CARMEN program

BLO.ORG

A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN BOSTON LYRIC OPERA AND SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT | SEP 23 - OCT 2 | BOSTON OPERA HOUSE

ESTHER NELSON, STANFORD CALDERWOOD GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | DAVID ANGUS, MUSIC DIRECTOR | JOHN CONKLIN, ARTISTIC ADVISOR

THINK BOSTON ISN’T AN OPERA TOWN? THINK AGAIN. 4ODAYS.BLO.ORG #4ODAYSOFOPERA

4O DAYS OF OPERA: AUG 23 – OCT 2 Kicking off Boston Lyric Opera’s 4Oth Anniversary Season, 4O Days of Opera features opera-themed events and activities across the city: from performances to film screenings, lectures, walking tours, parties, online articles, oneof-a-kind videos—and more! Whether you’re an opera lover or an opera novice, join us in this community-wide celebration of this unique and vibrant art form.

Visit 40days.blo.org for a full list of events and programs.

4O DAYS OF OPERA PARTNERS BLO is honored to collaborate with many of Boston’s leading opera producers to create opportunities for opera-goers and novices to experience opera throughout Boston and beyond.

Our 4O Days of Opera partners include: ArtsBoston ArtsEmerson Beth Morrison Projects Boston Baroque Boston By Foot Boston Center for Adult Education Boston Conservatory Boston Early Music Festival Boston Midsummer Opera Boston Opera Collaborative The Boston Opera Guy Boston Opera House Boston Public Library Boston Public Schools Arts Office Brighter Boston Celebrity Series of Boston

Emmanuel Music Friends of Madame White Snake Guerilla Opera Handel + Haydn Society Henry Purcell Society of Boston Longwood Opera MetroWest Opera NEMPAC Opera Project New England Gealogical Society New England Opera Club Odyssey Opera Opera on Tap OperaHub Opus Affair Somerville Theatre

“ The Boston Lyric Opera, founded in 1976, presents only a handful of productions a year, but clearly intends them to catch the interest of operagoers around the country.”

WELCOME

– the new york times

Welcome to Carmen in the Opera House. Professional opera has not been seen on this historic stage for more than 25 years. The American impresario and conductor Sarah Caldwell reimagined this space in 1980 as the Boston Opera House and presented her Opera Company of Boston here for more than ten years. Many famous names, including Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills, walked these boards and sang for Boston audiences.

Ms. Caldwell established her company in 1957, bringing opera throughout New England, staging works in unique locations, and making the city a nexus for the art form. Opera Company of Boston ended, sadly, in 1990. But the DNA and legacy of Sarah’s work are inextricably part of Boston Lyric Opera, and some of her champions are still with us today on our Board or as supporters. Here, at the start of our 4Oth Season—which marks us as the most enduring professional opera company in Boston’s history—we are honored to return opera to the stage of the Boston Opera House.

Calixto Bieito’s staging of Bizet’s Carmen is visceral and provocative. Through this production—which we co-produced with San Francisco Opera—Mr. Bieito makes his American opera debut. His stagings have often pushed audiences around the world beyond their comfortable emotional and psychological boundaries. This production also does not shy away from the dangerous and violent society that is, after all, inherent in the story. It is neither picturesque nor predictable but real with an honest sense of love, desperation, passion and sorrow. Our Carmen is the kind of large-scale work that is best seen on a grand stage like this one. We are grateful to the Opera House management team, particularly Don Law, and the staff for their wonderful support, which made this event possible.

As we open our 4Oth Season, we also want to express our gratitude to the City of Boston, especially Mayor Martin J. Walsh who, with Chief of Arts and Culture Julie Burros and Chief of Policy Joyce Linehan, has supported our anniversary year; all three continue to assist in our efforts to identify a future home. We celebrate this Season with all our friends and colleagues, the many enterprising opera producers in Boston from the smaller companies to the larger, as well as the universities, colleges, and conservatories. But most of all, I thank you—our loyal patrons and donors—for your curiosity, and your deep commitment and support of our artistic vision. Your support bodes well for the future of the art form in Boston, and our next 4O years.

Finally, a private note of thanks to Sarah Caldwell: thank you for paving a path for an opera company in Boston, for being a pioneering woman leader in the arts, for your unwavering personal encouragement of me over thirty years ago to stick with opera, and for imagining this theater to tell stories like those of the gypsy Carmen. Thank you for your often-quoted reminder, “If you can sell green toothpaste in this country you can sell opera.” Yes, you can! I like to think you are celebrating with us today.

PROGRAM CONTENTS

Board of Directors 2

Primal Instinct: An Interview 4 with Calixto Bieito

Cast & Synopsis 8

Meet the Artists 11

Production Staff & 16 Acknowledgments

BLO Staff & Volunteers 17

In Perfect Harmony: 18 BLO & Carmen

The Opera Gala 20

Fall Events Calendar 26

Donors 27 Emerging Artists 31

4O Years of BLO: A Timeline 32

Esther Nelson Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director

Welcome 1

The Boston Opera House 34 ON OUR COVER: MEZZO-SOPRANO JENNIFER JOHNSON CANO, PHOTO BY LIZA VOLL PHOTOGRAPHY

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR As Boston Lyric Opera opens its 4Oth Season with this run of Carmen, I am again reminded of the critical role that the performing arts—and opera in particular—play in building communities.

The production of any opera relies on several strong communities: the communities of artists who create, perform, shape, choreograph and direct the work; the communities inherent in the opera industry—leaders and influencers who assess, critique and build an infrastructure so the work can find a first home; the community of funders— individual, corporate, foundation and government—who believe early in the work and provide crucial support to get it on its feet; and of course, the community of arts lovers like you, who invest your curiosity, your time and your resources with the expectation of an entertaining and memorable experience.

Our 4Oth Season is a special tribute to our community of opera and vocal music colleagues in the Greater Boston area. Late last month, we launched “4O Days of Opera,” a new initiative inspired by our 4O years but anchored by the many professional arts and cultural entities in town who work as hard as we do to keep opera alive and relevant. Through the final performance of Carmen on October 2, Boston will see a stunning amount of opera activity in this great community of committed artists and music lovers.

If you’ve not been part of the “4O Days” yet, you still have time. And if you missed the programming across the city these past six weeks, there’s plenty more to come. And BLO will be there to support and cheer it on.

If you like this production of Carmen, please engage your own community in the fun: tell your friends and family to come.

Attend one or more of the other amazing productions in our Season. And search for the #40DaysOfOpera hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to find other exciting music performances in the region. Together, we can build a bigger, more supportive environment for opera in Greater Boston.

Michael J. Puzo Chair, Board of Directors

BOARD

Thomas D. Gill, Jr.

BOARD OF OVERSEERS

CHAIR Michael J. Puzo

Barbara Winter Glauber

VICE-CHAIR Wayne Davis

Horace H. Irvine II

CO-CHAIRS L. Joseph LoDato Samuel Y. Parkinson Lawrence St. Clair

VICE-CHAIR & TREASURER Frank Wisneski CLERK Susan W. Jacobs STANFORD CALDERWOOD GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Esther Nelson, Ex Officio Linda Cabot Black Willa Bodman Miguel de Bragança Alicia Cooney Alan Dynner Susan D. Eastman Andrew L. Eisenberg, Esq.

Mimi Hewlett Amelia Welt Katzen Maria J. Krokidas Jeffrey E. Marshall Abigail B. Mason A. Neil Pappalardo E. Lee Perry Irving H. Plotkin William Pounds Rusty Rolland David W. Scudder Susan R. Shapiro David Shukis Ray Stata Wynne W. Szeto Christopher Tadgell Lady Juliet Tadgell

James Ackerman Sarah E. Ashby Elizabeth Barker Edward Bell Richard M. Burnes, Jr. Ellen Cabot Carol Gram Deane Nicholas J. DiMauro Jessica Donohue Joseph Glenmullen Catherine E. Grein Amy Hunter William A. Hunter Louise Johnson Ellen Kaplan Stephen T. Kunian Pamela S. Kunkemueller

Russell Lopez Anita Loscalzo M. Lynne Markus Jane Pisciottoli Papa Barbara Goodwin Papesch Susanne Potts Carl Rosenberg Allison K. Ryder Wendy Shattuck Richard Trant Robert Walsh Lydia Kenton Walsh Peter J. Wender Bertram Zarins Tania Zouikin

EMERITI

Steven P. Akin J.P. Barger Sherif A. Nada

As of September 9, 2016.

2 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

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PIERCE HARMAN

The Opera Gala 2015

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BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 3

PRIMAL INSTINCT:

AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR CALIXTO BIEITO IN ADVANCE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA PRODUCTION OF CARMEN Called by some the “Quentin Tarantino of opera,” Catalan director Calixto Bieito first received international notoriety for his 2004 production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Berlin’s Komische Oper. Depicting graphic scenes of rape, fellatio, and torture, the sold-out production established Bieito as one of Europe’s foremost opera directors, loved and hated for his shockingly contemporary visions of cruelty and sexuality.

With this production of Carmen, Bieito is making his American operatic debut. Transporting the ramparts of 19th-century Seville to post-Franco Spain (and, specifically, the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta in North Africa), Bieito has created a provocative— and compelling—staging that will undoubtedly challenge opera lovers.

According to revival director Joan Anton Rechi, the production’s few scenes of nudity, violence, and sensuality aren’t gratuitous but serve a well-defined dramatic purpose. He cites, for instance, the opening scene of Act III featuring a naked toreador as an allusion to the ritualistic “moon baptism” that superstitious bullfighters take part in the night before a bullfight.

“Calixto wanted a high level of realism to show a wild and cruel universe full of passions and primal virility,” says Rechi. “It was important not to fall into the folkloristic clichés of flamenco.”

Rather, he says, this production is more faithful to the gritty and raw naturalism of the original Mérimée novel that Bizet and his co-librettists adapted.

MONIKA RITTERSHAUS

In his interview with mezzo-soprano Judith Malafronte, Bieito delved deeper into aspects of character, Carmen’s universal themes, and the creative process.

BY JUDITH MALAFRONTE

4 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

Do you see Carmen as a feminist, a femme fatale, a victim, or maybe all three? Is she perhaps something else entirely?

She is none of these three things. Carmen doesn’t represent anything or anybody. She is a person of flesh and bone. The challenge with Carmen is that she doesn’t fall into any of those

categories. She is simply human. She’s a young woman in the context of a difficult life where she’s had to survive. Like Lorca says, I love characters whose blood you can see…authentic characters.

Who is Carmen today?

She’s a person who loves life, and lives it without limits.

She enjoys exploring the limits of other people and her own limits. But she does this naturally, without having to construct an artifice or a personality. She has no perspective on herself.

She’s a human being in all its simplicity and complexity.

She’s intuitive, earthy, passionate, melancholy, sensitive… a young person with desires to drink up life.

Some people think that the fatalistic Carmen is looking all along for the man who will kill her. Do you think so?

No, Carmen is not looking for a man who will kill her. Not at all.

She likes Don José. I think Carmen is a woman who has a strong connection with life and death. She thinks about her death, but she doesn’t want to die. Of course, she is living in a dangerous and violent society and she knows Don José is a violent person.

But I insist she doesn’t want to die.

To what extent is the opera about control?

This opera, from my point of view, deals with limits, the emotional and physical boundaries between people, and about freedom, love, violence, sorrow, desperation, solitude.

ALASTAIR MUIR

Carmen performed by English National Opera at The London Coliseum, 2012.

How do you answer those who complain that your production is not “Spanish” enough? How important is the Spanish setting or the gypsy milieu?

Carmen is not a Spanish opera. In fact, today Carmen belongs to humanity like the works of Shakespeare or Cervantes. My Carmen is not picturesque, nor folkloric, nor a collection of engravings of a stereotypical old Spain. It’s a Carmen that walks along the border.

Are you making any changes for this revival?

Each new production of this Carmen is filled with the singers’ authenticity. Each one of my Carmens is different and similar at the same time. However, the Carmen in San Francisco will be genuinely new.

What qualities do you most admire in the singers you work with?

Freedom, generosity, kindness, and most of all dramatic and vocal talent.

