S C H N Y D E R / W I M B E R LY
C H A R L I E PA R K E R ’ S
yardbird
JUNE 5, 7M, 10, 12, 14M, 2015 P E R E L M A N T H E AT E R
WORLD PREMIERE
PA R T O F T H E K I M M E L C E N T E R F O R T H E P E R F O R M I N G A R T S T H E A U R O R A S E R I E S I S U N D E R W R I T T E N B Y T H E W Y N C O T E F O U N D AT I O N . 1
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CONTENTS
PROGRAM INFORMATION
OPERA PHILADELPHIA GENERAL INFORMATION
8 Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD 12 Synopsis & Running Time 14 Director's Note 16 Program Note: Bird Lives 18 Composer 19 Librettist 20 Artist Bios 35 Up Next: ANDY: A Popera 37 Coming Soon: Cold Mountain
4 Letter from the Chairman 5 Board of Directors 6 Welcome from the General
Showcase is published by Kimmel Center, Inc. 1500 Walnut Street, 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-790-5800 / Fax: 215-790-5801 www.kimmelcenter.org
Director
25 Leadership Support & Major Gifts
27 Annual Fund Support 30 Corporate Council 36 Administration 39 2015-2016 Season For information about advertising in Showcase, contact Joe Ciresi at 215-790-5884. Photo: Lawrence Brownlee creates the role of Charlie Parker. Portrait by Dominic M. Mercier 3
FROM THE
CHAIRMAN Dear Friends, On June 1, 1976, at the conclusion of the very first season of what was then known as the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Academy of Music was the site of the World Premiere of The Hero, a comic opera about a man who is famous because he has slept for ten years, by Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti. Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our 40th Anniversary Season in the Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater, Opera Philadelphia presents its first main-stage World Premiere since The Hero. Unlike Menotti’s protagonist, Opera Philadelphia has been wide awake this past decade, with an unparalleled commitment to producing new American opera. It began with the success of the company’s 2005 co-production of Margaret Garner, and kicked into high gear with the establishment of the American Repertoire Program, which solidified our standing as “one of the leading instigators of new work in the country” (Opera News). Acclaimed coproductions like Dark Sisters (2012), Silent Night (2013), A Coffin in Egypt (2014) and Oscar (2015), all of which received their second staging in Philadelphia, paved the way for tonight’s World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD. I want to thank the entire Board of Directors and administrative staff at Opera Philadelphia for leading us to this moment. A World Premiere comes to the stage only after years of development, writing, workshops, rewriting, designing, building, rebuilding, and rehearsal! And a special word of thanks to the members of our voluntary American Repertoire Council, a group of artistic advisors ably chaired by baritone Nathan Gunn, for their guidance in helping us not only arrive at this moment, but also chart a future for American opera in Philadelphia. Thank you for joining us for this historic production. Sincerely,
DANIEL K. MEYER, M.D. CHAIRMAN 44
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., Chairman David B. Devan*, President Frederick P. Huff, Vice Chair Joel M. Koppelman, Vice Chair Alice Strine, Esq., Vice Chair Scott F. Richard, Secretary Thomas Mahoney, Treasurer Stephen A. Madva, Esq., Chairman Emeritus
Benjamin Alexander
Beverly Lange, M.D.
James B. Straw
Sandra Baldino
Ellen Berman Lee
Alice Strine, Esq.
F. Joshua Barnett, M.D., J.D.
Gabriele Lee
Kenneth R. Swimm
Willo Carey
Peter Leone
Maria Trafton
Nicholas Chimicles, Esq.
Thomas Mahoney
Charlotte Watts
Ady L. Djerassi, M.D.
Daniel K. Meyer, M.D.
Donna Wechsler
Ehab Hammad
Agnes Mulroney
Honorary Members
Mark Hankin
Scott F. Richard
Dennis Alter
Frederick P. Huff
Harold Rosenbluth
Alan B. Miller
Caroline Kennedy
Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D.
H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest
Joel M. Koppelman
Jonathan H. Sprogell
Stephen A. Madva, Esq.
List as of May 2015 *Ex officio 5
WELCOME Dear Friends, Last month, we gathered for a grand new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo that all began with a conversation with a single artist, bassbaritone Eric Owens. In 2011, after Eric told me that he wanted to debut King Philip II with Opera Philadelphia, we built a fabulous opera around his singular voice. Tonight’s World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD also began with a conversation with an artist who has graced our stage many times in the past. Several years ago, Maestro Corrado Rovaris and I approached tenor Lawrence Brownlee about working with us during our 40th Anniversary Season. Following our conversation about Larry’s love of jazz, R&B, gospel and Latin music, Corrado had the brilliant idea of matching Larry with composer Daniel Schnyder, who has a dynamic reputation in both the classical and jazz fields. In listening to Larry sing, Daniel immediately likened the color of his voice, the virtuosity of his singing, and his technical command to the bebop style of Charlie Parker. And thus, YARDBIRD was born. Over the past few years, as YARDBIRD has developed, the project has morphed from a star vehicle for Larry into a true ensemble creation. Daniel has teamed with librettist Bridgette A. Wimberly and director Ron Daniels to create a hauntingly beautiful work masterfully told from the perspectives of the women in Charlie Parker’s life: his mother, Addie (Angela Brown) and his three wives (Rachel Sterrenberg, Chrystal Williams, and Angela Mortellaro). I am so proud of the many artists on the stage, in the orchestra pit, and behind the scenes who have melded their creative talents to produce an original work of art that honors a legendary musician renowned for his improvisational style. Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD is a fitting conclusion to our 40th Anniversary Season and a wonderful jumping-off point for future World Premieres on the stages of Opera Philadelphia.
