2014–2015 Season
You can get there. We can help.
WE’RE THE KIND OF COMPANY THAT DOESN’T RUN ADS. For over 20 years, we’ve quietly helped a select group of clients invest in the stock market with an unorthodox approach that’s been proven over time. We don’t chase fads or jump on the Herb Schechter
latest trend. Instead, we rely on three often
overlooked, but vital elements: research, diligence and human judgment. If you have assets you’re trying to nurture and protect, we invite you to call 612-334-2000. Or if, like us, you’re a little more circumspect, visit our website WWW.MPMGLLC.COM. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.
Start on the right note.
Think. Perform. Worship. Lead.
651-631-5108 unwsp.edu/academyofmusic
651-631-5218 unwsp.edu/music
THE LIBERATION OF
AUSCHWITZ A Choral Concert to Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Presented by the Apollo Male Chorus
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 7pm Ted Mann Concert Hall University of Minnesota 2128 4th Street South, Minneapolis Tuesday, January 27, 2015 marks (exactly) the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Arnold Schoenberg's rarely performed A Survivor from Warsaw is programmed within the WORLD-PREMIERE of Five Prayers by James Bassi, New York City composer and singer at Temple Emanu-El. Commissioned by The Apollo Club, Five Prayers is a five-movement symphonic song cycle for male chorus, solo baritone, orchestra, and dancer. Special guests James Andrews — ballet dancer from NYC Aaron James — singer at Shearith Israel and Met Opera of NYC TICKETS AT: TINYURL.COM/LIBERATION70
THEAPOLLOCLUB.ORG
2014–2015 Season
contents 7 Welcome 8 The Elixir of Love 10 Synopsis 12 About the Opera 16 Gaetano Donizetti 18 Director’s Notes 20 The Artists 24 Meet the Artists: Nicole Cabell and Leonardo Capalbo 26 The Manchurian Candidate Preview 30 Social Media 31 Tempo 32 Minnesota Opera Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers 34 Upcoming Events 36 Opera Education 37 New Works Initiative 38 Annual Fund 42 Institutional Giving 44 Legacy Circle 46 Minnesota Opera Information Large-print and Braille programs are available at the Patron Services Office.
Illusion Theater’s Tenth Annual Lights UP! Series presents ’
These Old Shoes
40 CELEBRATING
YEARS 1974 – 2014
JAN. 29 – FEB. 14, 2015 TICKETS: $17 – $25 528 HENNEPIN AVE, 8TH FLOOR, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
612.339.4944 | ILLUSIONTHEATER.ORG
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
OPER A OMAHA PRESENTS
6
A FLOWERING TREE
FIDELIO
BY JOHN ADAMS
BY LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
A New Production and Nebraska Premiere
A Jun Kaneko Production
FEBRUARY 13 & 15
APRIL 17 & 19
Graham & Sally Lusk
FOR TICKETS: 866-434-8587 | TICKETOMAHA.COM
WELCOME LETTER
welcome to Minnestota Opera's production of The Elixir of Love, Donizetti’s romantic comedy set in Tuscany. This is Minnesota Opera’s first production of The Elixir of Love since 1985 and depicts an Italian farm owned and operated by Adina, sung by soprano Nicole Cabell. Joining her in a company debut is tenor Leonardo Capalbo as Nemorino and David Pershall as Belcore. We welcome back Maestro Leonardo Vordoni as our conductor and one of the country’s foremost coaches in the art of bel canto, and Helena Binder, known for bringing a light-hearted staging and charm to our production of The Italian Girl in Algiers. Also join me in welcoming back audience favorite and former Minnesota Opera resident artist, Andrew Wilkowske, who starred as Papageno in our sell-out production of The Magic Flute. He is “Doctor” Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love. Having spent most of my adult life in the Twin Cities, I have admired the artistry and vision of Minnesota Opera. I am honored to be given the opportunity to guide this company through a transition in leadership and continue its musical growth. As a lifelong opera-lover, some of my earliest memories are of our family listening to the Met broadcast on Saturday afternoons. Early experiences listening to music and playing the piano had a lasting impression on me as I went on to pursue three music degrees. I’ve been a longtime Minnesota Opera season subscriber and it’s a thrill to find myself now on the other side of the curtain. My predecessor, Kevin Ramach, left me with a remarkable legacy of accomplishments. Under his leadership, Minnesota Opera reached many milestones of artistic excellence and audience outreach,
including the national broadcast of Silent Night on PBS and free community concerts. Minnesota Opera’s dedication to produce innovative and creative new operas, as well as nurturing the careers of young performers, is the key to our success. Our enthusiasm for opera education extends from the highly competitive Resident Artist Program to Project Opera, our vocal training program for talented singers in grades 4 –12. Project Opera students are currently preparing their Music of Mozart program, to be presented at The Lab Theater in February. Our young singers will perform reimagined scenes from several of Mozart’s operas through the eyes of teens in the 1980s. In March, Project Opera and Minnesota Youth Symphonies share the honor of kicking-off the Rock the Ordway celebration in the new Concert Hall with Mozart for the Young at Heart. In March, Minnesota Opera will present The Manchurian Candidate by Pulitzer Prizewinning composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, a new opera, based on the novel by Richard Condon. The workshop for The Manchurian Candidate gave me my first "insider experience" with Minnesota Opera. It’s hard to describe the excitement in that rehearsal room when Music Director Michael Christie led the ensemble through the opera for the first time. I invite you to make history with us on March 7 for the world premiere performance of The Manchurian Candidate. I consider myself extremely lucky to come to work at the Minnesota Opera. I get to see costumes constructed, sets built, and hear beautiful singing in the hallways. Thank you to the board and staff members, volunteers, donors, and you, our audience, for your warm welcome. Please enjoy the show and after the performance, take a moment to visit mnopera.org and learn more about what Minnesota Opera can offer you.
NINA M. ARCHABAL General Director
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
As Minnesota Opera’s new General Director,
7
MUSIC BY GAETANO DONIZETTI LIBRETTO BY FELICE ROMANI After Eugène Scribe’s text for the opera Le philtre by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (1831) World Premiere at the Teatro Cannobiana, Milan, MAY 12, 1832
JANUARY 24, 25, 29, 31, FEBRUARY 1, 2015
Ordway Music Theater, Saint Paul Sung in Italian with English translations.
Nicole Cabell and David Pershall, national semifinalists; Andrew Wilkowske, regional finalist; and Shannon Prickett, district finalist 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. By arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes company, Sole Agent in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for Casa Ricordi/Universal Music Publishing Ricordi S.R.L., publisher and copyright owner. Costumes constructed by Opera Colorado.
cast in order of vocal appearance
Giannetta Shannon Prickett
Belcore David Pershall
Nemorino Leonardo Capalbo
Dr. Dulcamara Andrew Wilkowske
Adina Nicole Cabell
creative team Conductor Leonardo Vordoni
Assistant Director Alison Moritz
Stage Director Helena Binder
Assistant Conductor Aaron Breid
Lighting Designer and Scenic Coordinator Marcus Dilliard
Répétiteurs Jonathan Brandani Geoffrey Loff
Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz
Stage Manager Andrew Landis
Wig and Makeup Designer Jason Allen
English Translations Helena Binder
THE MINNESOTA OPERA’S 2014–2015 SEASON IS SUPPORTED BY
SYNOPSIS Setting: Adina’s pensione in Tuscany ACT I
A
s workers rest in the shade, Nemorino secretly admires the beautiful Adina reading aloud from a book. She laughs over the story of Tristan who used a love potion to obtain the fair Isolde’s heart. The swaggering army officer Belcore enters and presents a gift to Adina, which she accepts with pleasure. He suggests they marry immediately — in both love and war, why waste time? — but Adina, slightly taken aback, asks for a few days to consider the offer. Nemorino is torn apart by the prospect of losing his beloved.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
The laborers return to the fields, and Nemorino musters his courage for a private word. Adina is dismissive — he should hurry off to visit his dying uncle rather than hopelessly pursuing her, as he may lose his inheritance to someone else. The smitten young man is indifferent to financial gain.
10
The villagers excitedly anticipate the arrival of a mysterious visitor. It is Dulcamara, a “doctor” from Ferrara, who has come to sell for a single scudo his various antidotes, at once able to cure dropsy, asthma, consumption, and even rickets. Nemorino excitedly asks if he stocks the amorous draught of Isolde. After a moment of bewilderment, Dulcamara quickly assures him that he does indeed prepare the love potion — in fact it is quite commonly used these days. Nemorino only has one zecchino, which just happens to be the market price. The magic elixir may look like red wine, but it is extremely potent and requires only one day to take effect (by that time the good doctor will be well on his way). The young man eagerly downs the drug.
Adina is vexed by Nemorino’s change of mood, which is suddenly buoyant and carefree. She had expected him to be more distressed by the news of her recent attachment, but Nemorino claims that by tomorrow, his heart shall be cured. Belcore is equally annoyed by the young man’s seemingly intoxicated state. The sergeant learns he will be called back to duty quite soon and pressures Adina to marry him that very day. Nemorino begs her to wait a little longer — he needs more time for the enchanted brew to work its magic — but Adina accepts the proposal. ACT II Adina observes that Nemorino is missing from her wedding feast. Dr. Dulcamara is certainly there, heartily enjoying the free refreshments before he escapes. He sings a song in honor of his hostess, and Adina chimes in, clearly enjoying the flattery. Nemorino arrives presently, still distraught over the rapidly approaching marriage. Dulcamara suggests he double the dose and offers another bottle of the elixir for sale. The young man admits he is flat broke, abruptly bringing an end to the transaction. Belcore advises him to enlist as a soldier — there are twenty scudi in it if he does. Nemorino barely hesitates. Giannetta brings news to the village that Nemorino’s uncle has passed away, leaving his nephew a fortune. Nemorino enters, newly empowered by the two bottles of the claret-colored tonic he has consumed and unaware of the recent turn of events. All the village girls suddenly find him attractive, and he is certain of the potion’s potency.
SYNOPSIS Adina and Dulcamara observe Nemorino’s new-found popularity, and the doctor boasts of his responsibility in the whole affair. Perhaps she would like to give the legendary love draught a try. Adina hardly needs help attracting men, but soon learns of Nemorino’s purchase and the extent of his feelings for her. She is suddenly moved by the sincerity of his noble heart.
He is nonplussed by Adina’s change of heart — there are plenty of fish in the sea. Dulcamara is pleased with the success of his “magical” draught and announces to the couple Nemorino’s newly improved fortune. All clamor for the elixir of love and proclaim Dulcamara “the very phoenix of all doctors.”