Originally published by San Francisco Opera. Introduction by Matthew Erikson, Publications Editor.

American mezzo-soprano Judith Malafronte is currently on the faculty at Yale University and writes regularly for Opera News.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 5

6 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

“ One thing I learned from this project was that a group of people that work together can make an amazing thing.”

– student participant

OPERA IS FOR

EVERYONE OPERA GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL In partnership with the BPS Visual and Performing Arts Office and Brighter Boston, BLO brings Carmen into the Boston Public Schools, creating a unique educational opportunity for high school students to engage up-close with the art form of opera through arts-integrated lessons and an intimate performance by BLO’s principal cast.

OPERA IN THE CLASSROOM BLO is committed to keeping the arts in schools, offering professional development for educators with the Music! Words!

Opera! curriculum and the year-long Create Your Own Opera Partnership program in classrooms throughout Greater Boston.

FINAL DRESS REHEARSALS FOR STUDENTS BLO invites high school and college students to attend Final Dress Rehearsals for free and provides study materials specific to each production. Often this is students’ first experience with opera.

EVERY NIGHT: FREE STUDENT TICKETS TO CARMEN BLO is committed to making opera accessible to all of Boston’s audiences. In celebration of our 4Oth Season, BLO is giving away 4O free tickets to each performance of Carmen exclusively for high school and college students.

For more information on BLO’s Community Engagement & Educational Programs, visit BLO.org

Above clockwise: Students perform their classroom opera, Liza Voll Photography; teachers participate in the M!W!O! Training, staff photo; BLO Artists Heather Gallagher and Omar Najmi perform in a local school, staff photo.

Students prepare backstage for a classroom performance opera performance, Liza Voll photography; high school students attend a Final Dress Rehearsal, photo courtesy of Bedford High School. BLO Teaching Artist engaging students, Ben Gebo Photography.

A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN BOSTON LYRIC OPERA AND SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

MUSIC DIRECTOR DAVID ANGUS

2016/17 Season Sponsor, Linda Cabot Black

Music by Georges Bizet Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

CONDUCTOR

DAVID ANGUS

Sponsored by Linda Cabot Black

PRODUCTION

CALIXTO BIEITO*

REVIVAL DIRECTOR

JOAN ANTON RECHI*

Sung in French with English surtitles, provided by San Francisco Opera.

SET DESIGNER

ALFONS FLORES*

COSTUME DESIGNER

MERCÈ PALOMA*

PERFORMANCES:

LIGHTING DESIGNER

ROBERT WIERZEL

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 AT 7PM GALA OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE

ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER

AMITH CHANDRASHAKER*

FIGHT DIRECTOR

ANDREW KENNETH MOSS

WIG AND MAKEUP DESIGNER

JASON ALLEN

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA ORCHESTRA

Sponsored by Anonymous

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AT 3PM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 AT 7:30PM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 AT 3PM

Performed in four acts with one intermission after Act II. Performance running time is approximately two hours and fifty minutes.

BOSTON OPERA HOUSE 539 WASHINGTON STREET BOSTON MA 02111

*Boston Lyric Opera Debut

† Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin

Emerging Artist

‡ B oston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin

Emerging Artist Alumnus

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CHORUS

SANDRA KOTT Concertmaster MICHELLE ALEXANDER Chorusmaster

Sponsored by Mimi Hewlett and Pamela S. Kunkemueller

VOICES BOSTON

STEVEN LIPSITT Artistic Director

REHEARSAL COACH/ACCOMPANISTS

CHRISTOPHER CANO* BRETT HODGDON‡

FRENCH LANGUAGE COACH

SOPHIE MICHAUX

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS

NATHAN TROUP† ANDERSON NUNNELLEY†

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

CHELSEA ANTRIM DENNIS

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF HORACE H. IRVINE II. CREATIVE TEAM SPONSORED BY STEVEN AND JANE AKIN, MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL PUZO, DAVID AND MARIE LOUISE SCUDDER

CAST CAST in order of appearance

LILLAS PASTIA................................................................YUSEF LAMBERT*

GIRL.. .......................................................................................... LILY WATERS*

Sponsored by Wayne Davis and Ann Merrifield

FRASQUITA..................................................KATHRYN SKEMP MORAN

Sponsored by Anonymous

MORALÈS........................................................... VINCENT TURREGANO† Sponsored by the Susan A. Babson Opera Fund for Emerging Artists

MERCÉDÈS......................................................... HEATHER GALLAGHER‡

Sponsored by Miguel and Suki de Bragança

MICAËLA.........................................................................CHELSEA BASLER‡ Sponsored by Willa and Taylor Bodman

ESCAMILLO.. ..................................................................... MICHAEL MAYES

Sponsored by Wendy Shattuck and Sam Plimpton

ZUNIGA.................................................................................... LIAM MORAN‡ Sponsored by Gregory E. Moore and Wynne W. Szeto

EL DANCAIRO..........................................................ANDREW GARLAND

Sponsored by State Street Corporation

MANUELITA.......................................................................GINA DeFREITAS

EL REMENDADO.. ............................................................SAMUEL LEVINE

Sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Eric and Elaine Bucher

CARMEN..................................................... JENNIFER JOHNSON CANO Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stata

DON JOSÉ................................................................ ROGER HONEYWELL Sponsored by Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski

TORERO.. .........................................................................JUNICHI FUKUDA*

Soldiers, children, cigarette girls, gypsies, smugglers

TIME AND PLACE: Modern-day Ceuta (autonomous Spanish city in North Africa) ACT I: A street in Ceuta ACT II: At Lillas Pastia’s INTERMISSION ACT III: A smugglers’ enclave ACT IV: Outside the bullfighting arena

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 9

SYNOPSIS ACT I Outside a cigarette factory, men press forward to see the cigarette girls, especially the gypsy Carmen. She sings a habanera and throws a flower to Don José, a corporal in the Dragoons. He is perturbed, yet moved by her gesture. His fiancée Micaëla arrives, bringing greetings from his far-away mother. A furious fight, started by Carmen, breaks out in the factory. She is arrested and handed over to José. During the interrogation conducted by the lieutenant Zuniga, Carmen refuses to answer questions; instead, she cheekily sings to herself. Once alone with José, she promises him a rendezvous later that night—if he lets her escape. José feigns being thrown to the ground, enabling Carmen to run off. José’s superiors see through his ruse, and he is taken to prison.

ACT II Carmen sings and dances with two of her female friends, Frasquita and Mercédès.

Later, the toreador Escamillo enters. Carmen rejects his advances, saying she is in love with José. The band of smugglers invites Carmen to join them on a heist, but she hears of José approaching. Carmen shoos everyone out and dances for him.

A bugle call is heard from the streets. José, who has been demoted to the rank of private, says he must now return to the barracks. Carmen derides and mocks him, which tortures José. In the meantime, Zuniga returns with hopes of seducing the beautiful gypsy. Blind with jealousy, José flings himself at his superior officer, but the smugglers enter and separate them. They urge José to join their band and he has no choice but to do so.

ACT III José, who has been forced to accompany Carmen into hiding, thinks with remorse of his aged mother. Carmen is tired of him. She engages in a tarot card reading with Frasquita and Mercédès. The cards reveal that her fate is sealed: it will be the death for her and José. The smugglers go off with the women to do their shady business. Micaëla enters, looking for José. She hides waiting for him to return.

Escamillo arrives looking for Carmen. The jealous José provokes a fight with the toreador as Carmen arrives just in time to separate them. Micaëla’s presence is discovered, and she tells José that his mother is dying and beseeches him to follow her. José, stricken with grief and jealousy, follows Micaëla out, but not before promising—and threatening—Carmen that he will return.

ALASTAIR MUIR

ACT IV

Carmen performed by English National Opera at The London Coliseum, 2012.

10 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

A square is filled by a noisy crowd awaiting the arrival of the bullfighter. Escamillo enters with Carmen on his arm. Frasquita and Mercédès warn Carmen of José whom they have seen lurking around. Carmen shuns their warnings, and says that she will confront José and end the relationship once and for all. After the crowd funnels into the arena, José implores Carmen to come back to him and love him again. She tosses away the ring which he had given her, and defiantly proclaims her love for Escamillo. Just as Escamillo defeats the bull, José stabs Carmen to death. He falls sobbing over her corpse, calling out her name in despair and admitting his guilt.

Synopsis courtesy of San Francisco Opera.

ARTISTS DAVID ANGUS Conductor David Angus is Music Director of Boston Lyric Opera, following a very successful period as Music Director of Glimmerglass Opera. He conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra every season and is also Honorary Conductor of the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, where he was Chief Conductor for many years and built the orchestra into one of the most exciting young orchestras in Northern Europe. Mr. Angus now conducts opera all over Europe and North America. He began his career working at Glyndebourne, where he conducted a wide range of operas, and he went on to work in Italy and then across Europe. In the concert hall, he performs particularly in the UK and Scandinavia, and next season will also see him in Italy, Ireland and Portugal, as well as returning to his former orchestra in Belgium. He has recorded many CDs and broadcasts regularly on classical radio channels.

CALIXTO BIEITO Production Since his first operatic staging—Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna at Opera Zuid, Maastricht, in 1999— Calixto Bieito has staged operas by Verdi (Un Ballo in Maschera, Macbeth, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Don Carlos), Mozart (Don Giovanni, Così Fan Tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Wagner (Der Fliegende Holländer, Parsifal, Tannhäuser), Puccini, Berg (Wozzeck, Lulu), Gluck (Armida), Beethoven (Fidelio) at the most renowned international opera houses such as English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Vlaamse Opera, Theater Basel, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Stuttgart Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, Den Norske Opera Oslo, Bayerische Staastoper, Munich and Opéra National de Paris. He first presented his staging of Carmen in Spain in 1999, followed by productions and revivals at Opera Ireland, Dublin (2002), Vlaamse Opera, Antwerp and Ghent (2004), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona (2010), Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid (2009), Theater Basel (2011), Teatro Massimo, Palermo (2011), La Fenice, Venice (2012), Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo in Bogotá (2012), English National Opera (2012), Den Norske Opera Oslo (2015), and San Francisco Opera (2016). He was awarded an Abbiati Award 2011 by the Italian Association of Musical Critics for his staging of Carmen. Forthcoming: La Forza del Destino at The Metropolitan Opera, New York.

JOAN ANTON RECHI Revival Director Joan Anton Rechi is making his Boston Lyric Opera debut with Carmen. He acted in theaters and on television before starting to work as a production assistant for directors, including Calixto Bieito, Robert Carsen and Willy Decker. He began his own work as a director in 2003 with a theatrical adaptation of Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers at Barcelona’s Romea Theater. Recent engagements include a new production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Darmstadt, Germany and the premiere of Salome in Bogotá, Colombia.

Upcoming engagements include Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte in Oviedo, Spain; Verdi’s Il Trovatore at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu; and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Dusseldorf, Germany.

ALFONS FLORES Set Designer Alfons Flores has collaborated with such directors as Àlex Ollé (La Fura dels Baus), Joan Lluís Bozzo, Carlos Wagner and Guy Joosten. With Calixto Bieito, he has designed sets for Un Ballo in Maschera, Don Giovanni, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Die Fledermaus and Wozzeck. His work with Barcelona’s La Fura dels Baus has included sets for Le Grand Macabre, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Enescu’s Oedipe. He has also designed sets for the World Premiere of Francesconi’s Quartett at La Scala. Mr. Flores has been awarded critics’ prizes in Dublin and Barcelona.

MERCÈ PALOMA Costume Designer Mercè Paloma studied Art History at the University of Barcelona. Her extensive theatre credits include many collaborations with Calixto Bieito, most recently Barbaric Comedies and Life is a Dream at the Edinburgh Festival, Macbeth at the Salzburg Festival, and Peer Gynt in Norway. Opera credits include Così Fan Tutte and Die Fledermaus for Welsh National Opera; Don Giovanni and Un Ballo in Maschera for English National Opera and Royal Danish Opera; Tosca, Wozzeck, and Manon Lescaut for Frankfurt Opera; Carmen and Il Mondo della Luna for Opera Zuid of Maastricht; Parsifal and La Fanciulla del West for Stuttgart Opera, Il Trovatore for Staatsoper of Hannover; Cavalleria/Pagliacci for ABAO Bilbao and Salome for Bogotá Opera. She has also designed extensively for Spanish and Catalan television as well as the films A Los que Aman, El Mar, and Stella Cadente.