D AV I D B . D E VA N GENERAL DIRECTOR & PRESIDENT @ddevan
For more of David’s thoughts, read his blog at devantagepoint.tumblr.com 66
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OPERA PHILADELPHIA Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD World Premiere American Repertoire Program Co-commission and co-production with Gotham Chamber Opera
Music
Daniel Schnyder
Text Bridgette A. Wimberly
Conductor
Corrado Rovaris
Director
Set Design
Costume Design
Emily Rebholz*
Lighting Design
Scott Zielinski*
Wig & Make-up Design
Stage Manager
Ron Daniels* Riccardo Hernandez
David Zimmerman Becki Smith
*Opera Philadelphia debut
The Aurora Series is underwritten by the Wyncote Foundation. The production of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Fund. Production underwritten in part by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music. 8
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Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD
CAST
THE
CHARLIE PARKER Lawrence Brownlee ADDIE PARKER Angela Brown CHAN PARKER Rachel Sterrenberg* DORIS PARKER Angela Mortellaro REBECCA PARKER Chrystal Williams* DIZZY GILLESPIE Will Liverman* BARONESS PANNONICA “NICA” DE KOENIGSWARTER Tamara Mumford *Opera Philadelphia debut
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SYNOPSIS By Bridgette A. Wimberly Approximate running time is one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission
A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION “ If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” –Charlie Parker, Jr. On March 9, 1955, on his way to a gig in Boston, jazz great Charlie Parker stopped at the Stanhope Hotel to visit his friend and jazz patron, the Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter. He was near death; decades of heroin addiction, alcoholism, a bad heart, cirrhosis, and depression had taken their toll. His wife Chan had left him and moved to another state with their remaining children after the devastating death of their two-yearold daughter, Pree. For the next few days, Nica would try her best to nurse him back to health, soliciting the help of her physician who warned Charlie that he should be hospitalized or risk death, but Charlie refused. On March 12, while watching television, Charles Parker, Jr. died at the age of 34. His death certificate stated the cause of death as lobar pneumonia. No good deed goes unpunished. The facts about his untimely death and what happened to him postmortem created quite a media sensation that followed the Baroness for the rest of her life. These accusations included the deliberate misidentification of his body with the wrong name and age on his toe, the amount of time it took to get his body to the morgue (about five hours), and why Nica did not tell anyone he had passed, allowing his body to lay unclaimed in the morgue for days. Because Nica was part of the Rothschild family, her actions were attributed to covering up the scandal of a black man dying in a wealthy, married, white woman’s hotel suite. Nica vehemently countered, stating she was only trying to help a sick friend get well and had immediately called the doctor when it appeared that he had passed. Charlie was taken to Bellevue’s Morgue with his correct name, and Nica said she wanted to find Chan to let her know about his death first, from a friendly source, before the newspapers or radio announced it. Nica searched all of New York, but Chan had moved to Pennsylvania. It wasn’t until Nica was able to find and notify Chan’s mother that she found out, adding a day or two more to Charlie’s stay in the morgue. As soon as Chan claimed his body, however, Charlie’s third wife Doris claimed him because Charlie and Chan had not legally married. As they fought over his body and later his estate for decades, Nica was evicted from the Stanhope, a segregated hotel, and disinherited by her family. Her husband later divorced her and took custody of their youngest children.
THE OPERA Imagine having an opportunity to realize one final dream before you die. Charlie Parker often talked about writing new music for an orchestra of 40 or more. He had already 12
Photo by: Dominic M. Mercier
accomplished quite a bit. But as of March 12, 1955 this had eluded him. As his body lies misidentified in the morgue, Charlie’s ghost enters Birdland, a 500-seat club named after him that also featured caged finches as decor. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Joe Louis could be seen there regularly. Owning no part of Birdland, Charlie was kicked out in 1954 after an altercation with another musician. On March 4, 1955, he made his final appearance there. Eight days later he was dead.
His spirit, both surprised and inspired, now stands in this new Birdland. Here, he will create his final masterpiece. He is interrupted by Nica, who appears frantically in search of his wife Chan, so she can tell her Charlie is dead. Charlie needs all the time available to write. Nica, on the other hand, needs Chan to claim Charlie’s body and end the potential nightmare of the press announcing that he has died in her hotel suite forcing the hotel to evict her. Charlie tries to write but the notes will not stay on the paper. As a master of improvisation, Charlie long realized that the twelve semitones of the chromatic scale could lead melodically to any key, freeing musicians from the twelve bar blues.
Needing a new freedom, Charlie is visited and inspired by people who have meant much in his life. With the inspiration of his strong mother Addie, three of his four wives, Rebecca, Doris, and Chan, and his partner in the jazz revolution that was bebop, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker will struggle to calm his demons and write his new masterpiece before his body is identified in the morgue and this gig is up forever. Can he do it or will the demons of his past rear their ugly heads? Will he succumb to heroin or alcohol, or is he just too tired and sick to go on? Will he channel the strength and love of his mother, a woman who worked long hours to give him everything she could? He was her only child. Did she mother him too much or will he honor her with a new masterpiece? He left his first wife Rebecca with an infant son nearly 15 years earlier. Can she forgive him? Charlie will bravely revisit Camarillo State Mental Hospital, a purgatory, searching for inspiration and healing. Will he find it and will he be able to forgive himself for the death of his daughter Pree, whom he could not save? Can her forgiveness save him? This opera searches for the music in dreams deferred and the power of redemption. We proudly close the opera with "I know why the caged bird sings," the last stanza from “Sympathy," a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), understanding and acknowledging both the struggle and triumph of Charlie Parker. 13
DIRECTOR'S NOTE By Ron Daniels Charlie opens the cages and the birds fly out! Yes, well. That's all well and good. Easy enough on the page, as a stage direction in the libretto. But well-nigh impossible in the theatre, on the stage! Unless, perhaps, there is the use of video, with shots of graceful birds flying across endless expanses of blue sky...but, then, to be coherent, the use of video would impose itself on the whole production, determining a number of other solutions - requiring a screen, for instance, or at least some surface which could take projections, and around which the set would have to be designed. Indeed, solutions like this often determine the whole nature of the work. But what is this flight of birds? What does it mean? And where are we, after all? Charlie Parker is dead. Incomprehensibly, his body lies forgotten in the morgue, a John Doe tag tied to his toe, and – this is the wonderful conceit of the opera! – until he is properly identified, his spirit can wander in limbo, attempting to realize in death what in life had eluded him: writing an orchestral masterpiece, with music written down on paper, caged within musical staves, and not soaring in magnificent, inspired improvisations. But what then, is this limbo? Limbo is Birdland of the imagination, the jazz club named after him, and it is here, where he and some of the great men and women, the titans of jazz, performed, that Charlie can look back on his life and encounter once more the women who loved him and, in remembering, write his masterpiece.
