Ovation | Winter 2017

OVATION! NEWS, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF OPERA COLORADO | WINTER 2017

A CHAMBER OPERA FOR TWO VOICES MUSIC & CONCEPT BY LAURA KAMINSKY | LIBRETTO BY MARK CAMPBELL & KIMBERLY REED

MARCH 2 3 4 2017 695 S. COLORADO BLVD., STE 20 DENVER, CO 80246

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OPERA IN A SETTING LIKE NO OTHER

WORLD PREMIERE

THE (R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS Music by Mason Bates

Libretto by Mark Campbell

DIE FLEDERMAUS Johann Strauss Jr.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Gaetano Donizetti

THE GOLDEN COCKEREL Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

ALCINA

Paul Horpedahl photo

George Frideric Handel

2017 SEASON

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June 30 through August 26

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SantaFeOpera.org

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800-280-4654

FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR

GREG CARPENTER, GENERAL DIRECTOR

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he 2016/2017 Season kicked off this past fall with a high-stakes, emotionally charged production of the rarely performed Puccini opera The Girl of the Golden West.

Maestro Ari Pelto and I worked diligently to find the best singers, designers and director to bring this

this production I feel that Opera Colorado has set a new standard for what is to come throughout this season and in the future.

Next up in this season is our production of Laura Kaminsky’s chamber opera As One, which chronicles the experiences of its

The Girl of the Golden West, 2016

amazing musical drama to life in a most impactful way. The Opera Colorado Orchestra played the demanding, theatrically conceived score with gusto and passion. I couldn’t be more pleased with how this incredible opera came to life on the stage of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. With

sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she journeys through a maze of self-discovery and faces the challenges of fitting into the often times cruel world around her. I first heard excerpts from this opera at a concert in New York in February of 2015, and was struck by the beauty of the expressive continues on page 12

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O V A T I O N ! WINTER 2017

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BY MARK CAMPBELL, LIBRETTIST

O

pera composers and librettists are repeatedly asked the rather wearisome question: “what comes first, the libretto or the music?” And the equally wearisome answer— delivered with a slightly Borscht Belt inflection—is “the commission.” (ba dum tsss.)

In the ... construct of birthing a new opera, the composer and librettist, and eventually the commissioner/producer, all agree on a story they want to tell.

Of course, the real answer to that question is “the story.” In the typical construct of birthing a new opera, the composer and librettist, and eventually the commissioner/ producer, all agree on a story they want to tell. Once that jolly convergence occurs, the librettist starts writing the libretto—setting up the events in the story, establishing the moments that put the operatic

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form to its best use (like arias, recitative, ensembles, etc.), and filling it with words that are to be sung.

The librettist then submits that first draft of the libretto to the composer who then begins setting it to music.

Thus, the legendary dance between text and notes—sometimes a minuet, sometimes a stomp—begins.

But the process of creating As One was as atypical as the opera itself.

When composer Laura Kaminsky asked me to join the creative team, she had already come up with the theme (something about the experience of a transgender individual); an intriguing but not yet useful theatrical conceit (a mezzo and a baritone playing the sole protagonist); the basis of a visual design (engaging filmmaker Kim Reed to create projections); the cast (the amazing Sasha Cooke and Kelly Markgraf); the idea for the accompanying sound (a string quartet); and finally, a producer (American Opera Projects).

What was missing was where most operas begin: a story.

I’ll never forget the evening Laura invited Kim and me to talk about collaborating together at the gorgeous, massive apartment she shares in the Bronx with her wife, the artist Rebecca Allan. Neither Laura nor Kim had created an opera before, but their passion for the subject and their freedom from pre-conceived notions about the form stood them well. They told me about their ideas for a story but I felt that none of them would accomplish what they were seeking to accomplish in this opera. I turned to Kim and respectfully asked her, as a transgender person, to relate some experiences in her own life.

Kim recalled an incident as a youth in Helena, Montana. Like almost every boy born into a suburban existence, Kim had a newspaper route. But one morning, unlike every boy, she decided to deliver newspapers in a blouse worn under her jacket. It was a galvanizing moment. We discussed a few more experiences (the wine was kicking in nicely) and I left the Bronx that evening with a vague but thrilling notion for a story.

