

A N O R D WAY O R I G I N A L

Book by Music by Lyrics by THOMAS MEEHAN CHARLES STROUSE MARTIN CHARNIN Original Broadway Production Directed by MARTIN CHARNIN Based on “Little Orphan Annie”

By Permission of Tribune Content Agency, LLC

DEC 7-31

Make your holiday plans now!

Musical Theater Series sponsored by

G e ne rous s uppor t for O rdway O r i gi nal s i s provi de d by M arci a L . M or r i s

ordway.org 651.224.4222 TTY: 651.282.3100

#ORDWAYYOURWAY

U p c o m i n g S h o w s i n t h e O R D WAY C O N C E R T S E R I E S

SPHINX VIRTUOSI CO-PRESENTED WITH THE SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, MINNESOTA OPERA, SCHUBERT CLUB

OCT 22

AIR SUPPLY OCT 26

YANNI

PIANO AND INTIMATE CONVERSATION

OCT 30

A Season of Welcome

Welcome the People THE MUSICAL LEGACY OF THE REFORMATION  In this exciting collaboration with one of the world’s finest consort of Renaissance wind instruments, we present works by first-generation Reformation composers Johann Walther, Leonhard Lechner, and Michael Praetorius, as well as our ground-breaking reconstruction of a 1616 royal baptismal mass.

OCT 30

Concordia College

OCT 31

Zumbro Lutheran Church

NOV 2

Calvary Lutheran Church

NOV 3*

Augsburg University Hoversten Chapel

Moorhead | 7:30pm

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

Rochester | 7:00pm

THE RENAISSANCE BAND

Alexandria | 7:00pm

Minneapolis | 7:30pm

NOV 4*

Augsburg University Hoversten Chapel Minneapolis | 7:30pm

NOV 5*

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Saint Paul | 3:00pm

* Join Artistic Director Jordan Sramek for an enlightening discussion 65 minutes before the performance This production is made possible in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Additional Information and Tickets: ROSEENSEMBLE.ORG | 651.225.4340 This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through the Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Vänskä Conducts the Reformation Symphony Nov 2–4 Osmo Vänskä, conductor / Adam Kuenzel, flute / Minnesota Chorale

Martin Luther’s hammer rang out 500 years ago as he pounded his declaration of faith to the Wittenberg church door, and we mark the anniversary of this occasion with music inspired by Luther’s revolution.

Reformation Symphony

Kevin Puts

Future Classics

Emerging Composers Spotlight Nov 10 Osmo Vänskä, conductor / Kevin Puts, Composer Institute director Fred Child, host

A concert that changes lives and may change the course of music, as seven emerging composers share their most exciting new works with you.

Minnesota Public Radio 50th Anniversary Celebration Live Broadcast Concert Nov 11

Osmo Vänskä, conductor / Brian Newhouse, host

Minnesota Public Radio celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and MPR’s Brian Newhouse steps out of the Orchestra Hall broadcast booth to emcee an evening of musical works that have made Minnesota Orchestra and MPR history.

Brahms’ Fourth Symphony Nov 16-17 Rafael Payare, conductor / Virginie Verrez, mezzo

Venezuela’s young conductor Rafael Payare makes his Minnesota Orchestra debut with Ravel’s gorgeous Shéhérazade and Brahms’ towering final symphony, the Fourth.

Disney The Little Mermaid in Concert Live to Film with the Minnesota Orchestra Nov 25-26 Sarah Hicks, conductor

Dive “under the sea” into Disney’s 1989 full-length film complete with spirited musical numbers, a delightful young mermaid named Ariel and the Academy award-winning® score performed live by the Minnesota Orchestra!

Rafael Payare

612.371.5656

/

minnesotaorchestra.org

PHOTOS Payare: BGE; The Little Mermaid: Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © All rights reserved.

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