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Set Design by Riccardo Hernandez.
Until the moment, that is, when his body, lying in the morgue, is recognized, given a name, and it is time for him to truly depart. But if it is theatrically impossible for the birds to fly free of their cages, why not have the cages themselves fly away, while Charlie can finally come to rest, reconciled to himself at last, his orchestral masterpiece forgotten? And now that his spirit, like the birds, is free from the joys and agonies of his life, why not have everything around him, Birdland, and all that made him who he was, fly into the void, leaving nothing behind but our loving memory of one of the great tormented and loved geniuses of our time? Ron Daniels is a director and dramaturg with extensive experience in multiple genres, including opera, theater and film. Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD marks his Opera Philadelphia debut.
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PROGRAM NOTE: BIRD LIVES By George L. Starks, Jr., Ph.D. Charles Parker, Jr., was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City, Kansas and grew up across the river in the fertile musical environment of Kansas City, Missouri. This was the wide open Kansas City of the Tom Pendergast Machine during which nightlife flourished. In the city's African American neighborhood, so did the music of Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, and Walter Page. Count Basie from Red Bank, New Jersey, Lester Young from Woodville, Mississippi, and Mary Lou Williams from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania took up residence in Kansas City. Theirs was the Kansas City of all-night jam sessions, riff-based blues, spontaneous “head” arrangements, and blues shouters - big voiced vocalists who sang the blues. This was Charlie Parker’s Kansas City. He absorbed it all, particularly the lessons of residents like tenor saxophonist Young and alto saxophonist Buster Smith. From guitarist Efferge Ware he learned about chords and their relationships. Here, he played in the bands of Jay McShann, Tommy Douglas, and Harlan Leonard. During a road trip with the McShann band Parker retrieved a chicken which had been struck and killed by the car in which he was riding, a retrieval that earned him the moniker “Yardbird.” Among the non-Kansas City men who inspired him was the great tenor saxophonist “Chu” Berry - so much so that Parker gave his son Berry's first name of Leon. But Kansas City could not contain Charlie Parker. It was in New York in the 1940s that Bird truly spread his wings. He was the perfect example of a prime axiom of the jazz idiom − one must find one’s own voice. He did so by building upon the foundation which had been laid by Young, Smith, Berry, and other of his predecessors. It was in Harlem after-hours sessions at Monroe’s Uptown House and Minton’s Playhouse that he, along with participants like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, and Kenny Clarke, found nurturing environments for the development of the new music that became known as bebop.
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Photo: William Gottlieb
Parker’s innovations defined bebop and therefore defined what came to be called modern jazz. Though rooted in tradition, the changes were nevertheless dramatic. On many levels the music became more complex. Parker’s music demonstrated great harmonic acuity. In this regard, there were altered chords and new chord progressions. There were substitute chords and substitutes for the substitutes. In pre-composed melodies and in improvisations, his work featured melodic twists and turns that were completely new. Front line instruments interacted with rhythm sections in new and dramatic ways; pianists comped and drummers played polyrhythmically. He brought a new timbre to the alto saxophone and other saxophonists followed his lead. Most of all, the rhythmic sophistication that he brought to
Portrait of Charlie Parker, Tommy Potter, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, and Max Roach, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947.