A few days later, I proposed creating an original libretto about a transgender person from youth to emergence, based very loosely on Kim’s experiences. I invited Kim to co-write the libretto—one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. She and I quickly established the themes we wanted to explore and from that created a narrative in three parts that lies stylistically between an opera and a song cycle. We also decided very early on that humor would be

Mark Campbell is one of the most in-demand and prolific librettists in the country. He has written over 15 operas and five musicals. Mark’s most known work is Silent Night, which received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Music and is one of the most frequently performed operas in recent history. The work premiered at Minnesota Opera, was broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances and has entered the modern repertory with an unprecedented rapidity. Campbell’s other operas include The Manchurian Candidate, Later the Same Evening, Volpone, As One, Bastianello/Lucrezia, A Letter to East 11th Street, The Inspector, Rappahannock County and Approaching Ali. Campbell is the recipient of the first Kleban Prize for Lyricist, two Richard Rodgers Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a NYFA Playwriting Fellowship, three Drama Desk Awards nominations, a Rockefeller Foundation Award, the first Domenic J. Pellicciotti Prize and a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award. Recent and upcoming premieres include The Shining (Minnesota Opera), Elizabeth Cree (Opera Philadelphia), Dinner at Eight (Minnesota Opera), Some Light Emerges (HGOco) and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Santa Fe Opera).

a crucial element in connecting our audience with our story.

About three months later, we delivered a libretto to Laura and she began setting it to music, astonishing us at every turn with the power she was finding in the words. About a year after that, the opera premiered and soon became one of the most produced contemporary operas in the country.

Having As One performed at Opera Colorado has some personal

significance for me. I attended Thomas Jefferson High School (was Vice President of the Drama Club—which is about as euphemistic as it gets) and graduated from the University of Colorado, where I now mentor for the College of Music’s New Opera Workshop. In this wonderful initiative designed to train young composers about writing opera, I try to teach some rules about the process of creating opera—but also the importance of knowing when to break those rules, as we did with As One.

WINTER 2017 O V A T I O N !

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A CHAMBER OPERA FOR TWO VOICES MUSIC & CONCEPT BY LAURA KAMINSKY LIBRETTO BY MARK CAMPBELL & KIMBERLY REED ANDRES CLADERA Conductor JEFFREY BUCHMAN Director KELLY MARKGRAF Hannah Before BLYTHE GAISSERT Hannah After

With humor and empathy, As One chronicles a transgender person’s inner journey. This new, 75-minute chamber opera depicts the experiences of its sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she endeavors to resolve the discord between herself and the outside world.

Inspired in part by the life experiences of acclaimed filmmaker Kimberly Reed, As One’s rich libretto – and evocative melodies and harmonies – make it an unforgettable work.

“Laura Kaminsky’s As One proved to be a thoughtful and substantial piece as well as that rarest of operatic commodities — a story that lends itself to dramatization in music.”

THE WASHINGTON POST

MARCH 2 3 4 2017

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Continued from page 4

With As One, we launch a 5-year series of contemporary works in intimate theatres throughout the community, designed to explore challenging social issues. vocal lines and the brilliance of the string quartet writing.

While As One tells a compelling story through the eyes of a transgender individual, the experience of self-discovery is a universal one we all travel at various stages of our lives, making this opera an experience that can be embraced by everyone.

With As One, we launch a 5-year series of contemporary works in intimate theatres throughout the community, designed to explore challenging social issues and develop new audiences.

Jumping ahead to the spring season, we will present the everpopular Lucia di Lammermoor.

Opera Colorado Music Director Ari Pelto and I chose this opera for our final production of the season, as it presents the perfect contrast to the two previous operas. While The Girl of the Golden West ends on a happy note, and As One ends with a sense of realization and acceptance, Lucia di Lammermoor ends with the ultimate tragedy, the insanity and subsequent death of Lucia and the suicide of her lover Edgardo.

Donizetti is a master at recreating the haunting mystery and intense drama of Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor, and we have assembled a superb cast and director that will bring this gothic opera to life with all of its emotionally charged melodies and doomed romance.