Awards include Barcelona Critics Theatre Award 2007 and Gaudí Film Award for Pa Negre, and Stella Cadente.

ROBERT WIERZEL Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel returns to Boston Lyric Opera where his most recent production with the Company was The Merry Widow. He has worked with artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds in art, opera, theatre, and dance on stages throughout the country and abroad. His opera credits include productions with the companies of Paris Palais-Garnier, Tokyo, Toronto, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass, Chicago Lyric, Washington DC, and Seattle, among many others. His theatre work has been seen at many major companies throughout the country, as well as on and off Broadway, including Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill, starring Audra McDonald, and the Broadway musical Fela! (Tony Award nomination). Mr. Wierzel has a 31-year history with the director/choreographer Bill T. Jones and the BTJ/AZ Company. He is a faculty member of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 11

ARTISTS ANDREW KENNETH MOSS Fight Director A resident of Boston, Andrew Kenneth Moss’ work was featured in Boston Lyric Opera’s Don Giovanni and I Puritani. Other Boston credits include: A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Company), The Convert (Central Square Theater), Don Giovanni and La Tragédie de Carmen (Boston University Opera Institute). International credits include: West Side Story (Adger Teater Kilden, Norway), Porgy and Bess (75th Anniversary International Tour), Safe (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Additional credits include: Armida (The Metropolitan Opera), Dead Man Walking, West Side Story, Carmen, and Oklahoma! (Central City Opera). Mr. Moss has been a Guest Instructor/ Lecturer at New York University, University of Oklahoma, Boston University, The New England Conservatory, Oklahoma City University, Hofstra University, and The School of Visual Arts.

JASON ALLEN Wig and Makeup Designer Jason Allen has been BLO’s Resident Wig and Makeup Designer since 2003. A fixture of the Boston performing arts community, he also works with Huntington Theatre Company, Boston Ballet, and many other organizations in Boston and throughout the country.

JENNIFER JOHNSON CANO Mezzo-Soprano CARMEN Jennifer Johnson Cano is a 2012 Richard Tucker Career Grant and 2014 George London Award winner. She won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2008, and made her Met debut in 2009/10. As first-prize winner of the 2009 Young Concert Artist International Auditions, she has debuted with pianist Christopher Cano at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and The Kennedy Center. Ms. Cano has performed at the Met as Mercédès, Emilia, Hansel, Nicklausse, Wellgunde and Waltraute, as well as Meg Page in Falstaff and Bersi in Andrea Chénier. She has appeared as Donna Elvira with Boston Lyric Opera and Arizona Opera, Dido with Opera Saratoga and in Orfeo with Des Moines Opera. Ms. Cano has continuing relationships with the Cleveland Orchestra, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and Minnesota Orchestra. She gives her European debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in London and Paris in December.

ROGER HONEYWELL Tenor DON JOSÉ Roger Honeywell returns to Boston Lyric Opera as Don José in Carmen. He appeared as Count Danilo in BLO’s The Merry Widow after performing it at Michigan Opera Theatre in the 2014/15 Season. Mr. Honeywell performed with the Théâtre du Châtelet as Torasso in Sondheim’s Passion and in the World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain in the role of Veasey with Santa Fe Opera. He also appeared in Calgary as Nikolaus Sprink for the Canadian premiere of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with Vancouver Opera. This past July, he appeared as Archbishop Roche in the World Premiere of John Estacio’s Ours with Opera on the Avalon in Newfoundland, Canada. This Season, Mr. Honeywell joins The Royal Opera, Covent Garden for their production of The Exterminating Angel.

MICHAEL MAYES Baritone ESCAMILLO Michael Mayes has performed with opera companies across the United States including Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera Omaha, Cincinnati Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Kentucky Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Central City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, New Orleans Opera, Syracuse Opera, Opera Delaware, UrbanArias, Pensacola Opera, Opera Parallèle, Opera Memphis, Bard SummerScape, and Fort Worth Opera. In the 2016/17 Season and beyond, Mr. Mayes will make his debut with Washington National Opera in his celebrated role of Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking, and will also take the role to Pensacola Opera. Additionally, he will sing OlderThompson in Glory Denied with Nashville Opera, Doug in Everest with Dallas Opera, and make his debut at the Teatro Real in Madrid.

12 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

ARTISTS CHELSEA BASLER Soprano MICAËLA Chelsea Basler is a Boston resident and BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumna. An awardwinning soprano, Ms. Basler’s BLO credits include Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Flora Bervoix in La Traviata and Isolt the Fair in The Love Potion. She recently debuted the role of Sara in the World Premiere of Cold Mountain with Santa Fe Opera, played Josephine in HMS Pinafore (Opera Saratoga), and Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men (Sarasota Opera). Other recital and oratorio credits include a recital at the National Opera Center in New York City and Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. She performed the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Saratoga this summer and will join Virginia Opera to cover the role of Liù in their production of Turandot.

LIAM MORAN Bass ZUNIGA A BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus, Liam Moran’s BLO credits include I Puritani, Rigoletto and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has performed with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony and Washington Concert Opera. Last Season included his return to Madison Opera as Colline in La Bohème and Verdi’s Requiem with the Finger Lakes Choral Society. The 2016/17 Season will see returns to Madison Opera as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, and The Metropolitan Opera for Der Rosenkavalier.

VINCENT TURREGANO Baritone MORALÈS Vincent Turregano returns to Boston Lyric Opera for his second Season as a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist. Mr. Turregano was most recently seen in The Merry Widow and in Puccini’s La Bohème. He spent two summers with Marilyn Horne at The Music Academy of the West where he performed in Carmen as an ensemble member and La Cenerentola as Dandini. Mr. Turregano is an avid recitalist. This past season, he could be found in Louisiana, Arizona, and Massachusetts giving recitals in varying repertoire. His love of contemporary classical music is a driving force in his performance career. From Ligeti to Stucky, he enjoys the challenge and nerve that it takes to bring convincing and powerful performances of new music to all audiences.

ANDREW GARLAND Baritone EL DANCAIRO During the 2016/17 Season, Andrew Garland will perform as Guglielmo in Così Fan Tutte with Ash Lawn Opera, and as Dr. Joseph Talbot in the World Premiere of William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight with Minnesota Opera. On the concert stage, he joins New York Festival of Song at the Moab Music Festival, Boston Baroque, Colorado Bach Ensemble, Amherst Bach Festival, and the Houston Symphony for the World Premiere of A New Requiem by Gabriela Lena Frank. Recent highlights include Papageno in the The Magic Flute with Boston Baroque and Boston Lyric Opera; Dandini in La Cenerentola with Bob Jones University; Opera Philadelphia and Fort Worth Opera; Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Seattle Opera; and the title role in Galileo Galilei at Cincinnati Opera. He has performed in concert with the Colorado Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Handel and Haydn Society, and The National Philharmonic, among others. Mr. Garland is widely recognized as a leader in recital work with dozens of performances around the country.

SAMUEL LEVINE Tenor EL REMENDADO Samuel Levine, a candidate for the Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School, was featured this Season as Le Mari in Les Mamelles de Tirésias; in recital with Steven Blier under the auspices of NYFOS@Juilliard and the 5 Boroughs Music Festival; and First Armed Guard in Die Zauberflöte. He also appeared as Testo in Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with Cantata Profana; as Lenski in Eugene Onegin with Eugene Opera; and his debut with Bard SummerScape in Mascagni’s Iris. Recent highlights include Don José in Carmen with Savannah Voice Festival, Narraboth in Salome with Virginia Opera, and the dual roles of Testo in Il Combattimento and Noah in the World Premiere of Lembit Beecher’s I Have No Stories to Tell You with Gotham Chamber Opera. Upcoming engagements include a debut with Opera Philadelphia, and a return to Juilliard. He is a graduate of Yale University, the Oberlin College Conservatory, and the young artist training programs of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Santa Fe Opera.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 13

ARTISTS KATHRYN SKEMP MORAN Soprano FRASQUITA Kathryn Skemp Moran most recently appeared with Boston Lyric Opera as Bubikopf in Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis and as Flora in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. Other roles include Laurie in The Tender Land with Madison Opera, Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Utah Opera and Jano in Jenůfa with Glimmerglass Opera.

She has appeared with the Boston Pops on tour and at Symphony Hall with Keith Lockhart and off-Broadway in The Music Teacher with The New Group. Ms. Skemp Moran earned a Bachelor of Music and Musical Theater degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Music Degree from Boston University.

HEATHER GALLAGHER Mezzo-Soprano MERCÉDÈS Heather Gallagher is a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumna. BLO credits include Sylviane in The Merry Widow, Kätchen in Werther and Isolt’s Mother in The Love Potion. Additional credits include Marquise in La Fille du Régiment with Opera North, the title role in Carmen with MetroWest Opera, Charlotte in Les Lettres de Werther with Boston Opera Collaborative, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro with Vero Beach Opera and Asakir in the Boston premiere of Sumeida’s Song with Boston Opera Collaborative. Ms. Gallagher is a recipient of numerous awards and honors including BLO’s Shrestinian Award, First Place in the Peter Elvin’s Competition and MetroWest Opera Competition, and an Encouragement Award from the Licia Albanese Competition.

YUSEF LAMBERT Actor LILLAS PASTIA Yusef Lambert is making his Boston Lyric Opera debut and last played Lillas Pastia in the San Francisco Opera’s Carmen. A recent East Coast transplant, his work has been seen at the American Conservatory Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Playhouse, The Annex Theatre in Seattle, Shakespeare at Stinson, The Lord Leebrick Theatre, and the Guerilla Mime Theatre. He is a founding member of the Tongue and Groove Theatre, an award-winning commedia dell’arte theater in Austin, Texas. Mr. Lambert also can be seen in the award-winning film The Magic Man, as well as various projects in the commercial industry.

14 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS BOSTON LYRIC OPERA ORCHESTRA VIOLA VIOLIN I Kenneth Stalberg Principal Sandra Kott Concertmaster David Feltner Annie Rabbat Solos Abigail Kubert Cross Colin Davis Donna Jerome Heidi Braun-Hill Don Krishnaswami Gerald Mordis Russell Wilson Pattison Story Joan Ellersick Tera Gorsett Anne Black Stacey Alden Rohan Gregory CELLO Cynthia Cummings Loewi Lin Principal Roksana Sudol Melanie Dyball Melanie Auclair Fortier Aron Zelkowicz Jan Pfeiffer-Rios VIOLIN II Jodi Hagen Acting Principal Michael Curry Steven Laven Lena Wong Sasha Callahan BASS Peter Hanly Robert Lynam Principal Robert Curtis Barry Boettger Heather Braun Kevin Green Susan Carrai Katherine Foss Nivedita Sarnath Rose Drucker Maynard Goldman

FLUTE Linda Toote Principal Iva Milch OBOE Mary Cicconetti Acting Principal Lynda Jacquin CLARINET Jan Halloran Principal Steven Jackson BASSOON Donald Bravo Principal Ronald Haroutunian FRENCH HORN Kevin Owen Principal Dirk Hillyer Whitacre Hill Iris Rosenstein

TRUMPET Bruce Hall Principal Jesse Levine Dana Oakes TROMBONE Robert Couture Principal Brian Diehl Donald Robinson TIMPANI Jeffrey Fischer Principal PERCUSSION Richard Flanagan Principal Nancy Smith Craig McNutt HARP Ina Zdorovetchi Principal

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CHORUS Michelle Alexander Chorusmaster SOPRANO Alisa Cassola Molly Crookedacre Celeste Fraser Kirsten Hart Jennifer Jaroslavsky Marie McCarville Kathryn McKellar Abigail Smith Janani Sridhar Antonia Tamer Ruby White Sara Womble ALTO Tascha Anderson Elizabeth Eschen Felicia Gavilanes Jessica Johnson Brock Jaime Korkos Vera Savage Stephanie Scarcella