his music was unlike that of anyone who had preceded him The musical tradition of which jazz is a part has always been responsive to, and reflective of, the socio-cultural environment in which it is situated. Parker’s music gave voice to much of what was felt in this country during the decade of the 1940s. This was particularly true of the African American community. Participation in the war effort led the black community to expect fundamental change in that community’s position in American society. New times demanded new artistic expression, and bebop was a part of that expression. Parker’s contributions have been recognized in numerous ways. One of the first was Birdland, a jazz club in New York City named in his honor, the original of which opened in 1949. Also, there is an annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in his adopted hometown of New York City, and a Charlie Parker Memorial sculpture in Kansas City. Largely as a result of the role that it played in the development of bebop, Minton’s Playhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dead at the age of thirty-four, Parker had an enormous influence that has extended far beyond his lifetime. It is indeed ironic that the appellation “Bird” was not originally bestowed in recognition of the creative output of a genius whose music soared like an eagle. Much in the sense that Parker found his voice by studying the music of Lester Young, Buster Smith, and Chu Berry, many post-Parker musicians passed through his music on the way to finding their own voices. A short, but imposing list would include Ornette Coleman, whose innovations led the way in the “Free Jazz” movement of the 1950s and ‘60s; Steve Coleman, one of the most original thinkers in jazz of the last thirty or so years; and Rudresh Mahanthappa, an American saxophonist of South Asian descent whose work reflects his Indian ancestry. Today, bebop remains the principal style through which improvisation is taught in colleges and universities. Aspiring musicians on college campuses study Parker’s improvisations and play his compositions. As a testament to his genius, recordings by Parker, “live” and studio, are still being issued or re-issued. His influence is felt and heard both inside and outside of the jazz community. Evidence of that is Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, the opera that you are here to witness this evening. What was written on walls in New York City after his passing in1955 remains true today – “Bird Lives.” George L. Starks, Jr., Ph.D. is Professor of Music and Director of the Jazz Orchestra at Drexel University
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DANIEL SCHNYDER | COMPOSER Daniel Schnyder is a composer and performer “known for works that deftly mix classical and jazzy styles” (The New York Times). As a performer, Daniel has toured and recorded with many well-known classical musicians, world music artists, and jazz players, and he has recorded over ten CDs of his own music. Daniel was born 1961 in Zurich, Switzerland and lives in New York City. His orchestral works and chamber music compositions have been performed and recorded all over the world. Among his credits as a composer are commissions to write compositions for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York, the Tonkuenstler Orchestra in Vienna, the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Berlin, The Norrlands Operan in Sweden, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Vienna Art Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich (4th Symphony, commissioned by David Zinman), the NDR Big Band in Germany, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the New York based new music group Absolute Ensemble under the direction of Kristjan Jaervi (Bass Trombone Concerto for David Taylor) and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra among many others. In 2005 Daniel’s one-act opera Casanova was premiered at the Yehudi Menuhin Festival with baritone Wolfgang Holzmair in the title role. It received its American premiere in Dec 2005 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University with baritone Russell Braun singing the role of Casanova. The album Absolution (Enja Nova) featuring Daniel’s Trombone Concerto received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Small Ensemble Recording in 2002. Daniel toured Europe and Australia with his trio, featuring David Taylor and Kenny Drew Jr., playing the music of Gershwin, Bach, Vivaldi, Wagner and Ellington in addition to his own new compositions bridging the worlds of classical music and jazz. He frequently performs with his special chamber music project for saxophone and string quartet, combining composition and improvisation, jazz and traditional chamber music. He also writes orchestral variations on themes by non-classical music icons like the Rolling Stones, Duke Ellington or Jimi Hendrix, picking up on a 19th century tradition designing whole programs for orchestras outside the mainstream concert format, as played by the Calgary Symphony, the Absolute Ensemble, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Learn more at danielschnyder.com
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BRIDGETTE A. WIMBERLY | LIBRETTIST Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD is the first opera written by Bridgette A. Wimberly, an award-winning poet and author of eight plays. She has been commissioned and produced by several theaters off-Broadway and across the country, including Alliance Theatre, The Cherry Lane Theatre, St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, and The Women’s Project (Saint Lucy’s Eyes starring Ruby Dee), Kuntu Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage (The Separation of Blood), Ensemble Studio Theatre (Rally, and Mail), The Castillo Theatre (Rally), The Cleveland Play House (Forest City), Karamu Theatre (From Breast Cancer to Broadway), Here/Tiny Mythic Theatre (Valentine), and Manhattan Theater Club (The Mark). Her plays have been published by Samuel French and are included in the anthologies of Smith and Kraus’ “Best Plays by Women 2001,” “Best 10 Minute Plays 2010,” and the Women’s Project and Production’s “A Theatre for Women’s Voices,” 2003. Her poems are published in six anthologies of poetry by the poetry group Cave Canem from 1999 to 2008. Bridgette is Founder and Co-Program Director of “From Breast Cancer to Broadway,” a program that teaches playwriting to and presents shorts plays by breast cancer survivors performed by professional actors. She is responsible for forming collaborations with hospitals and medical centers, theatres, actors, directors, funders, and the public. Bridgette was part of the 2006-08 Women’s Projects Producers’ Lab, a member of Lincoln Center Theatre’s Directors Lab where she produced four satellite productions in collaboration with the Lab, a Manhattan Theatre Club Fellow, a Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project Fellow with Wendy Wasserstein as her mentor, and a member of the poetry group Cave Canem. She is also the recipient of fellowships and awards from The New York Foundation for the Arts (Poetry), The New York Urban Arts Initiative, and the Harlem Arts Alliance. She is on the Board of Directors at Cherry Lane Theatre, the longest continuously running Off-Broadway theatre, and a lifetime member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre.
2015–16 Season
Curtis Opera Theatre La Bohème PUCCINI October 3–4, 2015 Manon MASSENET November 19–22, 2015 Empty the House ORTH January 21–24, 2016 Capriccio STRAUSS March 2, 4, 6, 2016 Le nozze di Figaro MOZART May 4, 6–8, 2016 Tickets, starting at $5, on sale July 1.
