MORRISON/COX
os ca r
AC ADEMY OF MUSIC F E B . 6 , 8 M , 11 , 1 3 , 1 5 M , 2 0 1 5
“WE
TAKE A TAILORED YET FLEXIBLE
INVESTMENT APPROACH TO HELP OUR CLIENTS ACHIEVE THEIR EVER EVOLVING GOALS.” Chip Lee Senior Vice President Portfolio Management
ENRICHED LIVES THROUGH THOUGHTFUL PLANNING .
The certainty of change: a challenge we embrace heartily. In fact, the more we are in tune with new directions in our clients’ lives, the better we are able to devise financial solutions that work in the present and far into the future.
CALL BILL HAINES AT OR
610.975.4300 800.975.4316
R A D N O R , PA W W W. P E N N T R U S T. C O M
contents
OPERA PHILADELPHIA GENERAL INFORMATION
PROGRAM INFORMATION
8 12
Oscar
4 Letter from the Chairman
Synopsis & Running Time
14 Program Notes
19 20 46
Composer & Librettist Artist Bios Up Next: Don Carlo
5 6
Board of Directors
Welcome from the General Director 27 Leadership Support & Major Gifts 29 Annual Fund Support
32 Corporate Council 33 Subscriber Recognition 45 Administration
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
For information about advertising in Showcase, contact Joe Ciresi at 215-790-5884. Photo: David Daniels as the imprisoned Oscar Wilde. ŠKen Howard | The Santa Fe Opera 3
from the
chairman
Dear Friends, One of the great strengths of Opera Philadelphia is the diversity of repertoire presented on our stages. Never has that diversity been more apparent than in this, our 40th Anniversary Season. Those of you who joined us in the fall for a new production of The Barber of Seville saw an energized cast, chorus, and orchestra inject new life into Rossini’s 200-year-old comedy under the baton of Music Director Corrado Rovaris and director Michael Shell. Tonight, we present the second staging of a new opera from our American Repertoire Program: Oscar by composer Theodore Morrison, with a libretto by the composer and John Cox. Oscar is an important story about the trial, imprisonment, and fall from grace of one of history’s great wits, a 19th-century tale brimming with social implications for our 21st-century lives. It is exactly the kind of work we had in mind when we launched the American Repertoire Program several years ago, as we work with composers and librettists to propel our genre forward. Thank you for joining us tonight for Oscar. I look forward to seeing you often throughout the 2014-2015 Season. Sincerely,
Daniel K. Meyer, M.d. chairman
4
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
Ellen Berman Lee
Alice Strine, Esq.
Sandra Baldino
Gabriele Lee
Kenneth R. Swimm
F. Joshua Barnett, M.D., J.D.
Peter Leone
Maria Trafton
Willo Carey
Stephen A. Madva, Esq.
Charlotte Watts
Nicholas Chimicles, Esq.
Thomas Mahoney
Donna Wechsler
Ady L. Djerassi, M.D.
Daniel K. Meyer, M.D.
Ehab Hammad
Agnes Mulroney
Mark Hankin
Scott F. Richard
Honorary Members
Frederick P. Huff
Harold Rosenbluth
Dennis Alter
Caroline Kennedy
Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D.
Alan B. Miller
Joel M. Koppelman
Jonathan H. Sprogell
H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest
Beverly Lange, M.D.
James B. Straw
List as of January 2015 *Ex officio
Welcome Dear Friends, In August 2013, I had the great honor of attending the world premiere of Oscar at The Santa Fe Opera alongside Merlin Holland, the only grandchild of Oscar Wilde. Although he is a direct male-line descendent of Wilde, Merlin’s last name is Holland because Oscar’s wife, Constance, changed her children's surname to avoid shame after Wilde's imprisonment and fall from grace. The premiere of Oscar was a moment of great pride for Merlin, who has dedicated his life to studying his grandfather, and for all of us involved with the opera. We are privileged to bring this important work to Philadelphia for its East Coast Premiere, and it has been a wonderful creative process to watch the opera evolve through revisions. Oscar Wilde’s life and all that he stood for has tremendous relevance today. He is an iconic figure in the struggle for gay rights and universal human rights, and in this opera he is presented as a hero, not as a victim. That is accomplished thanks to the brilliant writing of Theodore Morrison and John Cox and a truly outstanding portrayal by the great David Daniels. The American Repertoire Program was launched to create a canon of important new work by American composers that will both complement the standard repertoire and one day become a part of it. Our 2013 co-production of Silent Night by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell is well on its way to becoming a staple of our art form, having been in multiple cities all over the world since making its East Coast Premiere here just two years ago. Tonight is an important next step in our development of new American works, a development that continues in June with the World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD by Daniel Schnyder and Bridgette A. Wimberly, and returns to the Academy stage this time next year for the East Coast Premiere of Cold Mountain by Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer. I hope to hear your thoughts about Oscar, both in person and on social media using #OscarOpera. As Oscar himself once said, “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
D a v i d B . D e va n General Director & President @ddevan
6
Opera Philadelphia
Oscar East Coast Premiere American Repertoire Program Co-commission and co-production with The Santa Fe Opera
Music Theodore Morrison Text John Cox and Theodore Morrison Based on quotations from the writings of Oscar Wilde and his contemporaries
Conductor Evan Rogister*
Director Kevin Newbury Scenic Design David Korins*
Costume Design David C. Woolard*
LIghting Design Rick Fisher* Choreographer Seรกn Curran
Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden Wig & Make-up Design David Zimmerman
Stage Manager Chelsea W. Antrim *Opera Philadelphia debut
Production underwritten in part by the Wyncote Foundation. Support provided in part by the National Endowment of the Arts. 8
Oscar Cast
The
OSCAR WILDE David Daniels* ADA LEVERSON Heidi Stober* FRANK HARRIS William Burden WALT WHITMAN Dwayne Croft* LORD ALFRED “BOSIE” DOUGLAS Reed Luplau* JUSTICE SIR ALFRED WILLS and COLONEL HENRY B. ISAACSON Wayne Tigges INSPECTOR LITTLECHILD and FIRST PRISON WARDER Joseph Gaines INSPECTOR KEARLEY and SECOND PRISON WARDER Benjamin Sieverding* THOMAS MARTIN and HOTEL MANAGERS Ricardo Rivera* PRISON CHAPLAIN Roy Hage* PRISON INFIRMARY PATIENTS Jarrett Ott* Thomas Shivone BAILIFF Toffer Mihalka *Opera Philadelphia debut 10
revolutionary redefined. 500 walnut. 38 Extraordinary Residences Groundbreaking Spring 2015 Now Accepting Pre-Construction Reservations. 215.574.0500 | info@500walnut.net Over $65M in reservations to date!