I hope you will join us for our next two operas, and experience what we believe is the essence of great opera – thrilling singing, enlightened direction, a superb orchestra and an engaged audience.

See you at the Opera!

Greg Carpenter General Director

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O V A T I O N ! WINTER 2017

“Startling and breathtaking.”

— William Baldwin, film actor and producer

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HEN THE CURTAIN goes up on a Shen Yun performance, what will you see? The radiance of the dancers. The exquisite grace of their movements. The mesmerizing display of the animated backdrops and handmade costumes. All this gives the audience an almost overwhelming sense of consummate beauty. It is a vision of loveliness not to be missed, and one that will never be forgotten.

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EAMING. RADIANT. GLOWING. That’s how audiences look after a Shen Yun performance. Thunderous battle drums, dazzling choreography, and an enchanting live orchestra deliver an uplifting, dynamic experience. A Shen Yun performance isn’t just something you see and hear. It’s something you feel from the top of your head to the bottom of your soul.

“A nimble mastery.”

— Chicago Tribune

“A must see!”

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N NEARLY every culture, artists have sought divine inspiration to bring meaning to their art. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow in this noble tradition, incorporating mindfulness and meditation into their lives. Many of Shen Yun’s programs also carry themes and artistry that are divinely inspired. The result?

A spiritual radiance that shines on stage, conveying a sense of purity and compassion that many in the audience can feel.

— Broadway World La

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HROUGHOUT history, Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings permeated all levels of Chinese society, from emperors to the common people. They believed in virtues like loyalty, benevolence, and justice, and that good would be rewarded and evil would be punished. Shen Yun’s stories depict these traditional values, offering a dash of ancient wisdom for our modern world.

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HOW DO YOU DO THAT? A b ridging a n o p e r a

CHERITY KOEPKE, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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ou may have read that Opera Colorado’s Education & Community Engagement department serves over 37,000 students of all ages each season. We are proud of that. We want to show everyone who comes into contact with our programs what opera is, in its true form, and make it accessible. This is the reason that I tackle the monumental task of abridging an opera. That’s right readers, locally made right here at Opera Colorado. The definition of abridging is “to shorten (a book, movie, speech, or other text) without losing the sense.” I’ve been asked many times “How do you do that?”

It’s a process.

Final Abridged Score The Elixir of Love

Ten years ago, I took a good, hard look at the touring productions we were offering and they just didn’t seem to be hitting the mark. So, I decided to change things up. I started by compiling a list of classic operas

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The Barber of Seville, 2013-2014 Young Artists

that would make good productions to offer as touring operas. Everything from Hansel and Gretel and The Barber of Seville to La Bohème. Since then we have made a handful of operas into abridged touring productions.

The most recent addition to our collection is The Elixir of Love. The process to abridge it took about 15 months, taking it from a full score of roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes, to an abridged production running 55-minutes. This time, Brett Sprague came on board to help me. Two heads really are better than one when you are abridging an opera.

STEP #1 – music cuts. Before we made any cuts we literally lived with the music for months and talked about the score. You have to know the score intimately if you’re going to take it apart and put it back together. Once we had our game plan, we took up a pencil and a ruler to begin marking cuts in the score.

I remember watching Brett agonize

over two minutes of music where we just couldn’t seem to find the right cut.

One of us would offer an idea and the other would comment, back and forth we went for hours until it worked. The musical composition must remain intact and the story must remain complete. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle, but with your ears.

Brett says: “The hardest thing about cutting down a glorious opera, like Elixir, is choosing what to cut. For the most part, getting rid of the chorus and extra ensemble repeats will shorten the show quite a bit, but getting it to the perfect length requires tough decisions. We all love certain duets and arias, but to make a 3-hour opera 55 minutes means eliminating sections that we wish we could keep.”

STEP #2 – translate the text. Once the cuts are done, we move on to translating the text from the original language to English. Now, if you’re wondering why we don’t just use the translation provided in the score, continues on page 19

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Continued from page 16

Hearing your words for the first time, superimposed on great operas of the past is magical.”