La scala di seta and Gianni Schicchi (2014—15 season) — photo: Corey Weaver
WWW.CURTIS.EDU
ARTISTS ANGELA BROWN (Indianapolis, Indiana)
WILL LIVERMAN* (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Soprano
Baritone
ADDIE PARKER
DIZZY GILLESPIE
2007 Bess, Porgy and Bess 2005 Title Role, Aida 2001 Serena, Porgy and Bess (Partial Listing)
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent Activities: Yuletide Celebration, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Porgy and Bess Suite, Pacific Symphony; Porgy and Bess Suite, Fundação Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira
LAWRENCE BROWNLEE (Youngstown, Ohio)
Recent Activities: Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Utah Opera; Andrew Handley, The Manchurian Candidate, Minnesota Opera; Le mari, Les mamelles de Tirésias, Civic Orchestra of Chicago
ANGELA MORTELLARO (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Soprano
Tenor
DORIS PARKER
CHARLIE PARKER
2013 Anna, Nabucco 2013 Madeleine Audebert, Silent Night
2008 Lindoro, The Italian Girl in Algiers 2006 Don Ramiro, Cinderella Recent Activities: Don Ramiro, La cenerentola, Zürich Opera; Ferrando, Così fan tutte, Bayerische Staatsoper; the Italian Singer, Der Rosenkavalier, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
Recent Activities: Josie, The Manchurian Candidate, Minnesota Opera; Violetta, La traviata, Opera North; Title role, Thais, Florida Grand Opera
TAMARA MUMFORD (Sandy, Utah) Mezzo-soprano
RON DANIELS (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) DIRECTOR Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Il Postino, LA Opera; Pagliacci and Il tabarro, Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Sweeney Todd, Opera Theatre of St. Louis
2011 Title Role, Phaedra 2009 Lucretia, The Rape of Lucretia Recent Activities: Lola, Cavelleria Rusticana, The Hollywood Bowl; Orsini, Lucretzia Borgia, Caramoor Festival; Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Los Angeles Philharmonic
RICCARDO HERNANDEZ (Hamden, Connecticut)
EMILY REBHOLZ (Memphis, Tennessee)
SET DESIGN
COSTUME DESIGN
2014
Opera Philadelphia debut
A Coffin in Egypt
Recent Activities: Grounded, Public Theater; The Tempest, Delacorte Theater; A Coffin in Egypt, Lyric Opera of Chicago
*Opera Philadelphia Emerging Artist 20
BARONESS PANNONICA “NICA” DE KOENIGSWARTER
Recent Activities: The Tempest, The Public Theater; The Way We Get By, Second Stage; Nice Girl, LABryint
ARTISTS CORRADO ROVARIS (Bergamo, Italy) CONDUCTOR 2014 The Barber of Seville 2006 Cinderella 1999 The Marriage of Figaro (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Don Carlo, Opera Philadelphia; RAI National Symphony Orchestra; Olimpie, Festival Pergolesi Spontini RACHEL STERRENBERG* (Madison, Georgia) Soprano CHAN PARKER
Your Happily Ever After.
Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Juliette, Roméo et Juliette (concert of excerpts), New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; Anne Trulove, The Rake’s Progress, Curtis Opera Theatre; Iolanta, Iolanta, Curtis Opera Theatre CHRYSTAL WILLIAMS (Portsmouth, Virginia) Mezzo-soprano REBECCA PARKER Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Guest Soloist, Cairo Symphony Orchestra; Hannah, The Ice Break, Birmingham Opera Company; Rosina, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Sarasota Opera SCOTT ZIELINSKI (New York, New York) LIGHTING DESIGN
When you feel at home, you have the freedom to
be yourself
.
Introducing the household model to Assisted Living.
Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Head of Passes, Berkeley Repertory Theater; Big Love, Signature Theater; Splendids, Centre Dramatique Nationals Orleans DAVID ZIMMERMAN (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGN 2015 Oscar 2014 Ainadamar 2013 The Magic Flute (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Don Carlo, Opera Philadelphia; Iolanta, The Dallas Opera; Everest, The Dallas Opera
1-877-314-3304 www.TheHearthAtDrexel.org 238 Belmont Ave. Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 21
ADDITIONAL CAST ARTISTIC Assistant Director......................................................Amanda Consol Assistant Conductor.............................................Geoffrey McDonald Principal Pianist................................................................ Lisa Keller Supertitle Author & Operator........................................... Tony Solitro PRODUCTION/TECHNICAL Properties Master............................................................John Bryant Assistant Lighting Designer...............................................Chris Frey Technical Director.................................................Stephen Dickerson Master Electrician............................................................Terry Smith Properties......................................................................... Paul Lodes Flyman...............................................................................Mike Ruffo Assistant Electrician....................................................Shawn Gallen Assistant Stage Managers..............................Sara Prince, Jen Shaw Wardrobe Supervisor......................................................Elisa Murphy Costume Shop Assistant............................................ Stephen Smith
Cutter/Tailor......................................................Althea “Nell” Unrath Cutter/ Drapers......................................Kara Morasco, Mark Mariani First Hands............................Patrick Mullhall, Carl “Andre” Thomas, Derwin Cooper, Joyanne Rampulla Stitchers.................................................................. Kathryn Calhoun Wig & Make-up Assistant....................................Stephanie Williams Captain of Supernumeraries.............................................. Jim Conte COVERS CHARLIE PARKER....................................................... Joshua Stewart ADDIE PARKER...........................................................Allison Sanders CHAN PARKER............................................................. Emily Pogorelc DORIS PARKER...............................................................Elena Perroni REBECCA PARKER.............................................Kristina Nicole Lewis DIZZY GILLESPIE....................................................... Jamez McCorkle BARONESS PANNONICA “NICA” DE KOENIGSWARTER..............Katherine Pracht
SUPERNUMERARIES: Dominick Barnes, Jim Conte, Chip Finney, Rick Scache, Tanya Powell, Gavin Whitt, Marina Zeccardi-Scache
FACILITIES A Commitment to Safety: The safety and comfort of visitors, artists, volunteers, and staff at the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Merriam Theater are of paramount importance. In the event of an emergency, audience members will be advised of appropriate procedures by ushers and security staff. At this time, please take note of the exit nearest you. A red, illuminated EXIT sign should be visible, with an arrow indicating the direction of the exit door. Should an emergency arise, you will be directed to leave the auditorium and further instructions will be provided as to the safest and quickest way to exit the building. Patrons who need special assistance should contact an usher. Smoking is prohibited on the Kimmel Center campus. Accessibility: The Kimmel Center is wheelchair-accessible from its east and north entrances. Elevators serve all levels of the Kimmel Center, with accessible seating and ADA-compliant restrooms available on all levels. Assistive listening devices are available for loan. A limited number of ADA-compliant parking spaces are available in the Kimmel Center garage.
at your own risk. Many unauthorized ticket sellers use website names that are similar to our website or even include the names of our various venues. These websites are not authorized to sell tickets to events in our venues. By purchasing only through our official outlets, you are assured that the ticket you receive is valid and is being sold to you at face value.