Vanessa Schukis Elena Snow Haley Steinberger Hilary Anne Walker Laura Zahn TENOR Ethan Bremner Matthew Corcoran Kevin Courtemanche Rafael Helbig-Kostka Jon Jurgens Paulo Lapa Frank Levar Chris Maher Steven Myles John David Nevergall Thomas Oesterling Brad Raymond Chris Sokolowski Fred VanNess Patrick T. Waters

BASS Joshua Arky Scott Ballantine Zachary Ballard Samuel Bowen Jorgeandrés Camargo Christopher Carbin Junhan Choi Attila Dobak Simon Dyer Fred Furnari Taylor Horner Devon Russo Ethan Sagin Paul Soper Ron Williams

VOICES BOSTON Steven Lipsitt Artistic Director Grace Baas Armaan Bhojwani Jade Blais-Ellis Mei Davis Mira Donahue Theodore Hill Ashley Jiang Elina Kasida Veronika Kirsanova Jake Li Johanna Li Marlyn Li Kevin Liao Chloe Locke Miles Luther Emiko Neuwalder Ethan O’Gara Alexandra Oviedo Charlie Perdue Divya Rajaraman

Rebecca Riccio Louisa Rossano Dhruva Schlondorff Agnes Shales Frances Smith Cecilia Viana Francisco Viana Rayee Wang Lily Waters Sophia Wolfe ACTORS James Broad Alexander Davis Gina DeFreitas Junichi Fukuda Dave Ginsberg Nile Hawver Malcolm Purinton Geoff Van Wyck Richard Wingert Joseph Yonaitis

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 15

PRODUCTION / ARTISTIC STAFF Rachel S. Arditi Assistant Stage Manager Julie Langevin Assistant Stage Manager Skylar Ely Production Assistant Bailey Costa Lighting Director/Assistant Lighting Designer Harrison Burke 2nd Assistant Lighting Designer Bobby Tompkins Lighting Consultant Liz Perlman Costume Director Lynn Jeffery Costume Supervisor Ryan Goodwin Costume Design Assistant Lisa Berg Props Supervisor Ronell Oliveri Wig-Makeup Design Assistant Rachel Padula Shufelt Wig-Makeup Artist Melinda Abreu Wig-Makeup Artist Allison Voth Surtitle Creator Melanie Bacaling Surtitle Operator Jeremy Smith Head Production Carpenter Joe St. Croix First Assistant Production Carpenter Brendan Ritchie Second Assistant Production Carpenter

Marco Caceres Head Production Electrician Mike Wellman First Assistant Production Electrician Eric Perlmutter First Assistant Production Electrician Leanne Knight Second Assistant Production Electrician Patrick Glynn Head of Production Properties Emily Picot Second Assistant of Production Properties James McCartney Head of Production Audio Dianna Reardon Wardrobe Supervisor Kate Ellingson Music Librarian Maynard Goldman Orchestra Personnel Manager

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Boston Lyric Opera extends its gratitude to the following individuals and organizations for their extraordinary courtesy in making our productions possible: Acentech, Inc. | Carl Rosenberg and Ben Markham Advanced Lighting and Production Services | Jim DeVeer Alexander Aronson Finning Susan Bennett, M.D., Company Physician Consultant, Associate Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Ballet | Jonathan McPhee Music Director and Principal Conductor, Benjamin Phillips Production Manager and Technical Director, Arthur Leeth Music Administrator and Chief Librarian Boston By Foot Boston Center for Adult Education Boston Center for the Arts Boston Opera House Boston Public Library Boston Public Schools Boston Symphony Orchestra Brighter Boston CaffĂŠ Nero Catherine Truman Architects | Catherine Truman Chandler Inn Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP | Andrew Eisenberg and Will Krasnow Costume Works, Inc. | Liz Perlman 16 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

Denka Trucking | Dick Butler Elderhostel, Inc. | Road Scholar Eric Antoniou Photography T. Charles Erickson Fessenden & Sykes Films Around the World, Inc. | Alexander W. Kogan, Jr. Goodman Media International, Inc. Haute History Danielle Schmidt Horowitz Mark Howard HUM Properties | Casey Smith The HYM Investment Group IATSE Local #11 JACET | Colleen Glynn Intersection | Steve McCarthy IRN Internet Services | Jay Williston Leapfrog Arts | Melissa Wagner-O’Malley Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation | Nicholas Connors mindSHIFT Technologies Inc. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Myles Standish Business Condominiums NEPS Primary Freight New England Professional Systems | Bill Miller Pierce Harman Photography Production Advantage Opus Affair ProPrint Boston Quality Graphics, Inc. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston

Robert Silman Associates Structural Engineers | Michael Auren and Ben Rosenberg Ryder Transportation San Francisco Opera | DeAnna Sherer Music Planning Manager, Michael Bragg Music Planning Associate and Opera Librarian, Daniel Knapp Director of Production, Allee Pitaccio Production and Events Coordinator Santander Sebastians Seyfarth Shaw LLP | Brian Michaelis ShoreTel Somerville Theater Starburst Printing | Jason Grondin Steriti Rink | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Strand Theatre Tessitura Theatre Project Consultants United Staging & Rigging | Eric Frishman Vantage Technology Consulting Group | Geoffrey Tritsch Voices Boston | Kathryn DiMaria Executive Director, Nina Pelligra Program Manager WBUR WGBH | WCRB Wheelock Family Theatre Winston Flowers

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA STAFF

VOLUNTEER CORPS

Esther Nelson Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director David Angus Music Director John Conklin Artistic Advisor

Sharon Barry Katie Bauer Lynn Bregman Karla de Greef Marsha de Poo Mary DePoto Marian Ead Susan Eastman Milling Kinard Nicholas Kopp Esther Lable Richard Leccese Nancy Lynn Domenico Mastrototaro Terri Mazzulli Patti McGovern Anne McGuire Kameel Nasr Cosmo Papa Jane Papa Barbara Papesch Barbara Trachtenberg Debbie Wiess Alfred Williams Lynn Williams Sybil Williams

ARTISTIC Nicholas G. Russell Director of Artistic Operations Nancy McDonald Company Manager Zachary Calhoun Artistic Associate PRODUCTION Bradley Vernatter Director of Production Katherine Clanton Production Coordinator Anna B. Labykina Technical Director Alix Strasnick Assistant Technical Director Jessica Johnson Brock Production Operations Manager Lindsay Conrad Production Administration Assistant Julia Noulin-Mérat Associate Producer FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Karen T. Frost Director of Finance and Administration Caitlyn Hayes Finance & HR Associate David J. Cullen Accounting Manager Reingard Heller Finance Manager Samantha Ferello Office Associate Clara Reitz Assistant to the General & Artistic Director EXTERNAL RELATIONS Eileen Nugent Williston Director of External Relations Sarah B. Blume Director of Major Gifts Erin Coffey Associate Director of Major Gifts Cathy Emmons Director of Institutional Gifts Robin Whitney Individual Giving Manager Bailey Kerr Patron Services Associate Amy Holland Crafton Senior Marketing Strategist Jeila Irdmusa Communications Manager Goodman Media Public Relations Julia Propp Director of Operations, External Relations Andrew J. Moreau Operations Manager & System Administrator Robin Schweikart Database Administrator Rebecca Kittredge Audience Services Manager Narcissa McArthur Audience Services Coordinator Chelsea Roffman Audience Services Associate Lacey Upton Director of Community Engagement Rebecca Kirk Manager of Education Programs Brendan Buckley Resident Teaching Artist Heather Gallagher Resident Teaching Artist

The Artists and Stage Managers employed on this production are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists. All musicians are members of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

ABOUT BOSTON LYRIC OPERA Both locally and beyond, Boston Lyric Opera leads the way in celebrating the art of the voice through innovative programming and community engagement initiatives that redefine the opera-going experience.

Under the vibrant leadership of Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson, BLO’s productions have been described by the magazine Musical America as “part of the national dialogue” because of their role as entry points for new audiences. The New York Times observed that BLO “clearly intends [its productions] to catch the interest of operagoers around the country.”

This view is shared by the nearly 35,000 people who experience BLO each year through dynamic performances, extensive partnerships with leading cultural organizations, and programs throughout our vastly diverse and exuberant community.

BLO’s programming remains faithful to tradition while blazing new ground, building audiences, and creating new ways to enhance the opera-going experience.

BLO’s Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists hone their craft and prepare to expand their careers to other worldleading stages. And BLO’s wide-reaching education initiatives introduce opera to new audiences across generations.

The scenic, costume, and lighting designers are members of United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE. Stagehands are represented by Local #11 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

Through your support and attendance, BLO employs nearly 350 artists and creative professionals annually—vocalists, artisans, stagehands, costumers, and scenic designers—many of whom are members of our own community.

Boston Lyric Opera is a member of OPERA America, the national service organization for opera in the U.S. and Canada.

The Company is proud to play a significant and meaningful role in Boston’s vibrant arts community.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 17

BLO’s four Carmens: Lorraine Hunt, 1994, photo by Richard Feldman; Jossie Pérez, 2002, BLO Archives; Dana Beth Miller, 2009, photo by Jeffrey Dunn; and Jennifer Johnson Cano, 2016, photo by Liza Voll Photography.

BLO & CARMEN

IN PERFECT HARMONY:

C

armen—it’s an opera that has transcended from the

realm of ordinary success to enduring, iconic status. In many ways, it needs no introduction: its story is urgent and raw, its central character a force of nature, its music compelling.

If today its shock value has perhaps dimmed, there are still those special productions that find it anew, whether through a fresh conceptual direction that challenges the audience’s expectations, irresistible singers and actors, superior musical performances that capture the imagination—or some magical combination of theatrical elements that create, to borrow the famous concept of Richard Wagner, a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art.

Many an opera-goer can cite his or her first Carmen, and many others point to it as central in the development of their love for the art form. Likewise, Carmen has played a crucial role in the development of Boston Lyric Opera as an institution, cropping up at pivotal moments in the Company’s history and providing the platform for BLO to develop, to stretch its boundaries, and to reach new artistic heights—including those we strive for today.

BLO’s first performances of Carmen came in January of 1994, in the Emerson Majestic Theater (now the Emerson/Cutler Majestic Theatre), starring the mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt in her debut as the title character. “No event of the winter season is being more eagerly anticipated by Boston opera-lovers,” declared The Boston Globe, and Ms. Hunt (later Ms. Hunt Lieberson) did not disappoint.

She “brought a gorgeous, full, limber quality of tone to the music, singing off the words with pertinent, personal and imaginative 18 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

response. By any standard this was a great Carmen.” This critical success helped propel Ms. Hunt Lieberson to a storied career that included performances at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and Salzburg Festival. Having studied at the Boston Conservatory, sung with Emmanuel Music, and made her BLO debut in 1985, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson remains one of the most important artists to come out of Boston in recent generations.

1994 was a pivotal moment for the Company as a whole as well— under the leadership team of Justin Moss, Richard Gaddes, and Stephen Lord in the early 1990s, BLO had grown exponentially, increasing its annual operating budget from $200,000 to over $1,000,000, and growing its subscription base from 250 to over 1,400, all within approximately three years. Janice Mancini Del Sesto had taken the helm of the Company as General Manager in 1992, and one of her early successes was establishing a partnership with WGBH to broadcast BLO performances throughout New England—beginning with Carmen and Lorraine Hunt. By any standard the Company, 17 years old at the time, was poised to take on a larger role in the city’s cultural life.

BLO’s next Carmen came in September 2002, and again, it proved to be an event long remembered. In honor of its 25th anniversary, BLO mounted Carmen on the Common—the first opera performed on Boston Common in nearly 50 years. Performed for free, on two consecutive days of perfect weather, the performances reportedly attracted over 140,000 attendees. A young, charismatic New England Conservatory graduate, Jossie Pérez, starred as Carmen,

John Bellemer (who recently appeared in 2015’s Don Giovanni) sang the role of Don José, and Boston legend Robert Honeysucker took on the role of the bullfighter, Escamillo.

For BLO, which generally reached an annual estimate of 40,000 people through its performances at the Shubert Theatre, that level of attendance was stratospheric. Quoted after the performances, Del Sesto said, “We thought we were giving a gift to the city, but they’ve just given us an enormous gift. We’re overwhelmed.”