Even when a score is complete, it’s not really finished. Sometimes what works in your head or on paper, doesn’t work in a performance, so you revise it. Our production of Romeo and Juliet took three revisions to get it right. Carmen is on its third revision.

Romeo and Juliet, 2014-2015 Young Artists

that’s a good question. There are several reasons: 1. Not all scores have translations. 2. Some translations are poorly done. 3. Most importantly, if we use someone else’s translation, it would not be a unique abridged production by Opera Colorado. We want every piece of this work to be tailored so that it hits all the right notes (pun intended). Yes, it’s a ton of extra work, but worth it because we craft the text to fit seamlessly into the world we are creating.

Brett says: “Writing new libretto presents a difficult challenge. Deciding if it should rhyme or not, making text based on a new setting or time period, and fitting an Italian, French or German composition into English porosity can give you fits. It’s like unlocking a door, sometimes when you find one right word the whole number becomes clear. Other times, it can take hours to find the right word.”

STEP #3 – creation of a new score.

Once the music cuts and text translation were complete, I turned the thousands of markings and notes we made by hand into a clean printed score. I scanned the cut music into a digital document and then, line by line, word by word, page by page,

I typed in all of the new text. Each word has to line up precisely with the musical notes so that the singer knows how it all comes together.

Brett and I are about start reenvisioning Rossini’s Cinderella.

After that, I have my sights set on an abridged score of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. Our audiences are asking for more, wanting to know what our next production will be so they can book it. Opera Colorado’s abridged productions are gaining recognition

Ultimately, making an abridged opera is a very difficult and mentally challenging puzzle that takes months of effort.

STEP #4 – a unique abridged score is born. There, right in front of you, is the abridged score you worked on for more than a year. It is hard to describe what it feels like when you see the complete new score for the first time.

No, you didn’t write the music. But there’s nothing else out there like this version, and that’s special. Opera Colorado now has a newly abridged touring opera!

Brett says: “Ultimately, making an abridged opera is a very difficult and mentally challenging puzzle that takes months of effort. When I’m working on a show it is never far from my mind. I can be walking down the street when something comes to me and I have to write it down.

with opera companies that are interested in renting them. These classics deserve to be heard and we are excited to bring them to life in a unique way.

OPERA COLORADO UNIQUE TOURING PRODUCTIONS TO DATE: Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet Bizet’s Carmen Rossini’s The Barber of Seville Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love

COMING IN 2017-2018 Rossini’s Cinderella

WINTER 2017 O V A T I O N !

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ANNOUNCING OPERA COLORADO’S E

ight operatic happenings, six venues across the city and one new chamber opera taking the country by storm, Opera Colorado’s Scene Change will offer something for everyone. This new initiative will feature new productions, concerts in unique places, discussions and opportunities to experience a behind-the-scenes look at the opera world. Some events are free admission, while others will have access to affordable ticket prices.

This new venture represents a fresh way to experience opera in unexpected places throughout Metro Denver.

Michael Bock, Chairmen of the Board; Greg Carpenter, General Director and Ari Pelto, Music Director announced this new direction for Opera Colorado born out of the company’s commitment to serve Colorado audiences by bringing innovated opera programming to new audiences.

“Our intention is to change things up and draw the audience into different opera experiences.” said Greg Carpenter, General Director of Opera Colorado. “The style of grand opera is an art form to be relished, but it is not the only way to experience opera

and we feel with Scene Change we can meet the audience where they live and play.”

As One in March 2017 will be the inaugural opera production for Scene Change, performed at the Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School.

The 2018 world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me will be next season’s Scene Change opera production at The Wolf Theatre at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, MACC at the JCC. In addition to these two opera productions, look for the Scene Change logo for more events and performances.

Additional programming will be announced throughout the season. For the most upto-date information about all our upcoming events and performances, visit operacolorado.org and sign up to receive our e-newsletter.

Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School

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Opera Colorado will continue to produce grand opera productions in the fall and spring each year at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

HAPPENINGS AT OPERA COLORADO HOT TOPICS: GENDER IN THE ARTS

Calling all CU-Denver students to come and take part in an interactive Hot Topics panel discussion with members of the creative team of As One – a new opera that chronicles a transgender person’s inner journey.