Nemorino spied a single furtive tear in Adina’s eye as he was surrounded by the other girls and is convinced she must love him. The elixir is working fabulously. Now jealous, Adina asks how he could possibly leave with the military, and Nemorino coyly complains of his idleness and need to better his condition. Nonetheless, Adina purchases his contract from Belcore, thereby canceling the conscription. She begs him to forgive the slights she has made and assures him of her love.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Belcore marches in with his soldiers and is surprised to find his fiancée in the arms of his rival.
11
ABOUT THE OPERA Following the triumph of Anna Bolena in 1830, Gaetano Donizetti underwent a difficult period. Few of his subsequent works had achieved the same stupendous effect — in fact the reception of the next four, Gianni di Parigi, Francesca di Foix, La romanziera e l’uomo nero and Ugo, conti de Parigi, was quite disappointing. Only Fausta, written for Naples, had any lasting success.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Nonetheless, Donizetti’s temporary unpopularity didn’t deter theater producer Alessandro Lanari from commissioning another opera. He was dealing with a crisis of his own — another composer had backed out of a premiere scheduled for the spring season, and Lanari had to find a replacement very quickly. Even though Gianni and Ugo had failed at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, the impresario was willing to take a risk at his rival venue, the Cannobiana, knowing Donizetti to be a fast worker. He would not be disappointed.
12
Donizetti signed the contract in mid-April, and began the task at hand. As a subject, librettist Felice Romani likely suggested a French work, Le philtre by Eugène Scribe. Given the time constraints, he may have also taken the easiest route, for Le philtre already existed in libretto form — it had been set by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber eleven months earlier and had premiered at the Paris Opéra. It is rumored that Romani completed his task in only a week, and Donizetti composed the music in just two. The collaborators reaped the benefits of their venture almost immediately. L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) was an instant success and was repeated 32 times during the rest of the season. Like Anna Bolena, it began its international tour almost immediately, first to Berlin (in German translation) in 1834, then to Vienna (in Italian) the following year. Elisir traveled to London in December 1836, and crossed the Atlantic to New York
(in English) in 1838. Over the next ten years, during which, in Italy, one out of every four productions was a Donizetti opera, L’elisir d’amore was the composer’s most-performed work, and it is his only opera that has never really left the repertoire. What could be at the root of Elisir’s popularity? Besides scintillating melodies set to lively accompaniment, the opera embodies what Rossini’s La Cenerentola had only hinted at 15 years before — a successful combination of comedy and sentimentality. Indeed, as one commentator has asserted, Elisir could be viewed as a male Cinderella story, a lowborn nonentity ensnaring the village’s most eligible (and wealthy) mate after undergoing a painfully emotional trial, eventually obtaining financial means of his own by the story’s end, through a little magic with a dish of serendipity thrown in. We feel Nemorino’s aching desire every step of the way, climaxing in his famous aria “Una furtiva lagrima.” Yet no sooner than the stealthy tear is shed do fortunes change as the tables are about to turn. And not unlike Cinderella, Nemorino’s transformation is complete, in this case from a shy and awkward nobody to the catch of the town, a man of means in his own right. Adina makes some life adjustments of her own. At the start she appears to have it all — good looks, land, intelligence, and fortitude — and enjoys the art of teasing men. But faced at once with both the prospect of settling down with the epitome of manliness, and the possibility of losing the veneration of her most ardent admirer (after all, who could possibly ever get over her?), her confidence shaken, she is drawn to tears (albeit just one), finally realizing the potential of a genuinely loving heart. And who brings about those life lessons but the benignly mischievous, fast-talking Dulcamara, another of a tradition of crafty doctors that culminates in the thoroughly diabolical Dr. Miracle of Jacques Offenbach’s
ABOUT THE OPERA
L’elisir d’amore benefits not only from sentimentality and worthy characterizations, but from the finely wrought lines of Felice Romani. Romani was one of the leading librettists of the day, beginning his career writing for Giovanni Simone Mayr and Gioachino Rossini. In his maturity, Romani became house librettist at La Scala, one of the nerve centers for 19th-century Italian opera. He is best known for his collaborations with Vincenzo Bellini, a fruitful artistic partnership that yielded seven of that composer’s finest works. The librettist was in constant demand by other composers of the bel canto age — Saverio Mercadante, Giovanni Pacini, Giacomo Meyerbeeer, Luigi
Ricci, and Giuseppe Persiani. He frequently overcommitted himself, which led to a split with Bellini, who entrusted his final opera to someone else. Romani and Donizetti would work on seven other projects. It appears Romani never wrote an original tale and frequently plundered the French stage for ideas. On more than one occasion he was drawn to the works of dramatist Eugène Scribe. Just a year before Elisir he had produced another rustic opera, La sonnambula, based on a ballet by Scribe, which also features a strongwilled, land-owning woman, Lisa. Scribe also has a rich history in the operatic arena. Originally a young playwright producing comedies and vaudevilles for the Parisian boulevard theaters, he eventually joined forces with the progenitors of the emergent genre of French Grand Opera — Auber, Meyerbeer, and Halévy. Scribe’s Le philtre itself was an adaptation of an Italian source, Silvio Malaperta’s play Il filtro. In the earlier version of the French libretto, Guillaume (Nemorino) has been offered a lucrative position with his uncle, but has refused as it would take him far away from Térézine (Adina). She, in turn, enjoys her reputation as a coquette, singing an aria on that very subject. She admits to being a flirt, and accused of having the heart of a tigress, hardly denies it. She’s smart, too, and makes sure everyone knows it, reading the Tristan myth to a largely illiterate audience of common workers (including Guillaume/ Nemorino, who later signs his name with an “X”). At the appearance of Fontanarose (Dulcamara), Guillaume begs for the philter that so entranced Isolde and Tristan (predating Wagner’s opera, Scribe’s libretto made huge assumptions about the audience’s awareness of the somewhat obscure myth), and although the poseur doesn’t even know what it is, manages to quickly concoct his Lacryma Christi into a quick cure-all. In fact, as Romani’s purpose was to develop his
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
The Tales of Hoffmann. Both practice their own brand of quackery, but Dulcamara seemingly recognizes the power of the human spirit, even though he is motivated by financial gain, in contrast to Miracle’s desire to dispense pure evil. The gluttonous Dulcamara is of a simpler mindset — the promise of Adina’s food and drink is enough incentive to keep him perilously present to view the results of his actions even though there is a risk that the fraudulent scheme may be exposed. Again in the spirit of opera buffa’s other fate spinners — Cenerentola’s Alidoro and Così fan tutte’s Don Alfonso — he is quite confident of the outcome. The placebo-taking Nemorino will achieve his goals if his ego is bolstered by a little harmless deception, his anxiety relaxed by the predictable effects of simple claret. The doctor’s patter-delivered doubletalk is so convincing even he begins to believe in his own skill, as his magical elixir appears to bring riches as well as affection. And successful he is, as Dulcamara is heralded “doctor of doctors” by the end of the opera, riding out of the village a veritable hero. Rather than relying on magic or wisdom, the charlatan has honed his street smarts with a unique understanding of human nature gained by hoodwinking good people out of their hard-earned currency. He is a true con artist, but one with a heart.
13
ABOUT THE OPERA
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
text as quickly as possible, many details are the same between the two works, including Fontanarose and Térézine’s oddly flirtatious barcarolle in Act II, Guillaume’s falling for the suggestion that he augment the dosage, as the first bottle doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, and his subsequent enlistment into the army of Jolicoeur (Belcore) to raise the necessary capital. Perhaps the most significant distinction between the two works is a shift of focus from the comedic doctor’s doubledealing to an emphasis on the dynamic of the evolving love match. Romani and Donizetti add a touch of pathos, succumbing to the trend for Werther-esque tears cast over troubled desire, espoused so perfectly by Nemorino’s “Una furtiva lagrima,” a selection not found in Le philtre but demanded by the composer. Coupled with a similarly minorkeyed larghetto sung by Nemorino following the announcement of Adina’s marriage plans, in the pale of 1830s Romanticism, even comedy was becoming a bit more stoic.
14
In light of the changing times, it is significant that Italian opera buffa, so popular in the latter third of the 18th century, was coming to a close during Donizetti’s lifetime. Only ten years later, after Don Pasquale, did the genre begin to wane. Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff and Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, are the only subsequent works that remain in the standard repertoire of the 50 most commonly produced operas. Originally comedy and tragedy existed together in a single entity. Baroque opera often featured comic diversions (a contrascena) within otherwise serious works, typically in pastoral scenes involving characters not associated with the piece’s overall plot. The Arcadian revolution, which culminated in the entirely serious early 18th-century libretti of Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Metastasio, put an end to that, and comedy was relegated to the intermezzo, a short interlude juxtaposed between acts of an opera seria, or removed altogether. The comic intermezzo was
episodic in nature and evolved in part from the improvised spirit of commedia dell’arte. At about the same time, a more naturalistic multi-act comic opera, revealing common people caught up in real situations, began to develop in its own right. The two offshoots eventually began to merge, and by the middle of the century, were made respectable by the Venetian theaters in part due to the efforts of playwright/librettist Carlo Goldoni. When Austrian emperor Joseph II took the reins of power in 1780, he made opera buffa the preferred genre in his theaters, which yielded some of the greatest works by Antonio Salieri, Vicente Martín y Soler, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But when his brother Leopold took over in 1790, there was a return to serious opera and buffa took a minor role. Still in Italy, traditional opera buffa continued to flourish, at least for a bit longer. Rossini had several one-act farse to his credit before he mounted Il barbiere di Siviglia and La Cenerentola, and Donizetti had composed several prior to L’elisir d’amore. Bellini never tried his hand at comedy, but Verdi attempted one for his second staged work with disastrous results — Un giorno di regno was a miserable failure. The gravity of the oncoming age would mostly eclipse the comic spirit in Italy, yet in France, where the Romantic Drama of Victor Hugo was born, opéra comique continued to thrive. From its early beginnings as fairground entertainment, later converted to vaudevilles by Charles Favart, French comic opera reached its zenith in the countless works of Jacques Offenbach and the many lighter works by Auber. The Opéra-Comique would be named after Favart in its three incarnations but by the latter part of the 19th century, programming had become a bit more serious as Bizet’s Carmen (1875) would testify. By its turn, the Opéra-Comique was on a par with the Opéra, evidenced by the lack of spoken dialogue in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) and its tragic denouement. Puccini’s three
ABOUT THE OPERA
Back in Austria, even though Leopold had virtually put an end to opera buffa, musical comedy continued to flourish in Singspiel. Like opéra comique, Singspiel featured spoken dialogue interspersed with music, but unlike its French counterpart, was more malleable and undefined, a loose agglomeration of elements which dramaturgically didn’t always hold together. German comic opera hardly improved under the influence of Jacques Offenbach, who was instrumental in the resurgence of Viennese operetta. One curious thread recurrent in all of these genres echoes the influence of the Italian commedia dell’arte. Developed during the middle of the 16th century, the commedia grew out of makeshift entertainment at county fairs. Out of this tradition, stock situations became customary: the plight of the cuckolded husband, the old man in pursuit of a young bride, a child indifferent to his or her parents’ wishes. Stock characters also became part of the commedia dell’arte, generally in pairs. Thus we have the aged miser Pantalone teamed up with the voracious Il Dottore, the world-wise servant Brighella with his slowerwitted colleague Arlecchino, and the two innamorati, the young lovers Lindoro/Lélio/ Ottavio with Silvia/Isabella/Rosuara. Throw in a few peripheral characters — the old gossip La Vecchia, the world-wise maid Colombina/ Smeraldina, the scheming Scapino, the stuttering and incompetent Tartaglia, the swaggering army officer Il Capitano — and a variety of outrageous situations ensue. Specific masks and costuming were used to identify these particular personages, and characters were further identified by the dialect of their region of origin. The dash, spontaneity, and sparkle of rapidly spun dialogue also became a hallmark of commedia dell’arte. Though names may be changed, the imprint was
always recognizable, and certain actors were renowned for their portrayal of specific roles. Those nameless “extras,” who were chiefly present for general clowning chaos, were branded as “zanni” (from which the term “zany” is derived) and their lazzi became standardized and stylized buffoonery, slapstick that involved word-play, crude jokes, bodily functions, acrobatics, and beating. Character names also betray their commedia sources. Though stock names are sometimes used (Barbiere’s “Lindoro,” for example), others are derivations with understood significance. Così fan tutte's Despina, for example, evolves from a tradition of spiteful maids, such as Serpetta or Vespina, etymologically linked to “little snake or serpent.” Elisir has similar undertones — the diminutive Nemorino being “a little nothing,” the quickly rebounding Belcore quite literally of “good heart,” Adina derived from a Greek word for "dense," in reference to botanical growth, and Giannetta, as leader of a pack of husband-hunting village girls, her name stemming from the Italian word for the skin of a wild cat. Dulcamara is a climbing plant that overtakes others and is also a form of nightshade, both a therapeutic and deadly drug. Similarly, the original French play has telling appellations, betraying its Italian origin in the hybrid name of Dulcamara’s French counterpart, Fontanarose, literally “rose fountain,” highly appropriate for one who prescribes medicinal liquids of a dubious nature. Spanning centuries, from the original commedia's Lindoro and Isabella to Mozart's Figaro and Susanna to E.M. Forster's Lucy and George, Adina and Nemorino's plight still rings true in the Romantic Comedies of the modern era, both onstage and on the screen. All reaffirm that love still resides at the core of human existence. – David Sander
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
most famous operas also found their French premieres at the Opéra-Comique.