The Company had undertaken an aggressive marketing and outreach campaign leading up to the performances, including advertisements on the radio, television, and the subway, and 45 previews throughout 20 different neighborhoods over the summer.

Carmen on the Common was a moment of nearly unparalleled visibility for BLO that paid off, attracting a young, diverse, and enthusiastic crowd—at least some of whom went on to become ticket purchasers or subscribers.

But the economic and cultural climate changed again, and BLO’s next Carmen came at a very different, though still important moment, in November 2009. After the crash of 2008, most arts organizations were on edge, and BLO had recently hired Esther Nelson as General & Artistic Director after Del Sesto’s 16 successful years with the Company. Carmen was one of Nelson’s first programming decisions, in a new, homegrown production

by Nicholas Muni. The production was called “stripped-down, theatrically intense” by The Boston Globe, and its scale reflected that focus on the essentials of Carmen—the score was cut by

BLO ARCHIVES

Carmen on the Common, 2002

roughly 30 minutes of music, doing away with the Act IV parade outside the bullring, and reinstated Bizet’s original spoken dialogue as the current production does, instead of the interpolated sung recitatives by composer Ernest Guiraud that had become standard in the repertoire. These were bold choices that created a “chamber Carmen,” vivid and challenging.

Today, in the first opera presented in the Boston Opera House since the days of Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston nearly 30 years ago, Carmen again undergoes a transformation in this landmark moment in Boston Lyric Opera’s history—our 4Oth Anniversary. In a production by Calixto Bieito, Carmen is perhaps the biggest spectacle that BLO has ever presented. The chorus alone is comprised of 54 members, in stark contrast to the 28 choristers in the 2009 production; the orchestra is also one of the largest in BLO history, at 63 players. This Carmen also includes a series of classic Mercedes-Benz sedans, sourced from the San Francisco Bay area, where this BLO co-production made its bicoastal U.S. debut in May. This is opera on a scale not possible in the Shubert Theatre, where BLO had made its home for 18 years.

As BLO strikes out on a journey through Boston, moving to its next phase and seeking a true home for opera in our city, this production reminds us what is possible in this art form: the excitement and the challenge of grand opera, and the potency and laser focus of the intimate. Carmen wouldn’t be Carmen without both. At another crucial moment, we find that Carmen is the work that propels us forward.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 19

CELEBRATING 4O YEARS OF WORLD CLA FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 Pre-Performance Cocktails | 5:30pm Upper and Lower Lobbies Boston Opera House 539 Washington Street East Coast Gala Premiere of Calixto Bieito’s Carmen | 7:00pm Boston Opera House 539 Washington Street Gala Dinner | 10:00pm The Ritz-Carlton, Boston 10 Avery Street Gala After Party | 10:00pm With cast members, champagne, desserts and dancing The Ritz-Carlton, Boston 10 Avery Street HONORARY CHAIRS Mayor Martin J. Walsh Steven P. Akin Alicia Cooney Horace H. Irvine II Sherif A. Nada Michael J. Puzo

HONOREES Linda Cabot Black Frederic Cohen Kenneth Freed Philip Morehead Ernest Triplett GALA COMMITTEE Sarah E. Ashby Ann Beha Linda Cabot Black Miguel and Suki de Bragança Jessica Donohue Barbara Winter Glauber Danielle Schmidt Horowitz Gregory E. Moore and Wynne W. Szeto Andrew Marconi Cosmo and Jane Papa Samuel Parkinson Rusty Rolland Holly Safford Wendy Shattuck and Samuel Plimpton Simone R. Williamson

CLASS OPERA IN THE HEART OF BOSTON DEAR OPERA LOVERS,

W

elcome to Boston Lyric Opera’s 4Oth Anniversary Season and The Opera Gala! We are thrilled to have you here to enjoy this festive evening and bicoastal American premiere of Calixto Bieito’s Carmen.

Special thanks go to our Honorary Chairs: Mayor Martin J. Walsh, along with Steve Akin, Alicia Cooney, Hod Irvine, Sherif Nada and Michael Puzo (all of whom have made tremendous impacts to the organization through their terms as Board Chairs). Thank you also to tonight’s honorees: Linda Cabot Black, Frederic Cohen, Kenneth Freed, Philip Morehead, and Ernest Triplett—for your lifelong dedication to opera in Boston.

Tonight would not be possible without the support of The Boston Opera House; The Ritz-Carlton, Boston; Be Our Guest, Inc; The Catered Affair; Winston Flowers; PSAV; the Gala Committee; as well as the dedicated staff at BLO. Most importantly, I wish to thank our many supporters of the Opera Gala and the Annual Fund, who ensure BLO’s remarkable programs—from world class opera on the main stage, to opera education and engagement in our schools and communities.

I hope you enjoy tonight’s festivities and the passion of Carmen.

WILLA BODMAN, GALA HOST

BLO is proud to work with the following event partners for the Opera Gala and thanks them for their support:

CURRENT SPONSORS Jane and Steven Akin Ms. Ann Beha and Mr. Robert A. Radloff Linda Cabot Black Willa and Taylor Bodman Dr. and Mrs. Eric and Elaine Bucher Mrs. Edmund Cabot Gerard and Sherryl Cohen Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski Wayne Davis and Ann Merrifield Miguel and Suki de Bragança Barbara and Robert Glauber Nick and Marjorie Greville Mimi Hewlett Horace H. Irvine II Pamela S. Kunkemueller Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Anita Loscalzo Ms. Abigail Mason Gregory E. Moore and Wynne W. Szeto D. Cosmo and Jane P. Papa Janet and Irv Plotkin William and Helen Pounds Mr. and Mrs. Michael Puzo Allison K. Ryder and David B. Jones David and Marie Louise Scudder Wendy Shattuck and Sam Plimpton Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stata State Street Corporation Mr. Richard Trant Sandra A. Urie and Frank F. Herron Dr. Robert and Lydia Kenton Walsh As of September 9, 2016

The mission of Boston Lyric Opera is to build curiosity, enthusiasm, and support for opera, by creating musically and theatrically compelling productions, events, and educational resources for our community and beyond. We produce opera in all forms, large to small, popular to less known, from early music to newly commissioned works. Visit BLO.org for more information.

Jennifer Johnson Cano sings the title role in BLO’s Carmen.

LIZA VOLL PHOTOGRAPHY

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 21

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BLO

BLO was founded in 1976 with the merging of three small regional opera companies: New England Regional Opera, New England Chamber Opera Group, and Associate Artists Opera. In September of 1991, seeking to ensure the future of professional opera in Boston and after great deliberation, the Boards of BLO and Boston Opera Theater agreed to combine. In 1998, Opera New England, the regional touring children’s opera company, was acquired by BLO to become the Company’s Education and Community Programs Division.

BLO’s current status as a civic institution, a boarddriven, professionally managed opera company, has been attained with great effort from many individuals and cannot be maintained without continual striving by all who love opera and BLO and who would see them both endure.

We are pleased to honor the following representatives of these companies that have served as the foundation for BLO: ERNEST TRIPLETT Founder and General Director of Associate Artists Opera and first Artistic Director of BLO. He was also a principal singer with the Company and sang more roles in their productions than anyone else. Triplett was the first African American director of a unionaffiliated opera company.

FREDERIC COHEN New England Regional Opera Board Chair who initiated discussions with the other two parent companies that led to the founding of BLO in 1976.

He served as the first BLO Board Chair from 1977 - 1981.

PHILIP MOREHEAD Music Director/Conductor of New England Chamber Opera Group and first BLO Music Director. Mr. Morehead recently retired as head of music staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Ryan Opera Center.

KENNETH FREED

BLO wishes to thank volunteer Jane Pisciottoli Papa for her tireless efforts in researching and writing the history of BLO—a project which has taken many years. In addition to volunteering in the office, Ms. Papa is a dedicated Overseer and member of the Community Engagement Committee.

We are pleased to recognize Ms. Papa as BLO’s first Honorary Historian.

22 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

Boston Opera Theater Board Chair who helped broker the agreement to join forces with BLO in 1992. He subsequently served as a BLO Board member for 25 years.

LINDA CABOT BLACK Founder and Artistic Director of Opera New England, which began in 1973 as the touring arm of Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston before becoming a separate entity and reorienting itself toward presenting opera exclusively to children. Ms. Black has been a BLO Board member since 1998.

“[Boston Lyric Opera] has a welcome new tempo, new ambitions, and new capacities. It should be fascinating to see, [as BLO approaches its 4Oth Anniversary], where it goes from here.” – the boston globe THE LEADERS OF BOSTON LYRIC OPERA

“What particularly sets BLO apart for me is the energy and commitment of our chorus, our orchestra and our Emerging Artists. It gives me huge pleasure to lead such a team in performances. The thing that makes opera great for me is the perfect balance between musical and dramatic values, and BLO, more than any other company that I know, takes both sides equally seriously. I am very proud to be part of this totally committed team.”

“The history of opera in Boston is rich and varied and I am grateful to be part of the City’s longest running and largest opera company. Opera is a vibrant art form and, along with the many opera producers in this area, our BLO team is committed to keep opera a resonant force in the cultural scene for the next 4O years.”

ESTHER NELSON Stanford Calderwood General and Artistic Director, since 2008

“It is a rare privilege to be part of a family (artists and administrators and audiences) that is pledged to both the hard work and the joy that comes with the creation of an experience in the theater that is at once enlightening, inspiring and entertaining.”

JOHN CONKLIN Artistic Advisor, since 2009

DAVID ANGUS Music Director, since 2010

As we celebrate our 4Oth Season, we recognize and honor the individuals who have served as leaders and champions of BLO’s mission and vision.

BROTHER JAMES CURRAN, OSF Administrative Director, 1976-1978

RANDOLPH J. FULLER President, 1976-1994

RICHARD GADDES Artistic Advisor, 1989-1992

JOHN LANOUETTE BRENNER Administrative Director, 1978-1979

JOHN BALME General Director, 1979-1983; Principal Guest Conductor 1986-1987; Artistic Director 1988-1989

STEPHEN LORD Music Director, 1990-2006

ERNEST TRIPLETT Artistic Director, 1976-1978 PHILIP MOREHEAD Music Director, 1976-1979

ANNE EWERS General Manager, 1982-1984; General Director 1985-1989 JUSTIN MOSS General Director, 1989-1992

JANICE MANCINI DEL SESTO General Manager 1992-1995; General Director 1995-2008 LEON MAJOR Artistic Director, 1998-2003

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 23

24 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

OPERA BEYOND THE STAGE BOSTON’S OPERA HISTORY WALKING TOUR Two-handled jar (amphora) depicting Oedipus and the Sphinx of Thebes, the Achilles Painter, 450–440 B.C., Ceramic, Red Figure | Bequest of Mrs. Martin Brimmer | Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

BLO TOURS OF THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE SEPT 30 | 4:00PM – 5:30PM | FREE Boston Opera House Explore the Boston Opera House and backstage workings of Carmen. A limited number of spaces available. RSVP at BLO.org

OCT 15 | 10:00AM – 11:30AM OCT 17 | 6:00PM – 7:30PM In partnership with Boston By Foot The history of opera in Boston is as rich and dramatic as the art form itself! Discover the many ways our fair city has been deeply influenced by opera across the centuries. Boston’s rich musical and theatrical past comes to life in this special tour of historical opera sites.

Tickets on sale at bostonbyfoot.org: $5 for BBF members and BLO subscribers / $15 Nonmembers PLAY ON: BOSTON LYRIC OPERA SINGS SHAKESPEARE

SIGNATURE SERIES | GREEK: OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX THROUGH ART AND MUSIC

OCT 19 | 12:30PM BPL Central Branch, Copley Square

OCT 9 | 2:00PM – 3:00PM

“If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it …”

- Twelfth Night

In partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Boston Lyric Opera performers present the iconic Oedipus story though the unique surrealism of Cocteau, the brutal melodrama of Seneca, and the searing operatic evocations of Enesco and Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Greek.

Tickets on sale at MFA.org: $16 members and BLO subscribers / $20 Nonmembers.