t h e d e v e l o p e r s o f 17 0 6 r i t t e n h o u s e
SYNOPSIS Approximate running time for Oscar is two hours and 40 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission A historical introduction by John Cox Walt Whitman met Oscar Wilde during the young Irish poet's lecture tour of the USA in 1882. Walt was at the height of his fame, whereas Oscar was merely a celebrity lecturer explaining the new Aesthetic Movement to the American public. He had at this point written nothing to hint at his enduring genius. By the time Oscar met Lord Alfred Douglas, known as Bosie, Walt was dead while Oscar was very famous. It is from his vantage point of Immortality that Walt presents our opera, revealing to us the catastrophe that Oscar's love for Bosie brought about. Bosie Douglas was the youngest son of the Marquess of Queensberry, and they despised one another. Oscar soon found himself in the crossfire of their enmity when Queensberry raised public objection to Oscar's relationship with his son, imputing a sexual basis to it. Bosie forced Oscar to sue Queensberry for libel, hoping thereby to disgrace him, but Queensberry won the case, so that the disgrace fell on Oscar. He was rapidly put on trial, convicted and jailed for “gross indecency.” ACT I Oscar is out on bail awaiting the verdict. Queensberry has bribed two detectives to warn hotel managers against giving him a room. Bosie, under pressure from Oscar, leaves the country, but he haunts Oscar's imagination throughout the opera. Oscar eventually finds shelter with Ada Leverson, also a writer and adored by Oscar, who calls her Sphinx. She puts him up in the children's nursery where they are joined by their friend Frank Harris. At first the innocent gaiety of their surroundings brightens the mood. Drinks are served and playful repartee prevails. Then the influential Frank reveals that he has made arrangements for Oscar to abscond bail, flee the country, and escape the inevitable guilty verdict. After much agonizing, especially over his two young children, Oscar refuses to run away. The only honorable course is to face his accusers. In what essentially becomes a show trial the nursery morphs into the courtroom and the toys enact the proceedings as farce. The “guilty” verdict is handed down and Oscar is sentenced to hard labor for two years. Intermission ©Ken Howard | The Santa Fe Opera
12
ACT II The prison wardens are sarcastically making their celebrity guest welcome, but a reality check is brutally provided by the sadistic governor, Isaacson, whose personal mission is to punish his charges to the furthest extreme. Oscar will be no exception. He is rapidly broken in body and spirit by the prison regime. In his feverish weakness he suffers a fall during chapel service and injures his head. In the face of rebellious protests by the other prisoners, Isaacson grudgingly sends Oscar to the infirmary. In the infirmary Oscar is able to talk with other sick prisoners, discovering levels of simple humanity that restore his spirits. He realizes that there are greater degrees of suffering in life than he has ever imagined. We discover that there is soon to be an execution. On the eve of the execution, the tension inside the prison reaches a terrifying pitch as all feel the presence of Death in their midst. Oscar senses that this death prefigures his own. Nearing the end of his sentence, Oscar is visited by Frank Harris. Early release has been beyond Frank's political influence but at least the authorities have decided to replace the tyrannical Isaacson with a more moderate governor who will allow Oscar writing materials, more books and to work in the garden. It is here that he receives his last visitor. Ada Leverson comes to discuss plans for his return to freedom. Alas, his request to join a closed Christian community has been refused. It will be some time before society is prepared to tolerate his return.
13
PROGRAM NOTES TRUTH, ART, AND LIFE By John Cox The common perception of Oscar Wilde is as a great writer and notorious homosexual. We wish in our opera to accept this duality and modulate it into a perception of him as a tragic hero. The greatness required to qualify for such an upgrade is evident in his brilliant career. As playwright, novelist, poet, journalist, wit, and public personality, he was at least the equal of any contemporary. What we offer here is testimony, suitably inflected for the theater, of the events that turned his comedy to tragedy, plunging him into a purgatory of social humiliation and physical suffering through imprisonment with hard labor, thence to discard him as a spent husk. His resurgence from victim to hero came only posthumously. The small group of friends who welcomed him back to freedom hustled him off to France before society was aware of his release. Oscar Wilde lived on for a few short years, never to recover his career, his money, his place in society, his wife, his children – or, in the end, even the key relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, which was the cause of his downfall. He never set foot in Britain again, wandering, like Oedipus, destitute and dependent until death took him at the age of 46. Only then would the world tolerate his rehabilitation and turn his infamy back into fame. There was a political side to his story. First, Oscar was Irish at a time when the tide of Irish nationalism was gathering strength and home rule becoming one of the bitterest and most divisive issues in the history of British politics. He was in sympathy with his homeland; Lady Wilde, his mother, was a fearless propagandist for the cause of independence. Another issue of lower profile but growing concern was the increasing incidence in society of male homosexuality, frequently involving married men, which eventually provoked parliamentary action. The Criminal Law Amendment Act, signed into law by Queen Victoria in 1885, was originally drafted to protect underage girls from sexual exploitation; however, thanks to a late additional provision, it outlawed “acts of gross indecency” between men.