$45.00 3-Course Menu BYOB - No Corkage
Coat Check & Restrooms: A complimentary coat check is located on the lower Mezzanine level of the Kimmel Center. Restrooms are located on both sides of the lower Mezzanine and on Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the Kimmel Center. Food and Beverage: Concessions by Chef Jose Garces and Garces Group are available to guests in the Kimmel Center at the PECO Bar and the PECO Annex Bar. Both bars open 90 minutes before Verizon Hall performances and PECO Café opens one hour before Perelman Theater performances. Official Ticket Outlet: Ticket Philadelphia, a division of the Kimmel Center, is the only authorized outlet for individual tickets for shows at the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Merriam Theater. We urge patrons to purchase tickets only through kimmelcenter.org, ticketphiladelphia.org, or the official websites of our Resident Companies. Tickets purchased from other sources are purchased 22
Live Piano Nightly
OPERA PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA CORRADO ROVARIS, JACK MULRONEY MUSIC DIRECTOR FLUTE Adeline Tomasone, Principal
VIOLIN II Emma Kummrow, Principal
OBOE Evan Ocheret, Acting Principal
VIOLA Jonathan Kim, Principal
CLARINET Joseph A. Smith, Principal
CELLO Priscilla Lee, Principal
BASSOON Wade Coufel, Acting Principal
BASS Miles B. Davis, Principal
FRENCH HORN Karen Schubert, Acting Principal
TRUMPET Brian D. Kuszyk, Principal Steven Heitzer TROMBONE Brad Ward, Acting Principal PERCUSSION Ralph Sorrentino, Principal PIANO Reese Revak
Gwyn Roberts & Richard Stone, Directors • Emlyn Ngai, Concertmaster
Comédie et Tragédie
grand orchestral suites for the theater by Rameau and Leclair
June 6, 8:00pm | June 7, 7:00pm
Gould Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, 1616 Locust Street
Explore our 2015-2016 Season programs online. tempestadimare.org | 215-755-8776
VIOLIN I Luigi Mazzocchi, Concertmaster
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THE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE & CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL Opera Philadelphia’s top giving programs, the Leadership Circle & Chairman’s Council, are comprised of passionate groups of philanthropists committed to ensuring that the future of opera is right here in Philadelphia. Their collective generosity underwrites more than half of Opera Philadelphia’s artistic expenses each season, including productions in the Academy of Music, the nationally lauded Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater, Opera on the Mall, and our awardwinning programs for children.
Top left to right: Board member and Chairman’s Council member Dr. Joshua Barnett with his wife, Dr. Heidi Kolberg; Michael Gorman, husband of Frederica von Stade (center); Board member and Chairman’s Council member Nick Chimicles and his wife, Kathleen Chimicles; Board member and Leadership Circle member Peter Leone and his wife, Judy Leone. Bottom left to right: Board Chairman and Leadership Council member Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., composer Jennifer Higdon, Chairman’s Council member Andrew Wechsler, M.D., and his wife Board member Donna Wechsler; Chairman’s Council members Rita and Phil Harper; General Director’s Council member John Alchin with Vice-Chairman and Chairman’s Council member Joel Koppelman and his wife, Sharon Koppelman.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving at 215.893.5909 or mccausland@operaphila.org. 24
S U PPO RT TH E 40 T H A N NIVE R SARY S EA S ON A N N U A L F U N D CAMPAIGN BY WILLIAM BURDEN CHAIR, 40 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON CAMPAIGN It is my pleasure to join Opera Philadelphia as Chair of the 40 th Anniversary Season Annual Fund Campaign. My career has taken me to opera houses all over the world, but I’ve returned to Opera Philadelphia for twelve different productions. It always feels like home to me here. During my travels, singers, directors, designers, and composers light up when I mention Philadelphia. The opera world is buzzing about Opera Philadelphia’s transformation into one of the country’s most dynamic opera companies. The Opera’s exciting approach to the stage and community, coupled with its unparalleled commitment to new opera, has made it a beacon of artistic vitality. I was honored to be a part of Silent Night, the first production of the American Repertoire Program to take place at the
Academy of Music, and it was my pleasure to return for the East Coast Premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, in which I sang the role of Frank Harris. As a performer, I was so thrilled to introduce this powerful work to audiences in Philadelphia. As an opera lover, I cannot wait to return in June to join you in the audience for the World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD in the Aurora Series at the Perelman Theater. When you support the 40th Anniversary Season Annual Fund campaign you help support not only the amazing artistic initiatives, such as the American Repertoire Program, but also the awardwinning educational and outreach programs that help ensure that tomorrow’s audiences have access to the same great opera that we do today.
G E T I N V O LV E D 26
OPERAPHILA.ORG/SUPPORT | 215.732.8400
N AT I O N A L PAT R O N PROGRA M SUPPORT
O p e ra Phil a d e l p hia’s Pa t ro n Pro g ra m d ra ws s u p p o r t f ro m a c ro s s t h e n a t i o n. We wo u l d like t o ex t e n d a s p e c ia l t h a n k- yo u t o t h e f o l l ow in g Pa t ro ns w h o s u p p o r t u s f ro m a f a r!
“Th ere are so many good reasons to support Opera Philadelphia! For only a 90 minute train ride from NYC, we get to see adventurous new works in a great sounding hall, featuring singers at the peak of their careers. We also enjoy hearing young artists we’ve supported earlier in their careers, or wish we had! Th e world-class artistic management and fi rst-rate administration, infused with a culture of service, make it a
Allen Freedman & Judith Brick Freedman N EW YO RK, NY
pleasure to attend Opera Philadelphia performances and to be a part of such a welcoming arts community.”
Kenneth B. and Pamela R. Dunn
“Opera Philadelphia brings us back to where we lived for eighteen years. We look forward to seeing and hearing excellent opera performed in an intimate, authentic, beautiful opera house. Th e singers, the music, the staging, and the ambiance all add to a wonderful experience. We are proud to support Opera Philadelphia!”