Learn first-hand about what goes into making a new opera.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:30PM-1:30PM Tivoli Multicultural Lounge 900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204 Free event for CU-Denver students.

The Barber of Seville, 2013-2014 Young Artists

FAMILY DAY AT THE OPERA

For the entire family! Starring Opera Colorado’s Young Artists performing the company’s touring productions sung in English. Explore the wonders of opera and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Come early to enjoy family fun activities and kid-friendly refreshments, sponsored by the PB & K Family Foundation and provided by Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House. Activities begin one hour before each performance, and seating opens 45 minutes before each performance.

Sponsored by PB & K Family Foundation.

Saturday, February 4, 2017 The Barber of Seville | 10AM The Elixir of Love | 1PM The Ellie Caulkins Opera House Free tickets available online at operacolorado.org/family-day

operatalk

How do stage fights look so real?

What inspires costume selection and creation? Pull back the curtain

and expand your horizons; join Opera Colorado and Opera Industry Professionals at the Denver Art Museum for an evening of discussion, performance and interaction. Gain insight and have a little fun too, with this behind-the-scenes experience!

Cash bar and complimentary light bites.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 | 6:00PM Denver Art Museum (Schlessman Hall) 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver General Admission: $15

BROOKS BROTHERS PRESENTS OPERA COLORADO

Please join us for a special afternoon to enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres and a special performance by the Young Artists. Brooks Brothers will donate 25% of proceeds made during the event to Opera Colorado.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: EXPEDITION AND COCKTAILS

Join Opera Colorado for a behindthe-scenes expedition unlike any other. Experience the world backstage at interactive stations. Learn from industry professionals about stage management, professional singing, wigs, makeup and stage combat. One of Opera Colorado’s most popular programs, this event will sell out quickly! Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before and after your expedition at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 | 5:30PM Ellie Caulkins Opera House General Admission $25 | Inside OC members $20

Sat., February 25, 2017 | 1-3PM# Cherry Creek Shopping Center# 3000 E First Ave, Denver, CO 80206# Free event, tickets not required.

WINTER 2017 O V A T I O N !

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HAPPENINGS AT OPERA COLORADO PATRON DAY|OPEN HOUSE

Be the first to get your single tickets for the 2017-2018 Season.

Come to Patron Day at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to enjoy opera performances by the Opera Colorado Ensemble, free refreshments, purchase single or season tickets, and make exchanges – all with no handling fees.

Sun., July 30, 2017 | 11AM-3PM Ellie Caulkins Opera House Opera Colorado Young Artist Danielle Lombardi performs at Cherry Creek Shopping Center

YOUNG ARTISTS PERFORMANCE AT CHERRY CREEK SHOPPING CENTER

Enjoy a free live performance by Opera Colorado’s Young Artists featuring a program of greatest hits from opera and musical theater.

Sat., April 15, 2017 | 1:30PM# Cherry Creek Shopping Center# 3000 E First Ave, Denver, CO 80206# Free event, tickets not required.

OPENING NIGHT DINNER LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

Come to the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House during lunch hour to hear a panel discussion about Lucia di Lammermoor with General Director Greg Carpenter, Music Director Ari Pelto, the artists and creative team.

Wed., April 26, 2017 | 12PM# Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins# Opera House Free event, tickets not required.

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O V A T I O N ! WINTER 2017

INSIDE OC|Opera Colorado’s Young Professional Group

Join Opera Colorado for opening night festivities and enjoy an allinclusive dining experience at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House before the performance.

For more information about Inside OC’s upcoming events and membership, see page 24.

Sat., May 6, 2017 | 5PM Kevin Taylor’s at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House

brand new venture that represents a fresh way to experience opera in unexpected places throughout Metro Denver. See page 20 for more information.

$125 per person per dinner. Ticket to the opera sold separately. Tickets at operacolorado.org/opening-night-dinner

MEET THE ARTISTS OF LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

Free event, tickets not required.