14
©Ken Howard | The Santa Fe Opera
Oscar was a victim of this law. For all his passionate invocation of the classical Greek ideal as found in the dialogues of Plato, he could not escape a tangle of sexual commerce with working-class youths who readily took the witness stand against him – the man who had just delivered to the London theater the finest comedy in English for a hundred years. It is hard to understand why the state bore down so mercilessly upon the author of The Importance of Being Earnest, a genius who both artistically and socially was its brightest star; why the government’s law officers demanded so rapidly both the trial and the retrial; why the Home Secretary refused every petition for remission of his barbaric jail sentence. Here Oscar’s story moves to another level of classical literature, that of tragedy, in which the gods always prescribe a nemesis to the protagonist in order to engineer his downfall. Oscar’s nemesis took the beautiful form of Lord Alfred Douglas, the young man he fell in love with – according to Oscar the love of his life, crowding out his real but less consuming love for his wife and two sons. Douglas, known to all London as Bosie, was the youngest son of the Marquess of Queensberry, whose eldest son and heir had committed suicide, probably as a result of his father’s fury over his intimate relationship with the Prime Minister, Earl Rosebery. (You couldn’t make this up!) Queensberry was notoriously violent and combative. (He gave his name to the rules of boxing, which are still in use today.) He was certain that Bosie’s relationship with Oscar was also physical, and did everything in his power to break it up. Oscar was not the kind to be intimidated, and Bosie hated his father with such a passion that he constantly goaded Oscar into confrontation with him. Eventually Queensberry accused Oscar in writing of posing as a sodomite – in other words, “prove that you
Branzino Italian Ristorante Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square • Fresh seafood dishes, seasonal pastas and exquisite meat dishes • Rare private outdoor garden dining • Private dining for office parties, baby and bridal showers and weddings accommodating up to 180 people. 261 S. 17th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215.790.0103 E-mail: luanmt@verizon.net www.branzinophilly.com
15
aren’t.” (The penalty for sodomy was life imprisonment.) Bosie blindly pushed Oscar into the trap set by his father. Wilde sued for libel, lost, and was himself arrested on the strength of the evidence produced in justification by Queensberry. It is tempting to speculate that Queensberry issued an ultimatum to the government to “take down Oscar Wilde and I will spare Rosebery.” There is much circumstantial evidence to support this: in fact, Rosebery attempted to resign the morning after Queensberry left his visiting card bearing the historic insult at Wilde’s club. However, he was persuaded by the cabinet to reconsider and stayed in office until one month after Wilde was convicted. Traditionally, a tragic hero must make fateful choices that enable the nemesis to do its work. Wilde certainly resembled Othello who “loved not wisely but too well,” or Macbeth, who allowed a “consort” to lead him into a fatal course of action. He even resembled Faust in submitting to the will of a serial tempter. In the end, his tragedy played out publicly on a stage of his own choosing and, fittingly for Oscar, had much to do with style. He was able to present a conventional self-portrait of a happy, wellestablished family man within an ever-widening social circle of famous people. Yet he chose to pursue, equally publicly, a double life (he called it “feasting with panthers”) with total disregard for appearances. He seemed always confident that he was invulnerable, that he could “get away with it.” Even when on trial, he entertained the court endlessly with his quick-witted ripostes to the prosecution. He defined celebrity for the modern era. His tragic flaw was pride, which prevented him from seeing himself as anything other than a winner. But against Queensberry he lost, and his fame turned to infamy overnight. Wilde’s reputation as a writer has recovered triumphantly in the century since his death, while his example as a warrior for sexual tolerance has achieved heroic status. The opera passes over the miserable limbo between his release from prison and his release from life, except in gratefully setting to music parts of The Ballad of Reading Gaol, his sole masterpiece from this period and one of the greatest narrative poems in the English language. We simply close by leaving it to his old friend Walt Whitman to welcome him to his place amongst the immortals of world literature, where he will always be. Meanwhile we, the beneficiaries of his genius and his pain, must never forget that a hero makes choices, and that it was Oscar Wilde’s choice alone to stand and answer his accusers. Time recedes, taking with it the reckoning of much that was unworthy, while leaving intact the recognition of his deep humanity and his unique understanding of the relationship between truth, art, and life. John Cox is the co-librettist of Oscar and one of the world’s foremost opera directors. Napoleon Sarony. Portrait of Oscar Wilde in New York, 1882.
16
80t h Anniversary Season
ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS PUCCINI
LA BOHÈME CHRISTOPHER MACATSORIS CONDUCTOR DAVID GATELY STAGE DIRECTOR FEBRUARY 7, 10, 12 & 14, 2015 Helen Corning Warden Theater, Philadelphia FEBRUARY 17 & 19, 2015 Centennial Hall, Haverford
JUBILATE!
A CONCERT OF SACRED MUSIC DAVID ANTONY LOFTON MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR
MARCH 6, 2015 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill MARCH 7, 2015 Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr MARCH 8, 2015 The Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
GOUNOD
FAUST CHRISTOPHER MACATSORIS CONDUCTOR TITO CAPOBIANCO STAGE DIRECTOR APRIL 25, 28, 30 & MAY 2, 2015 Helen Corning Warden Theater, Philadelphia MAY 5, 2015 Centennial Hall, Haverford MAY 9, 2015 Central Bucks East, Doylestown
2 1 5 . 7 3 5 . 1 6 8 5 | AVAO P E R A . O R G
Additional Cast ARTISTIC Assistant Director........................... James Daniel Principal Pianist............................. Grant Loehnig Musical Assistant........................... Matthew Brower Supertitle Author............................. Chris Bergen Supertitle 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....................... Sean Gallen Assistant Stage Managers.............. Becki Smith, Sara Prince Wardrobe Supervisor....................... Elisa Murphy Costume Shop Assistant................. Stephen Smith Cutter/Tailor.....................................Althea "Nell" Unrath Cutter/ Drapers................................Kara Morasco First Hands...................................... Patrick Mulhall, Joyanne Rampula, Carl "Andre" Thomas Stitchers.......................................... Suzie Morris Barrett, Kathryn Calhoun Wig & Make-up Assistant............... Amanda Clark Captain of Supernumeraries........... Christopher Latzke
COVERS: OSCAR WILDE, Eric Jurenas LORD ALFRED "BOSIE" DOUGLAS, Issac Lindy SUPERNUMERARIES: Elizabeth Alksne, Jim Conti, Rocco DeFinis, Nate Devarie, Brandon Essig, Christopher Latzke, Mark Allan Liard, Adrian Plascencia, Tim Sheridan, Ryan Tygh The opera Oscar, with music by Theodore Morrison and libretto by John Cox and Theodore Morrison, is presented by kind permission of Abraham Rose & Associates, exclusive administrator of publishing rights. Copyright materials from The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde reprinted by kind permission of Harper Collins Publishers and Merlin Holland. First published in Great Britain in 2000 by Fourth Estate Limited. This collection copyright Š 2000 Merlin Holland Libretto Copyright Š 2012 by G. Schirmer, Inc. (ASCAP), New York, NY Handbell used in Act 2, Scene 2 on generous loan by Schulmerich Bells, est. 1935, Hatfield, PA.
Facilities A Commitment to Safety: The safety and comfort of visitors, artists, volunteers, and staff at the Academy of Music 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 Academy of Music is wheelchair accessible from the east lobby entrance on Broad Street. Seating is available on the Parquet and Balcony levels, with accessible restrooms located on the Canteen level. Assistive listening devices are available for loan. A limited number of ADA-compliant parking spaces are available in the Kimmel Center garage. Coat Check & Restrooms: A complimentary coat check is located on the ground floor of the Academy of Music. Restrooms are located on all levels of the Academy of Music. Food and Beverage: Concessions by Chef Jose Garces and Garces Group are available to Academy of Music and Merriam patrons at satellite bars located in the lobbies and upper levels. Water fountains are located on all levels of the Academy of Music 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 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. 18
THEODORE MORRISON | COMPOSER & CO-LIBRETTIST Theodore Morrison began composing at the age of 42, more than twenty years after he was well established as a conductor specializing in large works for chorus, soloists and orchestra, as well as music for chamber orchestra. Over the past three decades he has composed an epic choral symphony and a number of other large works for voices and orchestra. He has created a substantial body of shorter pieces including an overture for wind ensemble, chamber works for woodwinds and strings, a sonata and a set of variations for organ, several works for chorus and organ, four song cycles, and numerous smaller choral pieces and songs. His music has been performed throughout North America and Europe; and in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, The Santa Fe Opera commissioned Morrison to write his first opera, Oscar, an opera in two acts on the subject of Oscar Wilde's trial and imprisonment. In 2011 Opera Philadelphia joined the project as co-commissioner. Oscar received its World Premiere on July 27, 2013 at The Santa Fe Opera, followed by four additional performances. Opera Philadelphia is pleased to present its East Coast Premiere in five performances. Through his work as a conductor, Morrison gained an intimate understanding of the voice and the orchestra, preparing him to compose for both. He founded the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in 1966 and served as its music director for 16 years. Under his leadership, BCAS became one of the most respected independent choral/orchestral organizations in the United States. He worked principally with three instrumental ensembles: the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which he also guest conducted; the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia (now The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia); and the early music ensemble Pro Musica Rara. Morrison was director of choral music and conductor of the chamber orchestra at Peabody Conservatory of Music of The Johns Hopkins University from 1975-1978, and held a similar post at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts from 1981-1987. As a member of the faculty of The University of Michigan's School of Music from 1987-2005 he served as both director of choirs and director of graduate studies in conducting.
JOHN COX | CO-LIBRETTIST John Cox was born in Bristol in 1935 and educated at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital, Bristol. His university is Oxford, where he is M.A. and an Honorary Fellow of his college, St. Edmund Hall. His professional career in opera began at Glyndebourne in 1959, where he assisted Carl Ebert and Gunther Rennert and was awarded a Countess of Munster scholarship to study opera direction in Germany. The next ten years he divided amongst directing plays, opera, and television, before being appointed Director of Productions at Glyndebourne, a position which he held for ten years. He directed works by Mozart, Rossini and Haydn, a celebrated The Rake's Progress with David Hockney’s designs, and a notable group of Richard Strauss domestic comedies: Ariadne auf Naxos, Capriccio, Intermezzo, Die Schweigsame Frau, Der Rosenkavalier, and Arabella. From 1981-1986 he was at Scottish Opera as General Administrator and Artistic Director, during which time he directed the first UK production of the complete Lulu by Alban Berg. From 1988-1994 he was the principal stage director at the Royal Opera, where his productions included Guillaume Tell, Capriccio, Il viaggio a Reims, Eugene Onegin and, again with Hockney, Die Frau ohne Schatten. As a freelance director he has been active worldwide in houses as large as La Scala and The Metropolitan Opera, and as small as Drottningholm, Sweden and Monte Carlo; in places as far apart as Tehran and Honolulu; in standard repertoire (La traviata in Salzburg) and in rarities (Murder in the Cathedral by Pizzetti in Turin; Vanessa by Barber in Strasbourg and Los Angeles). Recent productions include a revival of The Rake’s Progress for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Così fan tutte for the Royal Academy of Music London; Otello for Houston Grand Opera; Ariadne auf Naxos for both Houston Grand Opera and the Lyric Opera Chicago; Fidelio and Peace in our Time? for Garsington Opera; and Capriccio for Opera Australia. 19
Artists
(Partial Listing)
Elizabeth Braden (Easton, Philadelphia)
Rick Fisher (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
CHORUS MASTER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
2014 2006 2004
Opera Philadelphia debut
The Barber of Seville Margaret Garner The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein
Recent Activities: Director of Music, Wallingford Presbyterian Church; Chorus Master, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Curtis Opera Theatre; Chorus Master, Don Giovanni, Opera Philadelphia William Burden (Miami, Florida) Tenor FRANK HARRIS
(Partial Listing)
2013 2004 1999
Silent Night The Pearlfishers The Abduction from the Seraglio
Recent Activities: Flamand, Capriccio, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Title role, Les contes d’Hoffmann, Seattle Opera; Don Jose, Carmen, Cincinnati Opera Dwayne Croft (Cooperstown, New York) Baritone WALT WHITMAN Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Peter, Hansel and Gretel, Metropolitan Opera; Sharpless, Madama Butterfly, Canadian Opera Company; Roucher, Andrea Chénier, The Metropolitan Opera Seán Curran (New York, New York) CHOREOGRAPHER 2014
Salome
Recent Activities: Dr. Sun Yat Sen, The Santa Fe Opera; Le Rossignon/The Impressario, The Santa Fe Opera; 27, Opera Theatre of St Louis David Daniels (Spartanburg, South Carolina) Countertenor OSCAR WILDE Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Arsace, Partenope, San Francisco Opera; Lichas, Hercules, Canadian Opera Company; Prospero, Enchanted Island, The Metropolitan Opera
20
Recent Activities: Billy Elliot the Musical, Scheveningen, Holland; Sunny Afternoon, Harold Pinter Theatre; Falstaff, Saito Kinen Festival Joseph Gaines (Houston, Texas) Tenor INSPECTOR LITTLECHILD & FIRST PRISON WARDER
2014 2013
Salome The Magic Flute
Recent Activities: Goro, Madama Butterfly, Utah Opera; Basilio, Le nozze di Figaro, Central City Opera; Title role, Candide, The University of Houston Moores School of Music Roy Hage (Beirut, Lebanon) Tenor PRISON CHAPLAIN 2014
Salome
Recent Activities: Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi, Curtis Opera Theatre; Count Vaudemont, Iolanta, Curtis Opera Theatre; Ruggero, La Rondine, Teatro Signorelli Kevin Newbury (Auburn, Maine) DIRECTOR 2014 Salome Recent Activities: Kansas City Choir Boy, Prototype Festival; Anna Bolena, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Euryanthe, Bard Summerscape David Korins (Mansfield, Massachusetts) SET DESIGNER Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Norma, San Francisco Opera; Oscar, The Santa Fe Opera; The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, San Francisco Opera Reed Luplau (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) Dancer LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS (“BOSIE”)
Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Kung Fu, Signature Theatre Company; Transparent Things, Lar Lubovitch Company; Lord Alfred Douglas (“Bosie”), Oscar, The Santa Fe Opera
Artists TOFFER MIHALKA (Mission Viejo, California) Tenor
Thomas Shivone* (Fort Worth, Texas) Bass-baritone
BAILIFF
PRISON INFIRMARY PATIENT #2
2013
Silent Night
Recent Activities: Parpignol, La bohème, Opera Philadelphia; Rodolfo, La bohème, Atlantic Coast Opera; Don Alvaro, La forza del destino , Opera in the Heights Jarrett Ott* (Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania) Baritone PRISON INFIRMARY PATIENT #1 Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Roderick I, A Long Christmas Dinner, American Symphony Orchestra; Alexandre I, Alexandre bis and Sykoš, Comedy on the Bridge, Gotham Chamber Opera; Dandini, La cenerentola, Curtis Opera Theatre
2012 2009
Silent Night Gianni Schicci
Recent Activities: King Rene, Iolanta, Curtis Opera Theatre; Don Magnifico, La cenerentola, Curtis Opera Theatre; Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore, Curtis Opera Theatre Heidi Stober (Waukesha, Wisconsin) Soprano ADA LEVERSON Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Gretel, Hansel and Gretel, The Metropolitan Opera; Pamina, Die Zauberflöte, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Oscar, Un ballo in maschera, San Francisco Opera
Ricardo Rivera (Ronkonkoma, New York) Baritone
Wayne Tigges (Dubuque, Iowa) Bass-baritone
THOMAS MARTIN & HOTEL MANAGERS
JUSTICE SIR ALFRED WILLS AND COLONEL HENRY B. ISAACSON
Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Marcello, La bohème, El Paso Opera; Moralès, Carmen, The Santa Fe Opera; Mathieu, Andrea Chénier, Opera Orchestra of NY Evan Rogister (Raleigh, North Carolina) CONDUCTOR Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Salome, Dallas Opera; A Streetcar Named Desire, Los Angeles Opera; Moby-Dick, Washington National Opera Benjamin Sieverding (Ann Arbor, Michigan) Bass INSPECTOR KEARLEY & SECOND PRISON WARDER Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Soloist, Vesperae solennes de confessore, Ann Arbor Cantata Singers; Zuniga, Carmen, Opera Colorado; Ceprano, Rigoletto, Opera Colorado *Opera Philadelphia Emerging Artist
2014 2014
The Barber of Seville Salome
Recent Activities: Title Role, The Flying Dutchman, Florentine Opera; Joe St. George, Dolores Claiborne, San Francisco Opera; Scarpia, Tosca, Austin Lyric Opera David Woolard (New York, New York) COSTUME DESIGNER Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Everest, Dallas Opera; Ether Dome, La Jolla Playhouse/ Hartford Stage; Oscar, The Santa Fe Opera David Zimmerman (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGN 2014 2014 2013
The Barber of Seville Ainadamar The Magic Flute
Recent Activities: (Partial Listing) Wigs and Makeup for the World Premiere Everest, The Dallas Opera; The Metropolitan Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, and Paris National Opera; Magazine features for Opera News, The New Yorkers, and Vanity Fair 21
looking to the future with managing director annie burridge
Managing Director Annie Burridge can attest to the tremendous growth of Opera Philadelphia in recent seasons. Equipped with degrees in vocal performance, opera, and nonprofit administration, Annie joined the development team of the then-Opera Company of Philadelphia in 2007. In the years since, the company has completed a turnaround effort repositioning Opera Philadelphia as a nationally recognized center of operatic excellence and a valued contributor to the community. Opera Philadelphia’s three-fold mission seeks to set Annie Burridge was appointed new expectations for opera by delivering outstanding Managing Director on February 2, 2015 productions, supporting extraordinary artists, and offering innovative community programs. According to Burridge, “while the mission of Opera Philadelphia has remained essentially unchanged over our 40-year history, we now understand that when we bring together the most dynamic artists in the field to work on a project they are truly passionate about, whether its La bohème or Silent Night, we have the ability to really electrify an audience. Oscar is a perfect example. We have assembled the vanguard of today’s operatic talent–David Daniels, William Burden, Heidi Stober, Kevin Newbury–to perform a stunning new work telling a story that is deeply personal to the entire cast and creative team. The result is thrilling.” An important part of her current role as Managing Director is ensuring that that the company’s programming connects with 21st century consumers. Annie led the company’s recent name change and rebranding efforts, and has also conducted groundbreaking consumer research exploring the matrix of factors influencing today’s entertainment purchasing decisions. “The diverse programming slate currently offered by the company has resulted in a surprisingly broad audience base interested in highly differentiated experiences. While this makes programming and marketing for an opera company in 2015 quite complex, it also means this is an incredibly exciting time for opera itself.” What does the future hold for Opera Philadelphia? “There is no question that the future for opera in Philadelphia is bright,” says Annie. “For evidence you need look no further than Opera on the Mall, which has taken off beyond our wildest expectations with more than 11,000 registrants this season. The company will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our current and future audiences, but our commitment to this transcendent art form that has transfixed audiences for centuries is unwavering.”
s t a e S r u Get Yo how for the S Organ
Series
livera
rO Hecto r Februa
y 12
eries io Jazz S rsch Tr
e Fred H March
21 s al Serie
Classic
sing
os The Cr April 11
eries Jazz S ’Connor’s
Mark O ing Trio Hot Sw 7 April 1
waits Ar ts A f o ld or rg Our W rdens.o oodga : longw
tails and De Tickets 8.1000 610.38
23
opera philadelphia orchestra
Corrado Rovaris, jack mulroney Music Director VIOLIN I Dayna Anderson, Concertmaster Igor Szwec, Assistant Concertmaster Meichen Liao-Barnes Diane Barnett Charles Parker Yan Chin Elizabeth Kaderabek Donna Grantham Erica Miller VIOLIN II Emma Kummrow, Principal Sarah Dubois Paul Reiser Heather Zimmerman Lisa Vaupel Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz Jennifer Lee Blake Espy Madison Marcucci VIOLA Jonathan Kim, Principal Carol Briselli, Assistant Principal Julia DiGaetani Ellen Trainer Elizabeth Jaffe
CELLO Priscilla Lee, Principal Vivian Barton-Dozor, Assistant Principal Dane Anderson Brooke Beazley David Moulton FLUTE Adeline Tomasone, Principal Eileen Grycky Kim Trolier OBOE Evan Ocheret, Principal Dorothy Freeman Steve Labiner CLARINET Joseph A. Smith, Principal Allison Herz BASSOON Norman Spielberg, Principal Michael Pedrazzini Louis Solemi
FRENCH HORN John David Smith, Principal BASS Angela Bilger Miles B. Davis, Principal Karen Schubert James Freeman, Assistant Principal Ryan Stewart Anne Peterson Steve Groat
TRUMPET Brian Kuszyk, Principal Steve Heitzer Frank Ferraro TROMBONE Robert Gale, Principal Edward Cascarella Philip McClelland TUBA Paul Erion, Principal TIMPANI Martha Hitchins, Principal PERCUSSION Ralph Sorrentino, Principal Susan Jones Christopher Hanning HARP Sophie Bruno, Principal PIANO Linda Henderson REED ORGAN Lucas Brown
opera philadelphia chorus SOPRANO Kelly Ann Bixby Veronica Chapman-Smith NoĂŤl Graves-Williams Valerie Haber Rebecca Hoke Aimee Pilgermayer Evelyn Santiago Schulz Rebecca Siler
TENOR Ryan Fleming David Koh A. Edward Maddison Toffer Mihalka DonLeroy Morales Daniel Taylor* Paul Vetrano Steven Williamson*
ALTO Margaret Caldwell-Blanchard Marissa Chalker Joanna Gates Eve Hyzer Katherine Mallon-Day Ellen Peters Kaitlyn Tierney Teresa Washam
BASS Jeffrey Chapman* Chris Hodges Mark Malachesky John David Miles* Frank Mitchell* Robert Phillips* Daniel Schwartz* Timothy Stopper*
*Denotes soloist from the ensemble
Everything Is Going on Brilliantly OSCAR WILDE
and philadelphia january 23 – april 26
Exhibition made possible by a generous gift from Barbara F. Freed in loving memory of Sheldon Tabb
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 Council 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.
26
SUP PO R T T H E 40 T H A N N I V ER SARY S EAS 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 gives me great joy to return for the East Coast Premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, in which I sing the role of Frank Harris. As a performer, I am so thrilled to introduce this powerful work to audiences in Philadelphia. When you support the 40 th Anniversary Season Annual Fund campaign you help support not only the amazing artistic initiatives, such as the American Repertoire Program, but also the award-winning 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 OPERAPHILA.ORG/SUPPORT | 215.732.8400
80TH ANNIVERSARY
BRAVA Philadelphia! FEATURING METROPOLITAN OPERA STARS: Stephen Costello, Nancy Herrera, Angela Meade, Taylor Stayton, James Valenti, and many other AVA alumni with AVA Resident Artists
FRI DAY, MARCH 2 7, 2 0 15 VERIZON HALL AT THE KIMMEL CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
CONCERT TICKETS: 215.893.1999 or kimmelcenter.org
8 0 T H ANNIV ERS ARY Gala Dinner
GRAND BALLROOM AT THE BELLEVUE
5 PM Cocktails | 6 PM Dinner Post-concert Dessert and Dancing to 1 AM FOR GALA DINNER INFORMATION CALL: 215.735.1685
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
Official Automotive Dealership
Official Sponsor of Opera Philadelphia’s Patron program
Brand Communications Partner
Intermission Reception Sponsor
Artist Accommodations 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,
GlaxoSmithKline
Walker and Rhoads, LLP
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, or to join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Council, please contact Derren Mangum, Manager of Institutional Giving, at 215.893.5924 or mangum@operaphila.org.
O P E R A P H I L A D E L P H I A’ S 4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY G A L A F R O M t h e S TA G E T O t h e S TA R S
On Friday, September 12, 2014, Opera Philadelphia held its annual fundraising gala in celebration of its landmark 40th Anniversary Season. The 40th Anniversary Gala took guests From the Stage to the Stars, with a recital by soprano Ailyn Pérez and tenor Stephen Costello that had the evening’s 400 guests seated on the stage of the Academy of Music, followed by dinner under the stars in a tented ballroom on Broad Street. The event, which had a gross income of more than $500,000, supported Opera on the Mall, Opera Philadelphia’s annual free public HD broadcast at Independence Historical National Park. In attendance was American Repertoire Council member David Hyde Pierce and dozens of artists from Opera Philadelphia’s 40 seasons, including Nathan Gunn, William Burden, Angela Brown, David Daniels, Isabel Leonard, and Eric Owens.
Opera Philadelphia would like to thank event chairs Sandra K. Baldino, Denise Creedon, Stephen A. Madva, Esq., and Susan E. Sherman, as well the evening’s Honorary Chairs Lisa and Michael Nutter. We would also like to thank the 40th Anniversary Gala Committee: Nancy Abbott, Eric Allen, Willo Carey, David A. Dubbeldam, Joan Goldstein, Sharon Koppelman, Ellen Berman Lee, Peter Leone, Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., Timothy Moir, Kelley Reilly, Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D., Donna Wechsler, and Nancy Zambelli.
Facing page: (counter-clockwise from top) Tenor Stephen Costello and soprano Ailyn Pérez perform a recital on the Academy of Music stage. Photo by Michael Branscom.
On the dance floor are David B. Devan, Judy Leone, Peter Leone, Ellen Berman Lee, Sandra Baldino, David A. Dubbeldam, bass-baritone Eric Owens and, photobombing in front, soprano Angela Brown. Photo by Michael Branscom
Opera Philadelphia General Director & President David B. Devan (far left) and husband, David A. Dubbeldam (far right) with the 40th Anniversary Gala Co-Chairs: Stephen A. Madva, Esq. and his wife, Denise Creedon, Susan E. Sherman, and Sandra Baldino. Photo by Dominic Mercier.
Sandra Baldino and soprano Ailyn Pérez with American Repertoire Council member David Hyde Pierce.
Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris, David B. Devan, and Opera Philadelphia Chairman Daniel K. Meyer, M.D. celebrate Opera Philadelphia’s 40 wonderful years. Photo by Michael Branscom.
This page: Opera Philadelphia General Director & President David B. Devan and husband David A. Dubbeldam with Honorary Chairs Lisa and Michael Nutter. Photo by Dominic Mercier.