Signature Reception: $50 per person

Boston Lyric Opera celebrates the exhibition “Shakespeare Unauthorized” with this collection of songs, arias, and duets by operatic composers based on the works and words of the Bard.

Add a new dimension to this historical exhibition by experiencing the poetry and characters of Shakespeare in music from Verdi to Porter, onstage with some of Boston’s stunning operatic artists.

Program encores: October 27, 6:30pm at Codman Square Branch Library and November 3, 6:30pm at Dudley Square Branch Library

FOR A FULL LIST OF BLO’S UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT BLO.ORG.

26 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

INDIVIDUAL DONORS We are honored to recognize our donors who generously support the mission of Boston Lyric Opera to build curiosity, enthusiasm, and support for opera by creating musically and theatrically compelling productions, events, and educational resources for our community and beyond. We are deeply grateful for the following contributions made to Boston Lyric Opera between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

CRESCENDO ($100,000 & ABOVE) Anonymous Jane and Steven Akin Barr Foundation Linda Cabot Black*†§ Willa and Taylor Bodman* Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP Jody and Tom Gill*† Horace H. Irvine II*§ The Klarman Family Foundation Jane and Jeffrey Marshall*† Ms. Abigail Mason*†§ Mattina R. Proctor Foundation Mr. and Mrs. E. Lee Perry*† David and Marie Louise Scudder*§ Mr. and Mrs. Ray Stata* Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation FIORITURA ($66,666 TO $99,999) Timothy and Rebecca Blodgett† Wayne Davis and Ann Merrifield* Miguel and Suki de Bragança*† Alan and Lisa Dynner*§ Pamela S. Kunkemueller*§ Miss Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation Wendy Shattuck and Sam Plimpton* VIVACE ($33,333 TO $66,665) Anonymous (2) Ms. Ann Beha and Mr. Robert A. Radloff* Cabot Family Charitable Trust Estate of Fay M. Chandler‡ Gerard and Sherryl Cohen Mr. John Conklin Alicia Cooney*§ Robert and Susan Eastman*†§ Susan W. Jacobs*† Maria Krokidas and Bruce Bullen* Massachusetts Cultural Council National Endowment for the Arts Mr. and Mrs. Neil Pappalardo* William and Helen Pounds* Mr. and Mrs. Michael Puzo*† Lynn Dale and Frank Wisneski* PRESTO ($25,000 TO $33,332) Anonymous Nonnie and Rick Burnes*§ Katie and Paul Buttenwieser Citibank Ted Cutler Karen Johansen and Gardner Hendrie Mr. and Mrs. Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund Paul and Sandra Montrone Susan and Dennis Shapiro*

The Orfeo Society and Friends of BLO make up BLO’s core community of supporters. Members share a passion for opera and receive exclusive access to a range of benefits that enriches the operatic experience. BLO gratefully acknowledges their generous support.

This list includes gifts and pledges made to the Annual Fund, restricted funds, and event sponsorships through June 30, 2016.

For more information or to become a member of the Orfeo Society or Friends of BLO, please call Sarah Blume at 617.542.4912 x2280.

CON BRIO MEMBERS ($15,000 TO $24,999) Dr. and Mrs. Eric and Elaine Bucher† Catherine and Frederick Grein*§ Mimi Hewlett*§ Ellen and Robert Kaplan*†§ Ms. Amelia Katzen*† Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Anita Loscalzo*† MEDITECH Anne M. Morgan Esther Nelson and Bernd Ulken Janet and Irv Plotkin*† John and Susanne Potts* Gregory E. Moore and Wynne W. Szeto* Lady Juliet and Dr. Christopher Tadgell* Sandra A. Urie and Frank F. Herron Dr. Robert Walsh and Lydia Kenton Walsh* Ms. Tania Zouikin*§ ALLEGRO MEMBERS ($10,000 TO $14,999) Anonymous Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Inc. Sam and Nancy Altschuler Boston Private BPS Arts Expansion Fund at EdVestors Mrs. Edmund Cabot Ms. Ellen Cabot*† The Catered Affair Arthur D. Clarke and Susan Sloan, in honor of Barbara Glauber Mr. and Mrs. Timothy and Jessica Donohue* Frank Reed & Margaret Jane Peters Memorial Fund I, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee Harold Alfond Foundation, in honor of Steve Akin William A. Hunter* Ms. Louise Johnson* Stephen and Lois Kunian* Butler and Lois Lampson Joe and Pam LoDato*†§

Morgan Stanley Rusty Rolland & The Schick Fund* Allison K. Ryder and David B. Jones* David Shukis and Susan Blair* Larry and Beverly St. Clair*† State Street Corporation Susan A. Babson Opera Fund for Emerging Artists John H. Deknatel and Carol M. Taylor ADAGIO MEMBERS ($5,000 TO $9,999) Anonymous (4) Sarah E. Ashby* Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Be Our Guest, Inc. Edward Bell* Dorothy and Hale Bradt Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Cabot Judge and Mrs. Levin H. Campbell Citi Performing Arts Center Dr. Nicholas J. DiMauro* Fiduciary Trust Company Firestone and Parson Jewelers William C. and Joyce K. Fletcher Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Lise Fulham Mr. Tim Garrison Mr. Joseph Glenmullen* Nick and Marjorie Greville Lila Gross‡ Ron and Kathy Groves Mr. and Mrs. Don and Pat Hillman Emily C. Hood Amy Hunter and Steven Maguire*†§ Karen Levy Andrew Sherman and Russ Lopez*† Ms. M. Lynne Markus*§ Ms. Karen McShane Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky,& Popeo, P.C. Ms. Faith Moore Shari and Christopher Noe Mr. and Mrs. John O’Brien Mr. and Mrs. Richard Olney III Barbara Goodwin Papesch* Dr. Kurt D. Gress and Mr. Samuel Y. Parkinson*† Suzanne and Peter Read§ Mr. and Mrs. John Remondi Rona and Arthur Rosenbaum Mr. Carl Rosenberg* Santander Rumena and Alex Senchak State Street Foundation Lise and Myles Striar Mr. Richard Trant* Peter Wender*§ Western Carriers, Inc. Drs. Bertram and Laima Zarins*

GRAZIOSO ($3,000 TO $4,999) Anonymous (2) Anchor Capital Advisors Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Bennett Mr. Martin S. Berman, in memory of Lila Gross Carolyn Bitetti and T. Christopher Donnelly Ronald and Ellen Brown BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 27

Nancy and Laury Coolidge Corning Incorporated Foundation Ms. Winifred F. Ewing Mr. and Mrs. Ron Feinstein Kathryn G. Freed§, in memory of Dean and Patti Freed Mr. and Mrs. Dozier Gardner Dr. Alfred Goldberg and Dr. Joan Goldberg Mark Kritzman and Elizabeth Gorman Graham and Ann Gund Mr. Joseph Hammer Mr. and Mrs. Morton Hoffman Mrs. Charles Hood Dr. Maydee G. Lande, in memory of her father OPERA America Ms. Laura Gassner Otting D. Cosmo and Jane P. Papa* Stephen and Geraldine Ricci Dr. Jordan S. Ruboy Charitable Fund‡§ Mr. Max Russell Dr. and Mrs. R. Michael Scott Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Shafir Tee Taggart and Jack Turner Jeannie Ackerman Curhan and Joseph C. Williams† BRAVISSIMO ($2,000 TO $2,999) A.V. Presentations, Inc. Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation, Inc. David J. Chavolla, in honor of Pamela Kunkemueller John F. Cogan, Jr. and Mary L. Cornille Mr. and Mrs. Linzee Coolidge Janice Mancini Del Sesto§, in honor of Jane and Steven Akin and in memory of David Arnold Fish & Richardson, P.C. Nathaniel and Nancy Gardiner Jamie and Ashley Harmon Arthur and Eloise Hodges Eva R. Karger§ Mr. and Mrs. William T. Kennedy Mr. Stephen Kidder Mr. Edward J. Leary Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc. Dr. Harold Michlewitz Mr. Winfield Perry, in memory of Shirley and Kenneth Perry Dr. and Mrs. John William Poduska, Sr. William and Lia Poorvu Dr. and Mrs. Edward Roberts Mr. Rod Rohda Donald and Abby Rosenfeld UBS Financial Services, Inc. Winston Flowers Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Winthrop ENCORE ($1,000 TO $1,999) Anonymous (2) Mr. Mark Alcaide Mr. and Mrs. David Bakalar Michael Barza and Judith Robinson Charles and Christina Bascom Drs. Susan E. Bennett and Gerald B. Pier Leonard and Jane Bernstein Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon C. Bolton III Mr. John Bradley Veronika and Bert Breer John and Irene Briedis Ms. Susan Bromley Mr. and Mrs. Philip Cantillon Marjorie B. and Martin Cohn Mr. and Mrs. William Crozier Jr. Mr. Frazor Ty Edmondson

28 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

Andrew L. Eisenberg* Mr. Thatcher Lane Gearhart Dr. David Golan and Dr. Laura Green Mr. Bruce Gurall Mr. Ted and the Rev. Canon Cynthia P. Hubbard Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Johnson Holly and Bruce Johnstone Milling Kinard Yuriko Kuwabara and Sunny Dzik Drs. Lynne and Sidney Levitsky Ms. Kristine Maultsby and Mr. Keith Long Ms. Barbara Murray Mary and Sherif Nada†§ The Honorable and Mrs. Lawrence Perera Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Perkins, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick and Ute Prevost Melinda and James Rabb Clay and Emily Rives Edward H. Tate II Mr. Scott Utzinger ENSEMBLE ($500 TO $999) Mr. and Mrs. Dana Bartholomew Dr. and Mrs. Martin Becker Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Benjamin Mr. Clark Bernard MK Bertelli Ms. Kathleen Boyce Pam and Lee Bromberg Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Brunnock Thomas Burger and Andree Robert Ms. Mary Chamberlain Ms. Mei Po Cheung Rachel and Thomas Claflin Mr. Eugene Cox Gene and Lloyd Dahmen Mr. Terry O. Decima Dr. Amos Deinard Mr. James DeVeer Ms. Jennifer Eckert Soren and Carlyn Marcus Ekstrom Mr. David Firestone Mr. and Mrs. John B. Fox, Jr. Mr. Edward N. Gadsby GE Foundation Charles and Merrill Gottesman Ms. Sandra Steele and Mr. Paul Greenfield Mr. Stephen Grubaugh and Ms. Carol McGeehan Anne and Neil Harper Ms. Kathryn Heifetz Dr. Susan Hockfield and Dr. Thomas Byrne E.R. Horowitz Ms. Maisie Houghton Doris and Howard Hunter Elizabeth V. Foote and Howell E. Jackson Ms. Elizabeth Kastner Jonathan and Deborah A. Kay Dr. David Korn and Carol Scheman Pam Lassiter William B. Lawrence III Mr. and Mrs. Eric Lerner Mr. Anthony S. Lucas Tod Machover & June Kinoshita Dr. Nicholas and Mrs. Charlotte Mastroianni Mr. Domenico Mastrototaro§ Margaret McDormand, in memory of Anna Elizabeth McDormand Kate Meany Mr. Jerrold Mitchell Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Moore Toni and Jeff Musser Melissa and David Norton Phil and Marge Odeen