Scene Change is Opera Colorado’s

YOUNG ARTISTS FAREWELL

Enjoy this final recital performance by the Young Artists as their residency comes to a close. Observe first-hand their development over the course of the season, and help us send them off in style as they take the next steps in their careers.

Sun., May 21, 2017 | 2PM Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House General Admission $10 Free for Red Dot Patron and above donors. Tickets at operacolorado.org and eventbrite.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPERA COLORADO EVENTS AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VISIT OPERACOLORADO.ORG OR CALL PATRON SERVICES AT 303.468.2030.

the art

of giving

When you give to Opera Colorado, you make great things happen.

You create opportunities for young singers, and create impactful musical experiences for artists and audiences alike. Every gift – large and small – makes an impact. Gifts from individuals are the single largest source of Opera Colorado’s annual income. Please join the many patrons who have made Opera Colorado a philanthropic priority.

GIVING LEVELS INCLUDE: FRIEND

RED DOT PATRON

$100-$249

$500-$999

COMPRIMARIO CIRCLE Additional benefits $1,000-$2,499



Advance notice of annual season tickets

Receive all of the benefits Receive all of the benefits listed above, plus: listed above, plus:



Your name listed in the Season Program Book



CHORISTER $250-$499

Receive all of the benefits listed above, plus: 

Invitations to unique donor events throughout the season including an exclusive backstage tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House





Access to the Chambers Grant Salon Donor Recognition Lounge and complimentary champagne during intermission



Personalized assistance with your opera tickets and Opening Night Dinner reservations



Free Admission to an Education event

Complimentary Admission to the annual DIVA CIRCLE Young Artists Showcase $2,500-$4,999 and Farewell Concerts Receive all of the benefits listed above, plus: Complimentary invitation to attend  Invitations to two (2) annual Sitzprobe Artist Welcome events, Brunch and Rehearsal where donors can

are available to donors at $5,000 and above.

For information on benefits or ways to donate, please contact Director of Development Erin Wenzel at 303.468.2040 or ewenzel@operacolorado.org Or visit operacolorado.org/ support

personally interact with the performers and production team of each mainstage opera

Family Day at the Opera, 2016

WINTER 2017 O V A T I O N !

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OPERA COLORADO’S

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CLUB Meet up with like-minded professionals to learn more about opera and experience one of Colorado’s premier performing arts companies in a unique way.

UPCOMING EVENTS

operatalk TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017 | 6:00 PM

Denver Art Museum

Sip & Sing TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017 | 6:00 PM

Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club

Tuesday Night at the Opera MAY 9, 2017 | 5:30 PM

Ellie Caulkins Opera House

NEW THIS SEASON Join Opera Colorado’s Inside OC Club and receive new benefits.

• • •

Pre-show receptions, intermission donor lounge and after-parties with the cast Exclusive membership pricing and special access to opera tickets and unique events throughout the season Opportunities to learn more about opera with interactive performances, lectures and engaging activities

NEW Membership Prices for the 2016-2017 Season •

Single Membership $60 | Double Membership $100

THANK YOU TO OUR INSIDE OC SPONSORS

NEWLY ADDED:

GET TICKETS TO AS ONE FOR $50 ($75 VALUE) FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017 | 8:00 PM PERFORMANCE

PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX AT PINNACLE CHARTER SCHOOL

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS FOR 2016-2017, VISIT OPERACOLORADO.ORG/INSIDEOC.

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SEASON

NOV 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 2017

JAN 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 2018

MAY 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 2018

GIACOMO PUCCINI The Ellie Caulkins Opera House

MUSIC BY GERALD COHEN LIBRETTO BY DEBORAH BREVOORT The Wolf Theatre Mizel Arts and Culture Center, MACC at the JCC

GIUSEPPE VERDI The Ellie Caulkins Opera House

This grand opera production tells a poignant tale of love and loss among young artists in the vibrant bohemian Latin Quarter of 19th-century Paris, and remains a worldwide favorite that appeals to both opera enthusiasts and new audiences.

Based on a true love story that transcends the horrors of the holocaust, two lovers secretly pass letters while prisoners at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

“I’m a very special Holocaust survivor. I was in the camps with my wife and my girlfriend; and believe me, it wasn’t easy.”