15
COMPOSER
GAETANO
DONIZETTI
b Bergamo, Nov. 29, 1797 d Bergamo, Apr. 8, 1848
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Alfredo Dagli Orti/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY Donizetti Museum Bergamo.
16
W
ith 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. 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 beginning of Verdi’s career.) Further works were produced in Venice, but Donizetti returned to Bergamo for a few 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. 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
COMPOSER
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.
“
... 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.”
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 halfcentury earlier. 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.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
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.
17
DIRECTOR'S NOTES The Elixir of Love, 1985 Minnesota Opera
A
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
s a director, I am primarily a storyteller. So, in approaching any opera production one of the first questions I ponder is: what is the story I want to tell and how does it connect with our audience today?
18
Gaetano Donizetti’s opera The Elixir of Love, which premiered in 1832 with musical themes that convey the comic and the poignant, is a tender story of two young people meant to be together. My recent vacation stay at a lovely inn admist an olive farm in Tuscany put me in mind of the 1985 Merchant Ivory film A Room With a View, based on the novel by E.M. Forster. In the film, Lucy Honeychurch a young Englishwoman touring Italy with her older cousin, meets the charming, free-spirited, and less financially advantaged George Emerson, while staying at a hotel in Florence. Although intrigued by George, she contemplates settling down with the wealthy, staid Cecil Vyse and must ultimately decide between George and Cecil. The film’s bucolic setting of the early 20th century seemed like the perfect backdrop for our tale of Adina, a forward-thinking landowner, and the less privileged but determined suitor, Nemorino.
In early 1915, Italy was on the brink of entering World War I, blissfully unaware of the death and devastation to come. It was a time of innocence when Adina’s pensione, in the midst of her olive farm, as I have chosen to set it, would be well staffed with men and women unmindful and unaffected by the huge losses of life to come. And while women did not vote in Italy until 1946, it’s conceivable that in 1915, Adina, independent, educated, and her own boss, might be inspired in her progressive thinking by the women suffragists of the United States and Australia. Early in the century Italian women, like those in most Western countries, advocated improved education, access to all professions, full legal capacity, and protection against sexual exploitation, with suffrage the overriding issue. Between 1904 and 1911, a Pro-Suffrage Committee, including representatives of the CNDI (Consiglio Nazionale Donne Italiane),
“
The notion that love is often found in unexpected places, and the joy and discovery of learning to love has sparked the creative imagination of composers and writers for generations.”
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Yet despite moving Donizetti’s drama from the 19th to the 20th century, this is not a high-concept production. In relying on the music and the timeless plight of the characters, I hope to touch on something familiar in your own experience or the experiences of those you know. The notion that love is often found in unexpected places, and the joy and discovery of learning to love has sparked the creative imagination of composers and writers for generations. Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 18th-century fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast is one example. Jane Austen’s Emma, later reconceived as the 1995 film Clueless is another. I can imagine Adina and
A view from Helena Binder's trip to Tuscany.
Nemorino growing up together, perhaps best friends in the early years before love is fathomable to either. And while Nemorino’s feelings continue to develop into something romantic, his childhood friend only sees him with the jaded eye of familiarity, failing to recognize the man he has become until the attention of others forces her to see him with new eyes. This age-old dilemma and its truth are at the core of The Elixir of Love. Human nature being what it is, and the fact that this is a comedy, we are fairly certain of the outcome. And yet it is a story we return to, ever curious and hopeful about the choices these individuals will make. HELENA BINDER Stage Director
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
an organization associated with the International Council of Women, actively campaigned for the right to vote.
19
THE ARTISTS HELENA BINDER | stage director
Director of Minnesota Opera’s productions of The Tales of Hoffmann and The Italian Girl in Algiers, Helena Binder is delighted to return for The Elixir of Love. A theater professional for over 25 years, she was an actor and director of plays and musicals before focusing her career on opera, allowing her to bring her wit and warmth to many of the finest companies in the United States. Her innovative productions have been seen at New York City Opera, Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Portland Opera; Opera Saratoga, Omaha, Chattanooga, Toledo, Roanoke; and Wolf Trap, among others. A choreographer as well, Ms. Binder has created dances for New York City Opera, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Glimmerglass Opera. She was named a Union Notable by her alma mater, Union College, holds an M.A. from New York University and studied acting at Circle in the Square. She has performed in roles ranging from Peter Pan to Shakespeare’s Juliet and was a member of the band Blotto, that recorded the hit I Wanna Be A Lifeguard. Ms. Binder has been on the faculty of Union College, Boston University, and the New England Conservatory, and is a guest teacher in improvisation at Dartmouth.
NICOLE CABELL | adina
Nicole Cabell, the 2005 winner of the bbc Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff and Decca recording artist, is one of the most sought-after lyric sopranos of today. Her solo debut album, “Soprano” was named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone and has received several prestigious awards: the 2007 Georg Solti Orphée d’Or from the French Académie du Disque Lyrique and an Echo Klassik Award in Germany. Ms. Cabell’s current season includes semi-staged concerts of Don Giovanni with the Milwaukee Symphony, her Opéra National de Paris debut (and role debut) as Mimì in La bohème, and Adina in The Elixir of Love with Minnesota Opera, as well as a return to Washington Concert Opera as Giulietta in I Capuleti ed i Montecchi. Last season, Nicole Cabell made some exciting role debuts: first as Violetta in La traviata with Michigan Opera Theatre and with San Francisco Opera, then as Medora in Il corsaro with Washington Concert Opera. Future projects include returns to the Royal Opera House — Covent Garden, Cincinnati Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
LEONARDO CAPALBO | nemorino
20
Italian-American tenor Leonardo Capalbo has garnered international acclaim for his performances throughout the United States and Europe. Lauded for his rich, lyric voice, and dramatic intensity, Capalbo has received acclaim at houses such as Berlin State Opera, Teatro Real de Madrid, Glyndebourne Festival, L’Opéra de Lyon, Teatro Regio di Torino, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Semperoper Dresden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, New York City Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Welsh National Opera, and Spoleto Festival. Highlights of the 2014–2015 season include a return to Candide at Berlin Staatsoper; his Teatro del Liceu debut as Alfredo in a new production of La traviata; Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and Ben Marco in The Manchurian Candidate for Minnesota Opera; a new production by Mariusz Trelinski of Powder Her Face in Warsaw; and Jacopo in I due Foscari at St. Gallen Festspiele. Future engagements include his debuts at Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Monnaie, and Concertgebouw Amsterdam as well as a return to Teatro Real to star in a new David McVicar production.
THE ARTISTS MARCUS DILLIARD | lighting designer and scenic coordinator
Marcus has designed for opera, theater, and dance across North America and in Europe, including numerous productions for the Minnesota Opera, Lyric Opera Kansas City, the Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theater Company, Minnesota Dance Theatre, and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Recent designs include La fanciulla del West and Hansel and Gretel for Minnesota Opera, Otello for Pittsburgh Opera; Silent Night for Cincinnati Opera; Love’s Labour’s Lost for Actors Theatre of Louisville and The Moving Company; Tartuffe for South Coast Repertory; Dead Man Walking for Madison Opera; The Ballad of Emmett Till for Penumbra Theater; and Cabaret for Theater Latté Da. Upcoming projects include By the Way and Meet Vera Stark for Penumbra Theater; Silent Night for Lyric Opera Kansas City; Tartuffe for Berkeley Repertory Theater and the Shakespeare Theater; and The Barber of Seville for Madison Opera.