H I LTO N H E A D, S C
“A seat in the Academy’s amphitheater as a junior at University of Pennsylvania has grown into a familyfi lled parquet box today, and though the Turnpike has supplanted the Blue Line for us, attending the Opera is one
Matthew and Karen Hoffer H E R S H E Y, PA
of our family’s most treasured traditions. Th e wonderful performances, and the memories of those past, never fail to delight. We are pleased and honored to support the talented and dedicated group of professionals working tirelessly to regale us with world-class opera, season after season.”
For more information about the Patron Program, contact Jennifer Dubin, Associate Director, Individual Giving & Patron Services, 29
at 215.893.5908 or at dubin@operaphila.org.
C O R P O R AT E C O U N C I L The Corporate Council generously supports Opera Philadelphia’s artistic and educational programming through contributions and in-kind donations.
2014-2015 SEASON SPONSORS
Official Airline
Season Media Partners
Official Hotel
Artist Accommodations Sponsor
Official Automotive Dealership
Official Sponsor of Opera Philadelphia’s Patron Program
Brand Communications Partner
Intermission Reception Sponsor
C O R P O R AT E C O U N C I L M E M B E R S Center City Film and Video
PNC
Universal Health Services
Bank of America
Kalnin Graphics
PECO
BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Menchey Music
Savona Restaurant
Morgan Stanley
Varalli Restaurant
Catering By Design
Exelon Business Services
Moonstruck Restaurant
Cunningham Piano Company
LinguiSearch
Termini Bros. Bakery
Donovan Interior Systems, Inc.
MAC Cosmetics
Trattoria San Nicola
Evantine Design
Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads, LLP
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, or to join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Council, please contact Derren Mangum, Manager 30
of Institutional Giving, at 215.893.5924 or mangum@operaphila.org.
C U LT I VAT I N G TOMORROW’S S U P E R S TA R S The Opera Philadelphia stage has a history as a welcoming environment where rising young talents are nurtured. This season, in celebration of the 40 th Anniversary and the company’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent, Opera Philadelphia has strengthened its mission of cultivating future stars through the formation of an Emerging Artists Program. The first year of the program presented six emerging singers who appeared in at least one production while also singing in community recitals and special events throughout the season. In Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, emerging soprano Rachel Sterrenberg (generously underwritten by Judith and Charles Freyer) makes her company debut as Chan Parker, while emerging baritone Will Liverman (generously underwritten by Allen Freedman and Judith Brick Freedman) makes his company debut as Dizzy
Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artists Program making an impact on Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD and beyond.
Gillespie. Rachel is well-known to opera fans in our city, having appeared in Curtis Opera Theatre productions like Dialogues of the Carmelites, while Will earned praise earlier this year for creating the role of Andrew Hanley in The Manchurian Candidate for Minnesota Opera. Rachel and baritone Jarrett Ott (Prison Patient #1 in Oscar) will return in the fall for a second season with the Emerging Artists Program, joined by fellow emerging singers including bass-baritone Andrew Bogard, mezzosoprano Lauren Eberwein, and tenor Roy Hage. They will sing roles in the October production of La traviata and February’s East Coast Premiere of Cold Mountain, enriching our 41st Season while continuing their development as performing artists. Pictured: 2014-2015 Season Emerging Artists: Rachel Sterrenberg, Jarrett Ott, Sarah Shafer, Will Liverman, J’nai Bridges, and Thomas Shivone. Photo by JR Blackwell.
For information on underwriting one of these talented young singers, please contact Jennifer Dubin, Associate Director, Individual Giving & Patron Services, 31
at 215.893.5908 or dubin@operaphila.org.
ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP David B. Devan General Director & President Corrado Rovaris Jack Mulroney Music Director Annie Burridge Managing Director Jeremiah Marks Chief Financial Officer David Levy Senior Vice President, Artistic Operations Michael Bolton Vice President of Community Programs Mikael Eliasen Artistic Advisor Nathan Gunn Director, American Repertoire Council Youngmoo E. Kim Resident Technologist MUSIC Michael Eberhard Artistic Administrator Elizabeth Braden Chorus Master and Music Administrator J. Robert Loy Director of Orchestra Personnel & Orchestra Librarian Sarah Williams New Works Administrator Colleen Hood Assistant Director of Orchestra Personnel & Assistant Orchestra Librarian David T. Little Composer in Residence Missy Mazzoli Composer in Residence Andrew Norman Composer in Residence
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PRODUCTION Alexander Farino Production Manager Drew Billiau Technical Production Manager Stephen Dickerson Technical Director Millie Hiibel Costume Director Meggie Scache Production Coordinator MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP Ryan Lewis Director of Marketing & Membership Karina Kacala Marketing Manager Michael Knight Marketing Operations Manager Filiz O'Brien Membership Manager Siddhartha Misra Subscriber & Member Services Coordinator INDIVIDUAL GIVING Erin Sammis Director of Major Gifts Adele Betz Director of Events Jennifer Dubin Associate Director, Individual Giving & Patron Services Rachel McCausland Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Thomas Rhodes Director of Institutional Giving Derren Mangum Manager of Institutional Giving
COMMUNICATIONS Frank Luzi Director of Communications Katie Dune Multimedia Communications Coordinator ADMINISTRATION Ken Smith Assistant to General Director & Board Relations Coordinator Bethany Steel Assistant to the Managing Director COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Adrienne Bishop Education Coordinator FINANCE Brian Ramos Controller Maureen McHale Senior Accountant COUNSEL Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP General Counsel
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OPERA PHILADELPHIA ENCORE SOCIETY If the Opera has played a significant role in your life, we invite you to pay it forward to future generations by including Opera Philadelphia in your estate plans. Opera Philadelphia’s Encore Society acknowledges the generosity of those individuals who have included the company in their estate plans as an important philanthropic commitment to opera’s future in Philadelphia, and the Society is our way of honoring members today for the legacy they will leave tomorrow. Not only do members enjoy exclusive
TO JOIN OR TO RECEIVE M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N : Go to OPERAPHILA.ORG/ENCORE-SOCIETY OR
Contact Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving, at 215.893.5909 or at mccausland@operaphila.org. * P lease consult your financial and/or legal advisors to determine which type of gift is best for you and for the legal requirements and tax advantages specific to these gifts.
access to events that allow them to celebrate the impact of their commitment to the organization’s continued artistic growth, but these gifts have the potential to provide valuable tax and income benefits now and in the future.*
Encore Society members Ben Alexander (left) and Sheila Kessler with baritone Mark Stone at the annual Encore Society Luncheon.