Mr. and Mrs. John O’Donnell Mr. and Mrs. Martin O’Donnell, in honor of Wynne Szeto & Gregory Moore Mr. Richard Ortner Jack Osgood Finley and Patricia Perry Thomas Peters and Susan Sargent Eric and Jane Philippi Jim and Jeannette Post Ms. Florence Poy Mrs. Adrienne Rabkin Sally Reid and John Sigel James Edward Reulbach Mr. Allan Rodgers Ms. Diana Rowan Rockefeller Mr. Lewis Sassoon John and Ruth Schey Mr. Robert and Ms. Natalie Schlundt Drs. John and Elizabeth Serrage Sayre Sheldon Diane Young-Spitzer and Adelbert Spitzer Mr. Bruce Stasyna Mrs. William Sweet Mr. Andrew Szentgyorgyi Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tempesta Ernst and Toinette ter Haar Mr. Wheeler Thackston Diane C. Tillotson Michael Tomich United Staging and Rigging Mrs. David Vogler Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Weld Ms. Mary Wolfson Mr. David Wood Ms. Patricia Woodlock Dr. Ioannis Yannas ARIA ($250 TO $499) Anonymous (5) Alice Adler and Edward Ginsberg Mr. William Aikman Mr. Richard C. Albright Susan Alexander and Jim Gammill, in honor of Susan Howe Mr. Peter Ambler and Ms. Lindsay Miller Mr. Spiros Antoniadis Mr. Bernard Aserkoff Ms. Ann Bajart Marc and Carol Bard Elizabeth Barker* John and Molly Beard Ms. Joy Robbins Beckwith John Belchers Ms. Deborah Davis Berman Mr. Peter A. Biagetti Ms. Petrina Biondo Ms. Elizabeth Bjorkman Dr. Paul Bleicher and Dr. Julia Greenstein Dr. Rudolph and Prof. Suzanne Blier Ms. Christine Bradt Ms. Margaret Burke Ms. Judy Cabot Ms. Susan Cavalieri Dr. Brian J. Clifton Cary Coen, in honor of Gerry and Sherri Cohen Paul Cravedi James F. Crowley, Jr. Mr. Paul Curtis Ms. Karen Dederyan Ms. Francoise Delaforcade Ms. Margaret DePopolo Dr. Charles Dickinson and Ms. JoAnne Dickinson Mr. Mark Donohoe

Mr. John Douhan Willis and Zach Durant-Emmons Marie-Pierre and Michael Ellmann Bill and Susan Elsbree Andrew and Karen Epstein Louis Esposito Ms. Maisie Flanders Katherine and Richard Floyd Mr. Valéry Freland Robert and Kathleen Garner Mrs. Laurena Gatlin Mr. Clayton Geiger Mr. Edward Golden Paul Golden Ruth Golden Dr. Philip L. Goldsmith and Melissa Boshco Laurie Gould and Stephen Ansolabehere Ms. Joan P. Gulovsen Mr. Kurt Hakansson Mr. C.D. Hanson Ms. Carolyn Harder Mr. and Mrs. James J. Harper George and Daphne Hatsopoulos Ms. Jasjit Heckathorn Richard Hermon-Taylor and Southie Bundy Mr. and Mrs. Thomas High Mr. Roger Hinman Pauline Ho Bynum Fred and Caroline Hoppin Mr. Thomas Hotaling Mr. Cliff Hurley Dale and Linda Jorgenson James and Ellen Kaplan Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Katz Mr. Richard Kimball Jonathan and Deborah Kolb Mr. Peter Koso Peter Laytin and Paula Callanan Mr. Mark Lippolt Mr. and Mrs. Stuart E. Madnick Peter and Betsy Madsen Mr. Joseph Mari Mr. Tony Martin Ms. Carole Masters Mr. James M. McCloy Mr. and Mrs. Kilmer McCully Ms. Carol McKeen and Mr. John Dunton Mr. and Mrs. Robert McKersie Ms. Virginia Meany Ms. Amy Merrill Ms. Karen Metcalf Mr. Scott Minick Mrs. Judith Mir Ms. Geri Mistretta Ms. Gwendalyn Moore Sean and Stacy Mullaney Ms. Rose Ng Ms. D’Anne Nosowitz Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Nunes Suzanne Ogden and Peter Rogers Mr. William Pananos Mr. and Mrs. David Parker Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Sue Pate Mr. and Mrs. Roy and Jean Perkinson Peterson Family Fund at the Boston Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Lois Pond Mr. and Mrs. Frank Porcelli Gerald Powers Robert and Elizabeth Pozen Ms. Patricia Pratt Peter and Sheila Rawson Mr. Jack Reynolds Donald and Nancy Rosenfield Simon Rosenthal and Nouri Newman

Nicholas G. Russell Mr. Paul Ryan Mr. Michael Schaefer Stephen and Peg Senturia Varda and Dr. Israel Shaked Mr. Harold Stahler Mr. Ronald Stoia Caroline and Alan Strout Ms. Joan Suit Marcos and Faith Szydlo John and Mary Tarvin Mr. Konstantin Tyurin and Ms. Kirstin Ilse Leo Waldemar Joseph and Marjorie Weerts Linda and Harvey Weiner Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Weinstein Ms. Denise Wernikoff Mr. Throop Wilder and Ms. Deborah Weisgall Mr. Stephen Wohler Larry and Pamela Wolf Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wulff Mr. Chris Yabut Ms. Isabel C. Yoder Joan and Michael Yogg Albert and Judith Zabin OVERTURE ($100 TO $249) Anonymous (10) Mrs. Betty Allen Mr. and Mrs. Colin Anderson Donald A. Antonioli & Robert H. Goepfert Mr. Edward Aptaker Mr. James Frank Armont Ms. Gwen Art Mr. Richard Askenase Dr. and Mrs. Donald Bachman Ms. Kay Barned-Smith Paula Jacobs and Howard Beale Dr. and Mrs. Robert M. Beazley Dr. and Mrs. Allen Berliner Ms. Lena Berman Bret and Joan Bero, in memory of Helen Tomich Connie Bingham Dr. and Mrs. Stuart R. Bless Cyrus Hopkins and Betty Blume Ms. Sarah Blume Dr. Roger Boshes Mrs. Cynthia Bradley Mr. Albert N. Brajuha, in memory of Helen Tomich Ms. Sally T. Brewster Ms. Janet Buecker Mr. and Mrs. Allan Bufferd Mr. Claude Canizares Ms. Sarah Carleton Ms. Donna Cavallaro Ms. Ann Chiacchieri Ms. Ingrid Christiansen Ms. Elisabeth Clark Bob and Laurie Cleveland John Adams and Patricia Comeau Mr. Thomas Cooper Ms. Joyce Coppage Mr. Robert Coren and Mr. John W. Gintell Rita and George Cuker Dr. James Dalsimer Ms. Laurie A. Denno Nicolas DiCiaccio and Marquerite Shepard-DiCiaccio Robert Doane Ms. Catharine-Mary Donovan Mr. Gerald Dreher Jeff and Ashley Eknaian Ms. Christina Englund

Jack Fabiano and Noel McCoy Mr. and Mrs. Dean Fairbrother Mr. Martin Fantozzi Ms. Nicole Faulkner Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Fincham Michael S. Flier and David E. Trueblood Ms. Paula Folkman Ms. Constance Franciosi Ms. Karen Frost Ms. Anna Gabrieli Sarah Gallivan and Gopal Kadagathur Mr. Joseph Galvin R. H. Garrett-Goodyear Mr. Mark Gebhardt Janet and David Giele Ms. Gladys Gifford Pamela and Alan Goodman Ms. Leigh Gray Mr. Douglas Groff Dr. Edward Gross and Ms. Margaret Reid Mr. John Gruninger Susan Gulesian Newell and Betty Hale Fund of Greater Worcester Mr. Daniel Halston Ms. Christine G. Hannon Lee Harrison Mr. John Hauser Mr. and Mrs. William Hearn Dr. and Mrs. Bernhard Heersink Mr. and Mrs. Guenter and Linda Hiort Ms. Sophia Ho Ms. Jennifer Hochschild Jo-Anna Holden Ms. Lucia Hotton Barbara Hough, in memory of Helen Tomich Ms. Myrna F. Howe Ms. Marcia Hunkins Akira Iriye Judith Iverson, in memory of Helen B. Tomich Mr. Benjamin Jackson Mr. Seth Jaffe Ms. Karen Jeng David and Joanna Jerison Prof. and Mrs. John Joannopoulos Ms. Ann Johnson Gary and Lisa Jones Elinore C. Kagan and Herbert M. Kagan Mr. Stanley Keller Kim Klay, in memory of Helen Tomich Dr. and Mrs. John Kubert Francis and Kristin Kulash Joan A. Kulman Dr. and Mrs. Ira Lable Mr. William B. LaFrance Terry and Jonathan Lane Bruce and Margret Langmuir Mr. Thomas Lavin Alan Lawson and Mary Beth Tabacco Mr. Edwin Leach Ms. Mary Kay Leber Ms. Jane B Lindenbaum Mario and Louise Lubicich, in memory of Helen Tomich Ms. Katherine Lucas Ms. Pauline MacDonald Barbara P. Madden Mr. Charles Maier Mr. Kenneth Maillar Ms. Patricia Marshall Ms. Deena Matowik Mr. Arthur Mattuck Ms. Barbara Maxey Mary and Michael McConnell Ms. Evelyn McFadden

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 29

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS Boston Lyric Opera’s programs are funded, in part, by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Ms. Patricia McGovern Dr. Maura McGrane Mr. James McIsaac Mr. and Mrs. Robert Menger Ms. Carol R.H. Miller Nicolas Minutillo Ms. Dolores Mitchell Daniel and Mayo Morgan Ms. Linda Morgan Ms. Mary Mutschler Ms. Meredith J. Myserian, in memory of Helen Tomich Dr. Carol Nadelson Mr. Fred Nagle Nancy Netzer and Bob Silberman, in honor of Barbara Glauber Robert and Carolyn Osteen Ms. Diane Ota Mr. Martin Owens and Mrs. Barbara Wolfenden Pari Pandharipande Mr. Eugene Papa Mr. Mark Pasternack and Ms. Judy Meyers Patricia Patricelli Ms. Alison Payne Ms. Marie Pereto-Hedin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Perlmutter Dr. Douglas Horst and Maureen Phillips Jamie Pierce Ms. Elana Pierkowski William and Amy Pike Mr. Gene Pokorny Francois and Anne Poulet Dr. Ned Price Mr. Kenneth Proctor Ms. Julia Propp Ms. Emerzette J. Rand Mr. and Mrs. Tom Rapoport

30 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

Mr. and Mrs. James Righter Mr. Donald H. Robertson Barbara Robinson Sherry and William Rogers Family Fund of the Essex County Community Foundation Mr. Christian Rogowski Ms. Ursula Rowan Mr. and Mrs. Pasquale Rullo Deirdre Russell and Jean Kates Ms. Tamara Ryan Helen Sabia, in memory of Helen Tomich Mr. Frank Santangelo Mr. Jonathan F. Saxton* Peter Schmidt Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Schneider Mr. Peter Schur Ms. Robin Schweikart Ms. Janet Shapero Ms. Deborah Siegal and Mr. Richard E. Payne Dr. George L. Sigalos Michael Skatrud Ms. Elizabeth Sluder Mr. Richard W. Smith Mr. Richard Snow Mr. Carl Soderland Ms. Jean Stanbury R. S. Steinberg Mr. John Stevens and Ms. Virginia McIntyre Ms. Mary Stokey Mr. James Sullivan Mr. David Teller Dan and Michlyne Thal Ms. Loyce Thomson John and Susan Tomich, in memory of Helen Tomich Amy and Matthew Torrey Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Townsend

Ms. Barbara Turner Eric Ulken and Benedicte Clouet Janet and Henry Vaillant Mr. Robert Volante Ray Warburton Leslie Warshaw Sinclair Weeks and Julia Hinman Weeks Leonce Welt Mr. Scott Wheeler Mr. Jerry Wheelock Mr. John Whittlesey Mr. Gordon Wisbach Ms. Sara G. Withington Anne Wooliever Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Wright Dale and Arnold Zaff Marijane Zeller

Board Member * Lyric Circle Member † Goldovsky Society Member § Deceased ‡

“ Strong work is being done here, not least in promoting talents...”

– the new york times

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA WELCOMES OUR 2O16/17 SEASON JANE AND STEVEN AKIN EMERGING ARTISTS The pursuit of a successful career in opera is a challenging—and expensive—undertaking.