MARTIN PAKLEDINAZ | costume designer
Broadway: Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony nomination),The Normal Heart, Anything Goes (Tony nomination), The Pajama Game (Tony nomination), Lend Me a Tenor (Hewes Award, Tony and Outer Critics nominations), Thoroughly Modern Millie, (Tony Award winner), Kiss Me, Kate (Tony Award winner), Blithe Spirit, Chaplin. Off Broadway: The Glass Menagerie (Lortel nomination — starring Judith Ivey), The Wild Party (Lippa), Golden Child, Kimberly Akimbo, The Life. Opera credits include works at Metropolitan Opera, Juilliard, Paris Opéra — Bastille, Salzburg, Chatelet (Paris), Santa Fe, Helsinki, Madrid; works throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Dance: Mark Morris Dance Group, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Arizona Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet. Awards: two Tonys, Drama Desk, Obie, Lucille Lortel, Helen Hayes Award.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
DAVID PERSHALL | belcore
Recently featured in Voix des Arts “Best Artists of 2014” and praised for “[dispatching] his smooth, evenly produced lyric baritone with elegance and style” in Opera News, David’s latest performances in the United States were at Washington National Opera as Papageno in The Magic Flute and at Carnegie Hall as Lord Nottingham in Roberto Devereux in a performance hailed as “passionate and resonant” by The New York Times. David joined the Vienna State Opera this season where his performances include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and Sebastian in The Tempest. This summer David will make his role debut as Rodrigo in Don Carlo with Opera Burg Gars. Next season he will appear at the Metropolitan Opera where he will make his house debut in the title role of Il barbiere di Siviglia followed by performances of Schaunard in La bohème and Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda. For more information please visit www.davidpershall.com.
21
THE ARTISTS SHANNON PRICKETT | giannetta
Hailed as a soprano with “a vocalism that is rich and unforced, equally capable of a sudden drop to a sustained whisper or being ratcheted up to a thrilling forte without a hint of strain” by Madison Magazine, Shannon Prickett recently completed her Master of Music degree in opera, singing the title role in Médée and Suzel in L’amico Fritz. In 2012, Shannon performed the title role of Suor Angelica in Siena, Italy, and also won first place at the Iowa District Metropolitan National Council Opera Auditions, advancing to the regional competition, in which she received third place. This past year, at the University of Wisconsin, Shannon was the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem as well as Mimì in La bohème and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. In 2010, she made her debut at Des Moines Metro Opera, singing the role of the Lady-in-waiting in Verdi’s Macbeth. For Minnesota Opera last season, she appeared as the Fortuneteller in Arabella, the Lady-in-waiting in Macbeth, and the Woman in Red in The Dream of Valentino. This season she returns as Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore, Dora in The Manchurian Candidate, and Micaëla in Carmen.
LEONARDO VORDONI | conductor
Maestro Leonardo Vordoni led a splendidly nuanced reading of verve and melting grace,” raved Opera News of his Chicago Opera Theatre debut conducting Mosè in Egitto. Due to the accolades and respect earned through such performances, Maestro Vordoni is in high demand by leading opera companies throughout the world. In coming seasons, he will lead performances of L’italiana in Algeri with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and return to Michigan Opera Theatre. In recent seasons, Maestro Vordoni made important debuts at Houston Grand Opera conducting Il barbiere di Siviglia, Canadian Opera Company conducting La Cenerentola, and Lyric Opera of Chicago conducting Le nozze di Figaro, where the Chicago Tribune wrote “Mindful of the singers’ needs, he infused the orchestral playing with crisp vitality and shapely phrasing.” In recent seasons, Vordoni debuted at the prestigious Wexford Opera Festival conducting Pedrotti’s Tutti in maschera giving what critics called a “scintillating performance.” Additionally, he led performances of Don Pasquale at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and Anna Bolena for Opéra National de Bordeaux.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
ANDREW WILKOWSKE | dr. dulcamara
22
Andrew Wilkowske — when singing a “virile, sturdy Marcello” or a “garrulous yet endearing” Papageno — displays an engaging combination of musical talent and masterful stage presence. Wilkowske, whose voice has been described as “nimble,” with an “impressively open top,” is one of the most versatile performers on the stage today. Wilkowske’s Papageno in The Magic Flute “stole the show” according to the Washington Post, and was a “lusty-voiced fellow,” according to Opera News. Engagements have included Ponchel in Silent Night with Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati, and Opera Philadelphia; the Vicar in Albert Herring with Florentine Opera; Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Intermountain Opera Bozeman; and La Rocca in Un giorno di regno with Glimmerglass Opera. Other roles include Geronte in Manon Lescaut; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dandini in Cinderella, and Sharpless in Madame Butterfly with Minnesota Opera; Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow with Boston Lyric Opera; the world premiere of The Rivals with Skylight Opera; and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Utah Opera.
THE ARTISTS MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I
Natalia Moiseeva Concertmaster Julia Persitz Assistant Concertmaster David Mickens Judy Thon-Jones Angela Waterman Hanson Heidi Amundson Jill Olson Colin McGuire Maisie Block Allison Cregg
VIOLIN II
Conor O’Brien Elizabeth Decker Stephan Orsak Melinda Marshall Margaret Humphrey Elise Parker Huldah Niles
VIOLA
Emily Hagen Susan Janda Laurel Browne Jenny Lind Nilsson Coca Bochonko Valerie Little
CELLO
Jim Jacobson Rebecca Arons Teresa Richardson Dale Newton Diane Tremaine
BASS
John Michael Smith Connie Martin Jason C. Hagelie Michael Watson
FLUTE
TRUMPET
Michele Frisch Amy Morris double piccolo
John G. Koopmann Christopher Volpe
OBOE
Phillip Ostrander John Tranter David Stevens
Jeffrey Marshak Robert McManus
CLARINET
TROMBONE
TIMPANI
Karrin Meffert-Nelson Nina Olsen
Kory Andry
BASSOON
Matthew Barber
Coreen Nordling Laurie Hatcher Merz
HORN
Timothy Bradley Charles Hodgson
PERCUSSION
PIANO
Jonathan Brandani
HARP
Min J. Kim
Matthew Abbas Michael Burton Christina Christensen Steve Dahlberg Deanna Davis John deCausmeaker Kelsey Stark D'Emilio Stefan Egerstrom Brian Goldenman Michelle Hayes
Jason Hernandez Benjamin Hills Cresta Hubert Timothy James Ben Johnson Hye Won Kim Elizabeth Kohl Cassandra Koob Gary Kubert Katie Kupchik
Corissa Leonard Michelle Liebl Maggie Lofboom Elizabeth Longhurst Meghan Lowe Joel Mathias Jessica Nesbit Phong Nguyen Rick Penning Alex Ritchie
Grant Scherzer Cathryn Schmidt Ashley Sievers Jonathan Sill Justin Spenner Lauren Stepka Kelly Turpin Colyn Tvete Eryn Tvete John Verkuilen
Joe Hendren Thomas Lorendo
Charlie Schirvar* Jonny Slayton*
SUPERNUMERARIES Maddie Anderson* Christopher Bauleke
Andy Flamm Maggie Hayes*
* Child supernumeraries are participants in Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera program.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
MINNESOTA OPERA CHORUS
23
Photos © 2015 Calabay Productions
MEET THE ARTISTS | nicole cabell and leonardo capalbo
Where’s home for you? NC I live in Chicago, but I'm from Ventura, California.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
LC I don't have a home currently. I'll get around to that soon, but right now, I'm focused on making art.
24
List 5 things that you can’t live without when you’re away from home? NC My computer, my iPad, yoga mat, Tony's Creole seasoning, and Brita water filter. When did you begin preparing for this role? NC I've been singing this role for almost ten years now. I usually perform more dramatic work. In fact, this may be the only comedy I sing! I have to prepare a lighter approach to this romantic comedy, both in voice and mannerism.
Tell us about any pre-performance superstitions that you follow. LC I was once given a four-leaf clover covered in clear plastic as a gift. I decided I liked it and it would serve as my secret friend during performances. That said, please don't tell anyone! When did you first fall in love with opera? LC I first fell in love with opera from watching Pavarotti on TV. I was hooked. Tell us about how you are similar to your character in The Elixir of Love. NC Like Adina, I am a modern professional woman. I try to keep my approach to life carefree and light, but I think she's better at it! LC Nemorino wears his heart on his sleeve. I can't help but be that way as well.
nicole cabell and leonardo capalbo
| MEET
THE ARTISTS
What are the underlying elements of this story that audiences can relate to today? NC The search for truth in love and opening your heart, often to what is right in front of you.
What did you want to be when you grew up? NC A writer of fiction novels, mostly adventure, fantasy, and horror.
LC It's as much a coming-of-age story as anything else. It can be hard to find the courage to act on your intuitions, but when you do the payoff is often well worth it.
Tell us about the first time you heard or saw an opera. NC I remember seeing most of Madame Butterfly when I was around twelve years old. My mother would watch it quite a bit, but I never could sit through the whole thing. That's obviously changed! LC My first experience with live opera was Aida at the MET on a school trip. I was enchanted by being there and witnessing it all happening right before my eyes.
What can audiences expect to see and hear in this production? NC There is a lot of comedy, not just in the music, but also in the staging and many heartwarming moments as well. This is a true "feel good" opera.
What is your guilty pleasure TV show? NC “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “American Horror Story,” and “Outlander.”
LC You will hear clean and truthful music that strikes a deep emotional cord. The visuals are rustic and charming.
LC Brunello.
What is your favorite Italian wine? NC Montepulciano.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Can you share a memory from rehearsals? NC Leonardo Capalbo always making me laugh! He's such a fun colleague and a great impressionist.
LC I wanted to be an artist and actor.
25
WORLD PREMIERE MAR 7 – 15
N A I R U
E H T
H TE C A A N DI D
M CAN
UTS L N P PB E L N DON I V E M K CO Y CA R D TION C B AR K A I H S M IC UC MU BY Y R PROD B O T L VE IVE R ET LI B H E NO N ITIAT I T ON OR KS ED W BAS N EW A
Don’t miss this taut and suspenseful thriller by the creators of the Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation, Silent Night.
ROCK TH E ORDWAY
mnopera.org
612-333-6669
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE PREVIEW he Manchurian Candidate, by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, will be Minnesota Opera’s 53rd world or American premiere. As a community of art lovers, we should be very proud of this accomplishment since few other companies in the country can claim such an honor. Minnesota Opera believes that championing new works that speak to audiences about our lives and the world today is an important part of the company’s vision and the future of opera. You will continue to see Minnesota Opera commit to new works and present works from prominent American composers. We also look forward to commissioning operas geared towards the next generation of young singers. Throughout its history, opera composition has been inspired by plays, novels, and legends. Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative production of The Manchurian Candidate is based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon. His plot follows Raymond Shaw, a solider and son of a very famous and powerful political couple. Shaw's brainwashing was part of a conspiracy meant to facilitate the assassination of the Presidential candidate and overthrow the U.S. government. What initially drew Minnesota Opera and the creative team to this story was the character of Eleanor Iselin, Shaw’s mother. She is arguably one of the great contemporary villains, and as we all know, evildoers make some of the best operatic characters. Counteracting her maliciousness is a gallant young soldier, Ben Marco, who tries desperately to unlock the mystery of his reoccurring nightmares. These three characters, Eleanor, Ben, and Raymond, drive the gripping story forward to the inevitable shattering conclusion.