— Jaap Polak

A brilliant adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV, Verdi’s witty and insightful comedy tells the tale of Falstaff, a rotund knight played by Icelandic baritone Olafur Sigurdarson, who has run out of money and seeks to get rich quickly by attempting to seduce two married women with wealthy husbands.

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW OPERACOLORADO.ORG | 303.468.2030

BOARD OFFICERS

Michael Bock Chairman Marcia Robinson President Dirk deRoos Treasurer and Vice President Carol Crossin Whitley Secretary and Vice President Kevin O’Connor Chairman Elect Michael Hughes Chair Emeritus DIRECTORS

Ovation! Magazine and In-Theatre programs are produced

by The Publishing House.

Angie Flachman Johnson Publisher Tod Cavey Director of Sales Stacey Krull Production Manager Mark Fessler Press Manager

Bruce Allen Kenneth Barrow Suzanne Dost Bucy Ellie Caulkins Lifetime Honorary Chair Dr. Larry Chan Nancy Cochran Ex-Officio Mary Conroy John Dye Joanne Dell Fisher Agatha Kessler The Honorable Kenneth M. Laff William N. Maniatis, M.D. Tracy McCarthy Muffy French Moore Kent Rice Ex-Officio Shirley Smith Lindsay Arnold Sugden Bryant Veazey Byron Watson Larry Zimmer

Wilbur E. Flachman President & Founder

For advertising information 303-428-9529 www.pub-house.com www.coloradoartspubs.com

HONORARY DIRECTORS

Sheila Bisenius Nellie Mae Duman Hugh Grant Dr. Charles Kafadar Jeremy Kinney Loring W. Knoblauch Lifetime Honorary Director Pamela Merrill Gerald Saul Jeremy Shamos Susan Shamos Merrill Shields Harry Sterling Martha Tracey

FOUNDATION BOARD Ovation! Magazine is published bi-annually

by Opera Colorado.

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O V A T I O N ! WINTER 2017

Bruce Allen President Kenneth Barrow Treasurer Michael Hughes Secretary Richard Robinson Harry Sterling Pamela Whitehill Carol Crossin Whitley

STAFF

GREG CARPENTER GENERAL DIRECTOR ARTISTIC

Ari Pelto Music Director Andres Cladera Associate Conductor Kim Peoria Orchestra Personnel Manager ADMINISTRATION

Mike Hurdle Director of Finance & Administration Ben Newman Executive Assistant to the General Director Linda Strauch, EA Senior Accountant DEVELOPMENT

Erin Wenzel, CFRE Director of Development Jessica Peña Annual Fund Manager Leah Podzimek Corporate and Foundations Manager EDUCATION

Cherity Koepke Director of Education & Community Engagement Parisa Zaeri Education Assistant Betsy Schwarm Pre-Performance Lecturer Camille Spaccavento Joyce de Roos Molly Epstein Michael Hayes Rachel Perez Resnicow + Associates

MARKETING

Director of External Affairs & Marketing Volunteer Coordinator Group Sales Associate Digital Marketing Assistant Manager Marketing Manager Public Relations PATRON SERVICES

Tom Kirkpatrick Patron Services Manager Indea Jaramillo Patron Services Assistant Don Oppliger Patron Services Assistant PRODUCTION

Katie Preissner Director of Production Ann Piano Costume Director Cherity Koepke Brett Sprague Parisa Zaeri Allison Nicholas Danielle Lombardi Omar Najmi Ryan Bradford Charles Eaton

YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM

Director Assistant Director Coach/Accompanist soprano mezzo-soprano tenor baritone baritone

DIRECTORY TICKETS BOX OFFICE LOCATION ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE

OPERACOLORADO.ORG 303.468.2030 695 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 20 Denver, CO 80246 303.778.1500 695 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 20 Denver, CO 80246 1385 Curtis Street, Denver CO 80204

The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, Division of Arts & Venues LOST AND FOUND DINING AT DPAC

ONLINE RESERVATIONS

720.865.4220 Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House 303.640.1012 Limelight Supper Club 720.227.9984 Restaurantkevintaylor.com

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HERMÈS BY NATURE