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Cincinnati Opera

2015 season

•

June 18–July 31

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Verdi

IL TROVATORE Gordon/Hoffman

MORNING STAR Donizetti

DON PASQUALE Puccini

TURANDOT

Buy all 4 operas & save up to 15%!

Subscriptions begin at $99

cincinnatiopera.org

Spend your summer at the opera!

Be swept away by our kaleidoscopic, new production of Puccini’s Turandot (July 25-31).

Enjoy an alfresco preview of the season at Opera in the Park (June 7, Washington Park). Free admission!

New! Special packages for students and educators offer great deals on top of amazing subscriber savings. Call us to learn more.

A zany new production of Don Pasquale updates the action to 1950s Hollywood.

An invitation from the Artistic Director The 2015 season marks the 95th birthday of Cincinnati Opera and a decade since I became The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director. So much has changed over the years since we were founded, but one happy tradition continues: our annual summer season, which we assemble with care each year just for you, our audience.

This year, we’ve crafted a season that will inspire wonder and ignite passion. Three Italian classics make their exciting return to Music Hall after years-long absences: Verdi’s epic Il Trovatore, Donizetti’s rollicking Don Pasquale, and Puccini’s exotic and thrilling love story, Turandot, all in productions that are brand new to Cincinnati. And we’re excited to present the world premiere of Morning Star, a poignant story of an immigrant family’s love, loss, and perseverance, from one of the most in-demand composers of our time, Ricky Ian Gordon.

Subscribe today and experience it all!

See you at the opera,

Evans Mirageas The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director

{ } Finalist 2015 International Opera Awards

One of “America’s Top Opera Companies” The Huf fington Post

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Four thrilling performances, one extraordinary season.

This summer, become an Opera subscriber!

Subscribe today, and these benefits are yours: THE VIP Experience

Subscribers get to see it all and are first in line for seating selection, season updates, and other special deals. outstanding savings

A discount on every ticket! Subscribers receive up to 15% off regular prices.

Your Seats—Every Year

Love your seats? Only subscribers may renew them from one season to the next. free and flexible exchanges

If your schedule changes, it’s easy to exchange your seats by phone for another performance or production. Free for subscribers!

Buy More and Save

Want to bring a friend? Buy additional seats to any performance for 15% off regular ticket prices.

Reserved Parking

Guarantee your space in the convenient, accessible Washington Park garage for just $10 per performance. Ask us for details.

Order Now! See page 13 for details.

What’s Inside: 2015 Season Il Trovatore ............................. 5 Morning Star ......................... 7 Don Pasquale ........................ 9 Turandot ................................11 How to Subscribe....................... 13

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Giuseppe Verdi

Il Trovatore June 18 & 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

EXTRAORDINARY Voices and EPIC DRAMA

Under the gleaming moon, a voice rises to Leonora’s balcony, offering words of love. A troubadour has set her heart aflame, and she swears fidelity to him till the end. But all around them, a civil war rages, a jealous suitor is on their trail, and a Gypsy woman’s curse casts a menacing shadow.

When forces close in, Leonora faces the ultimate sacrifice to secure her beloved’s freedom.

Il Trovatore

Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano Leonora Julianna Di Giacomo Azucena Jamie Barton Manrico Russell Thomas Count di Luna Stephen Powell Ferrando Morris Robinson Ruiz Brandon Scott Russell Inez Kathryn Leemhuis

Conductor Cristian Macelaru Stage Director Jose Maria Condemi Original Scenic & Costume Designer John Conklin Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase Hair & Make-up Designer James D. Geier Chorus Master Henri Venanzi

From its thunderous overture to its tragic end, Verdi’s 1853 masterpiece Il Trovatore (“the troubadour”) thrills with exhilarating music and a tale of star-crossed love and bloody vengeance. Our production stars an outstanding cast, including soprano Julianna Di Giacomo as Leonora, a role in which she triumphed at the Metropolitan Opera. Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, called “a fresh wonder of the opera world” by The New Yorker’s Alex Ross, sings Azucena after recent starring appearances at the Met and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The “strong, clarionvoiced” (The New York Times) tenor Russell Thomas sings Leonora’s impassioned lover, Manrico, and Stephen Powell brings his “rich, lyric baritone, commanding presence, and thoughtful musicianship” (Wall Street Journal) to the role of Count di Luna. the opera

Sung in Italian with projected translation.

Performance length: 3 hours Costumes owned and constructed

by Seattle Opera.

Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

Julianna Di Giacomo Leonora

Jamie Barton Azucena

Russell Thomas Manrico

Stephen Powell Count di Luna

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world premiere!

Ricky Ian Gordon & William M. Hoffman

Morning Star

June 30, July 2, 8, 10 & 17 at 7:30 p.m.

July 12 & 19 at 3:00 p.m.

SCPA’s Corbett Theater

1910. New York’s Lower East Side. Their homeland now a memory, Becky Felderman and her children find hope in the promise of life in the New World. As the decades unfold, their dreams are tarnished by hardships—the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, World War I, and the Great Depression. Their story is our story—one of triumph and tragedy, struggle and sympathy, and a family that abides the trials of a lifetime. the opera We’re thrilled to present the

world premiere of this inspiring opera by celebrated composer Ricky Ian Gordon (The Grapes of Wrath, 27), whose musical style combines “Broadway clarity, artsong melodies, and jazzy flourishes with a sophisticated approach to harmony” (Opera News). Award-winning playwright William M. Hoffman has adapted Sylvia Regan’s 1940 play for the opera stage. Originating the role of Becky is Twyla Robinson, who last enchanted Cincinnati audiences in Der Rosenkavalier (2013).

Availability is limited—subscribe now for seats!

Morning Star

Music by Ricky Ian Gordon Libretto by William M. Hoffman Based on the play by Sylvia Regan Becky Twyla Robinson Sadie Elizabeth Pojanowski Fanny Jennifer Zetlan Esther Elizabeth Zharoff Aaron Greenspan Morgan Smith Irving Tashman Andrew Bidlack Harry Engel Andrew Lovato Rabbi Engel Kenneth Shaw Pearl Jeanine De Bique Prince Larry D. Hylton Hymie (child) Owen Gunderman Hymie (soldier) Spencer Viator Kathleen O’Fallin Leah de Gruyl Mary O’Fallin Adria Caffaro

Conductor Christopher Allen Stage Director Ron Daniels Scenic Designer Riccardo Hernandez Costume Designer Emily Rebholz Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase Projection Designer Wendall Harrington Hair & Make-up Designer James D. Geier

Sung in English with projected titles.

Performance length: 2 hours and 30 minutes A new production by Cincinnati Opera.

Twyla Robinson Becky

Elizabeth Pojanowski Sadie

Jennifer Zetlan Fanny

Elizabeth Zharoff Esther

Morgan Smith Aaron Greenspan

Tuesday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 12 at 3:00 p.m.

Friday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 19 at 3:00 p.m.

SCPA’s Corbett Theater

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Gaetano Donizetti

Don Pasquale July 9 & 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

A SPARKLING NEW SPIN on A CLASSIC COMEDY

Once the toast of Tinseltown, Don Pasquale’s life had become faded and gray. He yearned for someone who would bring a splash of color into his life, and a lovely young ingénue seemed just the ticket. She appeared sweet, demure, perfect! But in Don Pasquale’s Hollywood, everyone’s putting on an act and veering wildly off-script.

Don Pasquale

Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Giovanni Ruffini Norina Eglise Gutiérrez Don Pasquale Burak Bilgili Ernesto Ji-Min Park Dr. Malatesta Alexey Lavrov Conductor Richard Buckley Stage Director Chuck Hudson Scenic Designer Peter Nolle Costume Designer Kathleen Trott Lighting Designer Thomas C. Hase Projection Designer Doug Provost Hair & Make-up Designer James D. Geier Chorus Master Henri Venanzi

the oPEra After an absence of nearly two

decades, Don Pasquale returns to the Music Hall stage in a zany new production that updates the action to 1950s Hollywood.

With a “deep basso and perfect comic timing” (Cincinnati Enquirer), bass-baritone Burak Bilgili leads the cast in the title role.

The object of Pasquale’s amorous attentions, Norina, is sung by soprano Eglise Gutiérrez, who returns to Music Hall with her “beautiful sound” (The New York Times) after starring in La Traviata (2008). Her young lover, Ernesto, will be played by tenor Ji-Min Park in his U.S. debut, and baritone Alexey Lavrov brings a “rich voice and magnetic presence” (New York Observer) to the role of the scheming Dr. Malatesta. Conductor Richard Buckley leads the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Donizetti’s cheery and tuneful score.

Sung in Italian with projected translation.

Performance length: 2 hours and 45 minutes Production elements owned and constructed by Arizona Opera Scenic and Costume Shop.

Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

Eglise Gutiérrez Norina

Burak Bilgili Don Pasquale

Ji-Min Park Ernesto

Alexey Lavrov Dr. Malatesta

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Giacomo Puccini

Turandot July 25, 29 & 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

In ancient China, Princess Turandot is an enigmatic beauty who reigns with an iron fist and an ice-cold heart.

To her would-be wooers, she’s issued a decree: he who can answer her riddles will win her hand—all others will suffer punishment by death. When a mysterious man passes her test, will she finally open her heart to love? the opera Puccini’s final work is one of his grandest, featuring exotic locales, forbidden romance, and gorgeous melodies, including the rousing anthem “Nessun dorma.” Our kaleidoscopic, new production, called “miraculous” by Opera News, features stunning sets, costumes, and choreography.

Soprano Marcy Stonikas brings her “big, resonant voice” (Seattle Times) to the role of the ice princess, Turandot. With a voice of “lustrous beauty” (The New York Times), tenor Stuart Neill is her lovestruck suitor, Calàf. Soprano Norah Amsellem, praised for “a rich sound and elegant lyricism” (The New York Times), will portray the tragic Liù.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is led

by Ramón Tebar, music director of Florida Grand Opera.

An Opulent, new-to-cincinnati production

Turandot

Music by Giacomo Puccini Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni Turandot Marcy Stonikas Calàf Stuart Neill Liù Norah Amsellem Timur Andrea Mastroni Ping Jonathan Beyer Pang Julius Ahn Pong Joseph Hu A Mandarin Norman Garrett Emperor Altoum Chris Merritt

Conductor Ramón Tebar Stage Director & Choreographer Renaud Doucet Scenic & Costume Designer

André Barbe Lighting Designer Guy Simard Hair & Make-up Designer James D. Geier Chorus Master Henri Venanzi Sung in Italian with projected translation.

Performance length: 2 hours and 45 minutes A co-production of Cincinnati Opera, Minnesota Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Utah Opera, and Seattle Opera.

Scenery and costumes constructed at Minnesota Opera.

Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Music Hall

Marcy Stonikas Turandot

Stuart Neill Calàf

Norah Amsellem Liù

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Subscription Prices & Seating Chart Series Options Subscriptions include one ticket to each opera of the 2015 season: Il Trovatore, Morning Star, Don Pasquale, and Turandot.

1. Weekday Series:

Il Trovatore: June 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Morning Star: Choose a performance date from p. 8 Don Pasquale: July 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Turandot: July 29 at 7:30 p.m.

2. Weekend Series:

{ } Every subscription includes:

Il Trovatore: June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Morning Star: Choose a performance date from p. 8 Don Pasquale: July 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Turandot: July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

• Unbeatable savings • Early access to the

best seats • Free ticket exchanges • Discounts on additional tickets

Price & Seating Options PRICE

MUSIC HALL

l Premium Boxes and Aisles

$ 590

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l Premium Orchestra | Dress Circle

$490

l Preferred Orchestra | Dress Circle

$390

MUSIC HALL Includes one SCPA A-level ticket Includes one SCPA A-level ticket

Sides

1243 Elm Street

Center Balcony

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$ 250

a

BalCony

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l Rear Orchestra | Mid Gallery

$170

l Value Orchestra | Side Gallery

$ 99

Includes one SCPA D-level ticket

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Gallery

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$300

Includes one SCPA B-level ticket

Includes one SCPA C-level ticket

l A l B l C l D

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Includes one SCPA A-level ticket

l Side Orchestra | Side Balcony | Center Gallery

108 West Central Parkway o

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Includes one SCPA A-level ticket

l Front Boxes | Mid Orchestra |

Corbett Theater at SCPA p

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Illustrations Catrin Welz-Stein Photos p. 1 Turandot: Elise Bakketun/Seattle Opera; Don Pasquale: Ed Flores/Arizona Opera; all other photos: Philip Groshong; p. 2 Evans Mirageas: Philip Groshong; p. 3 Music Hall: Philip Groshong

Opera titles, artists, and performance dates/times subject to change. Please visit cincinnatiopera.org for updates.

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July 25, 29 & 31

Turandot

July 9 & 11

Don Pasquale

June 30–July 19

Morning Star

WORLD PREMIERE

June 18 & 20

Il Trovatore

2015 Season

Music Hall • 1243 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202

Patricia K. Beggs, General Director & CEO Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director

Preferred Healthcare Provider:

The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund

Additional Support:

Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust

The Corbett Foundation

“It would be hard to imagine a better musical performance.” –Opera News

“Nothing short of breathtaking!” –Cincinnati Enquirer

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