Librettist Mark Campbell has fashioned a swiftly moving, tense libretto that tells the story at breakneck speed. Kevin Puts, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Music for Silent Night, seems to be influenced by an almost Stravinsky-like leanness and spike. (Those of you who remember Silent Night were undoubtedly drawn to the emotional journey of Puts’ descriptive music.) Campbell and Puts' The Manchurian Candidate is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that has us on the edge of our seats, questioning what’s really going on behind the government’s closed doors. We are fortunate to have Music Director Michael Christie leading the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. He’s known throughout the U.S. and Europe for his expertise in conducting new works. Stage Director Kevin Newbury has been an audience favorite ever since Nixon in China, his Minnesota Opera debut. Recently, he directed three of the most prominent new operas in the country: Doubt at Minnesota Opera, Oscar at The Santa Fe Opera, and The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene at San Francisco Opera. Our world premiere production of The Manchurian Candidate stars soprano Brenda Harris as Eleanor Iselin and baritone Matthew Worth as her son Raymond Shaw. After making his company debut in The Elixir of Love, tenor Leonardo Capalbo returns to create the crucial role of Ben Marco. Robert Brill chose the "boxing ring" of a political convention for his set design and Jessica Jahn’s costumes harken back to classic 1960s style. Be the first audience to see this magnificent new opera and make history with Minnesota Opera!
DALE A. JOHNSON Artistic Director
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
T
27
Vespers with J. S. Bach Cantata BWV 23
Du wahrer Gott und David’s Sohn
Sunday, February 15 4:00 pm Mount Olive Lutheran Church 3045 Chicago Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55407
Free admission Sponsored by Mount Olive Music and Fine Arts Series Mount Olive Cantorei Chamber Orchestra David Cherwien, Conducting and organist
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
www.mountolivechurch.org
F E AT U R I N G A M A N DA H E A R S T W E A R I N G T H E TAV E N E R , P H OTO G R A P H E D AT T H E H E A R S T C A S T L
E AD TA U R IH N GE A DA W H EE A RAS R T IWNEG A R IT N GH T O GO R ATPO HE E D H E AART ST T C AHS T I N G A M AFN AMRASN T EH ETTAAVV EENNE RE, RP ,H OPT H GDRAAT PTHH E EL EH E A R S T
NEW B R I G H TON
B U RN SV I L L E
BRIGHTON SVIL L EIL L E CE N TE R 2 0NEW 5 0 SILV E R L A K E ROA D 2B 0 UR 01 N BU RN SV 2050 SILVER L AK ,E M ROAD BU L EL ECENTER NE W BR IG H TON N 5 5112 2 0 01 B URRNSVIL NSV IL , MN 55306
MN34 5112 BU R NL SV E, M N 55306 R I GHTON NEW BRIGHTON B5 U RNSVIL EI LL952.892.6666 6 51. 6 3 6, .34
ER L A K E ROAD
TON , M N 5 5112
28
36. 34 34
651.636 . 34 34
9 5 2 .892.6666
2 001 BU R N SV I L L E C ENT ER
SA I NT PAU L
MI NNEA POLI S
SAIN T PAU L GR AND AVENUE M I NN E A P OLI S HENNEP IN AVENU 10 89 24 05
1089 G RAND AVE NUE HENNE PIN M AVENUE SAINT PAUL, M N2405 5510 5 INNEAP OLIS, M N 554 SAINT PAUL , MN 55105 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408 6 51. 797. 4834 612 . 5 84. 4 142
SA I N T PAUL
651.797.4834
612.584.4142
MINNEA
10 8 9 G RA N D AVE N U E
24 0 5 H E N N E P
BUR N SV I L L E , M N 55306
SA IN T PAU L , MN 5 510 5
MIN N E A P OL IS
952. 892. 6666
6 51.7 97.4 8 34
612 .5 84
APR 25 – MAY 10, 2015 Seduction and danger in the sultry streets of Spain.
MNOP CARMEN
BIZET
mnopera.org
612-333-6669
SOCIAL MEDIA Do you tweet? Post on Facebook? Instagram your entire life? Join Minnesota Opera’s upcoming
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE SOCIAL MEDIA PREVIEW NIGHT T THURSDAY, MARCH 5
30
A sketch of Marianne Cornetti as the witch from Hansel and Gretel Social Media Preview Night.
SHOW US YOUR MN OPERA STYLE
#ELIXIR @MNOPERA
Sketch by Madalina Kelner
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the final dress rehearsal for The Manchurian Candidate. Meet up before the rehearsal for an entertaining look at the opera led by Head of Music, Robert Ainsley. Inside the theater, using your phone, taking photos, and sketching is encouraged! Event is free, but please apply at mnop.co/preview
Patrick Clancy Photography
TEMPO
Tempo is in its second decade of engaging 20- and 30-somethings with Minnesota Opera through one-of-a-kind events and steeply discounted tickets for opening night performances. For only $50, your Tempo membership includes exciting benefits to
Tempo Night Out MNOP.CO/TEMPO
help you get the most out of your experience.
Upcoming Events
MARCH 28: Save the date for Cabaret: Italian Style Join Minnesota Opera and Tempo in 1950s Rome for the “filming” of La bohème. The fashion will be extravagant, the food will be fanciful, and the music from the opera will be synonymous with the unique combination of memory, dreams, fantasy, and desire that have made Fellini films famous. DJ Jonathan Ackerman closes out the Italian-themed night with a dance party celebrating life and love!
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
FEBRUARY 16: Tempo Happy Hour + Behind the Curtain: The Manchurian Candidate Meet up at a North Loop neighborhood hot spot for cocktails and noshing. Then head over to the Minnesota Opera Center just blocks away for Behind the Curtain. Get the inside scoop as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of The Manchurian Candidate. Behind the Curtain events are ideal for first-time operagoers and long-term fans alike. Please purchase your tickets ahead of time; these events sell out quickly.
31
STAFF LISTING MINNESOTA OPERA STAFF General Director | Nina M. Archabal Artistic Director | Dale Johnson Music Director | Michael Christie
ARTISTIC Artistic Administrator | Roxanne Stouffer Artist Relations and Planning Director | Floyd Anderson Dramaturg | David Sander Head of Music | Robert Ainsley Resident Artists | Jonathan Brandani, Aaron Breid, Gerard Michael D’Emilo, Siena Forest, Geoffrey Loff, Andrew Lovato, Alison Moritz, Cooper Nolan, Shannon Prickett, Nickolas Sanches, Christian Zaremba Master Coaches | Lara Bolton, Mary Jo Gothmann
COSTUMES Costume Director | Corinna Bohren Assistant Costume Director | Beth Sanders Tailor | Yancey Thrift Drapers | Chris Bur, Emily Rosenmeier First Hands | Helen Ammann, Kelsey Glasener, Rebecca Karstad
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Stitchers | Ann Habermann, Sara Huebschen, Rachel Skudlarek
32
PRODUCTION Production Director | Karen Quisenberry Production Coordinator | Stephanie Boyd Production Stage Manager | Kerry Masek Assistant Stage Managers | Hannah Holthaus, Amelia Nordin
ADMINISTRATION Finance Director | Jeff Couture Operations/Systems Manager | Steve Mittelholtz HR/Accounting Manager | Jennifer Thill Director of Board Relations | Theresa Murray Finance Assistant | Michelle Gould
DEVELOPMENT Director of Special Events | Emily Skoblik Institutional Gifts Manager | Jada Hansen Individual Gifts Manager | Krystal Kohler Individual Gifts Associate | Hannah Peterson Special Events Associate | Danielle Ricci Institutional Gifts Associate | Adam Salazar
EDUCATION Community Education Director | Jamie Andrews Project Opera Music Director | Dale Kruse
Wardrobe Supervisor | Jessica Minczeski
Project Opera Accompanist | Kathy Kraulik
Wig/Makeup Supervisors | Ashley Joyce, Priscilla Bruce
Project Opera Program Manager | Elizabeth Windnagel
Wig/Makeup Crew | Suzanne Jankowski
Teaching Artist | Angie Keeton
SCENERY
MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS
Technical Director | Mike McQuiston
Marketing Director | Katherine L. Castille
Properties Master | Jenn Maatman
Marketing Assistant | Kate Saumur
Properties Assistant | Michael C. Long
Program Manager, Marketing and Communications | Kristin Matejcek
Scenic and Lighting Assistant | Sarah Brandner Lighting Coordinator | Raymond W. Steveson, Jr. Assistant Lighting Coordinator | Tom Rost Production Carpenter | JC Amel Scene Shop Foreman | Rod Aird Master Carpenters | Nate Kulenkamp, Steven Rovie, Eric Veldey Carpenters | Timothy Hannington, Sean McQuiston Charge Painter | Jeffery Murphey
Technology and Interactive Media Manager | Adam Holisky Communications Manager | Julie Behr Data Specialist | Rosalee McCready Ticket Office Manager | Kevin Beckey Associate Ticket Office Manager | Sarah Fowler Communications Coordinator & Ticket Office Assistant | Kärsten Jensen Ticket Office Assistants | Carol Corich, Hannah Giersdorf, Jane Samsal, Carrie Walker
BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS TEMPO BOARD MEMBERS
OFFICERS
OFFICERS
Chair | James E. Johnson
Chair | Jennifer Engel
General Director | Nina M. Archabal
Staff Liaison | Kristin Matejcek
Vice Chair | Margaret Wurtele
Staff Liaison | Kärsten Jensen
Secretary | Robert Lee Treasurer | Christopher Romans
DIRECTORS Nina M. Archabal
Christine Larsen
Patricia Beithon
Robert Lee
Daniel Blanco
Steve Mahon
Bernard J. Brunsman
Leni Moore
Peter W. Carter
Albin “Jim” Nelson
Rachelle D. Chase
Kay Ness
Jane M. Confer
Elizabeth Redleaf
Sara Donaldson
Connie Remele
Bianca Fine
Don Romanaggi
Sharon Hawkins
Christopher Romans
Ruth S. Huss
Mary H. Schrock
Mary IngebrandPohlad
Linda Roberts Singh
Philip Isaacson
Virginia Stringer
James E. Johnson
Nadege Souvenir H. Bernt von Ohlen
Vice Chair | Rhonda Skoby Secretary | Chrissi Reimer Treasurer | Ryan Alberg
MEMBERS Thomas Bakken
Kara Eliason
Maya Beecham
Laura Green
Leslie Carey
Claire Joseph
Melissa Daul
Faris Rashid
Alexis DuPlessis
Jana Sackmeister
Katie Eiser
Polina Saprygina
VOLUNTEERS The following volunteers contribute their time and talent to support key activities of the company. Get involved with Bravo! Volunteer Corps at mnop.co/volunteer, or email volunteering@mnopera.org for more information. Lynne Beck
Yelva Lynfield
Gerald Benson
Suzan Lynnes
Debra Brooks
Mary McDiarmid
Jerry Cassidy
Verne Melberg
Julia W. Dayton
Judith Duncan
Barbara Moore
Mary W. Vaughan
Jane Fuller
Douglas Myhra
Burton Cohen
Joan Gacki
Candyce Osterkamp
Merle Hanson
Pat Panshin
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Robin Keck
Sydney Phillips
Patricia Johnson John C. Junek
EMERITI Karen Bachman John A. Blanchard, III
Margaret Wurtele Wayne P. Zink
Dominick Argento
Norton M. Hintz
Mary Lach
Kari Schutz
Philip Brunelle
Liz Kochiras
Jerry Lillquist
Janet Skidmore
Dolly Fiterman
Patricia H. Sheppard
Joyce Lillquist
Wendi Sott
Melanie Locke
Barbara Willis
LEGAL COUNSEL James A. Rubenstein, Moss & Barnett
Minnesota Opera is a proud member of The Arts Partnership with Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
33
UPCOMING EVENTS JAN. 31: The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions See four of our Resident Artists compete for cash prizes and the honor to advance to the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York City. The 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions — Upper Midwest Region will be held at Ordway Music Theater from 12pm to 4pm. Event is free and open to the public. MNOP.CO/MET-AUDITIONS
FEB. 2: Opera 101 Opera Viva! No experience necessary! Minnesota Opera teaching artists will present a brief history of opera with live musical examples. MNOP.CO/LIBRARY
FEB. 16: Tempo Happy Hour Meet up at The Freehouse for cocktails and nosh.