Singers must continually hone their talent with regular coaching, expand their repertoire by learning new roles, and find opportunities to make themselves heard. BLO recognizes that the next generation of opera stars need to be nurtured in order to flourish, and that the future of the art form depends on their success. To that end, BLO has proudly expanded the opportunities we provide to Emerging Artists: • Public auditions allow hundreds of singers to be heard • Role and audition preparation in one-on-one sessions with both BLO’s Music Director, David Angus, and BLO coaches • Understudy key leading roles, serve on stage management staff and directing staff to broaden their resumes • Perform principal and comprimario roles in BLO productions • Additional paid performance opportunities at BLO events • Professional mentorship from Stanford Calderwood General & Artistic Director Esther Nelson and other leaders in the field provides career guidance and support • Feedback auditions with Director of Artistic Operations Nicholas Russell provide invaluable advice on repertoire choices • Introduction of BLO Emerging Artists to key artists’ managers Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists are identified during the casting process of each Season’s repertoire. The Artists have, in most cases, already established themselves professionally and are drawn primarily from the post-graduate and post-young artist fields.

In certain exceptional cases, younger candidates who are appropriate for specific repertoire with the Company are considered.

Vera Savage mezzo-soprano

Antonia Tamer soprano

Sara Womble soprano

Felicia Gavilanes mezzo-soprano

Vincent Turregano baritone

Simon Dyer bass

Maja Tremiszewska Anderson Nunnelley pianist/accompanist director

THE 2016 STEPHEN SHRESTINIAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

VERA SAVAGE This cash award was created to help an exceptional young artist in the BLO chorus further his or her career by supporting advancement activities such as coaching a new role; taking a movement, dance or acting class; or paying a portion of graduate school tuition or travel expenses.

It is awarded annually in memory of one of BLO’s beloved chorus members who passed away suddenly at the age of 29.

Returning as a Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist for the 2016/17 Season, Vera Savage sings in the Carmen chorus while covering Mercédès, having previously sung in the chorus for BLO’s productions of La Traviata and Don Giovanni and, most recently, as Praskovia in The Merry Widow, for which she also covered the title role.

Ms. Savage’s other recent performances include appearances with Florentine Opera, Opera in the Heights, and Opera Saratoga. Concert and oratorio highlights include singing Verdi’s Requiem with MIT, the Mozart Requiem at the Tanglewood Institute, and Handel’s Israel in Egypt with Commonwealth Chorale (formerly Newton Chorale).

Emma Sorenson mezzo-soprano

Jon Jurgens tenor

Nathan Troup Rachel Arditi director stage manager BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 |

31

4O YEARS OF BLO:

BLO ARCHIVES

RICHARD FELDMAN

A TIMELINE From left: Lorraine Hunt as Carmen and John Fowler as Don José. Deborah Voigt and Erie Mills in Ariadne auf Naxos.

1976: Three small Boston opera companies, New England

Regional Opera, Associate Artists Opera, and New England Chamber Opera Group, joined forces to form Boston Lyric Opera. The fledgling Company had its first performance on December 26, 1976: Amahl and the Night Visitors.

1981: BLO performed Aida with the Brookline Symphony

at the Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade—complete with a live elephant tethered near the stage—and reportedly attracted about 10,000 audience members.

1981: BLO became company-in-residence at Northeastern University, performing at the Alumni Auditorium.

1985: Mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt made her BLO debut

in Agrippina; she also sang the title roles in BLO’s productions of Beatrice and Benedict (1992/93 Season) and Carmen (1993/94).

She went on to a storied career including performances at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and Salzburg Festival.

1987: BLO produced the first entirely computer-assisted opera ever, entitled Countdown, after winning an OPERA America “Opera for the Eighties and Beyond” grant.

1989-90: BLO moved to the Majestic Theatre (now the Emerson/Cutler Majestic).

1991: Emerging star Deborah Voigt sang her breakout

performance in BLO’s Ariadne auf Naxos. Ms. Voigt became one of the most sought-after sopranos in opera, performing regularly at top opera houses around the world.

1992: BLO joined forces with Boston Opera Theater, seeking to ensure the future of professional opera in Boston.

1994: BLO forged a major partnership with WGBH public

radio, and the Company began broadcasting its performances throughout New England, beginning with Carmen that Season and continuing through 2008.

Visit us online for an in-depth history of BLO’s 4O Seasons at blog.BLO.org!

32 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

“ Over the last few years, under the general and artistic direction of Esther Nelson, BLO has become a less predictable place. The company has been quietly reinventing itself, reaching broader audiences, rethinking its theatrical values, deepening its community involvement, and pushing the boundaries of its repertoire.” – the boston globe

JEFFREY DUNN

BEN GEBO PHOTOGRAPHY

BLO ARCHIVES

ERIC ANTONIOU

Clockwise from left: Jossie Pérez and Alan Schneider in Carmen on the Common. Christine Abraham and David Kravitz in Clemency. Joyce Castle in The Turn of the Screw, projected above from L-R are Rebecca Nash, Kathryn Skemp Moran, Aidan Gent, and Vale Rideout. BLO and the Landmarks Orchestra at the Hatch Shell.

1998: Opera New England (ONE), which presented children’s operas, joined BLO and subsequently became BLO’s Education and Community Programs Department.

1998: BLO transitioned to the Shubert Theatre (now the

Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Shubert Theatre), in the 1998/99 Season; the Shubert would serve as BLO’s home for 18 years.

2002: BLO celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a gift to the

city of Boston: Carmen on the Common. Performed on Boston Common twice—for free—more than 140,000 people attended, and the event garnered awards from the Boston City Council, Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston, and OPERA America.

2009: BLO partnered with Boston Landmarks Orchestra for a free, staged concert at the Edward A. Hatch Memorial Shell. This collaboration became an annual event attracting approximately 10,000 people each year through 2014.

2010: BLO formalized its Emerging Artists initiative, which offers paid performance opportunities, job training, and artistic coaching to professional singers, pianists, stage directors, stage

managers, and conductors who are poised to make breakthroughs in their careers. The initiative was renamed The Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists in 2015 in honor of the couple’s longstanding commitment to BLO.

2010: BLO launched Opera Annex, an annual presentation of a chamber opera in a non-traditional space, with Britten’s The Turn of the Screw.

2014: BLO released its first commercial recording, of

MacMillan’s Clemency, the 2013 Opera Annex selection.

2016: Celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season, BLO moved to produce its Season’s four operas in four unique and historic venues: Carmen in the Boston Opera House—the first time local opera has been performed there since the days of Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston; Opera Annex: Greek at the Emerson/ Paramount Center; The Rake’s Progress at the Emerson/Cutler Majestic Theatre—a return to the Majestic after nearly 20 years; and The Marriage of Figaro at John Hancock Hall at the Back Bay Events Center.

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THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE

STAFF FOR THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE PRINCIPAL OWNERS Donald Law David Mugar Executive Director.................................... James Jensen Building Engineer.....................................................Ted Sowa Box Office Manager..................................Robert Foley Box Office Assistant..................Kylie Maginnis-Corbitt Operations Manager......................................Kent Nielsen Event Manager.......................................Margaret Doyle House Manager...............................Darlene Catalfamo Audience Services Representatives............................................ Marysa Angelli Laura Marie Cancro Patrick Hearne Rachel Jensen Caryn Sowa Ryan Sweeney Production Manager..................... Michael Marchetti Administrative & Production Assistant............................Bethany Lombard Carpenter............................................................Chris Welling Prop Master.........................................................John Cocchi Flyman........................................................ James McEvoy III Electrician............................................................... John Walsh Assistant Carpenter............................. David Colantuoni Assistant Electricians.................................. Mark Donovan Robert Fitch Assistant Props....................................................T.K. Higgins Wardrobe Supervisor............................Carol Colantuoni Hair Supervisor......................................................Paula Dion Chief Usher.........................................................Ellen Cawley Assistant Chief Usher....................................Paula Dineen Centerplate Concessions Managers........................................................ James Dowling Michael Sheeran

ABOUT THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE Welcome to the 2015-2016 season of performances at New England’s premier performing arts theater, the Boston Opera House. As you settle in to enjoy the show, take a few moments to appreciate the splendid design and craftsmanship surrounding you. The exceptional beauty of the theater is rooted in its equally exceptional history.

The Boston Opera House (originally known as the B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre) is one of the finest examples of the vaudeville circuit palace at the pinnacle of its development. Designed in a combination of French and Italian styles by Thomas White Lamb, one of the foremost theater architects of his day, it was erected under the close personal supervision of Edward Franklin Albee (1857-1930 and greatgrandfather of the playwright of the same name) to memorialize his late partner, Benjamin Franklin Keith (1846-1914). Because it was constructed as a memorial and tribute to vaudeville’s greatest impresario, it was built with a degree of luxury in its appointments that is almost unrivalled.

When the theater opened on November 29, 1928, the opening was attended by many theatrical luminaries, among them George M. Cohan and Al Jolson.

Former Mayor James Michael Curley was also a guest of honor. The Radio-KeithOrpheum organization which by that time owned the theatre was represented by the host of that great occasion, R. K. O. Board Chairman Joseph P. Kennedy.

The theater presented vaudeville for only a year before featuring first-run films for the ensuing decades. In 1965 Sack Theatres purchased the B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre from R. K. O. The new owners refurbished the building, making great efforts to restore its opulent beauty, and renamed it the Savoy Theatre. In 1978 the theater was bought by the Opera Company of Boston. The name of the theater was then changed from Savoy to the name it now bears, the Boston Opera House.

Under the direction of the renowned opera impresario Sarah Caldwell, the Boston Opera House hosted some of the most acclaimed stagings of opera performances in the modern era. Unfortunately, the costs of maintaining the theater outstripped the ability of the Company to keep up. As tax and utility bills went unpaid, the theater began to suffer deterioration. The Company closed the theater in 1991 and the deterioration accelerated at a sad and alarming rate. In 1995, the Boston Opera House was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Buildings list.

Under the subsequent ownership of Clear Channel Communications, and with the assistance of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, the necessary building permits were issued in late 2002 and work to completely renovate and restore the Boston Opera House commenced. In order to accommodate the needs of large Broadway touring productions, the old stagehouse and attached dressing rooms were completely demolished to make way for a larger, state-of-the-art stagehouse and new dressing rooms. Meanwhile, everything between the proscenium wall of the stage and the Washington Street facade was carefully restored. A rare assembly of old-world craftsmanship and highly-skilled trades went to work restoring sculptural plaster, gold leaf finishes, Carrara marble, paintings and tapestries, grand staircases, chandeliers, walnut and oak paneling. The total cost of the restoration exceeded $50 million.

In September 2009, the Boston Opera House officially entered yet another phase in its storied history. Local businessmen Don Law and David Mugar joined forces to launch Boston Opera House Ventures, LLC, purchasing the Boston Opera House from Live Nation and returning the theater to local ownership for the first time in decades. The same month, Boston Ballet launched its first full season with the Boston Opera House as its new home, and Broadway In Boston continues to present the best of touring Broadway on this storied stage.

34 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE

EXIT PLANS For your own safety, please take a moment to view the exits for each floor.

DRESS CIRCLE/MEZZANINE/BALCONY

ORCHESTRA BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 35

36 | BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016

LOVED THE OPERA? ALASTAIR MUIR

Carmen performed by English National Opera at The London Coliseum, 2012.

IF YOU LOVED CARMEN, HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! #CARMENBLO | #40DAYSOFOPERA |

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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK. How can we make the most of your opera going experience?

Complete our online survey in your post-show email or contact us at boxoffice@blo.org or 617.542.6772.

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA CARMEN 2016 | 37

NEXT UP: A BLAZING RETELLING OF THE OEDIPUS STORY TURNAGE

EMERSON/PARAMOUNT CENTER NOV 16 - 20 | 2016 Opera Annex and New England Premiere

PHOTOS: LIZA VOLL PHOTOGRAPHY

BLO’s annual Opera Annex production transports audiences to London’s East End during the tumultuous 1980s. Hailed as a cult classic, Greek is an indelible retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King. Eddy explores London, murder, and sex before discovering the family ties that seal his fate.

With music influences that range from jazz to daring percussion to sounds of the streets, Greek is a defiant, profane detonation of a story millennia old.

GET THE BEST SEATS NOW! Tickets start at $25

Save up to 40% with a subscription

STRAVINSKY

MOZART

MAR 12 - 19, 2017

APR 28 - MAY 7, 2017

EMERSON/CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE

JOHN HANCOCK HALL

617.542.6772 BOXOFFICE@BLO.ORG Audience Services hours: MON – FRI, 10AM – 5PM