PLﾃ，IDO DOMINGO ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER KOELSCH PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Gianni Schicchi/ Pagliacci SEPTEMBER 2015
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CONTENTS 10 A NOTE FROM PLÁCIDO DOMINGO Eli and Edythe Broad General Director 14 UNDERWRITER RECOGNITION CIRCUMSTANCES 18 EXTENUATING LA Opera’s double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci shows sympathy for two very different scoundrels. COMMUNITY 25 INT heTHE annual summer Opera Camp makes
an impact. LA OPERA STORY, PART 1: THE 26 THE STAGING OF AN OPERA COMPANY
A Opera’s inaugural season was an overnight L triumph decades in the making. 30TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON 4 5 CELEBRATION
arc and Eva Stern host a launch party for M LA Opera’s landmark season. IN THE SPOTLIGHT: 5 0 JAY HUNTER MORRIS
he tenor is poised to return as Captain Ahab T in the upcoming Moby-Dick. Clockwise from top left: Greg Fedderly as Beppe in the 2005 production of Pagliacci; Maria Ewing in the title role of Salome in 1986 (see page 26); a scene from Gianni Schicchi.
4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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G A L ER I E M I C H A EL PR E S EN T S
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Eric and Nicole Weider with The Recall of the Gleaners, Ar tois, by Jules Breton (French, 1827-1906). Oil on canvas. 35½ x 57 inches.
Eric Weider is the president of Weider Health and Fitness, a leading global spor ts nutrition supplement company. He is also a trusted steward of his family legacy of the largest publisher of history magazines in the United States and one of the finest, most impor tant nineteenth century ar t collections in the country. His father, Ben, taught him to respect the dignity of work, of which he has found beauty and meaning in the dignity of the peasants toiling in the fields in paintings of the French masters. Eric and Nicole thank Galerie Michael for their guidance, help and exper t advice in the curating and acquisition of paintings for their nineteenth century collection. Galerie Michael has curated museum-quality collections for over 35 years for corporations and businesses. Ser vices include : • Incorporating f ine ar t in long-term f inancial planning • Enhancing corporate image and business environments • Exper t curatorial and scholarly research • Specialized archival framing and conser vation • Fine ar t design and lighting to enhance the appeal of the installation
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SUBSCRIBER RECOGNITION
30-Year Subscribers Barbara Abercrombie Dr. Abdelmonem and Marianne Afifi Patti and Harlan Amstutz Lisa E. Andersen Patrick Anderson and Lester Olson Dr. and Mrs. George Andros Ms. Miryam Bachrach Moshe Barkat and Evelina Haroutunian Margaret and David Barry John R. Benfield, MD Jeffrey and Susan Berman Toni Bird Bonnie Brae Jacqueline Brandwynne Maynard and Linda Brittan Dr. Alisa Cone Camberlan Richard and Norma Camp Howard and Linda Cantwell Elliot Carrion Evelyn and Stephen Cederbaum Damon Chun Janet and Nicholas Ciriello Edward E. and Alicia Garcia Clark Shirley C. Cohen Howard and Rhoda Coleman Marilyn and Don Conlan Corinna Cotsen Alice and Joe Coulombe David and Anne Covell Myron and Margie Crain Felice and Richard Cutler Drs. Nazareth and Ani Darakjian Elias Davis Dr. and Mrs. Donald E. Dickerson Jennifer and Royce Diener Ronald H. Dolkart Leslie and John Dorman Drs. Helen and Gary Dosik Dr. Adrian and Mrs. Esme Douglas Betty and Brack Duker Gisela Eckhardt W. Allan Edmiston, Jr., M.D. Gerald Elijah Bob and Betty Emirhanian Carol Epstein Mrs. Paul A. Erskine Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Fauble
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Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Seidel Dr. Donald A. Seligman and Dr. Jon E. Zimmerman Dr. Bertrand and Joan Shapiro Mrs. Charles S. Shapley Estelle Shephard Kathleen Komar and Ross Shideler Jack Shine Molly and Dick Siefert Dr. Stuart E. Siegel Margy and David Sievers Eric Small Mrs. Gerald Snipes Terry and Dennis Stanfill Philip Starr and Michael Simental Charles M. and Terri Jo Stern Mrs. Leonard Straus Amanda Susskind Alice Suzuki Eleanor Tomkiewicz-Gnup Brigitta B. Troy and Alden Lawrence Margaret S. Vernallis Magda Waingrow Christopher V. Walker Tana M. Warren Ann Waterman and Robert Dickey Richard Wayne Jean Weishaar Edna Weiss Mary R. Weissmann Mr. and Mrs. David Wheatley Doris Weitz and Alexander Williams Charles and Brenda Wilson Stephen Yenser Dr and Mrs. Murray F. Zane Esther and Abe Zarem Michael R. Zevin Marilyn Ziering
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
LA Opera salutes the extraordinary commitment of those opera lovers who were in the audience during our inaugural season and who continue to subscribe today. They are an important part of the LA Opera family and we thank them for being with us for 30 years of exceptional opera.
2003 Denyce Graves and Paul Groves in The Damnation of Faust
8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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SEASON OPENS
SEPTEMBER 12
PLﾃ，IDO DOMINGO stars in and conducts a double feature by
WOODY ALLEN and FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI
by GIACOMO PUCCINI / RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
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A NOTE FROM PLÁCIDO DOMINGO
Welcome to LA Opera PHOTO BY GREG GORMAN FOR LA OPERA
Dear Friends, Welcome to LA Opera’s 30th Anniversary Season! I am thrilled that you have joined our celebration as we launch this milestone season. This opening production celebrates our long tradition of collaborating with Hollywood’s greatest creative minds. Our company resides in the heart of film culture and its influence has been part of our productions since the beginning. This opening show is the latest example. When we first presented Woody Allen’s staging of Gianni Schicchi seven years ago, I had no idea that I’d be singing the title role for its first revival. I’m very excited about this role debut and thrilled to be surrounded by a cast that includes a number of returning favorites, including Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Greg Fedderly and Stacey Tappan (to mention just a few!) and to have LA Opera’s masterful Resident Conductor, Grant Gershon, presiding in the orchestra pit. I also welcome two talented newcomers, Andriana Chuchman and Meredith Arwady, making their LA Opera debuts as Lauretta and Zita, respectively.
After the intermission, I’ll move to the podium to conduct Pagliacci, one of LA Opera’s landmark productions. Franco Zeffirelli’s epic production returns to our stage with a wonderful new cast. My dear friend and colleague Ana Maria Martinez is Nedda, the first of two leading roles she will perform in Los Angeles this season; she will be back with us in the spring in Madame Butterfly. Marco Berti, who made his 2004 company debut opposite Ms. Martinez in La Bohème, will sing the role of Canio in the first five performances, with Yusif Eyvazov making his LA debut as Canio on October 3. The cast also features George Gagnidze as Tonio, his first appearance here since his memorable Rigoletto in 2010, as well as Liam Bonner as Silvio. Our 30th Anniversary Season promises to be an especially outstanding one. Our upcoming productions, particularly Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Universal Pictures’ 1931 film classic, Dracula (composed by Philip Glass, which he performs live with Kronos Quartet), continue to embody this marriage of film and opera that uniquely reflects LA Opera’s vision and role in Los Angeles. I am profoundly grateful to several of LA Opera’s most dedicated and generous leaders, who have made this double bill possible: the Milan Panic Family, Eva and Marc Stern, Barbara Augusta Teichert, and Joyce and Aubrey Chernick. I would also like to extend my appreciation to Selim Zilkha, who has underwritten this season’s Opera Ball in honor of Mary Hayley, who celebrates her tenth year as chair of LA Opera’s opening night. These extraordinary supporters hold a special place in LA Opera’s history. They are leading the way for the next 30 years of artistic excellence on our stage and I thank them for their remarkable generosity. My friends and colleagues, James Conlon, music director and Christopher Koelsch, president and chief executive officer join me in extending our appreciation to the Los Angeles Music Center and to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for their longtime support. We extend our deepest thanks, finally, to our incredible board of directors, especially our tireless board chairman, Marc Stern. His wisdom and leadership are essential to our artistic success. LA Opera’s 2015/16 landmark season would simply be unimaginable without him. I hope that you will enjoy our many wonderful performances to come! Sincerely,
PLÁCIDO DOMINGO ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR
10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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LA OPERA
LA OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marc Stern* CHAIRMAN
Carol F. Henry* CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bernard A. Greenberg*
Warner W. Henry*
Sebastian Paul Musco*
Milan Panic*
Marilyn Ziering*
VICE CHAIRMEN
Robert Ronus* TREASURER
Marvin S. Shapiro* SECRETARY
Plácido Domingo* Leslie A. Dorman* Geoff Emery Don Erik Franzen Michael A. Friedman, M.D. Alexander Furlotti Craig Garner Gordon P. Getty** Ruth R. Gold Brindell Roberts Gottlieb Thomas Gottschalk Diane Gray Monica Gutierrez-Roper Hany Haddad Mary Hayley* Catherine H. Helm Judge Judith O. Hollinger Mrs. John F. Hotchkis Tim C. Johnson
Geraldine Alden, Ph.D. Marvin Antonowsky‡ James R. Asperger Haig S. Bagerdjian Jill C. Baldauf David N. Barry Beatrice Bennett Adele Binder Paul Bloch Alex K. Bouzari* Iman Brivanlou Dr. Carol E. Cass Marlene Chavez, Ph.D. Joyce Chernick James Conlon† Robert Cook Mark H. Dalzell Mari L. Danihel
Richard Jones Dr. Harold L. Karpman Lawrence A. Kern* Christopher Koelsch†* Thomas F. Kranz Edward A. Landry Claude Mann Bryan Moeller Carlos A. Mollura Dr. Steven Nagelberg Leslie A. Pam, Ph.D. Linda Pascotto Ceil Pulitzer** Harold B. Ray* Barry A. Sanders* E. Randol Schoenberg R. Carlton Seaver* Lisa See Joan Seidel
Dr. Chester Semel Marilyn Shapiro Susan Shapiro Eric L. Small James Thurmond Smithgall Eugene P. Stein* Mrs. Dorothy B. Straus Dr. James H. Strauss Barbara Augusta Teichert Sandra W. Terner Paul D. Tosetti* Brigitta B. Troy Geoffrey P. Wharton Alyce Williamson Zev Yaroslavsky Ellen Zetcher Ann Ziff
LIFE TRUSTEES Robert V. Adams‡ Ambassador Frank E. Baxter* Nicholas G. Ciriello
Alicia Garcia Clark Alice Steere Coulombe Edgar Foster Daniels David K. Ingalls
Sherry Lansing Mrs. Joseph A. Saunders Mrs. Dennis Stanfill Michael L. Tenzer
Richard E. Troop Dr. A.M. Zarem
PRESIDENTS / CHAIRMEN OF LA OPERA SINCE ITS INCEPTION Stephen D. Gavin John A. McCone Lawrence Deutsch
* Executive Committee member
Bernard I. Forester Kyhl Smeby Edward W. Carter Thomas Wachtell ** Honorary
† Ex Officio
Roy L. Ash Bernard A. Greenberg Richard Seaver Leonard I. Green
Marc Stern Frank E. Baxter Carol F. Henry
‡ In Memoriam
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 11
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LA OPERA FOUNDERS AND DONORS
LA Opera’s Founding Board Members and Donors
FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS John E. Anderson Thomas G. Armstrong Roy L. Ash* Jon Avnet Robert Bookman Edward W. Carter Nicholas G. Ciriello*† Mrs. Richard D. Colburn* Pierre Cossette Mrs. Lloyd E. Cotsen* Mrs. Joseph H. Coulombe*† Robert J. Feder, M.D. Mrs. William R. Forman* Don Erik Franzen*† Stephen D. Gavin Herbert M. Gelfand* Jonathan Goodson Leonard I. Green* Bernard A. Greenberg*† Warner Heineman* Mrs. Warner W. Henry*† David K. Ingalls*† Mrs. Dwight M. Kendall* Norman H. Lee* John A. McCone* James P. Miscoll Carl V. Princi Mrs. Simon Ramo Sol R. Rubin Mrs. Joseph A. Saunders*† Richard C. Seaver* Mrs. Dennis A. Stanfill*† Robert P. Strub Joseph F. Troy* Thomas Wachtell Mrs. Harry H. Wetzel Lorin H. Wilson* Dr. A. M. Zarem*† Morris E. Zukerman
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
LA Opera wishes to recognize and thank the visionary board members and donors who had the faith and courage 30 years ago to establish a new opera company in Los Angeles. We are grateful for their extraordinary leadership and unwavering support. Many of these individuals and their families attend and enjoy LA Opera’s performances to this day. They continue to strengthen the company’s foundation through annual and legacy gifts. We are fortunate to benefit from the tremendous generosity and guidance of these pioneers, many of whom still serve on the board of directors today. Their passion for opera has inspired new generations of supporters to join them in building an international organization with the leadership, talent and flair to produce unforgettable opera experiences for the people of Los Angeles.
FOUNDING DONORS Music Center Unified Fund* Los Angeles Music Center Opera League The Forman Family Fund* Tara Colburn* Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Getty*† The James Irvine Foundation* Martha and Thomas G. Armstrong Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. Ash* Mrs. Willard E. Brown* Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Carter Janet and Nicholas G. Ciriello*† Richard Colburn* Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Cotsen* Mr. and Mrs. Leonard I. Green* Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg*† Carol and Warner Henry*† Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ingalls*† Mr. and Mrs. Dwight M. Kendall* Mr. and Mrs. Norman H. Lee* City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department* The Milken Family* The Esper A. Petersen Foundation*† Mrs. Thomas Pew Dr. and Mrs. Simon Ramo Neddy and Sol R. Rubin Santa Anita Foundation Mr. Richard C. Seaver* The Sheraton Grande Hotel Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Stanfill*† Morgan Stanley & Co. The Flora L. Thornton Foundation* Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Wetzel * current and legacy supporters † represented on the board of directors today The board list (above left) appeared in the program for the LA Opera’s first production: Otello, which opened on October 7, 1986. The founding donor list is from the program for the inaugural season’s final production: Porgy and Bess, which opened on February 19, 1987.
2014 Anthony Dean Griffey and Renée Fleming in A Streetcar Named Desire
12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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O C T O B E R
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LA Opera’s productions from the Italian repertoire are made possible in part by an extraordinary leadership gift in memory of
Luciano Pavarotti and in honor of his remarkable contributions to the world of opera. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 13
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PHOTOS BY STEVE COHN PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO BY STEVE COHN PHOTOGRAPHY
UNDERWRITER RECOGNITION
The Milan Panic Family
Joyce and Aubrey Chernick
Barbara Augusta Teichert
The double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci will mark the 13th seasonopening production supported by the Milan Panic Family. Beginning with The Girl of the Golden West in 2002, these sponsorships have include company premiere productions of La Damnation de Faust, Eugene Onegin and The Two Foscari and the world premiere production of Il Postino. One of LA Opera’s most devoted supporters, Mr. Panic was elected to the board of directors in 2002, currently serves as vice chairman, and has been an instrumental supporter of the company as a generous contributor to the Domingo’s Angels and all subsequent Angels campaigns. In addition to his committed support of LA Opera and many other performing arts organizations, including Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Mr. Panic has supported museums, universities and research programs, as well as international relief organizations for humanitarian aid. An entrepreneur, statesman, global businessman and Olympic competitor in cycling, he is the founder and CEO of MP Biomedicals LLC and the former chairman, president and CEO of ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. A native of Belgrade, he financed the inoculation of more than 200,000 children in Kosovo and helped his native land regain its sense of national pride when he received special permission from President George H. W. Bush to serve as prime minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993. LA Opera extends its deepest gratitude to Milan Panic for many years of committed leadership, as well as his ardent generosity, which has long been vital to the company’s continued growth and success.
LA Opera is indebted to Joyce and Aubrey Chernick for their generosity, which has helped to return these iconic productions of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci to LA Opera’s stage. They have been supporters and patrons of LA Opera for more than two decades, and have cultivated a deep knowledge and love of the art form. A lifelong resident, dedicated to the arts in Los Angeles, Mrs. Chernick joined the LA Opera board of directors in 2011. The Chernicks generously contributed to the recent opening night gala celebrations for La Traviata, Carmen, The Two Foscari and Eugene Onegin. Together, they are enthusiastic philanthropists, helping to make Los Angeles a vibrant and thriving community and helping those in need everywhere. Joyce Chernick is a supporter of numerous other music and arts organizations in Los Angeles, including the Heidi Duckler Dance Theater, LACMA and the international youth orchestra iPalpiti. She is also a longtime member of The Blue Ribbon, the premier women’s support organization of The Music Center. Founder, chairman and CEO of Candle Corp., Aubrey Chernick has shared his company’s success by forming the Candle Foundation, which supports a variety of charities dedicated to community investment, education, hunger and homelessness, preventive healthcare and medical research. The Chernicks’ support for LA Opera is a testament to their commitment to the arts and to elevating Los Angeles as one of the world’s premier cultural destinations for opera. LA Opera extends its gratitude to the Chernicks for more than two decades of enthusiastic involvement and for their underwriting support of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci.
Barbara Augusta Teichert continues a ten-year tradition of production or special concert sponsorship at LA Opera with her generous gift in support of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci. An LA Opera board member since 2009, her instrumental contributions to the company include support for last season’s opening production of La Traviata, as well as Thaïs, The Two Foscari, Simon Boccanegra, Il Postino, Tamerlano, Die Walküre, the Verdi Requiem, Luisa Fernanda and the 2008 gala celebrating Plácido Domingo’s 40th anniversary in Los Angeles. Ms. Teichert also supported the 2006 refurbishment of La Traviata, starring Renée Fleming, for its filming and worldwide release on DVD. Her generosity to the company includes membership in LA Opera’s 20th Anniversary Angels leadership giving program. A resident of Pennsylvania, Ms. Teichert shares her love of opera through her philanthropic efforts towards many American opera companies. For the Metropolitan Opera, she has provided support for the world premiere of The First Emperor, Iphigénie en Tauride and Simon Boccanegra. She served on the board of Washington National Opera for nine years and provided full or partial underwriting for a dozen productions there over a decade. Most recently, she has underwritten Opera Philadelphia’s productions of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night and Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar. LA Opera is honored to be the recipient of Barbara Teichert’s unwavering leadership and generosity, and commends her for a lifelong devotion to the art form and support for opera companies on both coasts.