Behind the Curtain At the historic Minnesota Opera Center, get the inside scoop on The Manchurian Candidate as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of each opera. MNOP.CO/BTC
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
FEB. 21: Through the Eyes and Ears of Mozart Opera Viva!
34
For children K - 6th grade and their families. Learn about and perform some of Mozart's greatest music alongside professional opera singers in a 30-minute, staged performance. Children are encouraged to participate! MNOP.CO/LIBRARY
FEB. 24: How an Opera Comes to Life Opera Viva! In this first of a two-part series, Minnesota Opera artists and creators will give a special behind-thescenes peek at how the upcoming production of The Manchurian Candidate is evolving, from commission to world premiere performance! Feb. 24: Music and Libretto; Mar. 10: Production MNOP.CO/LIBRARY
MAR. 4: Macbeth Broadcast Minnesota Public Radio broadcasts Minnesota Opera’s production of Verdi’s Macbeth, which features Brenda Harris as Lady Macbeth. She returns as Eleanor Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate, which opens Mar. 7. MNOP.CO/LISTEN
MAR. 4: Mozart for the Young at Heart Members of Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera and Minnesota Youth Symphonies join forces for a special concert featuring the operatic and instrumental music of Mozart. These two music training programs include teens from around the Twin Cities. MNOP.CO/YOUNG-AT-HEART
MAR. 5: Social Media Preview Night Minnesota Opera welcomes a pre-screened group of press members, bloggers and social media influencers to attend the The Manchurian Candidate final dress rehearsal at Ordway Music Theater. We encourage live tweeting, blogging, note taking, and illustrating. MNOP.CO/PREVIEW
MAR. 7 – 15: The Manchurian Candidate Politics and paranoia collide in this powerful new opera. An American soldier, decorated during the Korean War, is brainwashed into becoming an unwitting assassin in a conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Can a fellow POW crack the code in time to stop him? This taut and suspenseful thriller is the highly anticipated second opera by the creators of the Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation Silent Night. MNOPERA.ORG
MAR. 31 – APR. 4: Chorus Auditions Minnesota Opera announces the 2015-2016 season General/Chorus auditions. To schedule an audition at the Minnesota Opera Center in Minneapolis, contact Nickolas Sanches at NSANCHES@MNOPERA.ORG.
UPCOMING EVENTS Trylon Microseries: Masterpieces of Paranoia
Composer Conversation with Kevin Puts
Minnesota Opera has partnered with the Trylon microcinema to present Masterpieces of Paranoia, a series involving handsome protagonists who find their everyday lives surrounded by shadowy, nebulous forces. Films include The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Blow Out (1981), All the President’s Men (1976), and Three Days of the Condor (1975). Films are shown every Monday and Tuesday in February at the Trylon in south Minneapolis. Tickets: $8 at take-up.org.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Opera, and American Composers Forum present an informal Composer Conversation with The Manchurian Candidate composer Kevin Puts, hosted by Classical MPR’s Emily Reese. Minnesota Opera’s last commission from Puts, 2011’s Silent Night, won him a Pulitzer Prize for Music, the award’s committee describing his work as “displaying versatility of style and cutting straight to the heart.” Join us at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown St. Paul on FEBRUARY 18 AT 7PM. Event is free, but registration required at thespco.org.
Visit mnop.co/manchurian-communityevents for more event details on upcoming events surrounding The Manchurian Candidate.
WED., MARCH 4, 2015, 7:30pm Ordway Concert Hall
Members of Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera and Minnesota Youth Symphonies join forces for a special concert featuring the operatic and instrumental music of Mozart. These two music training programs include teens from around the Twin Cities. Conducting the concert will be Claudette Laureano and Dr. Dale Kruse. Call 612-333-6669 or visit mnop.co/young-at-heart. Mozart for the Young at Heart is a part of Rock the Ordway: 22 Days of Opening Nights, March 1 – 22, 2015. Rock the Ordway celebrates the grand opening of the new Concert Hall at Ordway and is presented by the Arts Partnership (The Schubert Club, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Ordway, and Minnesota Opera). For a calendar of events, visit ordway.org/rocktheordway.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
TICKETS: $15/ADULTS; $5/CHILDREN
35
OPERA EDUCATION
M
innesota Opera’s new after-school program, Music Out Loud, launched in October at Folwell Elementary School in Minneapolis. Participants explored the musical, theatrical, and design elements of the operatic art form with Teaching Artists Angie Keeton and Christopher Lutter-Gardella. Work at Folwell continues in support of the school’s spring musical production. Following an evaluation and planning period, Music Out Loud will expand to multiple sites in fall 2015. MNOP.CO/OUT-LOUD.
Resident Artists Shannon Prickett and Jonathan Brandani give Folwell students an upclose taste of opera.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Music ofMozart
36
Guest Artist Christopher Lutter-Gardella introduces Folwell students to stage design concepts with his antique toy theater.
| Feb. 6 – 7, 2015 | The Lab Theater
It’s a Mozart Dance Party — 1980s style. Project Opera’s Music of Mozart reimagines scenes from several of Mozart’s operas as they might be experienced by contemporary teenagers — first loves, making up and breaking up, popularity contests and cliques — with Mozart orchestrating it all. Excerpts from The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, and The Magic Flute create a neon-baroque world that mashes up classical music and pop culture. Led by Dr. Dale Kruse, Project Opera is a youth training program for singers age 8–18. Ideal for operagoers of any age. Sung in English, German, and Italian with English titles projected above the stage.
TICKETS:
$15/ADULTS; $5/CHILDREN UNDER 18. CALL 612-333-6669 OR VISIT MNOP.CO/MUSIC-MOZART
NEW WORKS INITIATIVE Photo Credit Theresa Murray
Composer Kevin Puts at the final workshop for The Manchurian Candidate in December.
“
Campbell’s libretto distills Condon’s 1959 Cold War thriller into … action, revelation, and paranoia, with occasional breaks for romance. Puts’ score is complex and colorful.” –MinnPost
In October, Minnesota Opera’s leadership, new works supporters, and creative team traveled to Ireland to attend the Wexford Festival Opera where Silent Night made its European premiere, led by Music Director Michael Christie.
“
… musically the texture was always clear and the orchestra, under Michael Christie, sounded rich and sonorous, or spectral, as directed.” –Irish Examiner
(Top photo—left to right) Librettist Mark Campbell, Artistic Director Dale Johnson, and composer Kevin Puts. Wexford Festival Opera. (Bottom photo) Final bow of the European premiere of Silent Night at Wexford Festival Opera.
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Photo Credits Theresa Murray
WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA
37
annual fund
| individual giving
It is with deep appreciation that Minnesota Opera recognizes and thanks all of the individual donors whose annual support helps bring great opera to life. It is our pleasure to give special recognition to the following individuals whose leadership support provides the financial foundation which makes the Opera’s artistic excellence possible.