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ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
A tuition-free, four year opera training program exclusively devoted to the training of young opera singers K. James McDowell, President and Artistic Director Christofer Macatsoris, Jeannine B. Cowles Music Director Chair
AVAOPERA.ORG | 215.735.1685
WORLD PREMIERE
OPERA PHILADELPHIA & THE BEARDED LADIES
SEPTEMBER 10–20, 2015 | OPERA IN THE CITY Music b y D a n Vi s co n t i w i t h o r i g i n a l s on g s b y H e ath A l l e n Tex t b y Jo h n Ja r b o e w i t h S e a n L a lly an d e n s e m bl e A musical mélange inspired by the life, fame, and the philosophy of Andy Warhol—ANDY: A Popera transforms an Olde Kensington warehouse into a fabulous den of pop iconography and absurdity for eight performances by The Bearded Ladies and Opera Philadelphia.
Superstars like actress Candy Darling and socialite Edie Sedgwick, his mother Julia Warhola, and feminist writer and wouldbe assassin Valerie Solanas. It’s an artistic collision of cabaret and opera exploring what Warhol has become today. What happens when a man becomes a brand?
Warhol famously declared, “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” ANDY: A Popera promises to make audience members famous for 15 seconds. In September, the pop-art icon and his concept of fame will be at the center of a mashup of opera and cabaret in a collaboration hailed as “strange, smart and entertaining” by The Philadelphia Inquirer and “brave and intriguing” by Philadelphia City Paper. Drawing from the life and work of Warhol, the Popera puts singing soup cans, Marilyns, and a randy banana on stage with contemporary versions of Warhol
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret is a troupe of artists who insist that art can be both intellectual and accessible, both entertaining and meaningful. Through cabaret, they tackle ideas about popular culture, sex, gender, and artistic invention. ANDY: A Popera is presented in conjunction with the 2015 Fringe Festival as part of Neighborhood Fringe. The development of ANDY: A Popera has been generously supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE AUG. 3 35
OPERAPHILA.ORG | 215.732.8400
FEBRUARY 5–14, 2016 | EAST COAST PREMIERE ACADEMY OF MUSIC PA R T O F T H E K I M M E L C E N T E R F O R T H E P E R F O R M I N G A R T S
Cold Mountain, hailed as one of the “most anticipated world premieres ahead” by National Public Radio, is the first opera written by Philadelphia-based composer Jennifer Higdon, winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music. The opera is based on the National Book Award-winning novel by Charles Frazier, and features a libretto by Gene Scheer (Moby-Dick; An American Tragedy). This co-commission and co-production with The Santa Fe Opera and Minnesota Opera is a compelling story of love, honor and determination.
sought-after mezzo-sopranos on stage today. Hailed as “beguiling” by The New York Times, she is a 2014 Grammy Award winner for Thomas Ades’ The Tempest (Best Opera Recording) and the recipient of the 2013 Richard Tucker Award. “Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is a beautiful story filled with history, love, fear, and courage,” said Leonard. “Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer have now turned that story into an incredible musical journey and I cannot wait to share it with the people of Philadelphia.”
Grammy winner Nathan Gunn, who sings the protagonist, Inman, is regarded as one of the most exciting and in-demand baritones of the day. He has appeared as leading man on opera and musical theater stages internationally. Because of this dedication to new works, he was named Director of Opera Philadelphia’s American Repertoire Council. “I think Cold Mountain is going to be THE great American operatic work,” said Gunn. “The music is beautiful and amazingly dramatic in scope.”
Tenor Jay Hunter Morris, who creates the role of the villainous Teague, has been in the international spotlight for his portrayal of Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Wagner’s Ring. He has also won acclaim for the “manic intensity” (San Francisco Chronicle) of his Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick.
Isabel Leonard, who sings the role of Ada, is one of the most popular and highly
Leonard Foglia, who directed Opera Philadelphia’s East Coast Premiere of A Coffin in Egypt in June 2014, returns to direct Cold Mountain, with Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducting the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra.
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE AUG. 3 37
OPERAPHILA.ORG | 215.893.1018
OPENING WEEKEND OCTOBER 2–3, 2015 Celebrate a stunning production of Verdi’s La traviata in your finest gala attire or from your favorite picnic blanket!
OPENING NIGHT GALA F R I D AY, OCTOBER 2 ACADEMY OF MUSIC & A TENTED BALLROOM ON BROAD STREET
OPERA ON THE MALL S AT U R D AY, OCTOBER 3 PRESENTED BY
PNC ARTS ALIVE Independence National Historical Park F R E E Ti c k e t s Av a i l a b l e S e p t . 2
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A N D Y:
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COLD
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T R AV I A T A
M O U N TA I N
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East Coast Premiere
Curtis Opera Theatre
Feb. 5–14, 2016
Ma rc h 2–6, 2016
Wo r l d P r e m i e r e S ept . 1 0–20, 2015
O ct. 2– 11, 2015
THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Apr. 29–May 8, 2016
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