PAT R O N T R AV E L PROGRAM S A N TA F E , N EW M E X ICO J U LY 31–AUG U S T 6 , 2 01 5
Patron Program members are invited to join fellow opera enthusiasts on a curated expedition to the celebrated SA N TA FE OPER A.
This year we are teaming up with our friends at the Curtis Institute of Music for a trip will include the World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s
Cold Mountain, performances of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Donizetti’s Daughter of the Regiment, as well
as private excursions, tours, and parties celebrating Santa Fe’s cultural treasures and distinctive landscape.
Guests may extend their trip to August 8 and experience two additional Santa Fe Opera productions: Salome on August 6 and La Finta Giardiniera on August 7. Prices begin at $3,999 per person based on double occupancy, not including airfare.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT operaphila.org/santafe or contact Bethany Steel at 215.893.5907 or steel@operaphila.org.
Next season... Opera Philadelphia’s 2015-2016 Season will take you on a remarkable journey through the art form’s rich past and into the exciting future of opera! It is a season of five exceptional productions, spread across three of Philadelphia’s finest venues, and features the highlyanticipated East Coast Premiere of Cold Mountain, the first opera by Philadelphia-based, Pulitzer Prize-
winning composer Jennifer Higdon and librettist Gene Scheer. Coming to the Academy of Music in February 2015, the opera stars American Repertoire Council Director Nathan Gunn as W.P. Inman, the Confederate soldier who deserts the army to embark on an odyssey home to his beloved Ada Monroe (Isabel Leonard).
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard
Baritone Nathan Gunn
S U B S C R I P T I O N S AVA I L A B L E F E B . 1 7 OPERAPHILA.ORG | 215.732.8400
43
I N R E C I TA L
ERIC OWENS AND MORRIS ROBINSON T H U R S D AY, M A R C H 2 6 | C E N T R A L H I G H S C H O O L Philadelphia-born bass-baritone Eric Owens and bass Morris Robinson have wowed audiences in opera houses all over the world. The two friends, who will share the stage of the Academy of Music this spring in a new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo, are often mistaken for one another. “I am so excited to share the stage with Morris so that we can put to rest the notion that we are one and the same person,” jokes Owens. “I’ve always wanted to do a joint recital together where I introduce myself as Eric, and Eric says he’s Morris, just to have fun with it,” adds Robinson.
Bass-baritone Eric Owens
What started as an in-joke has now become a reality, as the two stars will be joined by collaborative pianist Laura Ward for an evening of art song, opera arias, and spirituals at Philadelphia’s Central High School. Called “one of the greatest bass-baritones in the world” by Bloomberg News, Owens graduated from Central High School and studied at Settlement Music School, Temple University, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Tickets are just $10 for adults and FREE for youth ages 18 and under.
Bass Morris Robinson
TICKETS ON SALE NOW OPERAPHILA.ORG/ERICANDMORRIS | 215.732.8400
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
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 Lucy Clemens Director of Audience Services 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 and Patron Services Rachel McCausland Manager, Leadership and Legacy 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 Maureen McHale Senior Accountant Counsel Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP General Counsel
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Thomas Rhodes Director of Institutional Giving Derren Mangum Manager of Institutional Giving
45
U P NEXT AT
VERDI
DON CARLO FAMILY TIES DON’T ALWAYS BIND
A P R I L 2 4 - M AY 3 , 2 0 1 5 | A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C Sometimes it’s peace, not war, which tests a man’s loyalty. Elizabeth, the centerpiece of an uneasy treaty between France and Spain, ignites a love triangle of epic proportions. While brokered to King Philip II of Spain, it is his son Don Carlo who possesses her heart. Now they must choose: loyalty or their lives? World-renowned bass-baritone and native Philadelphian Eric Owens, who made his Opera Philadelphia debut in 1994 and also sang the role of the Friar in a 2004 production of Don Carlo, comes home to make his much-anticipated role debut as the tyrannical and despondent King Philip II. “I am so excited to come back home to Philadelphia to make my role debut as King Philip,” said Owens. “When I get a chance to sing Verdi it seems like a homecoming for my voice. To do this role that I have wanted to do for so long, here at home, it’s just the perfect match.” Owens shares the stage with a powerhouse cast featuring three important company debuts: tenor Dimitri Pittas as Don
Carlo; soprano Leah Crocetto as Elizabeth; and mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Princess Eboli. They are joined by a number of returning favorites: baritone Troy Cook (La bohème, Silent Night) as Rodrigo; bass Morris Robinson (Nabucco) as the Grand Inquisitor; soprano Ashley Emerson (Powder Her Face) as Tebaldo; soprano Sarah Shafer (Ainadamar) as The Celestial Voice; and bass Jeremy Milner (La bohème) as the Friar. Tim Albery directs this new co-production with Washington National Opera and Minnesota Opera, with Corrado Rovaris conducting the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW 46
OPERAPHILA.ORG | 215.893.1018
ANNIVERSARY Dwayne Croft David Daniels Michelle DeYoung
Eric Owens Dimitri Pittas Heidi Stober
World Premiere
Angela Brown Lawrence Brownlee William Burden
CHARLIE PA R K E R ’ S YA R D B I R D
TH
DON CARLO
C U R T I S O P E R A T H E AT R E
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
S TA RRI N G
40
O R D E R Y O U R T I C K E T S T O D AY OPERAPHILA.ORG | 215.893.1018
47
FLĂ‚NEUR FOREVER
The Plaza at King of Prussia (610) 992-9730 Hermes.com