bel canto circle PLATINUM
$25,000 and above
Anonymous(2) Dr. Tracy and Mr. Eric Aanenson Mary and Gus Blanchard Vicki and Chip Emery John and Ruth Huss Heinz Hutter Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson James E. Johnson Lucy Rosenberry Jones John and Kathleen Junek The Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of HRK Foundation Mary Ingebrand Pohlad Elizabeth Redleaf Mary Schrock Mrs. Mary W. Vaughan William White C. Angus and Margaret Wurtele Wayne Zink
GOLD
$15,000–$24,999
Bel Canto Patricia Beithon Donald E. Benson Mrs. Eleanor Crosby Sara and Jock Donaldson William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. William Frels Meg and Wayne Gisslen Sharon Hawkins Bernt von Ohlen and Thomas Nichol
SILVER
Susan Boren Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer Dolly J. Fiterman N. Bud and Beverly Grossman Foundation Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Warren and Patricia Kelly Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Leni and David Moore, Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan Jenny L. Nilsson and Garrison Keillor Don and Patricia Romanaggi Robert and Barbara Struyk
$10,000–$14,999 Anonymous Dominick Argento Karen Bachman
camerata circle PLATINUM
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
$7,500–$9,999
38
Michael and Alexis Christie Erwin and Miriam Kelen Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson Steven Mahon and Judy Mortrude Allegro Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation Connie and Lew Remele Lois and John Rogers Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Linda and Jesse Singh Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer
GOLD
$5,000–$7,499
Anonymous James Andrus Martha and Bruce Atwater Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation William Biermaier and David Hanson Shari and David Boehnen Ken and Peggy Bonneville
Dr. Lee Borah Jr. Jodi Dehli Stefan and Lonnie Helgeson Lonnie and Stefan Helgeson Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Mary Dearing and Barry Lazarus Ilo and Margaret Leppik Lynne Looney Donald and Diana Lee Lucker David and Barbara Meline Kendrick B. Melrose Donor Advised Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Sarah and Rolf Peters Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Maggie Thurer and Simon Stevens Dr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Thomas Charles Allen Ward Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation
SILVER
$2,500–$4,999
Anonymous(2) Bridget Manahan and Joe Alexander Nina and John Archabal Dan and Martha Goldberg Aronson Alexandra O. Bjorklund Margee and Will Bracken Barry and Wendy Brunsman Christopher J. Burns Nicky B. Carpenter Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Rusty and Burt Cohen Ruth and Bruce Dayton Jay and Rebecca Debertin Thomas and Mary Lou Detwiler Ralph D. Ebbott Joyce and Hugh Edmondson Ester and John Fesler Gail Fiskewold Bruce and Melanie Flessner Patricia R. Freeburg Judith Garcia Galiana and Alberto Castillo
individual giving
Mrs. Myrtle Grette Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Michele Harris and Peter Tanghe Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison Dorothy Horns and James Richardson Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Horowitz Bill and Hella Mears Hueg Robert & Susan Josselson Annette Atkins and Tom Joyce Nancy and Donald Kapps Lyndel and Blaine King James and Debra Lakin Caliann Lum Mr. and Mrs. Reid MacDonald David MacMillan and Judy Krow Roy and Dorothy Mayeske
artist circle $1,000–$2,499
Anonymous (1) Charles and Mary Anderson Kim A. Anderson Ruth and Dale Bachman Ann and Thomas Bagnoli Maria Bales Brian Benjamin Daniel and Adriana Blanco Mrs. Paul G. Boening Allan Bradley Drs. Eli and Jan Briones Juliet Bryan and Jack Timm Ann and Glenn Buttermann Keith and Carolyn Campbell Joan and George Carlson Susan and Richard Crockett Michael and Stacy Crosby Helen and John Crosson Wendy Wenger Dankey amd Jeff Dankey Fran Davis Vanessa Dayton The Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Margaret DiBlasio Elise Donohue Joshua Dorothy and Nadege Souvenir Joan Duddingston Steven Engle Ann Fankhanel Salvatore Silvestri Franco Emil and Robert Fredericksen Terence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Mr. and Mrs. R. James Gesell Heidi and Howard Gilbert Dr. Richard Gregory Jennifer Gross and Jerry LeFevre Bruce and Jean Grussing
annual fund
(continued)
Laura McCarten Harvey T. McLain Malcolm and Wendy McLean Mary Bigelow McMillan Velia R. Melrose Karla Miller Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Moore Sandy and Bob Morris From the Family of Richard C. and Elizabeth B. Longfellow Richard and Nancy Nicholson Fund Bill and Barbara Pearce Marge and Dwight Peterson Mr. and Mrs. William Phillips J. Michael and Roxanne Pickle Sara and Kevin Ramach The Redleaf Family Foundation
Paul and Mary Reyelts Thomas D. and Nancy J. Rohde Ken and Nina Rothchild James and Andrea Rubenstein Mahlon and Karen Schneider Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Dr. Norrie Thomas and Gina Gillson Stephanie C. Van D’Elden William Voedisch and Laurie Carlson Jerry Wenger Nancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser
Marion and Donald Hall Tom and Susan Handley Don Helgeson and Sue Shepard Jean McGough Holten Thomas Hunt and John Wheelihan Ekdahl Hutchinson Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Bryce and Paula Johnson Margaret and Philip Johnson Dr. and Mrs. Eric Jolly Janet N. Jones Wadad Kadi Stan and Jeanne Kagin Judy Lebedoff and Hugh Klein Sally and William Kling Gerard Knight Mrs. James S. Kochiras Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Constance and Daniel Kunin Mark Lageson Kent Larson and Christine Podas-Larson Mr. Bryan Lechner Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Laurence and Jean LeJeune Tom Murtha and Stefanie Lenway Sy and Ginny Levy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Benjamin Y. H. and Helen C. Liu In Loving Memory of William Claire and Mattie Lee Long Bill Long Dawn M. Loven Carolyn and Charles Mayo Barbara McBurney Helen and Charles McCrossan Sheila McNally Mary M. McVay Judith and James Mellinger David and LaVonne Middleton Mary M. Montgomery Jill Mortensen and S. Kay Phillips Diana and Joe Murphy
Judy and David Meyers Elizabeth B. Myers Joan and Richard Newmark Douglas and Mary Olson Julie Oswald Derrill M. Pankow Paula Patineau Suzanne and Rick Pepin Mary and Robert Price Kari and Dan Rasmus George Reid Scott and Courtney Rile John and Sandra Roe Foundation Roger and Kristine Ruckert Leland T. Lynch and Terry Saario Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Christine Sagstetter Sampson Family Charitable Foundation John Sandbo and Jean Thomson Fred and Gloria Sewell Cherie and Robert Shreck Kevin and Lynn Smith Glenn and Ardath Solsrud Matthew Spanjers Daniel J. Spiegel Family Foundation Donna Stephenson Mary K. and Gary Stern Dana and Stephen Strand Michael Symeonides and Mary Pierce Kay Savik and Joe Tashjian Cindy and Steven Vilks Frank and Frances Wilkinson Chuck Jakway and Teresa Williams John W. Windhorst Jr. Carolyn, Sharon and Clark Winslow Rory and Diane Yanchek
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
camerata circle
|
39
annual fund
| individual giving
patron circle GOLD
$750–$999
Anonymous(1) Arlene and Tom Alm August J. Aquila and Emily Haliziw Kathleen and Jeff Baradaran Carl and Joan Behr Gerald and Phyllis Benson Debra Brooks and James Meunier Kathleen Callahan Susan E. Flint and Michael Leirdahl Charles Hample The Mahley Family Foundation Dusty Mairs Ann M. Rock David E. Sander Warren Stortroen Jill and John Thompson Michael P. Tierney Bryn and Schelly Vaaler Ellen M. Wells
SILVER
$500–$749
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Anonymous(1) Thomas O. Allen Dr. and Mrs. Orn Arnar Jo and Gordon Bailey Family Fund of the Catholic Community Foundation Armand and Dickey Balsano Rebecca Arons and Thomas Basting, Jr. Donald and Naren Bauer Barbara Bencini Dennis and Judy Berkowitz Martin and Patricia Blumenreich Dr. Hannelore Brucker Thomas and Joyce Bruckner Scott Cabalka Elwood and Florence Caldwell Jim and Julie Chosy
40
Joann Cierniak Ann Marie and Jim Collins Brenda Colwill Amos and Sue Deinard Mona Bergman Dewane and Patrick Dewane Lois Dirksen Barry Divine Jane Dudley Holli Egerstrom Mrs. John C. Rowland Leah and Ian Evison Herbert and Betty Fantle Brian M. Finstad Kingston Fletcher David Francis Bradley Fuller and Elizabeth Lincoln Joan and William Gacki W. Michael and Christine Garner David and Terry Gilberstadt Stanley and Luella Goldberg Mark and Diane Gorder Roger and Eleanor Hall Bonita Hanson Blanche and Thane Hawkins Norton and Mary Hintz Andrew & Gary Whitford Holey Henry and Jean Hoover Ray Jacobsen Barbara Jenkins Markle Karlen Carole and Joseph Killpatrick Katherine and Scott Kovarik James and Gail LaFave Judith Lee Chris and Marion Levy Ruth W. Lyons Tom and Marsha Mann Frank Mayers Patricia N. and Samuel D. McCullough Kris and Bill McGrath Carla K McGrath Anne W. Miller Lee Mitau and Karin Birkeland
Jack and Jane Moran Theresa and Jim Murray Lucia Newell Ruth and Ahmad Orandi Jim Pagliarini and Elizabeth Raymond Kathleen and Donald Park Ilya Perepelitsyn and Lioudmila Sitnikova Ron and Mary Jo Peterson Dwight and Christina Porter Matthew Ralph and Kristina Carlson Carroll and Barbara Rasch Dennis M. Ready Lawrence M. Redmond Christina Reimer William and Sue Roberts Ruth Rose Liane A. Rosel Enrique and Clara Rotstein Marian R. Rubenfeld and Frederick G. Langendorf Leon and Alma Satran Chris and Mark Schwarzmann Morris and Judith Sherman John W. Shigeoka Topsy Simonson Stanislaw Skrowaczewski Dr. Leslie W. Smith Jim Snustad Clifford C. and Virginia G. Sorensen Charitable Trust of The Saint Paul Foundation Mark and Kristi Specker Jon Spoerri and Debra Christgau Michael Steffes Thomas and Sharon Stoffel Judith Stone Dr. Anthony Thein David Walsh and Renee Campion Mary Weinberger Mrs. Barbara White John M. Williams Barbara and James Willis
associate circle ASSOCIATE
$250–$499
Anonymous (2) Paul and Val Ackerman Katherine Anderson Ms. Laurie Anderson Jerry Artz Eric S. Anderson and Janalee R. Aurelia James and Gail Bakkom Bishu and Irina Bandyopadhyay Laird Barber
Margaret and E. Thomas Barrett Kevin Beckey Keith and Jamie Beveridge Judith Brown-Wescott Alan E. and Ruth Carp Kyle and Shelley Carpenter Dr. Mark and Denise Carter Katherine L. Castille Laura Green Chaffee and Matthew Chaffee Gretchen Collins Kay Constantine
Jeanne E. Corwin Kent and Dee Ann Crossley Maylis and Mark Dickey Linda S. Donaldson C.D.F. Foundation Christine Fleming Roger and Michele Frisch Carol and Mike Garbisch Greta and Paul Garmers Howard and Ann Garton Randy Goetz Marsha and Richard Gould
individual giving
associate circle Douglas and Doris Happe Todd and Amy Hartman Alfred E. Hauwiller Mary K. Hicks Sharon and Cliff Hill Rochelle Hoffman Brian and Karen Hopps Steve Horan Burton and Sandra Hoverson Worth L. Hudspeth Deborah and Ronald Jans Ed and Jean Jasienski Charlie Johnson Jeff and Andrea Kaiserman Kristine Kaplan Kathryn Keefer Susan Kinder Andrea M. Kircher John Krenzke and Michelle Davis Joan Krikava Kelly and Adam Kuczkowski Robert and Venetia Kudrle Nathan Kulenkamp Scott and Karla Lalim Kenyon S. Latham Lisa and Jonathan Lewis Rebecca A. Lowe Sarah Lutman and Robert Rudolph Stuart MacGibbon Joan E. Madden Donald and Rhoda Mains Walt McCarthy and Clara Ueland Beth McGuire and Tom Theobald Susan Mcneely Harry McNeely Laurie and David Mech Adele Mehta Curtis and Verne Melberg Robert and Marlys Melius
|
annual fund
(continued)
John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Michael J. and Judith Mollerus David Mowry Myers Foundation Virginia Dudley and William Myers Peter Nichol and Makie Tam William and Sharon Nichols Lowell and Sonja Noteboom Patricia A. O’Gorman Robert and Dorothy Ollmann Scott J. Pakudaitis Julia and Brian Palmer Lana K. Pemberton John and Margaret Perry Jane M. Persoon Carol Peterson John Petraborg Edward and Beverly Phares John and Norma Pierson William Lough Lorraine Potuzak Nicole and Charles Prescott Robert E. Rocknem Daniel Roth
“
Patricia and Stephen Rowley Berneen Rudolph Adele and Fred Saleh Mary Savina Paul L. Schroeder Estelle Sell Glenn Shifflet Marianne Settano Shumaker and Gordon Shumaker The Singer Family Foundation Arthur and Marilynn Skantz Lori Sundman Dan and Erika Tallman Delroy and Doris Thomas Susan Truman Emily Wadsworth Elaine B. Walker Wesley Wang John and Sandra White Jeff Wiemiller Leslie Wilcox Barb Wildes Wendy Wildung David and Rachelle Willey
I believe it's important that arts organizations like Minnesota Opera get full support from the people in the community. Music, in particular, adds dramatically to the quality of our life." – Dave Ward, Minnesota Opera donor and subscriber
become a donor Bring innovative opera productions to life with your charitable gift, and join Minnesota Opera’s family of donors today.