14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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OPERA BALL UNDERWRITERS
This season-opening production is made possible by the generous support of Eva and Marc Stern, whose friendship with Woody Allen was instrumental in bringing him to LA Opera to direct Gianni Schicchi. They have championed more than 15 ambitious projects including the Ring cycle, Roméo et Juliette, Il Trittico and the DVD releases of La Traviata and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. Chairman of the board since 2002, Mr. Stern was a driving force in bringing Renée Fleming to L.A. for A Streetcar Named Desire. In recognition of their extraordinary longtime involvement, the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was named in their honor in 2010. Marc Stern is chairman of The TCW Group Inc., and serves as a director of Qualcomm, Inc. He was elected to the board of directors in 1992, and also serves on the boards of the Music Center, the Metropolitan Opera, PBS SoCal and the California Institute of Technology, and he is the chairman of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles. He is a minority owner of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Eva Stern is a clinical social worker and philanthropist, supporting Southern California youth through the combination of education and the arts. A board member of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools since 2006, she also serves on the President’s Council at CSULA, on the board of The Blue Ribbon, and is an advisory board member and past chair of InsideOUT Writers. In 2006, she and her husband helped establish the Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School, an Alliance public charter high school. With deepest gratitude, LA Opera acknowledges Mr. and Mrs. Stern for decades of committed leadership and extraordinary generosity.
Mary Hayley and Selim Zilkha LA Opera is grateful for extraordinary underwriting for the 30th Anniversary Opera Ball, graciously provided by Selim Zilkha in honor of Mary Hayley. Ms. Hayley has been a member of LA Opera’s board of directors since 1993, and serves as chair of the 30th Anniversary Opera Ball. As chair of the Special Events Committee, she has overseen many of the company’s most successful opening night galas. Mary Hayley and Selim Zilkha have been closely involved with LA Opera since its earliest seasons. As members of the Domingo’s Angels and all subsequent Angels campaigns, the couple have been among the company’s most generous and committed supporters. The founder of a successful wind power development company and a champion of environmental sustainability, Selim Zilkha is the owner of the Laetitia Estate Vineyards. Since 2003, Laetitia Vineyard & Winery provides wine for galas, parties and many other special events each season as the Official Still Wine of LA Opera. Mr. Zilkha is a member of the board of overseers of USC’s Keck School of Medicine, where he established the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute and the Mary Hayley and Selim Zilkha Chair for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. Through their generous philanthropy, ZNI brings together researchers of diverse disciplines to identify new approaches that examine nervous system function to better understand the underlying causes of neurological and psychiatric disorders. LA Opera is deeply proud of these most dedicated members of the family, and grateful for their collaboration and leadership.
On June 22, three new members were elected to LA Opera’s board of directors: the chairman of the Metropolitan Opera, Ann Ziff; the former president Ann Ziff and CEO of City of Hope, Michael A. Friedman, MD; and the managing director of TCW’s Income Equities group, Iman Brivanlou, PhD. “Ann is a dear friend, an inspiring Michael A. Friedman, MD philanthropist and a tireless supporter of the arts,” said Marc Stern, the chairman of LA Opera’s board of directors. “I have extremely high hopes for the benefits that will accrue from a closer relaIman Brivanlou, PhD tionship between our company and the leader of Metropolitan Opera. Dr. Friedman is equally philanthropic; he successfully led a billion-dollar campaign to support City of Hope’s initiatives. His leadership and accomplishments in the area of medicine are outstanding. I am fortunate to have worked closely with Iman for many years at TCW, where his leadership abilities and creativity have proven to be tremendous assets, and where we quickly bonded in our deep passion for opera. These additions reinforce the fact that LA Opera continues to expand our reach and influence, both nationally and locally. I couldn’t be happier.”
Photo by Bill King
Eva and Marc Stern
NEWS AND PREVIEWS
New Board Members
PHOTO BY JOHN SOLANO PHOTOGRAPHY
UNDERWRITER RECOGNITION
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EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES Making the Case for Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci BY LEANN DAVIS ALSPAUGH Just how much can one man take? Imagine having to don a clown costume while the woman you love poses as a virgin even while she’s having an affair with a local villager. Or how about using nothing but your wits to save a family from losing its legacy—only to be cast into hell? Where is the gratitude? The understanding? Given the extenuating circumstances, can’t we all learn a little about forgiveness? Or so we might argue when confronted with a double bill of Giacomo Puccini’s
Gianni Schicchi and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. While there is precious little of the milk of human kindness in these two short operas, there is more than a satisfying measure of verismo, musical vitality and astute psychology. Although Pagliacci is typically paired with Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, staging it with Puccini’s roguish romp has the effect of reconciling two composers whose real-life squabbles (Leoncavallo accused Puccini of stealing his idea for
La Bohème) are smoothed over in a sort of posthumous benediction. But we get ahead of ourselves.
Heartache and Heroics Tragedy and comedy, as everyone knows, are two sides of the same coin. At the opening of each of the two halves of Pagliacci, Leoncavallo employs a lively, chattering melody line as a motif for the play’s spectators, while behind the continued on pg. 20
Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci • September 12, 17, 20, 24, 27, October 3
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SCHICCHI/PAGLIACCI continued from pg. 18 threatened the social and political order. By the time that Forzano was writing the opera libretto in the 20th century, xenophobia and class warfare had been largely replaced by nostalgia for the Renaissance and pride in a reunified Italy. When Rinuccio sings “Firenze è come un albero fiorito” (“A tree blooms in Florence”), we hear a call to civic pride and inclusiveness that also serves as a mild rebuke to the great poet’s narrow-mindedness. Crime and retribution in Pagliacci are tempered with none of these literary continued on pg. 22 ILLUSTRATION BY GUSTAVE DORÉ
Eighth Circle of Hell, the place of falsifiers curtain the clowns are obsessed with illicit and forgers. (See sidebar). love and deadly revenge. Puccini’s expan Schicchi is only one among many in sive and lyrical themes in Gianni Schicchi this colorful, if horrific, scene. “The serve perfectly for the idealistic lovers Aretine” is one Griffolino da Arezzo (d. Rinuccio and Lauretta, but when used as c.1272), a notorious sort who preyed on underpinning for the scheming Donati the weak and was burned as an alchemist. clan, the effect is quite different. Capocchio, whom Dante may have Almost none of the characters in known as a student, was another these two pieces escapes what alchemist burned at Siena in opera scholar Peter Conrad calls 1293. While the alchemists’ “a pathology of desire.” As if crime of falsifying precious subject to forces larger than metals was serious, it was themselves, these characters not as egregious as those invariably display the darker who impersonated and side of human nature. Yet, gave false witness. for a brief moment, many Among the latter is are portrayed as sympathetBY THE NUMBERS Myrrha, a beautiful young ic, even heroic. For example, The actor portraying the princess from Ovid’s Leoncavallo’s Canio, corpse of Buoso Donati in Metamorphoses, who was inspired by a newspaper Gianni Schicchi is motionless condemned for tricking story of a lovers’ quarrel, is and visible onstage for her father, King Cinyras of that familiar character, the 52 solid minutes. Cyprus, into sleeping with common man transformed her. (According to Greek into the tragic hero—a mythology, Myrrha is so theme that is at once egalishamed by her deception that she begs tarian, expressive and modernist. the gods to release her. She is turned into Puccini and his librettist Giovacchino a myrrh tree and under her bark grows a Forzano likewise offer us a brief glimpse child who becomes the legendary of Gianni Schicchi as a hero. Scorned by Adonis.) The bestial Gianni Schicchi, the patrician Donatis, Schicchi gracefully another contemporary of Dante’s, ended overlooks the family’s bad manners and up in a pit full of vipers for having conagrees to aid them. (His daughter spired with Simone Donati to cheat Buoso Lauretta’s heart-melting aria “O mio babDonati out of his property. bino caro” helps.) His devious brain Buoso Donati himself makes an appearenables him to trick the Donatis and ance earlier in Canto XXV in The Divine enmesh them in a scheme from which Comedy, condemned for dishonesty in they can’t extricate themselves without public office and forced to suffer being bitdire results. Further, Schicchi, the peasant, ten by a serpent, a lesser punishment fools both a learned doctor and a trusted accorded to a mere thief. Dante knew the notary. Underclass hero though he may Donati family well, having been betrothed be, Schicchi pushes his luck too far and is to Gemma Donati when he was 12. The dispatched to hell before he can enjoy Donati family dominated the Black Guelph Buoso Donati’s fine villa, his lucrative mills party that ruled Florence in the 13th century, and “the best mule in Tuscany.” a faction instrumental in sending Dante, who was allied with the White Guelphs, into Crime and Punishment exile in 1302. In addition to his resentment Pagliacci is fueled by the crime of passion over being sent away from Florence, Dante while Gianni Schicchi is powered by the also exhibited in his work contempt for the sin of greed. Pagliacci’s origins were of peasants who had begun arriving in great the most mundane sort, but Gianni numbers in Florence during the late 1200s. Schicchi sprang from a more literary By condemning Schicchi who victimized his source, one that also had roots in real life. wife’s family, Dante also avenged himself In Canto XXX of The Divine Comedy, on the immigrants who, as he saw it, Dante and his guide Virgil arrive at the
Dante’s Inferno (excerpt)
Translation by James Finn Cotter As the two shadows I saw, stripped and pallid, Biting and running in the selfsame way A hog behaves when let out of the sty. One came straight at Capocchio and sank His tusks into his scruff and, dragging him, Scraped his stomach against the stony floor. And the one left behind, the Aretine, Shivering said, “That ghoul is Gianni Schicchi, And he goes rabid, like that, mauling others.” “Oh,” I said to him, “so may the other shade Never sink teeth in you, kindly tell me Who that one is before it rushes off.” And he told me, “That is the ancient spirit Of Myrrha, the debased soul, who became, Outside of rightful love, her father’s friend. “In this fashion she came to sin with him, Pretending that her body was someone else’s, Just as the other ghoul who runs off there, “That he might win the lady of the herd, Disguised himself as Buoso Donati, Writing a will to make the whole sham legal.”
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IN MEMORIAM
Canio, on the other hand, never completely loses himself in the character of Pagliaccio. As the opera progresses, his distress, underscored by the music, becomes palpable and increasingly impossible to reconcile with the role of the clown. Finally, his willingness to display his true, volatile nature means that he knowingly exposes himself as a murderer—a sort of foolish courage. Canio’s characterDouble Trouble ization reinforced by the In fact, Canio serves as a play-within-a-play device sort of moral barometer THE STAR TREATMENT gives the opera its emofor the opera. Although Sue, the Pagliacci donkey, is tional impact. As opera the tragic clown—smiling a seasoned stage and screen commentator Michele on the outside, crying on performer who travels with Girardi explains: the inside—is the stuff of her handler from her home “Leoncavallo’s undeniable endless parody, we can’t originality lies in the way he help but sympathize with base in Lake Hughes. was able to combine news Canio’s valiant attempts item and play in a tragedy to go on with the show of unusually disturbing violence by making in spite of the devastating realization ‘stage’ and ‘life’ identical.” Leoncavallo that Nedda is unfaithful. “Vesti la giubba somehow manages to convince us that e la faccia infarina,” laments Canio, “put Canio is a man of integrity even while we on the costume and make up your face.” recognize that he is also a murderer. In his naivete, he denied his suspicions Gianni Schicchi, who is described as a about his wife and lashed out at Tonio. mime, is one of opera’s rarities: truth in We might feel a fleeting sympathy for advertising. Speaking as Buoso Donati, Tonio were it not for the fact that he is a clad in the dead man’s nightcap and lying scheming troublemaker. From his first on sheets still creased from the corpse, appearance—“I am the Prologue”—Tonio Schicchi is never anything other than seems mysterious and intriguing, but he himself. Even when he pompously soon proves duplicitous and manipularevokes all of Buoso’s previous wills—in tive. A man who claims to be a literary device cannot be trusted. continued on pg. 64 trappings. In fact, things are rather more sordid among the clowns. Whatever entertainment value is promised by the masks and costumes, our last hope for a happy ending is abruptly dashed by Canio’s terse dismissal at the end. Powerful, yes. But don’t expect to leave the theater with a spring in your step.
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
Marvin Antonowsky LA Opera lost a beloved board member and a dear friend when renowned film marketing executive Marvin Antonowsky passed away in April of 2015. He was a longtime opera buff and LA Opera devotee, and his love of opera will endure through a generous bequest, which will continue to bring opera to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in perpetuity. Mr. Antonowsky joined LA Opera’s board of directors in 2006, and offered his expertise on the development and education committees. As vice chairman of the marketing committee, he provided invaluable leadership informed by many decades of experience as prominent and influential film industry marketing and distribution authority. Along with the keen insight he brought to the company’s marketing endeavors, Mr. Antonowsky provided generous support as a board member and as an underwriter of the 2007 production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. His spirited engagement and advocacy of LA Opera were esteemed assets to the company, and his presence is dearly missed. Over a long and illustrious career, Marvin Antonowsky served as executive vice president at Price Entertainment, EVP of Columbia Pictures, consultant to Tri-Star Pictures and president of marketing for MCA/Universal Pictures. He managed marketing campaigns for many celebrated and award winning films including A Bronx Tale, Shadowlands, Prince of Tides, My Girl, Radio Flyer, Steel Magnolias, The Breakfast Club, Fletch, Out of Africa, Gandhi, Tootsie and The Big Chill.
LA Opera’s 2004 revival of Pagliacci starred Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna in the leading roles of Nedda and Canio.
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Remembering
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IN THE COMMUNITY
The Impact of Opera Camp The greatest job of the artist is to provide a mirror to the world, while elevating the mind of audiences and spectators. From the beginning of time, artists have done this by placing current and historical events at the center of their creations. Art can even effect change and foster human compassion. Through the powerful combination of music and theater, opera strives to connect with audiences at a higher emotional level and at its best helps cultivate an engaged and enlightened artistic community. Nowhere is the artistic spirit more present than in children. In an effort to spread a love of opera and promote the company’s mission of socially responsible art, LA Opera formed an annual summer Opera Camp for children and teens ages 9 through 17. This is not your average summer camp. There are no tire swings, no song singing by the campfire. Instead, campers spend an intensive two weeks rehearsing and doing dramaturgical work for a final operatic performance. Kids and teens explore issues of social justice and are challenged to familiarize themselves with each story’s historical significance and modern relevance as part of their own artistic preparation for the performance. While normally one opera is performed, LA Opera has planned something more ambitious for this 30th Anniversary Season. In August, a group of 53 campers performed Then I Stood Up: A Civil Rights Cycle that includes suites of music from four different one-act operas. These four works were: Brundibár, an opera originally smuggled into and performed by prisoners at Terezín concentration camp in 1943; Friedl, the story of an Austrian artist who secretly taught children at Terezín; The White Bird of Poston, which tells the story of friendship between a Japanese American girl and Native American boy in a WWII internment camp; and Then I Stood Up, which highlights inspiring young adults of the civil rights movement who bravely led the charge against racial inequality.
When children and educators come together in an artistic collaboration like Opera Camp, they draw inspiration from the power of opera, a shared understanding of social responsibility
and a desire for human dignity for all. For more information, please visit LAOpera.org/opera-camp. Opera Camp is generously underwritten by the Opera League of Los Angeles.
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1986 Plácido Domingo in Otello
PHOTO BY FREDERIC OHRINGER
THE STORY OF LA OPERA: PART 1
The Staging of an Opera Company By Karen Bacellar Minutes before the curtain rose on LA Opera’s 1986 production of Otello, Plácido Domingo stood in the wings, ready to make his entrance in one of his signature roles. He had triumphantly sung Verdi’s tragic hero for audiences around the world, and was widely renowned as the preeminent Otello of his generation. Yet this performance carried a special significance. It would be the very first performance in LA Opera’s inaugural season. Domingo was eager to showcase to the Los Angeles community, and the greater opera world, what this city could create. As conductor Lawrence Foster ushered in the sound of the orchestra to begin the opera, the curtain flew up swiftly. To the surprise of everyone present, the curtain rose halfway and no further. The show went on, and within minutes, the curtain arrived in its designated place, functioning properly for the rest of the stunning premiere. The curtain’s antics prodded Los Angeles Times music critic Martin Bernheimer to ask, “Los Angeles Opera starts, and the curtain goes halfway up and gets stuck, is that what is going to happen to our opera company?” The story of LA Opera does not begin in 1986; nor does it begin with the 1986/87 season of shows that included Otello,
Salome, Madame Butterfly, Alcina and Porgy and Bess. The company’s roots can be traced four decades earlier, to a time when Los Angeles was largely associated with Hollywood’s “Golden Age of Cinema” as well as the stars that graced the silver screen. Amidst this cinematic renaissance, there existed the desire to expose the wider community to other art forms such as opera. While the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera toured productions to Los Angeles, it remained a city without its own opera company, a situation that spurred furniture-maker Francesco Pace into action. In 1948, Pace founded the Los Angeles Civic Grand Opera Association in a church hall in Beverly Hills. The opera company had limited resources, often performing with only a piano. What mattered to Pace was an appreciation of opera in the wider community. It was often remarked that Pace continued crafting furniture for film sets and the Hollywood elite merely to support his “opera habit.” Throughout the 1950s, Pace’s opera company grew and he eventually staged productions at the Wilshire Ebell Theater. During one fateful 1960 production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, a young Bernard Greenberg sat in the audience with his wife Lenore. They had recently returned from their honeymoon in Europe,
where they saw The Marriage of Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. While the Greenbergs enjoyed it, Bernie actually preferred his experience at the Wilshire Ebell. The smaller space of the theater provided a more intimate environment. He felt like a participant in the story and he was hooked on Pace’s vision of opera in Los Angeles. Greenberg’s experience led him to readily agree when a classmate suggested he join the opera board as treasurer. As he recounts now, Greenberg often never saw the second act. He would vanish into the box office at intermission and tally up the ticket sales, to see how much he’d be able to pay the performers. The Los Angeles Grand Opera continued through the early years of the 1960s. However, the arrival of the new Music Center was about to change the way Angelenos would experience the musical arts. The Music Center was a project championed by Dorothy Buffum Chandler since 1955, in the hopes of providing the Los Angeles Philharmonic with a permanent location in which to perform. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was completed in 1964 and the Los Angeles Grand Opera became the resident company for a time. Francesco Pace had stepped down as head of the company by then, and board members hired other artists keen on
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THE STORY OF LA OPERA: PART 1 making their mark in the growing Los Angeles opera community. Among these was artistic director Peter Ebert, whose father Carl had been the director in the 1930s of what is now the Deutsche Oper Berlin. The conductor Henry Lewis became the company’s new musical director, convincing members of the Music Center Association that the company should have the opportunity to perform there. During a time in history when the world was experiencing the rise of youth culture and monumental change, the evolution of opera in Los Angeles began. They did not have a significant amount of financial resources and they did not think much about the future, but the members of Los Angeles Grand Opera were audacious. They were hungry to express themselves, both artistically and culturally, through opera. And they did. During the 1965/66 season, the Los Angeles Grand Opera staged three productions: Madame Butterfly, Don Giovanni and Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri (starring Marilyn Horne). Despite the moderate success of these original productions and the creative enthusiasm behind them, the Music Center board members decided to focus their energy on creating a larger symphony. Dorothy Chandler appointed new key creatives to the opera board, including Ed Carter and John MacCone. With these decisions, the era of the Music Center Opera Association began. An important development in the “staging” of Los Angeles Opera, the Music Center Opera Association spent the next two decades presenting touring companies, rather than creating its own productions. Partnerships with San Francisco Opera and ultimately the New York City Opera allowed the organization to showcase talent from around the world. Between 1967 and 1979, New York City Opera’s biggest star, Beverly Sills, performed regularly on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with that company, starring in 17 different operas. The company’s eclectic offerings even included the 1966 west coast premiere of Alberto Ginastera’s Don Rodrigo, starring a thenunknown Spanish tenor named Plácido Domingo. It was his first performance in Los Angeles, and he never forgot it.
With the retirement of Beverly Sills from the stage in the early 1980s, however, the association with New York City Opera entered into a limbo. Whispers began about the renewed possibility of forming a resident opera company. Such would be an Olympian feat indeed, but, with the actual Olympics about to arrive in Los Angeles, the timing seemed right.
Hemmings to be the founding general director of what was then known as the Los Angeles Music Center Opera. Domingo took on the role of artistic consultant and also committed to appearing regularly with the company. Hemmings brought years of experience working with both established and nascent opera companies and his direction proved to be vital in getting the
LA Opera’s opening production of Otello set an impressive benchmark for what audiences could expect in the remainder of the inaugural season. Los Angeles began a cultural renaissance in the early 1980s as the city prepared to host the Olympic Arts Festival in 1984. Organizers strove to prepare for the artistic invasion to come. The fate of the city’s opera company hung in the balance of a handful of people: Bernie Greenberg, Music Center president Michael Newton and—most remarkably—Plácido Domingo, who had become a superstar in the years since Don Rodrigo. Greenberg had received a call from fellow board member Carl Princi. Plácido Domingo wanted to talk to them about their plans. As Greenberg recalls, “I said ‘Plácido Domingo called you? Are you sure it wasn’t his agent or his lawyer or somebody like that?’ And he said, no, it was Maestro Domingo himself and he wanted to meet with us.” The gentlemen had dinner, during which Domingo announced, “Los Angeles is the last great city in the world without an opera company, and I would like to get involved in your opera company.” He also affirmed that he wanted to participate with their company in a serious way. With these words, the die was cast. During the Los Angeles Olympics, the Opera Association co-produced three operas with London’s Royal Opera (Turandot, starring Domingo as Calaf, as well as Peter Grimes and The Magic Flute), which not only helped establish the city as an international arts destination, but also helped raise funds for the soon-to-rise opera company. With renewed vitality, the board hired famed artistic administrator Peter
company off the ground. With its inaugural season, Los Angeles Opera immediately strived to go beyond the traditional, and into truly grand territory. Hemmings
Founder Spotlight Bernard Greenberg, a founding member of the LA Opera board of directors (above, with his wife continued on pg. 28 Lenore) remembers his first opera. “My father was an opera fan and would often go with my mother to San Francisco Opera tour performances at the Shrine Auditorium. It was the only opera available in Los Angeles. The first opera I attended was Wagner’s Die Walküre, which I had learned about in a high school music class. My father disliked Wagner for many reasons; however, he agreed to take me when I said that if he didn’t want to go, I’d drive myself. Later on I became more interested in opera myself and I started attending the San Francisco performances regularly with my parents.”
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THE STORY OF LA OPERA: PART 1 continued from pg. 27
Maria Ewing and Michael Devlin in Salome.
A scene from Alcina.
Mic Bell as Porgy.
recognized that this was very much the way the city of Los Angeles functioned. In an effort to create opera that was in tune with the community, Hemmings formulated a season that included largescale successes, such as that inaugural production of Otello. It was followed by a lavishly traditional production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly starring Leona Mitchell. But the next three offerings weren’t exactly mainstream. The next production, Salome, didn’t just push boundaries—it created an international sensation. Director Sir Peter Hall sought to emphasize the darker aspects of composer Richard Strauss’s source material, Oscar Wilde’s infamous play. John Bury’s set and costume designs evoked the symbolist aesthetic of Gustav Klimt as well as the Art Nouveau of Aubrey Beardsley. Casting his wife, the celebrated soprano Maria Ewing, as the title character, Hall worked with her to create a Salome that was centered on the character’s obsessions and her burgeoning sexuality. This included Ewing’s “Dance of the Seven Veils,” which garnered the production much press for its unforgettable, remarkably erotic staging. Michael Devlin was superb as Salome’s antagonist Jochanaan and Henry Lewis conducted the 92 members of the orchestra with sweep and urgency. “This is what opera should be all about,” raved the notoriously hard-toplease critic Martin Bernheimer. The company’s fourth production was something entirely different: Handel’s little known Alcina, a gloriously Baroque fantasy, stylishly staged at the Wiltern Theatre. Richard Hickox conducted a chamber ensemble comprised of period instruments, and the cast was led by the dazzling Arleen Auger. “In the virtually impossible title role, Arleen Auger looked appealingly devilish
on Tuesday and sang like an angel,” wrote Bernheimer. “We knew she would toss off the fioriture with nonchalant accuracy. We thought she would sing with sweetness and purity, with endless breath and expressive point, even with reasonable heft in the climactic outbursts. But we didn’t know that she could be such a compelling, subtle, sensuous actress.” The season concluded with one of the greatest works in American music, George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, also staged at the Wiltern. It was seen in a highly influential production that made the case for the work as a true opera, rather than a Broadway musical, and restored Gershwin’s complete original score. Director Jack O’Brien described the experience of working on the opera as “opening a treasure never seen,” because of the artistic community that formed to create the show. It was a triumphant season finale, conducted by John DeMain, with a magnificent pair of leading men alternating performances as Porgy: Donnie Ray Albert and Mic Bell. But the crown jewel of the inaugural season was that first production of Otello,
staged by the great German director Götz Friedrich. Along with Plácido Domingo in the title role, the star-studded cast also featured Sherrill Milnes as Iago and Gabriela Beňačková—a triumphant lastminute replacement—as Desdemona. Also featured in the cast were three singers who would become some of the company’s most frequently appearing artists in the seasons to come: Jonathan Mack as Cassio, Michael Gallup as Montano and future star Rod Gilfry as the Herald. When the curtain fell—successfully!—to signal the conclusion of Otello, audiences rose to their feet, cheering with shouts of “bravo!” One by one, cast members lined up in anticipation of the full company bow. When Plácido Domingo took to the stage, he was greeted by a roar of praise. He knew, as did Bernie Greenberg, Peter Hemmings and so many others, that they had finally created a company with a bright future in Los Angeles.
PHOTO BY FREDERIC OHRINGER
This history of LA Opera will be continued throughout the coming season.
Leona Mitchell’s entrance as Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly, 1986.
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Gianni Schicchi / Pagliacci
GIACOMO PUCCINI / RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
September 12 – October 3, 2015
Production made possible by generous gifts from The Milan Panic Family, Joyce and Aubrey Chernick, Barbara Augusta Teichert, and Eva and Marc Stern. Special support from Nancy and Barry Sanders. Generous corporate sponsorship by Rolex.
Song from the Uproar
MISSY MAZZOLI / ROYCE VAVREK
October 8 – 11, 2015, at REDCAT Presentation made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Dracula: The Music and Film
PHILIP GLASS
October 29-31, 2015, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel
Moby-Dick
JAKE HEGGIE / GENE SCHEER
October 31 – November 28, 2015 Production made possible in part by a generous gift from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. Special underwriting support from Marie H. Song.
Norma
VINCENZO BELLINI
November 21 – December 13, 2015 Production made possible by generous funding from The Seaver Endowment, Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn), and the Opera League of Los Angeles.
Erwin Schrott in Concert December 12, 2015
The Magic Flute
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
February 13 – March 6, 2016 Production made possible by generous funding from The Carol and Warner Henry Production Fund for Mozart Operas. Support for James Conlon’s conducting provided by James and Ellen Strauss.
The Festival Play of Daniel March 4-5, 2016, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Production made possible with generous underwriting support from the Dan Murphy Foundation.
Madame Butterfly
GIACOMO PUCCINI
March 12 – April 3, 2016
Plácido Domingo & Renée Fleming in Concert, Conducted by James Conlon March 18, 2016
Great Opera Choruses April 10, 2016, at the Valley Performing Arts Center Special support for Great Opera Choruses is made possible by Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Original program created with support from former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.
La Bohème
GIACOMO PUCCINI
May 14 – June 12, 2016 Production made possible by generous gifts from Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman, Margaret and Christopher Forman, and the Pacific Theatres Foundation Additional generous support provided by The Alfred and Claude Mann Fund, in honor of Plácido Domingo
Anatomy Theater
DAVID LANG / MARK DION
June 16 – 19, 2016, at REDCAT Presentation made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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DONOR RECOGNITION
25th Anniversary Angels LA Opera wishes to recognize and thank those who made extraordinary leadership commitments in honor of the company’s 25th Anniversary Season. Following the tradition established by previous Angel campaigns (listed on page P14), the support of the 25th Anniversary Angels ensures LA Opera’s continued artistic excellence and prominence in the worldwide cultural community.
Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco The Seaver Family Marc and Eva Stern Foundation The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Colburn Foundation County of Los Angeles Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Carol and Warner Henry Alfred and Claude Mann Flora L. Thornton Marilyn Ziering Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden The Annenberg Foundation Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter The Blue Ribbon Alex Bouzari Robert Day Dunard Fund USA Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Brindell Roberts Gottlieb The Green Foundation Bernard and Lenore Greenberg, in honor of Leonard Green LGHG Foundation Rosemary and Milton Okun The Milan Panic Family Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation Ronus Foundation Eugene and Marilyn Stein Christopher V. Walker Lenore and Richard Wayne Ziering Family Foundation Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation The 30th Anniversary Angels will be announced later this fall.
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PROGRAM
PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON, RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER KOELSCH, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PRESENTS
GIACOMO PUCCINI
Gianni Schicchi Libretto by Giovacchino Forzani, based on an episode in Dante’s Inferno
CREATIVE TEAMS
PRODUCTION NOTES
Gianni Schicchi
The running time is approximately two hours and 40 minutes, including one intermission.
CONDUCTOR
Grant Gershon PRODUCTION
Woody Allen DIRECTOR
Kathleen Smith Belcher* SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER
Santo Loquasto
LIGHTING DESIGNER
RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
Pagliacci Libretto by the composer
York Kennedy
Pagliacci CONDUCTOR
Plácido Domingo PRODUCTION / SET DESIGNER
Franco Zeffirelli DIRECTOR
SUPPORT
Stefano Trespidi* COSTUME DESIGNER
Production made possible by generous gifts from
The Milan Panic Family Joyce and Aubrey Chernick Barbara Augusta Teichert Eva and Marc Stern Special support from
Nancy and Barry Sanders
Raimonda Gaetani
LIGHTING DESIGNER
York Kennedy
Gianni Schicchi supertitles written by Chris Bergen. Pagliacci supertitles written by David Anglin. Pre-performance talks by Brian Lauritzen. Pre-performance talks are generously sponsored by the Flora L. Thornton Foundation and the Opera League of Los Angeles. (Please note that there is no pre-performance talk on September 12.) Set construction and painting by R.A. Reed Productions, Inc., Portland, Oregon. Costumes constructed by the Los Angeles Opera Costume Shop. Wigs constructed by the Los Angeles Opera Wig Department. Animals supplied by Critters of the Cinema. For their safety and welfare, animals are handled by professional trainers. * LA Opera debut † Member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR / CHORUS DIRECTOR
Grant Gershon
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
Anne Tomlinson
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Trevore Ross
STAGE MANAGER
Lyla Forlani
MUSICAL PREPARATION
Jeremy Frank Paul Jarski† Peter Walsh† PROMPTER
Nino Sanikidze
Please refrain from talking during the performance, and turn off all cell phones, electronic devices and watch alarms. If you are using an assistive hearing device, or are attending with someone who is, please make sure that it is set to an appropriate level to avoid distracting audio feedback. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the house management. Members of the audience who leave during the performance will not be shown back into the theater until the next intermission. The use of cameras and recording equipment is strictly prohibited. Your use of a ticket acknowledges your willingness to appear in photographs taken in public areas of the Music Center and releases the Center and its lessees and others from liability resulting from use of such photographs. Any microphones onstage are used for recording or broadcast purposes only; onstage voices are not amplified.
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A NOTE FROM PLÁCIDO DOMINGO
GIANNI SCHICCHI CAST GIANNI SCHICCHI
Plácido Domingo
LAURETTA (Schicchi’s daughter)
Andriana Chuchman*
ZITA (Buoso’s cousin)
Meredith Arwady*
RINUCCIO (Zita’s nephew)
Arturo Chacón-Cruz
GHERARDO (Buoso’s nephew)
Greg Fedderly
NELLA (Gherardo’s wife)
Stacey Tappan
SIMONE (Buoso’s cousin)
Craig Colclough
BETTO DI SIGNA (Buoso’s brother-in-law)
Philip Cokorinos
MARCO (Simone’s son)
Liam Bonner
LA CIESCA (Marco’s wife)
Peabody Southwell
MAESTRO SPINELLOCCIO (physician)
E. Scott Levin*
SER AMANTIO DI NICOLAO (notary)
Kihun Yoon†
GHERARDINO (son of Gherardo & Nella)
Isaiah Morgan*
PINELLINO (shoemaker)
Daniel Armstrong‡
GUCCIO (dyer)
Gabriel Vamvulescu
GIANNI SCHICCHI SYNOPSIS In Buoso Donati’s bedroom, his family pretends to be sorry that he has just died. Betto has overheard someone say that Buoso, head of one of Florence’s richest and most distinguished families, left his fortune to a monastery, which sends the family into a frenzied search for the dead man’s last will and testament. Rinuccio finds it and asks his aunt Zita for permission to marry his beloved Lauretta if Buoso has left him well-off. His aunt agrees, and Rinuccio sends for Lauretta and her father Gianni Schicchi, a nouveau riche man from the country. But everyone’s hopes are dashed when they open the will and discover that the old man had indeed left everything to the monks. Rinuccio suggests that Schicchi is the only person clever enough to save them, but his family will have none of it. To them, he’s a low-born country bumpkin, but Rinuccio tries to convince them that just as their city Florence draws strength from the country, so can they rely on Schicchi to help them. Schicchi and Lauretta arrive. Zita refuses to give her nephew to a girl
without a dowry, and Schicchi tries to persuade his daughter that greedy relatives will do her no good, but she only wants Rinuccio. Rinuccio asks Schicchi to take a look at the will; when he refuses, his daughter’s pleas change his mind. Schicchi weighs the situation and hatches a plan: the Donatis must keep Buoso’s death a secret long enough for Schicchi, disguised as the old man, to draw up a new will. The family eagerly agrees and each member tells Schicchi what they want, even offering him money for certain properties. The women put him into nightclothes and tuck him into Buoso’s bed. When the notary arrives, Schicchi dictates the will: five florins to the monks, some pastures and country houses to the family, but the bulk of the estate, including the Donati house in Florence, to Buoso’s good friend Gianni Schicchi. When the notary and the witnesses leave, Schicchi drives the Donatis out of his house. Rinuccio and Lauretta remain on the balcony, looking into each other’s eyes, and Schicchi knows the money has been put to good use.
In fond memory of Tara Colburn, supertitles are underwritten by Dunard Fund USA.
Our 30th Anniversary Season begins and ends with iconic productions created by three legendary filmmakers: Woody Allen, Franco Zeffirelli and Herbert Ross, whose beloved staging of La Bohème will conclude our season in the spring. I am an unabashed film buff. Throughout LA Opera’s history, I have eagerly taken advantage of our company’s unique proximity to Hollywood. I knew that the great creative minds working in film could bring exciting insights to opera, and I specifically sought out directors with an affinity for music. LA Opera has proven to be a welcome home for their talents. My relationship with Franco Zeffirelli is decades long. We forged a strong bond making three operatic films together: Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci, La Traviata and Otello. His L.A. staging of Pagliacci showcases the grandly-scaled, exquisitely detailed work for which he is famous. Woody Allen, on the other hand, made his operatic debut with Gianni Schicchi here as recently as 2008; his unique comic genius is brilliantly suited to the world of opera. LA Opera’s artistic partnership with Hollywood began in 1993. Our seventh season opened with a new production of La Bohème directed by Herbert Ross, whose distinguished film legacy includes Steel Magnolias, Footloose and The Turning Point. His interest in the characters’ motivations was remarkable. I was thrilled to be on the podium to conduct those magical performances. Our 2000 Rigoletto was the most overtly “Hollywood” of all of our productions. Its director, the popular filmmaker Bruce Beresford, known for Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy, reimagined the Duke of Mantua as a womanizing studio mogul, with Rigoletto as a fawning Hollywood agent. I had a long, mutually admiring relationship with John Schlesinger, the celebrated director of Midnight Cowboy and other films. I encouraged him to direct The Tales of Hoffmann at Covent Garden (his operatic debut) in 1982, as well as Un Ballo in Maschera in Salzburg
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PAGLIACCI CAST in 1989. I performed in both, greatly impressed by his instinctual feel for music. His staging of Peter Grimes for us in 2000 was powerful and filled with dramatic detail. We benefited twice from actor-director Maximilian Schell’s lifelong devotion to theater and music. His staging of Lohengrin in 2001 crafted an imaginatively mystical atmosphere, followed by a provocative Der Rosenkavalier in 2005. I recruited another distinguished actordirector, Marthe Keller, to direct Lucia di Lammermoor in Washington in 2002, a remarkable production that I brought to Los Angeles in 2003. We have presented two new operas created by celebrated composers of film music. Elliot Goldenthal’s 2006 Grendel was staged by Julie Taymor, an iconic stage and film director who also created our profoundly original staging of The Flying Dutchman in 1995. In 2010, Howard Shore’s The Fly was staged by David Cronenberg, director of the original film. It was a special delight to open our season in 2005 with a new adaptation of La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein by the legendary director, writer and actor Garry Marshall, making his operatic directorial debut. LA Opera has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with William Friedkin, the groundbreaking director of The Exorcist and The French Connection. For his 2002 company debut, he paired Bluebeard’s Castle with Gianni Schicchi (a production quite different from Mr. Allen’s). He returned in 2004 with Ariadne auf Naxos, a complex work staged with seemingly effortless clarity. In 2008 he created unforgettable new productions of Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, performed along with Woody Allen’s Gianni Schicchi as part of our season-opening Il Trittico. The brilliant work of all of these artists on our stage has given our audiences so many new and different opera experiences, contributing greatly to LA Opera’s unique artistic identity. I look forward to building upon this partnership in seasons to come.
CANIO
Marco Berti Yusif Eyvazov* (OCT 3)
NEDDA
Ana María Martínez
TONIO
George Gagnidze
SILVIO
Liam Bonner
BEPPE
Brenton Ryan†
FIRST MAN
Arnold Geis*
SECOND MAN
Steven Pence
PAGLIACCI SYNOPSIS Tonio comes before the curtain and announces to the audience that the performance is about to begin. He explains that the drama you will see is about ordinary human beings. A company of traveling actors arrives in a bustling village and is given a warm welcome. Tonio holds out his hand to Nedda, the wife of company leader Canio, but he is pushed aside roughly by her husband. The actors leave for the inn; Nedda stays behind and dreams of being free. Tonio approaches and declares his love, which she rejects with scorn. When he persists, she strikes him across the face with a whip. He leaves, humiliated, but stays close by and spots Nedda talking to Silvio, her secret lover. Silvio asks her to run away with him. She hesitates but then promises to meet him after the evening performance. Tonio finds Canio and brings him to the two lovers. Silvio
manages to escape unrecognized, and Nedda refuses to reveal his name. As show time nears, Canio begins to put on his clown makeup, which cannot hide his overwhelming sorrow. (Brief pause for scene change) The performance is about to begin; the villagers, including Silvio, take their places in the audience. Beppe, dressed as Harlequin, appears onstage to greet Nedda, dressed as Columbine. Canio, playing the part of Pagliaccio, Columbine’s husband, bursts in and Harlequin quickly departs. Thrown into a theatrical situation that mirrors his own life, Canio begins to lose control. He keeps demanding that Nedda reveal the name of her lover, and when she refuses, he stabs her. Silvio rushes onto the set and Canio kills him as well. Canio then announces to the audience: “The comedy is over.”
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† Member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program
* LA Opera debut
‡ Alumnus of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program
ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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ARTISTS
Plácido Domingo
Grant Gershon
GIANNI SCHICCHI / CONDUCTOR OF PAGLIACCI
CONDUCTOR (GIANNI SCHICCHI)
From: Madrid, Spain. LA Opera: debut as Otello (1986); 27 roles to date including, most recently, Germont in La Traviata (2014) and Athanaël in Thaïs (2014); he has conducted 21 LA Opera productions. A vital presence in LA Opera from its birth, he served as Artistic Consultant (since 1984) and Artistic Director (2001-2003) before he was named Eli and Edythe Broad General Director in 2003. Career highlights: He has been at home on the world’s greatest stages for over half a century, with over 800 performances at the Metropolitan Opera. He has sung 146 roles in addition to conducting more than 500 operatic and symphonic performances, and he is the recipient of 12 Grammy Awards. He is founder of the international vocal competition Operalia. His many upcoming engagements include Simon Boccanegra at the Met and in Barcelona, Berlin and Milan. (PlacidoDomingo.com)
From: Alhambra, California. LA Opera: Resident Conductor since 2012, he made his LAO conducting debut with La Traviata in 2009, followed by the world premiere of Il Postino in 2010. He has conducted eight productions to date, including, most recently, Florencia en el Amazonas (2014) and Carmen (2013). Career highlights: La Traviata, Carmen and Madame Butterfly at Wolf Trap Opera with the National Symphony, John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary at the Ravinia Festival, Vivaldi’s Griselda at the Santa Fe Opera, many appearances with the LA Philharmonic. He is artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, where he is now in his 15th season. He has led world premieres by John Adams, Steve Reich and Esa-Pekka Salonen, among others. His discography includes multiple CDs with the Master Chorale on Nonesuch and Decca Records, as well as the DVD of Il Postino on Sony Classical.
Woody Allen
Franco Zeffirelli
PRODUCTION (GIANNI SCHICCHI)
PRODUCTION/SET DESIGN (PAGLIACCI)
From: Brooklyn, New York. LA Opera: Gianni Schicchi (2008, debut). Career highlights: He is a fourtime Academy Award-winning filmmaker. For Annie Hall (1977), which won the Academy Award for best picture, Mr. Allen won Academy Awards for best director and original screenplay. He has written, directed and starred in dozens of films, including Interiors, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters (Academy Award, original screenplay), Radio Days, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Alice, Husbands and Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite, Deconstructing Harry, Sweet and Lowdown, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight in Paris (Academy Award, original screenplay), To Rome with Love, Blue Jasmine, Magic in the Moonlight and this year’s Irrational Man. His books include Getting Even, Without Feathers, Side Effects and Mere Anarchy.
From: Florence, Italy. LA Opera: Pagliacci (1996, debut; 2005). Career highlights: One of the world’s foremost directors, designers and screenwriters in opera, film and theater, he has staged productions in all the major opera houses of the world as well as the stages of Stratford-on-Avon and London’s National Theatre, among others. In film, he first came to international attention with The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, followed by Romeo and Juliet with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, an international sensation. His Hamlet with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, and Jane Eyre with William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Joan Plowright, also received worldwide acclaim. His films of La Traviata and Otello, both with Plácido Domingo, broke new ground in the realm of filmed opera. He directed and co-wrote the highly acclaimed 1977 television movie Jesus of Nazareth. His most recent films include Callas Forever and Tea with Mussolini.
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ARTISTS
Kathleen Smith Belcher
Stefano Trespidi
DIRECTOR (GIANNI SCHICCHI)
DIRECTOR (PAGLIACCI)
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: She previously staged Woody Allen’s production of Gianni Schicchi at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds and at the Teatro Real in Madrid. She assisted Peter Sellars on the world premiere of John Adams’ Dr. Atomic in San Francisco and helped to remount the production in Amsterdam and Chicago. A member of the Metropolitan Opera directing staff for 15 years, she has collaborated on numerous Met “Live in HD” broadcasts, including the Emmy-winning production of Don Pasquale. She has directed The Barber of Seville at the Metropolitan Opera, Madame Butterfly for the San Francisco Opera, Carmen for Opera Colorado, Il Trovatore and La Traviata for Lyric Opera of Kansas City, as well as Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi for the Utah Opera.
From: Verona, Italy. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: He has worked with important stage directors such as Franco Zeffirelli, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Hugo de Ana, Pierluigi Pizzi and Graham Vick. Since 2005 he has been the resident director for the summer opera festival at the Arena di Verona. He collaborates with Franco Zeffirelli for all of the director’s new productions at the Arena di Verona, including Il Trovatore, Aida, Madama Butterfly and Turandot, as well as Pagliacci at the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova and at the Filarmonico di Verona, and Turandot for the opening of the New Royal Opera House in Muscat. His own productions include Macbeth, La Traviata and Tristan und Isolde (Filarmonico di Verona), La Traviata (Teatro Verdi, Trieste) and Aida (Tokyo International Forum).
Santo Loquasto
Raimonda Gaetani
SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER
COSTUME DESIGNER (PAGLIACCI)
(GIANNI SCHICCHI)
From: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. LA Opera: Il Trittico (2008, debut) with scenery for Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, and both scenery and costumes for Gianni Schicchi. Career highlights: A designer for dance, theater and film, he began designing costumes for legendary New York theater producer Joseph Papp in the early 1970s. He has won numerous awards for his designs, including Tony Awards in 1977 (The Cherry Orchard), 1989 (Café Crown) and 1990 (Grand Hotel) and the Drama Desk in 1989 (Café Crown) and 1990 (Grand Hotel). He received Academy Award nominations for his work in Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway, Radio Days and Zelig; he won a BAFTA for Radio Days. He will return to Broadway with set designs for the musical Shuffle Along.
From: Naples, Italy. LA Opera: Pagliacci (1996, debut; 2005). Career highlights: Her design career encompasses opera, theater, ballet, film, interior design and painting, and her costumes have graced artists from Sir Laurence Olivier to Joan Plowright and Sada Thompson on the world’s great stages. She has worked extensively with Franco Zeffirelli on such projects as Absolutely! (Perhaps) at London’s Wyndham Theatre (for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award), Filumena at London’s Lyric Theatre, La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera, Pagliacci in Rome, London, Washington and L.A., and the films Jane Eyre, Young Toscanini and The Sparrow. Her work has been seen on Broadway in Filumena (scenery and costumes) and Saturday Sunday Monday (costumes).
York Kennedy
Anne Tomlinson
LIGHTING DESIGNER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR,
From: Berkeley, California. LA Opera: The Ghosts of Versailles (2015, debut). Career highlights: His designs for the stage have been seen in theaters including Arena Stage, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Warsaw National Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Repertory, American Conservatory Theatre, Sacramento Opera, Alley Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, Yale Rep, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Goodspeed Musicals and the Denver Center. He has designed over 45 productions for the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and spent six seasons as resident lighting designer for the company’s Shakespeare Festival. Awards for theatrical lighting include the Dramalogue, San Diego Drama Critics Circle, Back Stage West Garland, ariZoni Theatre Award, and Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
From: Ephraim, Wisconsin. LA Opera: Pagliacci (debut, 1996); 28 productions to date including, most recently, Carmen (2013). She will return later this season to prepare the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus for La Bohème. Career highlights: Anne Tomlinson oversees the educational and artistic development of the LACC and conducts LACC’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. She has also prepared the LACC for performances with the LA Philharmonic, LA Master Chorale, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, LA Chamber Orchestra and Pasadena Symphony. Now in its 30th season, LACC’s current roster includes over 425 members in six ensembles. Founded in 1986, LACC was featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary, Sing! (LAChildrensChorus.org)
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P7
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Meredith Arwady
Marco Berti
ZITA
CANIO
MEZZO-SOPRANO
From: Kalamazoo, Michigan. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: Later this season, she will debut at Valencia’s Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in the title role of Handel’s Silla. She will appear at Houston Grand Opera, Oper Frankfurt and the Canadian Opera Company as Erda in Siegfried, also performing the First Norn in Frankfurt. Last season, she returned to Frankfurt as Mistress Quickly in Falstaff. She debuted with English National Opera as Martha in John Adams’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary, returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Hannah in Tobias Picker’s Emmeline, and debuted at Madison Opera as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. In 2013, she performed Quickly at the San Francisco Opera and Erda in the Ring cycle at the Metropolitan Opera. (MeredithArwady.com)
Liam Bonner MARCO/SILVIO
BARITONE
PHOTO BY CHIA MESSINA
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. LA Opera: Sid in Albert Herring (2012, debut), title role in Billy Budd (2014); Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas (2014). Career highlights: He most recently performed Lieutenant Audebert in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night (a role he created at Minnesota Opera in 2011) at Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat with Portland Opera. Future appearances include Gaylord Ravenal with Kentucky Opera and Figaro in The Barber of Seville with North Carolina Opera. Highlights of recent seasons include Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with both Houston Grand Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Ned Keene in a concert version of Peter Grimes with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, both in St. Louis and at Carnegie Hall, and Marcello in La Bohème with New Orleans Opera. (LiamBonner.com)
TENOR
From: Como, Italy. LA Opera: Rodolfo in La Bohème (2004, debut), Cavaradossi in Tosca (2013). Career highlights: His appearances this season include Calaf in Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, Radames in Aida at the Teatro Regio di Torino, Pollione in Norma at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Giannetto in Giordano’s La Cena delle Beffe at La Scala, and Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino at the Opera di Genova. Sought internationally for his interpretations of the dramatic Italian repertory, he has performed the title role of Otello in Bilbao and Naples. Other recent appearances include Pagliacci (La Scala), Tosca (Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Regio di Torino) and Aida (Metropolitan Opera, Arena di Verona, La Scala). (MarcoBerti.org)
PHOTO BY LENA KERN
PHOTO BY SIMON PAULY
ARTISTS
Arturo Chacón-Cruz RINUCCIO
TENOR
From: Sonora, Mexico. LA Opera: Verdi Requiem (2007), Rodolfo in La Bohème (2007, mainstage debut), Alfredo in La Traviata (2014), Arcadio in Florencia en el Amazonas (2014). Career highlights: His most recent appearances include Rodolfo at the Macerata Opera Festival, Alfredo in Mexico City, Don José in Carmen in Lyon, and his role debut as Pollione in Norma in Beirut. In 2014 he performed Jacopo Foscari in The Two Foscari opposite Plácido Domingo at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien. Other appearances include the Duke in Rigoletto in San Francisco, Hoffmann at La Scala and in Vienna, and many leading roles in Munich. He was a 2005 winner of Operalia. Upcoming engagements include the title role of Werther in Budapest and a concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. (ArturoChaconCruz.com)
Andriana Chuchman
Philip Cokorinos
LAURETTA
BETTO DI SIGNA
SOPRANO
From: Winnipeg, Canada. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: Last season, she performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni with the Lyric Opera of Chicago (where she is a recent graduate of the Ryan Opera Center), Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Valencienne in The Merry Widow with the Metropolitan Opera, and John Adams’ A Flowering Tree with Opera Omaha. Other recent engagements include Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore and Miranda in The Enchanted Island at the Met, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel for the Glyndebourne Festival Tour, Magnolia in Show Boat with Washington National Opera and Guinevere in Camelot at the Glimmerglass Festival. Future performances include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Manitoba Opera and Magnolia in Show Boat with Dallas Opera (AndrianaChuchman.com)
BASS-BARITONE
From: New York City. LA Opera: Benoit/ Alcindoro in La Bohème (2007, debut); 11 roles to date including appearances last season as Suleyman Pasha in The Ghosts of Versailles, Bartolo in The Barber of Seville and Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro. He will return later this season as Benoit/Alcindoro in La Bohème. Career highlights: He has sung more than 360 performances of 32 operas at the Metropolitan Opera, including several Live in HD broadcasts including Manon, La Fanciulla del West, The Nose and Werther. His Met appearances this season include the Innkeeper in Manon Lescaut. Other recent appearances include Don Pasquale with Opera Santa Barbara, Daland in The Flying Dutchman in Kansas City and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola with Opera Colorado.
P8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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ARTISTS
Craig Colclough
Yusif Eyvazov
SIMONE
CANIO (OCT. 3)
BASS-BARITONE
From: Los Angeles. LA Opera: Guccio in Gianni Schicchi (2008, debut); nine roles to date including appearances last season as Procrustes/God of Evil in Hercules vs. Vampires and in the leading role of Paul Conti in ¡Figaro! (90210). Career highlights: In August, he made his LA Philharmonic debut as Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata at the Hollywood Bowl. This season, he will perform the title role in Falstaff with Arizona Opera, where he previously appeared in the title role of Don Pasquale. Last season, he debuted with English National Opera as Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West, with Atlanta Opera as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and with Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night. He was a 2012 Filene Young Artist at the Wolf Trap Opera Company. (CraigColclough.com)
Greg Fedderly GHERARDO
TENOR
From: Baku, Azerbaijan. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: He studied at the Tchaikovsky Music College in Moscow, then moved to Italy where he completed his advanced studies with Franco Corelli and Ghena Dimitrova. Most recently, he debuted at the Macerata Opera Festival as Canio. This season’s appearances include Calaf in Turandot for his Metropolitan Opera debut, Luigi in Il Tabarro in Rome, and Manrico in Il Trovatore at the Staatsoper Berlin. Last season’s appearances included Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona. Other recent performances include Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the title role of Otello for the Ravenna Music Festival, and Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut in Rome under the baton of Riccardo Muti.
George Gagnidze TENOR
From: Los Angeles. LA Opera: Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1988, debut); 63 productions and more than 386 performances to date (more than any other singer) including, most recently, Red Whiskers in Billy Budd (2014). Career highlights: His Metropolitan Opera appearances include Monostatos in The Magic Flute on live HD transmissions and PBS telecast, as well as Don Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, Goro in Madama Butterfly, the four Tales of Hoffmann servants and Bob Boles in Peter Grimes. Future engagements include Monostatos with San Francisco Opera, and The Marriage of Figaro at the Met and with Dallas Opera. Recent appearances include The Marriage of Figaro, Dolores Claiborne and The Magic Flute in San Francisco and Turandot at the Hollywood Bowl.
TONIO
BARITONE
From: Tbilisi, Georgia. LA Opera: title role in Rigoletto (2010). Career highlights: One of the foremost baritones of our time, he made his La Scala debut in 2007 as Germont in La Traviata, and his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2009 as Rigoletto. His most recent appearances include Scarpia in Paris and Vienna and at the Met; Iago in Otello in Hamburg and Athens; Amonasro in Aida at the Met and La Scala; the title role in Nabucco at the Chorégies d’Orange and in Palermo; Rigoletto in Tokyo, Aix-en-Provence and at La Scala; the title role and the title role of Simon Boccanegra in Munich. Future appearances include returns to the Met as Scarpia in Tosca and as Tonio in Pagliacci; the title role in Falstaff in Tokyo, the title role in Rigoletto in Berlin and Amonasro in Aida in Paris. (Gagnidze.com)
Ana María Martínez
Brenton Ryan
NEDDA
BEPPE
SOPRANO
From: San Juan, Puerto Rico. LA Opera: Mimi in La Bohème (1997, debut; 2004); Violetta in La Traviata (2001); Amelia in Simon Boccanegra (2012). She returns in the spring as Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly. Career highlights: A 1995 Operalia winner, she appears this season as Musetta in La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera, the title role of Rusalka in Houston, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with the Dutch National Opera. Recent engagements include Donna Elvira in Chicago, Mimi with Opéra National de Paris and Dallas Opera, Cio-Cio-San in Houston, and the leading role of Paolina in Donizetti’s Poliuto with the Glyndebourne Festival. Other highlights include Rusalka in Chicago and at Glyndebourne, and the title role of Carmen in Houston and Santa Fe. (AnaMariaMartinez.com)
TENOR
From: Sedalia, Missouri. LA Opera: Gastone in La Traviata (2014, debut); Spirit/Sailor in Dido and Aeneas (2014); Léon in The Ghosts of Versailles (2015); several roles in Hercules vs. Vampires (2015). A member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, he will return later this season as Monostatos in The Magic Flute. Career highlights: He will debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Fool in Wozzeck. Recent appearances include his Houston Grand Opera debut as Henrik in A Little Night Music, Cavaliere Belfiore in Il Viaggio a Reims and Bardolfo in Falstaff as a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera Company, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville at Wichita Grand Opera, and Tony in West Side Story, as well as Léon and Almaviva, at the Aspen Music Festival. (BrentonRyan.com)
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P9
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ARTISTS
Peabody Southwell
Stacey Tappan
LA CIESCA
NELLA
MEZZO-SOPRANO
From: Los Angeles. LA Opera: Inez in Dulce Rosa (2013, debut), Third Lady in The Magic Flute (2014), Flora in La Traviata (2014), Third Opera Gossip in The Ghosts of Versailles (2015). She will return later this season to reprise the Third Lady in The Magic Flute and to perform the leading role of Sarah Osbourne in David Lang’s Anatomy Theater. Career highlights: Lauded in baroque to modern repertoire, she has recently debuted at Carnegie Hall, LA Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, New World Symphony and San Francisco Symphony. Future engagements include premieres for composers Thomas Morse, Nathaniel Stookey, Geoffrey Gordon, Juhi Bansal and David Lang. She is a founding member of Chromatic (Chromatic.la), an L.A.-based collective. (PeabodySouthwell.com)
SOPRANO
From: Pasadena. LA Opera: debut as the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel (2006); 13 roles to date including Florestine in The Ghosts of Versailles (2015) and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (2014). She will return later this season as the First Lady in The Magic Flute. Career highlights: Notable appearances include Adele in Die Fledermaus at the Glyndebourne Festival, Gilda in Rigoletto with Opéra de Lille and Opéra de Dijon, the world premiere of Adamo’s The Gospel of Mary Magdalene with San Francisco Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor with Arizona Opera and Ring cycles in L.A., San Francisco and Chicago. She also performed Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with the Jacksonville Symphony and Carmina Burana with the LA Master Chorale and Omaha Symphony. (StaceyTappan.com)
Daniel Armstrong
Gabriel Vamvulescu
PINELLINO
GUCCIO
BARITONE
From: Houston, Texas. LA Opera: Captain in Luisa Fernanda (debut, 2007), 14 mainstage appearances including, most recently, Marquis d’Obigny in La Traviata (2014). An alumnus of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, he returns as Yamadori in Madame Butterfly. Career highlights: He performed the Jester in Krenek’s The Secret Kingdom and Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia with the Colburn Orchestra, and Bach’s Magnificat with the L.A. Chamber Orchestra.
BASS
From: Romania. LA Opera: Youth’s Friend/ Servant in The Stigmatized (2010), Imperial Commissioner in Madame Butterfly (2012), several roles in The Ghosts of Versailles (2015). Career highlights: He studied at the Enescu National Conservatory in Bucharest, then joined the Romanian National Opera apprentice program. He subsequently studied at the University of Maryland School of Music with Francois Loup. He has appeared with opera companies throughout Europe and the U.S.
E. Scott Levin
Kihun Yoon
MAESTRO SPINELLOCCIO BASS-BARITONE
SER AMANTIO DI NICOLAO
From: Galveston, Texas. LA Opera: mainstage debut, after appearances last season as Babayan in ¡Figaro! (90210). Career highlights: He has performed with Pacific Opera Project, Long Beach Opera and Opera Santa Barbara, and most recently appeared as Masetto in Don Giovanni in July with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. He is the co-founder of Chamber Opera Players of LA (COPOLA), based in Glendale. (EScottLevin.com)
Isaiah Morgan GHERARDINO
TREBLE
From: Los Angeles. LA Opera: debut. Career highlights: He has worked with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film Summoned, appeared on television in Major Crimes and The Voice with contestant Hannah Kirby, worked with the Lythgoe family in holiday plays alongside Ben Vereen and Ariana Grande, has appeared in commercials and has been the face for Disney Store national campaigns.
BARITONE
From: Seoul, South Korea. LA Opera: Servant in Thaïs (debut, 2014), Hercules in Hercules vs. Vampires (2015). A member of the DomingoColburn-Stein Young Artist Program, he returns as Sharpless in Madame Butterfly and Schaunard in La Bohème. Career highlights: In July he sang the title role in Gianni Schicchi with the Merola Opera Program. He has performed in Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland with the LA Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS Grant Anderson Caelan Carter Mateo Coleman Sophie David Jack Fagan Jamie Felix-Toll
Cameron Ito Beckett Ledahl SarahElizabeth G. Lee Rachel Loh Micah Luna Reese Owen
Mia Patzakis Drew Quishenberry Allison Rayer Sofia Roberts Soren Ryssdal Sarah Wong
P10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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ARTISTIC PERSONNEL
LA OPERA ORCHESTRA FIRST VIOLIN Roberto Cani STUART CANIN CONCERTMASTER
Jessica Guideri ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER
Lisa Sutton ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER
Margaret Wooten Olivia Tsui Tamsen Beseke James Stark Tina Chang Qu Armen Anassian Loránd Lokuszta Radu Pieptea Kevin Connolly
SECOND VIOLIN Ana Landauer PRINCIPAL
Marisa Sorajja ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Florence Titmus Leslie Katz Michele Kikuchi Cynthia Moussas Jayme Miller Elizabeth Hedman Irina Voloshina Susan Rishik
VIOLA Yi Zhou PRINCIPAL
Andrew Picken ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Karie Prescott Shawn Mann Dmitri Bovaird Kate Vincent Alma Fernandez Carolyn Riley
LA OPERA CHORUS OBOE
TROMBONE
Leslie Reed
William Booth
PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
Sarah Beck Jennifer Johnson, English horn
Alvin Veeh Terry Cravens, bass trombone
CLARINET
TUBA
Stuart Clark
CELLO
James Self
PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
Donald Foster Stephen Piazza, bass clarinet
Dane Little
Rowena Hammill
PRINCIPAL
HARP
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
BASSOON
JoAnn Turovsky
Kim Scholes Xiao-Dan Zheng Nadine Hall Rebecca Merblum
William May
Allison Allport
Judith Farmer William Wood
TIMPANI
Gregory Goodall
PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
BASS
HORN
David Young
PRINCIPAL
Steven Becknell
PRINCIPAL
Frances Liu Wu ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
PERCUSSION
Daniel Kelley
Theresa Dimond PRINCIPAL
Jenny Kim
Don Ferrone Tim Eckert James Bergman
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Timm Boatman
James Atkinson
CELESTE
TRUMPET
FLUTE
Peter Walsh PRINCIPAL
Ryan Darke
Heather Clark
PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL
Angela Wiegand Sarah Weisz, piccolo
ONSTAGE TRUMPET
David Washburn ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Marissa Benedict
Andy Ulyate
Stuart Canin Concertmaster Chair made possible by a deeply appreciated gift from Dunard Fund USA.
SUPERNUMERARIES Momo Casablanca (Buoso Donati in Gianni Schicchi) Charles Afolabitzky Sophie Avedikian Danny Belford Scott Bosely Steven Brogan Sandra Byner Julie Clark Candice M. Clasby Evan Clements Jeff Cook Elizabeth J. Cron Tony Cronin Chris Davis Carola de la Rocha Alex Denney Collin Lee Ellis Rochelle Firestone Robert Fleet Donna Gale* Christopher Halsted Michael Hansen Rose Hawthorne
SUPERNUMERARY CHILDREN
Debra D. Holt Michael John** Jayme Kalino Gregg Lawrence Sarah Logan Andrew Meredith Thash Mose Alejandro Muñoz-Pelayo Maureen O’Connell Gabrielle J. O’Sullivan Tim Orona Phil Painter Kirbie Puestow Kirstin Racicot Ariel Richardson Waide Riddle Barry Sanders Kevin James Spear Alanna Swovelin Eric Toro Toni Trenton Jeanie Van Dam Lauer Wendy Gates Weinberg Andrew Wofford Brett Michael Zubler
* Supernumerary appearing in 25 or more productions
Carmina Garay Enzo Grappone Amir Green Amelia Hemmings Hayden James Farrell-Katseanes
Garrett Johnson Avery Kertes Dakota Rillie Somervill Emmanuelle Weisbach
CIRCUS PERFORMERS Worthie Meacham Alex Bistrevsky Rob Crites Oriana Doria-Quesada Julien Heron Stephen Hues
Moses Norton Josh Rasile Jada Sine Mesganaw Tilaye Robert James Webber
SOPRANO Samela Beasom** Christina Borgioli Jamie Chamberlin Lisa Crave* Natalie Dewey Ayana Haviv Terri Hill* Tasha Koontz Virenia Lind** Renee Sousa* Courtney Taylor Rebecca Tomlinson*
ALTO
Natalie Beck** Sarah Bloxham** Danielle Marcelle Bond Aleta Braxton** Beverly Brulé* Sara Campbell Veronica Christenson* Michelle Fournier** Christie Lynn Lawrence* Helene Quintana* Adrien Raynier** Jennifer Wallace**
TENOR Stephen Arel** Daniel C. Babcock Omar Crook Arnold Livingston Geis James Guthrie John Kimberling* Sung Bong Kim Charles Lane* Sal Malaki** Mark David Miller** George Sterne** Todd Strange
BASS
Mark Beasom** Gregory Geiger* Michael Geiger* Abdiel Gonzalez Robert Hovencamp* Mark Kelley* Gabriel Manro Garth Neustadter Steven Pence James Martin Schaefer Tim Smith** Arthur Wand*
* Has appeared in 50 or more productions ** Has appeared in 100 or more productions
ACROBAT CHILDREN Indiana Agote
Rachel Luner
** Supernumerary appearing in 50 or more productions
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P11
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PRODUCTION STAFF
ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER
Johann Stegmeir ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER
Azra King-Abadi ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS
Barbara Donner Lisa Kable-Blanchard Whitney McAnally ASSISTANT CHORUS MASTER
Jeremy Frank SUPERTITLE PREPARATION/CUER
Linda Zoolalian MANAGER, LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
Tamara Marshall ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS
Mandy Brigham HEAD STUDIO TEACHER
Marie Wilson-Rogers STUDIO TEACHERS
Carolyn Hermanson Dan McGinnis
Learon Inbar
Jim Payne
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT – BUYER
HOUSE MANAGER
Gloria Guerrero PRODUCTION ASSISTANT – STOCK
HEAD USHERS
WARDROBE Lee Smilek Charlyn Trenier WARDROBE ASSISTANTS
Pamela Bullock Shelley Graves-Jimenez Mary Lehman Kathleen Melcher Jana Morimoto SEASONAL DRESSERS
WIGS AND MAKE-UP Darren K. Jinks WIGMASTER
Raquel Bianchini ASSOCIATE WIGMASTER
Brandi Strona CREW FOREMAN
COSTUME SHOP Heather Bair Maria De La Mora CUTTER/DRAPERS
Renee Horner Nicole Rodrigues SENIOR WIG & MAKE-UP ARTISTS
Linda Cardenas LEAD STYLIST
Florencia Carrizo Ademir Serrano Pamela Walt ASSISTANT CUTTER/DRAPERS
Randy Hozian J. Christina Huh SECOND HANDS
Blanca Miranda Hortencia Santos Loren Schaller Anna Wong SEAMSTERS
STAGE CREW Harold E. Conroy
HEAD OF TAILORING
Wing Cheung CHIEF TAILOR
Rafael Avila Manuel Medina Rene Santos
Thomas Laurence Conroy ASSISTANT OPERA CARPENTER
Steve Williams OPERA ELECTRICIAN
Stan Williams Allen Tate OPERA PROPERTY MASTER
CRAFTSPERSON
Misty Ayres Jeannique Prospere SENIOR PRODUCTION SUPERVISORS
Kaitlyn Aylward COSTUME ASSISTANT
Manuel Garcia WAREHOUSE MANAGER
VICE PRESIDENT OF GUEST SERVICES
VARI*LITE AUTOMATED LIGHTING PROVIDED BY Vari-Lite Inc.
THE DOMINGO-COLBURN-STEIN YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM Identifying and encouraging talented young artists with enormous potential is essential to the future of opera. Since the company’s inception, LA Opera has been committed to nurturing a resident ensemble of young singers who would benefit from long-term professional development. The Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, which builds on the success of the company’s earlier, highly respected Resident Artist Program, has the goal of developing the talents of exceptionally gifted young artists to become performers of potentially international stature, whose first loyalty would be to LA Opera. The Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program is generously underwritten by the Colburn Foundation and Eugene and Marilyn Stein. Special support for young artist stipends is graciously provided by The Lenore and Richard Wayne Young Artist Fellowship. The program was created with funding from the Flora L. Thornton Foundation. 2015/16 PARTICIPANTS
Frederick Ballentine TENOR
Vanessa Becerra SOPRANO
Lacey Jo Benter MEZZO-SOPRANO
Nicholas Brownlee BASS-BARITONE
Summer Hassan
Sheldon Ross
SOPRANO
ASSISTANT OPERA PROPERTY MASTER
Paul Jarski
Todd Reynolds OPERA AUDIO ENGINEER
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Abigail Levis MEZZO-SOPRANO
TAILORS
Emily Smith
Carolyn Van Brunt
OPERA CARPENTER
OPERA ASSISTANT ELECTRICIAN
Laina Babb
Robert Devis Demetra Willis
DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION HOUSE STAFF Timothy L. Conroy MASTER CARPENTER
Gary Earl HOUSE HEAD ELECTRICIAN
Rafael Moras TENOR
So Young Park SOPRANO
Brenton Ryan TENOR
Peter Walsh ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
James Draper MASTER OF PROPERTIES
Kihun Yoon BARITONE
Jeff Des Enfants MASTER AUDIO
Special thanks to the staff of the Music Center. Directors, singers, choreographers, stage managers, ensemble members and assistant directors in this production are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists. Orchestra musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47. The following employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Machine Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC,: Stage Crew, Local 33; Treasurers and Ticket Sellers, Local 857; Wardrobe Crew, Local 768 ; Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists, Local 706. Interns in the Technical Department are students at California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, California). All editorial materials copyright Los Angeles Opera, 2015. The opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Los Angeles Opera. Recorded welcome announcements voiced by Jamieson K. Price.
P12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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LA OPERA
Plácido Domingo ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR
James Conlon RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR
Christopher Koelsch PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
John P. Nuckols EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Faith Raiguel VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Diane Rhodes Bergman, APR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Melissa Ficociello Damon Schindler RESIDENT LEAD SCENIC ARTISTS
Chris Carey TECHNICAL PAYROLL OFFICER
Katelan Braymer LIGHTING ASSISTANT
Matthew Baye
Meredith Martin-Almy
Matthew Dorado
MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Matthew J. Miles
Maclaine Fiori
MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER
MARKETING ASSISTANT
Vanessa Wheeler RESEARCH MANAGER
Michael Chavez INDIVIDUAL GIVING ASSISTANT
WALLY RUSSELL LIGHTING INTERN
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING
COSTUMES Jennifer Green COSTUME DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATE COSTUME DIRECTOR
Sarah Al-Atrakchi SENIOR DIRECTOR, FINANCE
Stacy C. Brightman, Ph.D. SENIOR DIRECTOR, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Grant Gershon
John Bishop SENIOR CUTTER / DRAPER
Hallie Dufresne
RESIDENT CONDUCTOR
MASTER CRAFTSPERSON
Rupert Hemmings
Melinda Brown
SENIOR DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION
STOCK AND RENTAL COORDINATOR
Gerrie Maloof
John Musselman
SENIOR DIRECTOR, LABOR RELATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Patricia McLeod
MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT
SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT
Joshua Winograde
Neal Anderson Janine Allen HEAD OF WARDROBE
SENIOR DIRECTOR, ARTISTIC PLANNING
ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION
Lyla Forlani Susan Lang ARTIST SERVICES MANAGER
Jacob H. Shideler MANAGER, ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
MUSIC ADMINISTRATION Mark Fabulich
Rebecca Roman
Nicole Michela
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO JAMES CONLON
Ignazio Terrasi MUSICAL ASSISTANT TO JAMES CONLON
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Richard Comito DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Michael Masuda Jennifer Babcock
NETWORK MANAGER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Janelle Cabrera Torres
Jill Burnham
DATABASE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN
Tommy Mam BUSINESS APPLICATIONS TECHNICIAN
Tony Roman TECHNICAL MANAGER, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Carmen Recker
MANAGER OF CHORUS, DANCERS AND SUPERNUMERARIES
SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER
Erin Alford
DEVELOPMENT
RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Lisa Reilly Marlinda Menashe
COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Alexandra Vergun
Jill Michnick
DIRECTOR, LEADERSHIP GIFTS
SENIOR PLANNED GIVING OFFICER
Nicole Debbini DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Robin Green EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
ANNUAL FUND
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Eli Villanueva RESIDENT STAGE DIRECTOR
PUBLIC RELATIONS Fran Rizzi
BOX OFFICE
Theresa Condito
Margie Schnibbe
ANNUAL FUND ASSISTANT
TECHNICAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
INDIVIDUAL GIVING
Janey K. Campbell SENIOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER
Peter W. Indall MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER
BOX OFFICE TREASURER
FIRST ASSISTANT TREASURER
Dale Bridges Johannsen Michael Meyer Shawnet Sweets Andrew Tomasulo Marlow Wyatt SECOND ASSISTANT TREASURERS
Susan Wong Bruce Hall THIRD ASSISTANT TREASURERS
Jennifer Harper Robert Harrington Joseph Howells Brenda Roman Joseph Selway TICKET SELLERS
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONSULTANTS
Mark Lyons
BLT Communications
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS
Karen Bacellar CONTENT SPECIALIST
Amisha Patankar SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
AD DESIGN
Stephen King HEAD OF VOCAL INSTRUCTION DOMINGO-COLBURN-STEIN YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
Matchbox Studio GRAPHIC DESIGN
Josh Harrold
DESIGN MANAGER
PROPERTIES COORDINATOR
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Gretchen Meyerhoefer
ANNUAL FUND MANAGER
Lisa Coto
PAYROLL CLERK
Shane K. Morton
Carolina Angulo
PRODUCTION MEDIA MANAGER
Christian Arter
SPECIAL EVENTS ADMINISTRATOR
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Howard Moss
Alisa Lapidus
ACCOUNTING CLERK
Lana Rosen
REHEARSAL ADMINISTRATOR
ADMINISTRATION
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Lisa Robertsen
Mariana Silva
Nicki Harper
Janneke Straub
Jeff Kleeman
SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER
ACCOUNTING AND BUDGET ANALYST
Tom Bucher
HEAD COACH, DOMINGO-THORNTON YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
TECHNICAL
Emily Wainacht
Courtney Rizzo
TECHNICAL COORDINATOR, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL MANAGER
Nino Sanikidze
HUMAN RESOURCES / PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR
SPECIAL EVENTS
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Michelle Magaldi
IRECTOR OF BOARD RELATIONS AND D SPECIAL EVENTS
Nadine Bedrossian
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING ASSISTANT
Denice Behdad
Matthew Schroeder
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER
William Gorin
Tess Weinberg
PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
MUSIC LIBRARIAN
Brady Steel
Jeannie Jones ACCOUNTS PAYABLE MANAGER
EDUCATION MANAGER
PRODUCTION
CONTROLLER
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING OFFICER / GRANT WRITER
Gregory White COSTUME DEPARTMENT MANAGER
Carl Ries
Erica Blumenson-Cook
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING COORDINATOR
Missy West
FINANCE
SALES AND MARKETING
Craig T. Mathew
Eric Bornemann
Gary W. Murphy
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
PHOTOGRAPHY
PUBLIC RELATIONS / MEDIA
Studio Fuse Keith J. Rainville
GRAPHIC DESIGN
BRAND MANAGER
Luz Rodriguez MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P13
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DONOR RECOGNITION
20th Anniversary Angels
MARC STERN, CHAIR
LA Opera wishes to honor those individuals who have made an extraordinary leadership commitment to the Company. Building upon the remarkable foundation created by the Founding and Domingo’s Angels, the outstanding support of the 20th Anniversary Angels has helped ensure an artistically vibrant and financially secure future for LA Opera. Please see page P2 for a listing of the 25th Anniversary Angels.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Carol and Warner Henry
Marc and Eva Stern Foundation
Colburn Foundation
Alfred and Claude Mann
Flora L. Thornton
County of Los Angeles
Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco
Marilyn Ziering
Richard Seaver and Sara Jayne Kimm
Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden
Brindell Roberts Gottlieb
Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer
The Annenberg Foundation
The Green Foundation
Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn)
Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter
Bernard and Lenore Greenberg, in honor of Leonard Green
Barbara Augusta Teichert
Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation
Christopher V. Walker
Yuki and Alex Bouzari Nancy Daly Edgar Foster Daniels Kelly and Robert Day
LGHG Foundation
Leslie and John Dorman
Beatrix F. Padway, in honor of Nathaniel W. Finston
Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman
Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic
Domingo’s Angels
The Joop van den Ende Foundation Lenore and Richard Wayne Ziering Family Foundation Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation
WARNER HENRY, CO-CHAIR
Domingo’s Angels are individuals who made a leadership commitment to fulfilling the artistic initiatives of the Domingo Seasons, 2001-2005. Their remarkable generosity provided a new threshold from which the artistic professionals associated with LA Opera created and produced opera that thrilled and inspired Los Angeles audiences and the world.
Robert V. Adams and Barbara Abercrombie
The Green Foundation
Richard Seaver and Sara Jayne Kimm
Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter
Lenore and Bernard Greenberg
Marc and Eva Stern Foundation
Colburn Foundation
Carol and Warner Henry
The Skirball Foundation
Kelly and Robert Day
Walter Lantz Foundation / Edward A. Landry, Trustee
Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Marta and Plácido Domingo Leslie and John Dorman
Rosemary and Milton Okun
Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic
Founding Angels
WARNER HENRY, CHAIR
LA Opera is grateful for the vision, boldness and extraordinary generosity of the Founding Angels, whose commitment to the Company in its early years helped ensure the future of opera in Los Angeles.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. Ash
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
The Skirball Foundation
Dorothy Collins Brown
The Emese and Leonard Green Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard H. Straus
Mr. Richard D. Colburn
Carol and Warner Henry
Flora L. Thornton Foundation
The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation
Opera League of Los Angeles
Forman Family Foundation
Richard Seaver
P14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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DONOR RECOGNITION
Artistic Excellence Circle
LA Opera is pleased to recognize the Artistic Excellence Circle, a dedicated group of individuals whose annual support ensures that its productions continue to feature today’s leading singers, conductors, directors and designers—all of the elements that make each season memorable. To learn more about the Artistic Excellence Circle, please call John Nuckols at 213.972.7256.
PREMIER DIAMOND PATRON
($500,000 & ABOVE)
Annenberg Foundation The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Colburn Foundation County of Los Angeles Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors / Supervisor Sheila Kuehl Robert Day Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman Margaret and Christopher Forman Dunard Fund USA Gemini Industries, Inc. Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Brindell Roberts Gottlieb Lenore and Bernard Greenberg Lee and David Hayutin Estate
DIAMOND PATRON
($250,000 & ABOVE)
Anonymous Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden Marvin Antonowsky Estate The Blue Ribbon Joyce and Aubrey Chernick The Fund for the Performing Arts Max H. Gluck Foundation The Green Foundation
PLATINUM PATRON
Joyce and Joelle Grinker Estate Raymond Lieberman Trust The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Opera League of Los Angeles The Milan Panic Family Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Herbert Simon Family Foundation Ms. Barbara Augusta Teichert
($150,000 & ABOVE)
Margaret and David Barry Ana and Robert Cook Mark Houston Dalzell Allen B. Freitag Trust Alexander Furlotti Dan Murphy Foundation
PLATINUM PATRON
Carol and Warner Henry Alfred and Claude Mann Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco Music Center Foundation Rosemary and Milton Okun Pacific Theatres Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation Ronus Foundation The Richard Seaver Trust for the Opera Eugene and Marilyn Stein Marc and Eva Stern Foundation The Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn) Marilyn Ziering Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation
The Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation LGHG Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Rolex Laura and Carlton Seaver Watt Family
($100,000 & ABOVE)
Alex Bouzari The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Leslie and John Dorman Peter and Diane Gray The Eleanor Hutchinson Parker Foundation Hispanics for Los Angeles Opera Linda and Alvaro Pascotto
Michele and Dudley Rauch – The Rauch Family Foundation Rx for Reading Barry and Nancy Sanders Marie H. Song James and Ellen Strauss Alyce and Warren Williamson Ann Ziff
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P15
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DONOR RECOGNITION
THE OPERA COUNCIL
Chaired by Paul and Catherine Tosetti
The dedicated support of the Opera Council enables LA Opera to achieve its artistic goals. This program offers exclusive privileges and behind-the-scenes opportunities to those individuals, foundations and corporations who make annual gifts of $25,000 or more. For information, please call 213.972.3160.
GRAND GOLD PATRON
($75,000 & ABOVE)
Adele Haggarty Binder
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Program
Nanette and Keith Leonard
National Endowment for the Arts
Wells Fargo
OPERA America’s Getty Audience Building
GRAND GOLD PATRON
($50,000 & ABOVE)
The Ahmanson Foundation
Dr. Louise Horvitz and Carrie Fishman
The SahanDaywi Foundation
Mr. James Asperger and Ms. Christine Adams
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hotchkis
Yoriko Saneyoshi
Mr. Haig S. Bagerdjian
Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ingalls
Pamela and E. Randol Schoenberg
Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter
Dr. and Mrs. Harold Karpman
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Seidel
Beatrice and Paul F. Bennett
Richard Kendall and Lisa See
Chester James Semel
Paul and Marie-France Bloch Fund at The Miami Foundation
Travis and Thomas Kranz
Susan R. and L. Dennis Shapiro
Drs. Carol and David Cass
Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Kuppenheimer
Eric L. Small / Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Edward and Madeleine Landry
William and Helen Smollen Trust
Walter Lantz Foundation / Edward A. Landry, Trustee
Mrs. Leonard Straus
Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation
Paul and Catherine Tosetti
City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs In memory of Nancy M. Daly for her extraordinary legacy of support Mari L. Danihel Michael and Jane Eisner Geoff Emery Judge Judith O. Hollinger
GOLD PATRON
Susan Lord and Scott Richard Lord Catherine Marcus Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Mollura, Sr.
Jacob and Sandra Terner Christopher V. Walker Richard Wayne Ellen and Arnold Zetcher
($25,000 & ABOVE)
Anonymous (3)
Tim Johnson and Jean Cunningham
Mrs. Rita Coveney Pudenz
Maria Altmann, in memory of Fritz Altmann
Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Jones
Penny and Harold B. Ray
Bank of America Foundation
Lawrence A. Kern
The Rose Hills Foundation
Shallom and Jilla Berkman
Mrs. Trudy Lampert
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Saunders
David Bohnett
Drs. Anu and Ali Leemann
Ariane and Lionel Sauvage
The Otis Booth Foundation
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors / Don Knabe
The David and Linda Shaheen Foundation
Renee and Meyer Luskin
Dr. Vina Spiehler
Maynard and Linda Brittan Drs. Maryam and Iman H. Brivanlou Janet and Nicholas Ciriello Edward E. and Alicia Garcia Clark Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hardin Coulombe Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Mr. Robert Finnerty and Mr. Richard Cullen Mrs. Charles I. Gold Good Works Foundation Em Green In memory of Morris A. Hazan Linda Joyce Hodge
Merrill Lynch CulturArte de Puerto Rico and Bertita and Guillermo L. Martinez Diane Hickingbotham McNabb Mr. and Mrs. Peter O’Malley Mr. and Mrs. Ted Orden Dr. Leslie A. Pam and Dr. Ann Christie Petersen / Esper A. Petersen Foundation Diane and David Paul Linda Pierce The Louis and Harold Price Foundation
Natalie K. and Marvin S. Shapiro Terry and Dennis Stanfill Carol and James Sterling Avo Tavitian Brigitta B. Troy US Bank Donna Wagner Sheila and Wally Weisman Zev Yaroslavsky Esther and Abe Zarem Susan Zolla, in memory of Edward M. Zolla
P16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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30th Anniversary Season Launch Party PHOTOS BY STEVE COHN
On June 20, Board Chairman Marc Stern and his wife Eva hosted 150 guests at their Malibu residence to celebrate the launch of LA Opera’s 30th Anniversary Season. As a special treat, soprano Nino Machaidze (a company favorite who will return as Mimi in La Bohème in the spring) performed a mini-recital that included arias from Carmen, Manon and La Bohème.
Top row (left to right): Rob Reiner, Eva Stern, Michele Reiner and Marc Stern; Howard Walter and Marilyn Ziering. Middle row: Ris Nguyen and Bryan Moeller; Mindy and Eugene Stein and Robert Ronus; Nino Machaidze and Christopher Koelsch. Bottom row: Richard Wayne and his granddaughter Charlotte; Elizabeth Short (standing) with Carol Henry and Michael Forman.
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DONOR RECOGNITION
BELLA VOCE PATRONS
Dr. and Mrs. Julio Aljure Gracia Alkema and C. Terry Hendrix Marvin Antonowsky Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ash Shirley Ashkenas Ms. Angela Bardowell Margaret and David N. Barry III Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter The Samuel M. Brainin Trust Carol and Normand Brewer Jacqueline Briskin Maynard and Linda Brittan The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Christine Brodie T. Robert Chapman Trust Edward E. and Alicia Garcia Clark Richard D. and Lisa K. Colburn Nancy Cook Nancy Daly Janet and Roger DeBard Teresa DeCrescenzo Phyllis and Donal Dreifus Jesse Dukeminier and David S. Sanders, MD The George A.V. Dunning Fund / California Community Foundation Allan and Diane Eisenman Gerald Faris Adell Fink Claudia and Mark Foster Herbert O. and Jean Fox
Kara Kass Fox Allen B. Freitag Trust Ronald Frydman Gerri Lee Frye Roger Gallizzi and James Willey Estate of Barbara Goldenberg Eric A. Gordon Susan R. Greer Joyce and Joelle Grinker Estate of Walter O. Halden Roy Hamilton The Jerome G. Handelsman Trust Lee and David Hayutin Anne Heineman Estate of Harvey B. Heller Warner and Carol Henry Yvonne and Gordon Hessler Joan and John Hotchkis Drs. Herbert and Judith Hyman Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ingalls Robert Jesberg and Michael J. Carmody Estate of H. Kirkland Jones Sylvia and Vernon D. Jones Lawrence A. Kern Joyce and Kent Kresa Helen Lamm Ivan and Hilda Layda / Layda Family Trust The Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Dr. Paul E. LeMal Raymond A. Lieberman Trust Robert and Marguerite Marsh In memory of Terry Roberta Matthies
Linda May Suzar Dr. Michael McGuire Paula Kent Meehan Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Miller The Jane Moore Family Trust Diane and Leon Morton Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco Anthony and Olivia Neece Joan Harding Newman Mei-Lee Ney Estate of Beatrix F. Padway Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic The Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn) Mrs. Jean Powell Nan Rae Christine P. Ries The L. Franc Scheuer Trust The Malcolm Schneer LAOC Trust The Richard Seaver Trust for the Opera Milton Singer Mr. and Mrs. William Smollen Ellen and Harry Sondheim, in memory of Betty and Felix Leibholz Estate of Mr. Arthur Spitzer Marilyn and Eugene Stein / Capital Group Companies Marc and Eva Stern Estate of Gaby K. Tanas Flora L. Thornton and Eric L. Small Estate of C. Dickson Titus III Ms. Carol Vernon and Mr. Robert Turbin Magda and Frederick R. Waingrow Lenore and Richard Wayne Mark A. Weaver Sharon and Fillmore Wood
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
LA Opera is grateful for the generous foresight of the Bella Voce Patrons, who have made irrevocable planned gifts to the company. For more information, please call 213.972.3141.
2007 Karita Mattila and Kim Begley in Jenůfa
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DONOR RECOGNITION
BELLA VOCE SOCIETY We are pleased to thank members of the Bella Voce Society for including LA Opera in their estate planning. If you have included the company in your estate plans, we invite you to contact us at 213.972.3141 so that we can recognize your generosity.
Anonymous (5) Doris Alexander Helen Mae Almas Dr. and Mrs. Harlan C. Amstutz Shirley Lee Barasch James C. Bassett, PhD Randall C. Bassett James M. Bell Herbert M. Berk Lorna D. Blancaflor Rebecca Bowne Elizabeth B. and Elwood S. Buffa Jacqueline and Henry Cahn Dr. Alisa Cone Camberlan Richard and Norma Camp Leigh Robinson Cartwright Drs. Carol and David Cass Julia Cherry Mr. David Chierichetti Bernice Colman Hilary Crahan Michele McGarry Crahan Keith Crasnick Family Trust Richard Cullen and Robert Finnerty Drs. Nazareth and Ani Darakjian Amy Lyn DeZwart and George Betar Maureen Engelhard Daniel Fink, MD Paulino Fontes and Aviva Weiner Fontes Ms. Valerie Franklin Mr. and Mrs. John Garvey Nancy Gentry Geller
Dr. Melinda Gilmore Jerome J. Glaser Living Trust Joyce and Eric Goldman Ms. Nancy A. Grant Donna and Greg Griffith Hildegard Harris Ms. Nita Heimbaugh Bonnie Helms Malcolm T. Henderson Freddi and Dr. Kenneth D. Hill Judge Judith O. and Dr. Glen Hollinger Dr. Ronald G. Hopkins Sharon and Donald Jackley Norman W. and Rose M. Jaffe Bruce Johansen Dr. Stephen A. Kanter Dr. and Mrs. William Kern Dr. Stephen Knafel Linda L. R. Knight Richard P. and Meredith B. Kramer Victoria and Douglas Lane Larry Layne Elaine Otter Leventhal Mr. and Mrs. Lou D. Liuzzi Mr. Jeff MacKey Gerrie Maloof Hon. Nora M. Manella Sam I. Matsumoto / Gordon J. Geever Trust Edward McCann The Minturn Family Charitable Foundation Michael and Lorraine Mohill Nancy-Gene Morrison
Barbara and Maury Mortensen Mary Jane Myers Gordon and Rosie Ornelas Olson Lenore and Carl Pearlston Janet Petersen Chloe Pollock-Mieczkowski Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Prusan Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Pudenz Jeanne E. Roerig Mr. and Mrs. Patrick T. Rogers Frank D. Rubin Dr. Jeanne W. Ruderman Elizabeth Loucks Samson Kenneth Sanson Melody and Warren Schubert Mr. and Mrs. Christof E. Schwab Olga Sevilla John Jacob Shaak Mr. Archie Sharp Audre Slater R. Rhoads Stephenson Donna Stillo Ms. Amanda F. Susskind Iris and Robert Teragawa Joann Porter Toll Emanuel Treitel Mrs. Ella Upsher Dr. Michael Upsher Rose Vardanian Michael Weber and Frances Spivy-Weber Linda and Robert E. Willett Mr. and Mrs. Lorin H. Wilson
PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE 47
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LA OPERA HISTORY
An
An
The History of LA Opera’s Founding Angels Throughout its existence, LA Opera has been privileged to enjoy the extraordinary support of several visionary philanthropists. Not only did their passion for opera help create an artistically vibrant company, their generosity helped secure its strong financial future. When Mrs. William R. Forman first heard Peter Hemmings, newly named as LA Opera’s first general director, speak at a press conference in 1986, she knew at once that he could at last realize her cherished dream of establishing a lasting opera company in Los Angeles. That year, the Forman Family Fund gave $1 million on the eve of the new company’s inaugural season. A founding member of the company’s board of directors, she understood that the opera company’s success would only be possible if significant philanthropic support could be found to further Hemmings’ creative vision. At a decisive moment in the company’s history, Mrs. Forman’s unprecedented generosity, the first gift of its kind for the new company, boldly signified her commitment to LA Opera’s future. It also served as inspiration for others. In 1988, Carol and Warner Henry made a $1 million commitment of their own to
LA Opera. Closely involved as leaders in the birth of the new opera company, the Henrys saw the opportunity to make a dramatic change in the city’s cultural life. Both were members of the board and the executive committee; as treasurer, Warner recognized the need for a major infusion of funds to steer the company through its early years. It was his challenge to LA Opera’s board and supporters that secured the commitment of additional million-dollar gifts from Roy and Lila Ash, Leonard Green and Richard Colburn. These key supporters were designated the Founding Angels. By 1990, they had been joined by Ann and Gordon Getty and by the Flora L. Thornton Foundation. In subsequent months, Dorothy Collins Brown, The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation, the Opera League of Los Angeles, Richard Seaver, The Skirball Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Straus joined the Founding Angels. By the campaign’s end, a total of 13 individuals, couples or foundations had committed seven-figure leadership gifts to the company’s general operating fund, thereby ensuring the future of opera in Los Angeles.
Placido Domingo and Dorothy Forman
The success of the Founding Angels would inspire subsequent giving campaigns such as the Domingo’s Angels, established at the onset of Plácido Domingo’s tenure as artistic director in July 2000. Their vision for a bright future endures today. Angels continue to play a vital role at the opera, supporting artistic vibrancy and ensuring the excellence of opera in Los Angeles.
A
R
We’ll have more about the Domingo’s Angels, the 20th Anniversary Angels, the 25th Anniversary Angels and the 30th Anniversary Angels in upcoming issues of Performances magazine.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The tenor from Perris, Texas—whose most recent LA Opera role was Erik in The Flying Dutchman in 2013—returns to star in Moby-Dick (Oct. 31 through Nov. 28). He first sang the role of the revenge-obsessed captain in Adelaide, Australia, with subsequent appearances in San Diego and San Francisco, where his acclaimed performance was captured for DVD. What’s it like to revisit the role of Ahab for the fourth time? Thrilling! Ahab is #1 on my wish list every year. The music has been simmering in my mind and I can’t wait to do it again. The role gives me so many options as a singer. Ahab is a complex character, to say the least. What do you like best about this role? The madness. Can you imagine the horror of being attacked by such a sea beast and surviving in those days? The agony endured, the festering, acidic anger, the single-minded drive for revenge? And, I have to embody the power, the charm and charisma that he must wield in order to lead grown men willingly to their death. It’s a mighty task, a privilege granted to few, and I am so grateful to step into his cloak once again. Did you read the novel? I’ve read it twice. Like everybody else, it took me forever and a day. Many times I had to walk away and return a few months later with some fresh eyes. I believe Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, the composer and librettist, have rendered us a most remarkable retelling. Ahab’s peg leg looks like it must be painful. What is it like to wear it? When you sign up for Ahab you know there’s a peg leg involved, so I try to
PHOTO BY CORY WEAVER
Seven Questions for Jay Hunter Morris, LA Opera’s Captain Ahab
check my whining at the door. But yeah, it’s rough. If I’m not careful, it will throw my back and hips into a jagged free-forall. And Ahab is challenging enough to sing standing squarely on two legs, so it really does require me to be at my best. What would you say to potential Moby-Dick audiences who may be wary of contemporary opera? Stop it. Free your mind. This is a truly magnificent piece of music and theater. The overture alone is worth the trip. The Ahab/Starbuck duet in Act Two is one of my favorite songs, ever. Come expecting a fabulous evening and I’m certain you will find one. What are you looking forward most in Los Angeles? I love L.A. My wife Meg and I lived here for five years and our son Cooper Jack was born here. We’ve got lots of friends to reconnect with, not to mention Porto’s Bakery, Casa Bianca and Cafe Beaujolais! What do you like to do when you’re not singing? After a chapter of Big Opera, nothing soothes me like long days at home with my family. And my drums. My next life, you’ll find me keeping the beat in a smoky, seedy, jazz club. To learn more, please visit LAOpera.org/MobyDick.
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DONOR RECOGNITION
PATRONS OF LA OPERA Chaired by Jill C. Baldauf and Steven Grossman
Patrons of LA Opera, who contribute gifts of $3,500 or more, enjoy exclusive ticket services, benefits and activities to enhance their opera experience. For more information, please call 213.972.7507.
GRAND SILVER BENEFACTOR
($20,000 & ABOVE)
Barbara Abercrombie Dr. Robert Adler and Alexis Deutsch-Adler Estate of Christine Brodie Estate of Adell Fink Yurie and John A. Halchak J.H.B. Kean and Toby E. Mayman
PREMIER SILVER BENEFACTOR
Lenny and David Kelton Anita Lorber Nesbitt Foundation Estate of Jean Powell Jerome and Toby Rapport Foundation Wallis Foundation
($15,000 & ABOVE)
Anonymous (2) Emily and Sam Mann Nancy-Gene Morrison Anthony and Olivia Neece David Drew Neer, MD, JD
SILVER BENEFACTOR
The Nissan Foundation The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Michael Towbes Richard and Cynthia Troop
($10,000 & ABOVE)
Anonymous (3) Mr. and Mrs. Arnon Adar Patti and Harlan Amstutz Jerome M. Applebaum Aversano Trust Jill C. Baldauf and Steven L. Grossman Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Beim Dr. Sheldon D. Benjamin and Constance Chesnut Dr. Peter and Mrs. Helen Bing Vladimir and Araxia Buckhantz Foundation Siobhan and William Burke California Arts Council Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cannon Chanil Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Clark Kathy Clemans and David McDonald Susan and L. David Cole Christina and Bill Conkle Roberta Conroy Myron and Margie Crain Dr. and Mrs. Donald E. Dickerson Betty and Brack Duker Margaret and Jerrold Eberhardt Dr. Gisela Eckhardt Mr. and Mrs. David Elmore Danielle Nelson Erem and Vivian Nelson Mary and Robert Estrin In memory of Meira Fields Penelope Foley Valerie Franklin Eric A. Gordon Beverly and Felix Grossman Gary Gugelchuk Dr. Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller Catherine and Mark Helm Diane Henderson
GRAND BENEFACTOR
Mrs. Maria Antonia Horne Hub International Limited Russell and Mary Johnson Keller Rackauckas, LLP Jennifer Keller James P. Kelley and Joseph W. Lund Ms. Junko Koike Joyce and Kent Kresa Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Kumetz Charlotte Levine Hon. Nora M. Manella Judy and Steve McDonald Patty and Ken McKenna Metropolitan Associates Lori and Michael Milken Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Miller Mrs. Synne Hansen Miller Mr. and Mrs. Bengt Muthen Barbara and Norman S. Namerow Frank Nemceff, in memory of William Anderson, PhD Chris and Dick Newman / C and R Family Foundation Mei-Lee Ney Nuveen Investments Edgar Foster Daniels and Maxime Ohayon William and Carol Ouchi Kay Rackauckas Mrs. Barbara C. Rosenthal Katharine and Warren Schlinger Dr. Bertrand and Joan Shapiro Karen and William Timberlake Linda and Sorrell Trope Elinor and Rubin Turner Ms. Gail Werner Libby Wilson, MD The Winnick Family Foundation
($7,000 & ABOVE)
Anonymous Kaye and Tom Ballantyne The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation Cecelia Cole Ms. Sheila Coop Donald and Zoe Cosgrove Susan and John Ebey Jeanne Faoro Larry Field Sally and Irwin Goldstein
Dr. and Mrs. Irwin Harris David L. and Susan H. Hirsch Stuart and Simone Isen Dr. Stephen Kanter Rosalie Kornblau Gail and Sam Losh Mrs. Isabel Markovits-Rosenberg The Maurer Family Foundation Eduard and Dragica Morf Carolyn Novin
52 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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UCLA12
Year after year, inspire us
26 consecutive years Best in the West & now No. 3 in the Nation U.S.News & World Report The doctors, nurses, staff and volunteers of UCLA are honored to be at the top of U.S.News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for 2015-16. We’re especially proud to be the only hospital in Southern California consistently ranked among the best in the country. Still, our greatest honor is serving you by bringing nationally recognized care and compassion to you and your family. To us, it’s what always comes first.
To fi nd a UCLA doctor near you, just call us at 1-800-UCLA-MD1 or visit uclahealth.org
UCLA1274 USNews-PrintAd-PerformancesMag-2015(PRS)ms.indd 2 LAO_WRAP_0915.indd 53
uclahealth.org/getsocial
7/16/15 4:31 PM 8/11/15 4:17 PM
Sizes 12 & up
DONOR RECOGNITION
PATRONS OF LA OPERA GRAND BENEFACTOR
($7,000 & ABOVE)
Cliff and Toni Reston Felice and Herbert Reston Bill and Dinah Ruch Family Foundation
PREMIER BENEFACTOR
($5,000 AND ABOVE)
Anonymous (4) Act 1 Tours Mr. Aris Anagnos Randall C. Bassett Thomas and Judith Beckmen Employees Community Fund of Boeing Rosanna Bogart Stuart and Rebecca Bowne Bonnie Brae Jan Breslauer and Terry R. Dowdall Honorable Victor Chavez and Dr. Marlene Chavez Howard and Rhoda Coleman Ginger Conrad The only upscale boutique in greater Corinna Cotsen and Lee N. Rosenbaum Los Angeles for women size 12 and up. Michele Crahan and Hilary Crahan From comfortable to casual or dressy— Ms. Joanne L. Dallas and Mr. Frank A. Traficante classic to funky or fun: Davis/Dauray Family Fund Abundance has it all! Jack and Barbara Dawson Claus Dieckell 13604 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks Dr. and Mrs. William M. Duxler 818.990.6128 Edison International AbundancePlusSizes.com W. Allan Edmiston, Jr., MD Gail and Jim Ellis Paul A. Erskine Family Fund Mr. and Mrs. Don Erik Franzen Nancy Gentry Geller Abundance_0415v1.indd 1 2/10/15 4:24 PM Larry and Marlis Gilman Linda and Bobby Hanada Armand and Bonnie Hargett C. Terry Hendrix, in memory of Gracia Alkema Claire and Robert Heron Larry and Lilia Hershenson Margaret M. Hess Freddi and Dr. Kenneth D. Hill Dr. Ronald Hopkins Mr. and Mrs. Chester O. Houston Jr. Tagney Jones Family Fund at The Seattle Foundation Gary and Denise Kading Nancy Katayama William and Priscilla Kennedy Ellen and Harvey Knell Dr. S. Sanford Kornblum and Mrs. Charlene S. Kornblum Sandra Krause and William Fitzgerald Larry Layne and Sheelagh Boyd Stephen K. and Eileen Stueck Leech Leonard M. Lipman, M.D. James and Grace McAdams Dr. Sharron L. Mee
BENEFACTOR
The Wally Russell Foundation Iris and Robert Teragawa
Carol Mitchell The Recording Industries’ Music Performance Trust Fund Robert and Sally Neely David and Krystyna Newman Mr. and Mrs. John G. Niles Doerthe Obert Mrs. Inna Ockelmann Jason Oclaray Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Oppenheimer Pacific Western Bank Park Bixby Tower, Inc. Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts The John J. and Elisabeth N. Pollon Family Trust Ernest and Anne Prokopovych Pamela and Curtis Reis Francisco Ros Mimi Rotter Paula and Allan Rudnick Thomas Patrick and Stephen Rulo Keitha Russell Kenneth Sanson Mr. and Mrs. Alexander A. Sawchuk Yvonne Stevens and Paul Schickler Malcolm Schneer and Cathy Liu Evy and Fred Scholder Richard and Ellyn Semler Marilyn Shapiro Dr. Elizabeth Short and Dr. Michael Friedman Joyce and Al Sommer John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation The Stephen Philibosian Foundation Tracy Stone and Allen Anderson Ms. Katherine Sung Bette I. Tatge Union Bank Foundation Ms. Barbara A. Van Postman John and Gill Wagner James and Robin Walther Dennis Wasser and Ruth Roberts Mark A. Weaver Michael Weber and Frances Spivy-Weber Aviva Weiner and Paulino Fontes Joyce A. White Robert E. Willett Mrs. Joan A. Winchell, in memory of Verne Winchell Dr. Judith G. and Mr. Edwin H. Wolf Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Ying
($3,500 AND ABOVE)
Anonymous (6) In memory of Dr. Yoshio Akiyama American Hungarian Chamber of Commerce / Gyula Kangiszer Vic and Iris Antola Margaret and Howard Arvey Shirley Ashkenas, in memory of Irving Ashkenas Ruth Bachofner Drs. Francine Bartfield and Martin Wasserman Christine Benchay John R. Benfield and Mary Ann Shaw Leah S. and Gregory M. Bergman
Langley B. Brandt Dr. Martin J. Brickman Gary and Johanna Brown Julia Cherry Laura K. Christa Mr. Joseph Cochran Nancy J. Colletti David and Anne Covell Guy Crawford and Carol Ann Peterson Drs. Nazareth and Ani Darakjian Mike Deasy Linda S. Dickason
54 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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VPAC_P
VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 2015-16 SEASON
DREAMGIRLS
Executive Director, Thor Steingraber
Theater Series MEGAN HILTY IN CONCERT
Star of Smash and Wicked sings Broadway
THU 9/24/15
L.A. THEATRE WORKS
Susan Albert Loewenberg, Producing Director Presents BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA Adapted by CHARLES MOREY
WED 10/28/15
STOMP
SUN 1/24/16
LEA SALONGA
Songstress of Miss Saigon and Disney’s Aladdin and Pocahontas fame
FRI 4/1/16
DREAMGIRLS
Book & Lyrics by Tom Eyen Music by Henry Krieger McCoy Rigby Entertainment La Mirada Theatre Productions
ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org | 818-677-3000 |
VPAC_Performances_full-pg-ad_2015-09.indd 1 LAO_WRAP_0915.indd 55
Tickets and subscriptions available now.
STOMP
DRACULA
LEA SALONGA
FRI 5/6/16, SAT 5/7/16, SUN 5/8/16
VPACatCSUN
MEGAN HILTY
8/6/15 11:17 AM 8/11/15 4:17 PM
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DONOR RECOGNITION
PATRONS OF LA OPERA BENEFACTOR
($3,500 AND ABOVE)
Jennifer and Royce Diener Mr. and Mrs. R. Stephen Doan Richard and Angela Domingo Dan and Carol Donlan Dranow Family Foundation Steve and Ronda Dunham Dr. and Mrs. Paul Eisenberg Margaret Epstein Stephen M. Erhart Dr. Jon Fellows and Judith Hemenway Dr. and Mrs. Terry Flanagan John Fleming and Kris Maine Mr. and Mrs. Henning Freybe Dr. Jerry and Jean Friedman Ronald Frydman Dr. E. Peter and Thea Gabor Arthur and Helen Geoffrion Jerome J. Glaser / International Curtain Call Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. Goldberg Dr. Patricia Goldring Charles and Marian Goldsmith Nancy and Fred Golob David and Maggi Gordon Peter and Elizabeth Goulds Grace on Earth Foundation Christine Gregory Tricia and Richard Grey Dr. Frances S. Grover Manuel R. Gutierrez Mark Haddad and Miranda Johnson-Haddad Bernard and Carolyn Hamilton Charles F. Hanes Mr. John Haut Larry Hawley and Barbara Aran Susan and Bruce Heard Heavensent Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Ewald Heer Marcia and Dr. Paul Herman Mrs. Phoebe Ann Heywood Dr. Ann M. Hirsch and Dr. Stefan J. Kirchanski Ms. Marsha Hymanson Dr. Judith and Dr. Herbert Hyman Paul and Missy Jennings Rian Johnson Thomas D. Johnson and Stacy B. Young Eleanor and George Kalman Gloria Kaplan Ms. Gayle Kirschbaum and Mr. Scott D. Baskin Phyllis H. Klein, MD Christopher Koelsch and Todd Bentjen Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Konigsberg Ronald and Joann Kramar Elaine F. Kramer Diane S. Lake Mr. Myron J. Laskin, Jr. Christine J. Lee Christine and Jay Lee Annie Lehrer and Marilyn Heller Irwin and Rachel Levin Mr. Leonard Levine and Dr. Mateo Ledezma Mr. William H. and Mary H. Lewis Leigh Lindsey and Andrew Blaine Fong Liu Mr. Jerry D. Luedders and The Muriel Pollia Foundation Patrick Lyden and Laurie Schechter Jim and Bev Lyons Marguerite Marsh
It Feels Good to Donate All donations to Council Thrift Shops support the programs and services of NCJW/LA. Tax-deductible itemized receipts Call us to schedule your pick up 8 convenient locations
800-400-6259 www.ncjwla.org PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 57 CouncilThriftFeelsGood.indd 1
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DONOR RECOGNITION
when less is more…
PATRONS OF LA OPERA
Schubert’s magnificent Symphony was dubbed “Unfinished”— but is it really? Decide for yourself at LACO’s season opener. Michael Barenboim, son of the famous conductor, makes his West Coast debut in Beethoven’s beloved Violin Concerto.
BENEFACTOR
schubert unfinished
sat sep 19 @ 8 pm Alex Theatre, Glendale sun sep 20 @ 7 pm Royce Hall, UCLA
Jeffrey Kahane
Music Director
Michael Barenboim photo Janine Escher
Jeffrey Kahane conductor Michael Barenboim violin Derrick Spiva Prisms, Cycles, Leaps (world premiere) Schubert Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished” Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major after-party — you’re invited!
Mingle with friends and musicians over free drinks & appetizers after the concert. All ticket holders welcome.
making great music personal
Tickets from $27 at laco.org or call 213 622 70 01 x 1 *
OS A H g!
”
C in C Play I OM ow “Physically impossible C “ N to stop laughing.” —The Telegraph
A FLEA IN HER
EAR
A NEW VERSION OF GEORGES FEYDEAU’S FARCE BY DAVID IVES *The Denver Post
PLAYING IN REPERTORY WITH:
Jean Anouilh’s
ANTIGONE
ALL MY SONS
Adapted and Translated by Robertson Dean
by Arthur Miller
626.356.3100 3352 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena PHOTO BY CRAIG SCHWARTZ.
($3,500 AND ABOVE)
Ms. Janis B. McEldowney Dr. Michael McGuire Gianna McMillan Bryan Mershon Anita and Larry Miller The Mink Family Marjorie Monte Olga Moretti Barbara and Lawrence Nevens Liza and Thomas Newbauer David C. Newell Holly and John Nuckols Mrs. Hoyt S. Pardee Dr. and Mrs. Nissan Pardo Catherine A. Paura The Stephen Philibosian Foundation Frank and Betty Pinkerton Ruth Popkin Mr. and Mrs. Roger H. Porter, Jr. Drs. Michael and Marion Quinn John and Mary Lynn Rallis Madeline and Bruce Ramer The Randazzo Family Eve C. Van Rennes Fen Rhodes and Nancy Corby Lars Roos and Dr. Estelita Calica Roos Rikki Rosen Lois Rosen Aaron and Jessica Ross Judge Marvin D. and Carol L. Rowen Matthew and Jennifer Rowland Dr. Michael Rudolph Elizabeth Loucks Samson Steven Saucer Mary Lou Schanche Dena and Irv Schechter Robert and Jeanne Segal Dr. Donald Seligman and Dr. Jon Zimmerman Dr. Neil and Muriel Sherman Ms. Jeneane E. Shield Jack Shine Margy and David Sievers Dr. Joan E. Smiles Judith L. Smith Richard and Elizabeth Sobelle Debra Vilinsky and Michael Sopher Russell and Michele Spoto Philip Starr and Michael Simental Dr. Roger D. Stewart Dr. and Mrs. Edward C. Stone Mr. Eliazar Talamantez Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Techentin Karen Trogan and Kyle Thorpe Mr. and Mrs. Dale Ulman Mrs. Ciedra Urich-Sass Larry Verdugo Ms. Carol Vernon and Mr. Robert Turbin Cynthia Walk Barbara and Ken Warner Mrs. Eleanor Weintraub Mr. and Mrs. Max K. Weissberg David and Michele Wilson M. Faye Wilson Tina H. Wilson Jan and Steve Winston Sharon and Fillmore Wood John and Kay Yamasaki Martin and Rosalind Zane Irene Zimmermann, Suisse
58 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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DONOR RECOGNITION
PATRONS OF LA OPERA ARTISTS CIRCLE ($2,000 AND ABOVE)
2007 Victor Ryan Robertson and Indira Mahajan in Porgy and Bess
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
Anonymous Robert C. Anderson Esther M. Baird and Stanley Fimberg Laurie and Bill Benenson Bloomingdale’s Richard and Norma Camp Rosemary and Peter Casey Nicholas Chrisos Chubb Custom Market, Inc. NancyBell Coe and William Burke Judith and Carl Dawson Linda L. Duttenhaver David A. Drummond Stanley and Judith A. Farrar Linda Leech Graul Marie O. Hedlund Barbara Holman Adel F. Jabour, MD Jon Jorgenson Kai-Li and Hal Quigley Ms. Pauline Kosanke KPMG LLP Anni Frandsen Low, PhD In memory of Louisa Mara Nadir Raulee Marcus Garry and Barbara Marshall Randy and Gretchen Newman Mike and Patricia Nijjar The Opera Buffs Inc. Veronica Pastel and Robert Egelston Mr. David L. Paul Eleanor Pott Mr. Christopher A. Reed Susan and Walter Reutimann Ruth Simon Roger Stewart Dr. Julie Stindt Linda Ann May Suzar and Jack Suzar Frederick R. Weisman Philanthropic Foundation Carole and Robert Wesson Josette and Marco Zonni
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7/22/11
11:50 AM
Country French Restaurant Family Owned & Operated Since 1927 Lunch • Dinner • Lounge • Banquets 7 days
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PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 59
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Belmont Village residents enjoy exceptional hospitality, luxurious amenities and premier programs for health and wellness. Senior Living has never looked better!
DONOR RECOGNITION
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT LA Opera is proud to acknowledge and thank the following public agencies and programs for their support.
Distinctive Residential Settings Chef-Prepared Dining and Bistro Award-Winning Memory Care Health and Wellness Programs Therapy and Rehabilitation Services
National Endowment for the Arts Jane Chu, Chairman
belmontvillage.com Burbank (818) 972-2405 Encino (818) 788-8870 Hollywood Hills (323) 874-7711 Rancho Palos Verdes (310) 377-9977 Thousand Oaks (805) 496-9301 Westwood (310) 475-7501
County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich, Mayor Don Knabe Sheila Kuehl Mark Ridley-Thomas Hilda L. Solis
RCFE Lic 197608468, 197608466, 197608467, 198601646, 197608291, 565801746 © 2015 Belmont Village, L.P.
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Los Angeles County Arts Commission Laura Zucker, Executive Director
7/22/15 11:27 AM
City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs Danielle Brazell, General Manager
PHOTO BY ROBERT MILLARD
California Arts Council Craig Watson, Director
2006 The Dragonettes in Grendel
60 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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DONOR RECOGNITION
CORPORATE SUPPORT LA Opera appreciates the generous contributions from the following corporations.
OFFICIAL SPONSOR
OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF LA OPERA
PLATINUM PARTNER
GOLD PARTNER
PREMIUM AND PLATINUM ASSOCIATE Hub International Limited The Nissan Foundation Nuveen Investments Union Bank
SILVER ASSOCIATE Edison International Employees Community Fund of Boeing Pacific Western Bank Park Bixby Tower, Inc.
the
Plato Society of Los Angeles LEARN . SHARE MEET . TEACH
in a collegial environment
www.platola.org or call 310-443-7676 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 61
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DONOR RECOGNITION
OFFICIAL PROVISIONERS & IN-KIND DONORS LA Opera is proud to recognize the following generous in-kind supporters.
EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE SPONSOR
OFFICIAL SPARKLING WINE OF THE 2015/16 SEASON
OFFICIAL STILL WINE OF THE 2015/16 SEASON
OFFICIAL PIANO OF LA OPERA
ENTERTAINMENT COUNSEL
IN-KIND DONORS Laemmle Theatres
Omni Los Angeles Hotel
Southern California Magazine Group
INTERNATIONAL CURTAIN CALL 2015-16 Deluxe Opera & Music Tours
IRELAND WEXFORD FESTIVAL (Oct 26 - Nov 5, 2015)
Dublin
Leif Ove Andsnes Piano Concert (Sibelius, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin) Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge
Wexford Opera Festival
Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff; Delius' Koanga; and Hérold's Le Pré Aux Clercs
Limerick
Irish Literature and Poetry Reading
WASHINGTON WAGNER RING (May 16-23, 2016)
Philippe Auguin- Francesca Zambello's Production of: DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN Stemme (Brünnhilde), Bishop (Fricka), Held (Wotan), Miller (Sieglinde), Ventris (Siegmund), Brenna (Siegfried), Hawkins (Alberich), Burden (Loge), Ammann (Erda), Cangelosi (Mime), Barton (Waltraute), Halfvarson (Hagen), Aceto (Hunding). All tours include: 5-Star Hotels & Buffet Breakfasts Selected Gourmet Meals & Wine Special Sightseeing and Excursions LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE Contact International Curtain Call 3313 Patricia Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90064 Ph: (310) 204-4934; (800) 669-9070 E-Mail: Icctours1@aol.com www.IccOperaTours.com
MATCHING GIFTS LA Opera is pleased to acknowledge the companies that support our company with matching gift programs. Under a corporate matching gift program, cash gifts from eligible employees are matched with company or corporate foundation funds. This additional contribution increases a participating employee’s membership level, enhancing their benefits and privileges of membership. Please call 213.972.7277 for more information.
The ACE INA Foundation AECOM Technology Corporation Allegheny Technologies American Express American International Group, Inc. Amgen Foundation Areté Associates Agro Group AT & T Foundation Automatic Data Processing, Inc. Ball Corporation Bank of America Charitable Foundation The Boeing Company BP Foundation CA Technologies California Wellness Foundation The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation The Charles Schwab Foundation Chevron Corporation CIGNA Foundation
CNA Foundation Dole Food Company Employees Community Fund of Boeing ExxonMobil GE Foundation Genworth Foundation Georgia Pacific Corporation Goldman, Sachs & Co. Google, Inc. The Home Depot Foundation Humana Foundation IBM Corporation Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies JPMorgan Chase Foundation Los Angeles Times Macy’s, Inc. Medtronic Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation, Inc. Microsoft Corporation Monsanto Company
Art
Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc. Patagonia, Inc. Pfizer Foundation The Prudential Foundation Qualcomm, Inc. Rockwell Collins RSUI Schneider Electric North America Foundation Sempra Energy Sony Pictures Entertainment Stanley Black & Decker Tenet Healthcare Foundation Time Warner TRW Foundation Union Bank Foundation United Technologies Verizon Foundation VISA W.M. Keck Foundation Weingart Foundation Wells Fargo
Ro
62 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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Grant Gershon Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director
2015 | 2016 SEASON
GIVING A VOICE TO WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
THE RUSSIAN EVOLUTION
HANDEL: MESSIAH
MADE IN L.A.
REJOICE! BRASS TIDINGS Sun, Dec 13, 2015 – 7 pm
Sat, Apr 16, 2016 – 2 pm Sun, Apr 17, 2016 – 7 pm
FESTIVAL OF CAROLS
MESSIAH SING-ALONG
SONIC MASTERWORKS
Sat, Sep 26, 2015 – 2 pm Sun, Sep 27, 2015 – 7 pm
Sun, Dec 6, 2015 – 7 pm Sun, Dec 20, 2015 – 7 pm
Sun, Nov 15, 2015 – 7 pm Sat, Dec 5, 2015 – 2 pm Sat, Dec 12, 2015 – 2 pm
Wed, Dec 16, 2015 – 8 pm
MUSIC OF THE COAL MINER Sun, Mar 6, 2016 – 7:30 pm
ALEXANDER’S FEAST
Sun, Jun 5, 2016 – 7 pm
VERDI REQUIEM
Sat, Jan 30, 2016 – 2 pm Sun, Jan 31, 2016 – 7 pm
Chorale Photo: David Johnston
Artists, programs, dates and prices subject to change.
opening concert
The Russian Evolution Photo: Craig T. Mathew
Sat, Sep 26 at 2 pm Sun, Sep 27 at 7 pm
Robert deMaine
Tchaikovsky | Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Selections) Gretchaninov | Cherubic Hymn & Passion Week (Selections) Rachmaninoff | All-Night Vigil (Selections) Rachmaninoff | Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Selections) Andrei Ilyashenko | We Should Choose to Love Silence Sofia Gubaidulina | Canticle of the Sun WEST COAST PREMIERE with Robert deMaine, cello
TICKETS START AT $ 29! LAMC.ORG OR 213-972-7282
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SCHICCHI/PAGLIACCI continued from pg. 22
the HUNTINGTON STORE
Latin, no less—and violates every conceivable form of trust and lawful regulation, he does so for the plain and simple purpose of personal gain. It isn’t pretty, but it is the fundamental motivation for our own actions more times than we would care to admit.
Breaking the Barrier
Open Wed.–Mon., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California theHuntingtonStore.org
One of the most compelling aspects of these two operas is that each breaks the barrier of the fourth wall, that imaginary boundary between the actors and the audience. With Gianni Schicchi, we make it through the entire opera before this disturbing postscript annuls the cumulative comic impulse. In Pagliacci, the fourth wall is broken at the beginning and at the end of the opera, creating an instability that runs as an undercurrent through the whole piece. Direct address to the audience may not be quite the novelty it once was, but when it happens, it still has the power to shock. When those on stage speak directly to us—and note that in both of these operas, the breaking of the fourth wall is spoken rather than sung—we discover that we have been drawn against our will into an alternative reality of sorts, one neither of the stage nor of real life. In the case of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci, we become unwilling accomplices or at least powerless witnesses. Each opera presents a case for special pleading. Passion, love, jealousy and revenge are emotions to which we can all relate, but it doesn’t change the fact that Canio stabbed his wife and her lover. The Donatis are greedy and grasping and oblivious to the moral bankruptcy of their actions. What’s more, they are gullible enough to give Gianni Schicchi the power to outsmart them. We wince when Gianni Schicchi, formerly of Florence, now residing in hell, asks us to sympathize with his merry prank. But who wouldn’t, for just a moment, consider the extenuating circumstances before passing judgment?
p
r
Leann Davis Alspaugh is managing editor of The Hedgehog Review and writes about the performing and visual arts.
S
64 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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Become a memBer of the Kcet cinema SerieS
photo courtesy of creative commons
regiSter today! www.kcet.org/cinemaseries 747-201-5800 an eclectic SerieS of top-rated filmS excluSive Q&as with actorS, directorS and producerS. hoSted By film critic pete hammond Screenings take place at the aero theatre in Santa monica and arclight cinemas Sherman oaks. SponSored By: e. hofert dailey trust, James and paula coburn foundation, mitzi ash Blahd and the Johnny mercer foundation
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WANT TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES? GET AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT LA OPERA?
LEARN MORE ABOUT OPERA FROM EXPERTS?
MEET PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR LOVE OF OPERA? Drop b y the Op era Le ague’s SHOP AT THE OPERA All pro . fits go to supp LA Ope o r t ra’s ed ucation al progra mming .
For further information:
CALL 213.972.7220
Plácido Domingo and Nino Machaidze in La Traviata (September 2014). Photo: Craig Mathew.
EMAIL info@OperaLeague.org
VISIT OperaLeague.org
66 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
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HOLLYWOOD BOWL
CHEFS PICNIC CLUB The Hollywood Bowl picnic season is just around the corner. Make your experience memorable by becoming a member of Chefs Picnic Club. Every Monday during the Hollywood Bowl season, you will be emailed simple, innovative picnic recipes themed on the venue’s weekly programming, from the hottest chefs on the dining scene.
sign up for free recipes from top chefs hollywoodbowlpicnic.com
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brendan collins
joachim splichal
curtis stone
Ori Menashe
micah wexler
akasha richmond
ray garcia
david lefevre
Zoe nathan
kris morningstar
nick roberts + brooke williamson
jet tila
8/11/15 4:17 PM
THE MUSIC CENTER 2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Lisa Specht
William H. Ahmanson
DIRECTORS EMERITI
Craig A. Ellis
Walter F. Ulloa Catalina Joos Vergara Timothy S. Wahl Susan M. Wegleitner Alyce Williamson
SECRETARY
David Gindler Julie Goldsmith
Stephen G. Contopulos
Shelby Notkin TREASURER
Brindell Gottlieb
Lisa Whitney
Nancy P. Jacoby
BOARD CHAIR
Robert J. Abernethy Michael J. Pagano VICE CHAIRS
Karen Kay Platt
ASSISTANT TREASURER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Wallis Annenberg Louise Henry Bryson Dannielle Campos
GENERAL COUNSEL
Arthur D. Kraus Mattie McFadden-Lawson^ Nigel Lythgoe Bowen “Buzz” H. McCoy Elizabeth Michelson Darrell D. Miller Cindy Miscikowski Diane Paul Max Ramberg Joseph Rice Richard K. Roeder Joni J. Smith
INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO
Catharine Soros
Howard Sherman
Cynthia A. Telles
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Marc I. Stern Cary H. Thompson
^LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Peter K. Barker Judith Beckmen Eli Broad Ronald W. Burkle Lloyd E. Cotsen John B. Emerson* Lois Erburu Richard M. Ferry Bernard A. Greenberg Joanne D. Hale Stephen F. Hinchliffe, Jr. Amb. Glen A. Holden Stuart M. Ketchum Amb. Lester B. Korn Carolbeth Korn Kent Kresa Robert F. Maguire, III Ginny Mancini Edward J. McAniff Walter M. Mirisch Fredric M. Roberts Claire L. Rothman James A. Thomas Franklin E. Ulf Andrea L. Van de Kamp* Paul M. Watson Thomas R. Weinberger Rosalind W. Wyman *CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
SUPPORT THE MUSIC CENTER
CONTACT THE MUSIC CENTER
The Music Center Annual Fund supports world-class dance programming, nationally recognized arts education programs and participatory arts programs that inspire people of all ages and create opportunities for expression. It is only through unrestricted annual support that our innovative programs continue to grow.
General Information Theatre Rentals Filming Patina Restaurant Group/Catered Events Audio Description/Project D.A.T.E. (Direct Audience Theatre Experience) Lost and Found
For more information, please call (213) 972-4349.
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(213) 972-7211 (213) 972-3600 (213) 972-7334 (213) 972-3331 (213) 680-4017 (213) 972-2600
8/5/15 12:19 PM
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COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Through the support of the Board of Supervisors, the County of Los Angeles plays an invaluable role in the successful operation of The Music Center. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
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Hilda L. Solis
Sheila J. Kuehl
Michael D. Antonovich
FIRST DISTRICT
THIRD DISTRICT
FIFTH DISTRICT, CHAIRMAN
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Don Knabe
Patrick Ogawa
SECOND DISTRICT
FOURTH DISTRICT
ACTING EXECUTIVE OFFICER
8/5/15 12:19 PM
THE MUSIC CENTER WELCOMES
RACHEL MOORE
AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT & CEO We are delighted to announce that Rachel S. Moore, an accomplished leader in the performing arts, has been named president and CEO of The Music Center. Ms. Moore joins The Music Center from American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where she served as CEO since 2012 and as its executive director since 2004. After an extensive international search, Ms. Moore was selected for her proven management and strategic skills, along with her passion for the arts. Rachel Moore, The Music Center President & CEO. Photo by Jerry Ruotolo.
Ms. Moore comes from the performing arts, having danced with ABT as a member of its corps de ballet 1984-1988. She has been credited with transforming ABT’s brand during which ABT was recognized by the United States Congress as “America’s National Ballet Company” in 2005. In addition, she expanded the Company’s national presence with a breakthrough bi-coastal initiative with the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in California; developed strategic co-presenting partnerships with The Music Center and the Chicago Auditorium Theater; developed and launched the groundbreaking Project Plié program to increase diversity in professional ballet; expanded the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School by significantly increasing enrollment, implementing a “Healthy Dancer” initiative and building a pipeline for students from the school in the professional company; and created a worldwide teacher training and certification program for ballet teachers.
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Prior to ABT, Ms. Moore held senior positions in dance and arts administration, including director of Boston Ballet’s Center for Dance Education (2001-2004), North America’s largest professional ballet school; executive director for Boston classical music school Project Step (1998-2001); managing director for Ballet Theatre of Boston (1998); director of the Institute for Community Development and the Arts/National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (1995-1997); and development officer for the National Cultural Alliance (1994-1995). She has served as adjunct faculty for the Graduate Program in Arts Administration for both Columbia University and Boston University, and in the dance department of Emerson College. The Music Center’s Board Chair Lisa Specht said Ms. Moore is highly qualified to lead The Music Center. “She
not only has many years of experience in the performing arts, but has the energy, drive and creativity so important to running a performing arts center of the caliber of The Music Center.” Accepting her new appointment, Ms. Moore said, “This is an exciting time for performing arts institutions, and The Music Center has the opportunity to be a leader by establishing itself as the premiere destination in the Western United States for world-class, highly innovative experiences in the performing arts that are also sensitive to the needs and interests of a broader audience. I am honored to serve the County of Los Angeles as The Music Center’s next president and CEO.”
Please join us in welcoming Rachel S. Moore to The Music Center!
8/5/15 12:19 PM
At The Music Center September 2015
REDCAT: La Mélancolie des Dragons (The Melancholy of Dragons) Photo by Martin Argyroglo LA Master Chorale. Photo Source: David Johnston
LA Opera: Gianni Schicchi/I Pagliacci. Photo by Robert Millard
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Gianni Schicchi/Pagliacci LA Opera / 6:00 PM Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Runs through Oct 3
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
The Sound of Music 1:00 PM Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre Runs through Oct 31 Chris Cornell 7:00 PM LA Live / Walt Disney Concert Hall
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Philippe Quesne, Paris: La Mélancolie des Dragons (The Melancholy of Dragons) REDCAT / Roy & Edna Disney 8:30 PM CalArts Theater Runs through Sept 25
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Appropriate 8:00 PM Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum Runs through Nov 1
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Opening Night Concert & Gala 7:00 PM LA Phil / Walt Disney Concert Hall Irvine Arditti 8:30 PM REDCAT / Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theater
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
The Russian Evolution 2:00 PM LA Master Chorale / Walt Disney Concert Hall Runs through Sept 27
For more information, visit musiccenter.org or call (213) 972-7211.
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Angel City Jazz Festival 8:30 PM REDCAT / Roy & Edna Disney CalArts Theater
JOIN US @MusicCenterLA:
8/5/15 12:19 PM
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