Visit mnop.co/support to give online. THANK YOU!
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
These lists are current as of December 1, 2014, and include donors who gave a gift of $250 or more during Minnesota Opera’s Annual Fund Campaign. If your name is not listed appropriately, please accept our apologies and contact Hannah Peterson, Individual Gifts Associate, at 612-342-9569.
41
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Minnesota Opera gratefully acknowledges its major institutional supporters: $100,000+
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.
$50,000–$99,999
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
$25,000–$49,999
42
$10,000–$24,999
For information on making a corporate or foundation contribution to Minnesota Opera, please contact Jada Hansen, Institutional Gifts Manager, at 612-342-9566 or email him at jhansen@mnopera.org.
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING minnesota opera sponsors SEASON
PRODUCTION INNOVATION SYSTEM
Target
General Mills
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
RESIDENT ARTIST PROGRAM
Wenger Foundation
The Manchurian Candidate The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. National Endowment for the Arts
TEMPO AFTER PARTIES
Sakura
TEMPO PRINT SPONSOR
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Press Sure Print
Comcast
GALA SPONSORS
Ascent Private Capital Management of U.S. Bank Zoe’s Dad
corporations, foundations and government $25,000+
3M Foundation Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Aroha Philanthropies F.R. Bigelow Foundation The Ruth Easton Fund General Mills Foundation William Randolph Hearst Foundations Knight Foundation The McKnight Foundation Medtronic Philanthropy through Medtronic Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Minnesota State Arts Board National Endowment for the Arts The Saint Paul Foundation Target Wenger Foundation
PLATINUM
$10,000–$24,999
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Ascent Private Capital Management of U.S. Bank Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation Best Buy Children’s Foundation Cargill Foundation Comcast Dorsey & Whitney Foundation Ecolab Foundation
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation MAHADH Fund of HRK Foundation Pine River Capital Management LP Securian Foundation Travelers U.S. Bank Foundation Valspar Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota Xcel Energy
GOLD
$5,000–$9,999
Accenture Boss Foundation Briggs & Morgan, P.A. Dellwood Foundation Ernst & Young Hardenbergh Foundation Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts R. C. Lilly Foundation Mayo Clinic Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP The Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Rahr Foundation RBC Wealth Management Rothschild Capital Partners Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, p.a.
SILVER
$2,500–$4,999
Cleveland Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Faegre Baker Daniels Fredrikson & Byron Foundation Hutter Family Foundation The Elizabeth C. Quinlan Foundation Margaret Rivers Fund Peravid Foundation Pique Travel Design Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Thomson Reuters Spencer Stuart Squam Lake Foundation Summit Brewing Company Tennant Foundation
BRONZE
$250–$2,499
Anonymous (1) Carlson Family Foundation Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. LeJeune Family Foundation Longview Foundation McVay Foundation Onan Family Foundation Sit Investment Foundation Wells Fargo Insurance Services
production multimedia Publicity Photographer – Aleutian Calabay Production Photographer – Michal Daniel
Publicity Video – StringLine Motion Picture Co. Event Photographer – CJ Standish Broadcast Recording
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
SPONSORS
43
Arabella, 2013 © Michal Daniel for Minnesota Opera
LEGACY CIRCLE
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
MINNESOTA OPERA THANKS the following donors who, through their foresight and generosity, have included the Opera in their wills or estate plans. We invite you to join other opera lovers by leaving a legacy gift to Minnesota Opera. If you have already made such a provision, we encourage you to notify us so that we may appropriately recognize your generosity.
44
Anonymous (4) Valerie and Paul Ackerman Thomas O. Allen Mr. and Mrs. Rolf Andreassen* Mary A. Andres Karen Bachman Randolph G. Baier* Mark and Pat Bauer Mrs. Harvey O. Beek * Barbara and Sandy* Bemis Dr. Lee Borah, Jr. Allan Bradley C. T. Bundy, ii Joan and George Carlson Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Julia and Dan Cross Judy and Kenneth * Dayton Charles Denny Mrs. George Doty Rudolph Driscoll * Anne P. Ducharme
Sally Economon * Ester and John Fesler Paul Froeschl Katy Gaynor Robert and Ellen Green Ieva Grundmanis * Julia Hanna* Ruth Hanold * Fredrick J. Hey, Jr. Norton M. Hintz Jean McGough Holten Charles Hudgins * Dale and Pat Johnson Ruth Jones* Drs. Sally and Charles Jorgensen Robert and Susan Josselson Charlotte * and Markle Karlen Mary Keithahn Patty and Warren Kelly Margaret Kilroe Trust * Blaine and Lyndel King Gretchen Klein *
Sally Kling Gisela Knoblauch * Mr. and Mrs. James Krezowski Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Venetia and Robert Kudrle Helen Kuehn* Robert Lawser, Jr. Jean Lemberg * Gerald and Joyce Lillquist David Mayo Barbara and Thomas * McBurney Mary McDiarmid Mildred McGonagle * Beth McGuire Mary Bigelow McMillan Margaret D. and Walter S. Meyers* John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Susan Molder * Edith Mueller * Kay Ness
Joan and Richard Newark Philip Oxman and Harvey Zuckman Scott Pakudaitis Lana Pemberton Sydney and William* Phillips Richard G. * and Liane A. Rosel Nina and Ken Rothchild Mrs. Berneen Rudolph Mary Savina Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Drew Stewart James and Susan Sullivan Gregory C. Swinehart Stephanie Van D’Elden Mary Vaughan Bernt von Ohlen Dale and Sandra Wick Richard Zgodava* Daniel R. Zillmann * In Remembrance
For more information on making planned giving arrangements, please contact Krystal Kohler, Individual Gifts Manager, at 612-342-9567. Your attorney or financial advisor can then help determine which methods are most appropriate for you.
THE 81st SEASON CONTINUES in 2015 M I LWAU K E E
•
W I S CO N S I N
Enjoy great music from Viennese Operetta to Broadway
FEB.13-15, 2015 the new Wilson Theatre at Vogel Hall • Milwaukee, WI
Aldridge’s 2-Time Grammy Winner Returns
MAR. 13 & 15, 2015
Uihlein Hall at the Marcus Center • Milwaukee, WI
A comedic operatic classic, set in Napa Valley
MAY 8 & 10, 2015
Call 1800 32 OPERA Today! www.florentineopera.org
Mn Opera Florentine Ad Full page.indd 1
| THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Uihlein Hall at the Marcus Center • Milwaukee, WI
45 1/13/15 11:43 AM
MINNESOTA OPERA INFO Beloved local songstress, actress, recording artist and radio talk show host
Minnesota Opera Ticket Office 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-333-6669
JEARLYN STEELE
mnopera.org Visit mnopera.org to watch behind-the-scenes videos, read synopses, browse digital programs, and more. Join our e-club to receive special offers and opera news.
will entertain us in style — with stories, music and insights. Jearlyn has appeared in many local theater venues, including the Guthrie’s Gospel at Colonus. She can be heard frequently on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Her radio show, Steele Talkin’, is broadcast in 30 states and Canada.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2 pm , FREE
House of Hope Presbyterian Church S U N D AY S E R I E S WWW.HOHCHURCH.ORG • 651-227-6311 • 797 SUMMIT AVE, ST PAUL, MN
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.
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 the Minnesota Opera Ticket Office at 612-333-6669. Parking Prepaid parking is available for opera patrons at the Lawson Commons Ramp. Call 612-333-6669 to purchase passes, or online at mnopera.org. Subject to availability. Opera Insights Come early for Opera Insights — free, fun, and informative half-hour sessions held in the lobby one hour before curtain.
| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org
Accessibility For patrons with disabilities, wheelchair-accessible seats are available. Audio description will be available for select performances. Please call 612-333-6669 for details and indicate any special needs when ordering tickets. At Ordway, accessible restrooms and other facilities are available, as well as Braille or large-print programs and infrared listening systems.
46
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 6 are not permitted in the hall. Cameras and recording equipment are strictly prohibited in the theater. Please check these items with an usher. 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.
LA SANTA CECILIA WINNER 2014 GRAMMY AWARD BEST LATIN ROCK ALBUM
MARCH 12 7:30PM
in the NEW CONCERT HALL Tickets at ORDWAY.ORG
RTO_Cecilia_4.5x7.5_Opera.indd 1
K C E RO T HWAY OR
D
1/14/15 3:45 PM
Live at Orchestra Hall Osmo Vänskä /// Music Director
Chris Botti with the Minnesota Orchestra Sat Mar 14 8pm Sarah Hicks, conductor
Trumpeter Chris Botti moves effortlessly from jazz to pop and—to put it simply—the cat can play. He may spend more than 300 days on the road every year, but every concert is special.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel with the Minnesota Orchestra Thu Mar 19 11am Fri Mar 20 & Sat Mar 21 8pm Sun Mar 22 2pm Sarah Hicks, conductor Full cast list online
As carnival barker Billy Bigelow woos and weds Julie Jordan, their heartrending story unfolds in one unforgettable song after another. Revel in one of musical theater’s most soulstirring masterpieces!
Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guest soloist Irvin Mayfield Fri Mar 27 8pm In the Crescent City, America’s tradition lives on with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band whose founding members played with the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. And now, you can enjoy their glorious sound in Orchestra Hall.
Ann Hampton Callaway Presents the Streisand Songbook with the Minnesota Orchestra Fri Apr 17 8pm Hear songs from Streisand’s astonishing career interpreted by one of her own songwriters—the award-winning, audience favorite, Ann Hampton Callaway.
612.371.5656 / minnesotaorchestra.org / Orchestra Hall PHOTOS Botti: Fabrizio Ferri, Preservation Hall: Shannon Brinkman, Callaway: Bill Westmoreland
Media Partner: