THE ATLANTA OPERA :: WEST SIDE STORY

Nov 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 2018 Cobb Energy Centre Based on a conception of JEROME ROBBINS Book ARTHUR LAURENTS Music LEONARD BERNSTEIN Lyrics STEPHEN SONDHEIM

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FEATURES

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14 A DREAM OF A BETTER WORLD

BY JAMIE BERNSTEIN 38 THE LEAP FROM BROADWAY, TO CLASSICAL, TO OPERA

BY NOEL MORRIS

PERFORMANCE 5 6 7 9

WELCOME SPONSORS CREDITS SYNOPSIS

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT

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CORPORATE PARTNERS

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DEPARTMENTS 41 44 44 46

12 13 19 37

ANNUAL GIVING

DIRECTOR'S NOTE JULIO MONGE, CHOREOGRAPHER CAST & CREATIVE ORCHESTRA

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FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT 50 BARBARA D. STEWART LEGACY SOCIETY

TRIBUTES & MEMORIALS BOARD OF DIRECTORS STAFF

HOUSE POLICIES

photo of Lenoard Bernstein: World Telegram & Sun photo by Al Ravenna. , 1955. From the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001695796/ photo of Houston Grand Opera's West Side Story: Lynn Lane

©2017 The Coca-Cola Company.

Proud supporter of

MERIDIAN CHORALE

Meridian Chorale in concert Sing Greater Things

Saturday, November 17, 2018, 7:30 PM

Spivey Hall Daniel Taylor, countertenor Steven Darsey, conductor Through a compelling range of seminal literature, the Meridian Chorale will honor the Roman poet Virgil’s admonition to “sing greater things” in concert, November 17, 7:30 PM, in the acoustically renowned Spivey Hall.

Composers represented include Josquin des Prez, Orlando Gibbons, Samuel Barber, and Steven Darsey.

Steven Darsey

The concert will feature Leonard Bernstein’s Missa Brevis, which Bernstein presented to Robert Shaw in honor of his retirement as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Missa Brevis will feature renowned countertenor Daniel Taylor, who will also perform arias from Handel operas. The concert will conclude with selections from opera and musical theater.

Daniel Taylor

Tickets are $25 at the box office or visit www.clayton.edu/spiveyhall

WELCOME

photo: Jeff Roffman

The outsized personality of Leonard Bernstein left its stamp on everything he touched. Born 100 years ago last August, he became a hit Broadway composer, classical composer, a star conductor, pianist, television personality, and academic. People were equally charmed and baffled by his genius and boundary-pushing presence. Yet who knew the year 2018 would become a major milestone in his biography?

The reason: Opera companies worldwide suddenly woke to the viability of West Side Story. What do I mean by that? First of all, it is a “triple threat”: it’s a show that requires performers who can sing, dance, and act. When it debuted on Broadway in 1957, opera was an art form in which singers parked themselves onstage, faced the audience and sang their hearts out.

Now in the year 2018 – 60 years later – we are witness to a new breed of operatic performer: one that combines the artistry of voice, drama, and yes, dance, in equal measure.

This convergence of art forms began in 1957 when co-creator, choreographer, and director Jerome Robbins, brought method acting to the original production of West Side Story. Almost 30 years later, Bernstein re-recorded the show using some of the greatest singers alive —all of whom were stars of the opera house.

In our production, directed by Francesca Zambello, we stay true to the spirit of Jerome Robbins. Notice the way choreographer Julio Monge (who worked with Robbins) creates two separate body languages to contrast the Sharks and the Jets: Choreography for the Sharks is informed by mambo (a symbol of Puerto Rican pride, which fuses African and Spanish dance). Choreography for the Jets is not ethnic, but conveys danger, virility, and the pent-up rage of urban youth.

Marking the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth, opera companies around the globe are probing the depths of this modern-day Romeo and Juliet and finding it has a natural affinity with opera — they’re also finding it painfully topical.

After all, what is West Side Story if not a commentary on the state of immigration, gang violence, disenfranchised youth, and racial and economic inequality?

With this marvelous dramatic work, Bernstein shows us what happens when we’re programmed to think that different means dangerous, while he reveals something of the human heart – we are actually attracted to different.

Everyone knows Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. But the concept endures, in part, because you leave the theater feeling almost hopeful, if not a desire to be a better human being. As Oscar Wilde put it so eloquently, “the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.” And that is the power of West Side Story.

Thank you for coming. Enjoy the show.

Tomer Zvulun Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director The Atlanta Opera 5

SPONSORS SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

The Knobloch Family Foundation in honor & memory of Carl W. Knobloch, Jr.

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Major support for The Atlanta Opera is provided by the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

This program is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly.

GCA also receives support from its partner agency - the National Endowment for the Arts.

THE ATLANTA OPERA DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Cathy & Mark Adams *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell Nancy & *Jim Bland James B. Miller, Jr. - Fidelity Southern Mr. David Boatwright Victoria & Howard Palefsky Laura & Montague Boyd Mr. William Pennington Dr. Harold Brody & Mr. Donald Smith Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg John & Rosemary Brown Mr. William F. Snyder Mr. & Mrs. John L. Connolly Judith & Mark Taylor Ann & Frank Critz Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Martha Thompson Dinos Brian & Marie Ward Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson John L. Hammaker Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle Howard Hunter - Gramma Fisher Foundation The Mary & Charlie Yates Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough *deceased 6

CREDITS

Based on a conception of JEROME ROBBINS Book ARTHUR LAURENTS Music LEONARD BERNSTEIN Lyrics STEPHEN SONDHEIM Entire original production directed & choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS Originally produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince by arrangement with Roger L. Stevens

photo: Lynn Lane

West Side Story is a co-production of Houston Grand Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Performed in English with English supertitles Approximate running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including one intermission West Side Story is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International [MTI].

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Supertitles owned by Houston Grand Opera: Patrick Summers, Artistic & Music Director; Perry Leech, Managing Director.

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CREDITS FIRST PERFORMANCE Sept. 27, 1957, at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York City CONDUCTOR David Neely PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Francesca Zambello ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Eric Sean Fogel ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY REPRODUCED BY Julio Monge SCENIC DESIGNER Peter Davison COSTUME DESIGNER Jessica Jahn LIGHTING DESIGNER Mark McCullough SOUND DESIGNER Andrew Harper HAIR, WIG, & MAKEUP DESIGNER Dave Bova ASSOCIATE COSTUME DESIGNER Aidan Griffiths ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER Sarah Stolnack ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Rawson ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR Rolando Salazar SUPERTITLES BY Kelley Rourke CAST THE JETS TONY Andrew Bidlack RIFF Brian Vu ACTION Connor McRory A-RAB PJ Palmer BABY JOHN Tyler Whitaker BIG DEAL Matthew Steriti DIESEL Schyler Vargas SNOWBOY Taylor Simmons GEE-TAR Spencer Britten ANYBODYS Kelsey Gibbs GRAZIELLA Melissa McCann VELMA Kaylee Guzowski MINNIE Ayana DuBose CLARICE Rachel Shiffman PAULINE Priscilla Eugene Curtis

THE SHARKS MARIA Vanessa Becerra ANITA Amanda Castro BERNARDO DJ Petrosino CHINO Brian Wallin PEPE Jawan Cliff-Morris INDIO John Fiscian LUIS Cansler McGhee ANXIOUS Nicholas Anthony NIBBLES Patrick Coleman ROSALIA Eliza Bonet CONSUELO Natalie Caruncho TERESITA Joanna Latini FRANCISCA Olivia Barbieri ESTELLA Carolina Villaraos

THE ADULTS DOC Rial Ellsworth LIEUTENANT SCHRANK Zachary Owen OFFICER KRUPKE C. Augustus Godbee GLAD HAND Brady Dunn MUSICAL PREPARATION Grant Wenaus, Mauro Ronca* ASSISTANT STAGE DIRECTOR Conor Hanratty†* PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Brian August ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Renée Varnas, Beth Goodill *member of The Atlanta Opera Studio †The Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg Young Artist Stage Director, given in honor of Tomer Zvulun 8

SYNOPSIS

Houston Grand Opera's 2018 production of West Side Story. photo: Lynn Lane

PROLOGUE The opening is a carefully choreographed, half-danced/half-mimed ballet of sorts. It shows the growing tensions between the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, a gang made up of “American” boys. An incident between the Jets and Shark leader, Bernardo, escalates into an all-out fight between the two gangs. Officers Schrank and Krupke arrive to break up the fight.

ACT ONE Detective Schrank, the senior cop on the beat, tries to get the Jets to tell him which Puerto Ricans are starting trouble in the neighborhood, as he claims he is on their side. The Jets, however, are not stool pigeons and won’t tell him anything.

Frustrated, Schrank threatens to beat the crap out of the Jets unless they make nice.

When the police leave, the Jets bemoan the Sharks coming onto their turf. They decide that they need to have one big rumble to settle the matter once and for all – even if winning requires fighting with knives and guns. Riff plans to have a war council with Bernardo to decide on weapons. Action wants to be his second, but Riff says that Tony is always his second. The other boys complain that Tony hasn’t been around for a month, but Riff doesn’t care; once you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet for life (“Jet Song”).

Riff goes to see Tony, who is now working

at Doc’s drugstore. Riff presses him to come to the school dance for the war council, but Tony resists; he’s lost the thrill of being a Jet. He explains that every night for a month, he’s had a strange feeling that something important is just around the corner. Nevertheless, Riff convinces Tony to come to the dance. Riff leaves Tony to wonder about this strange feeling that he’s been having (“Something’s Coming”).

In a bridal shop, Anita remakes Maria’s communion dress into a party dress. They are both Puerto Rican. Anita is knowing, sexual and sharp. Maria is excited, enthusiastic and childlike, but also growing into an adult. Maria complains that the dress is too young-looking, but Anita explains that Bernardo, her boyfriend and Maria’s brother, made her promise not to make the dress too short. It turns out that the dress is for the dance, which Maria is attending with Chino, whom she is expected to marry, despite the fact that she does not have any feelings for him.

At the dance in the local gym, the group is divided: Jets and their girls on one side and Sharks and their girls on the othe.

Riff and his lieutenants move to challenge Bernardo and his lieutenants, but they are interrupted by Glad Hand, the chaperone who is overseeing the dance, and Officer

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Krupke. The two initiate some dances to get the kids to dance together, across the gang lines. In the promenade leading up to the dance, though, the girls and boys end up facing each other at random, Jet girls across from Shark boys and vice versa.

Bernardo reaches across the Jet girl in front of him to take Anita’s hand, and Riff does the same with his girlfriend, Velma.

Everyone dances with their own group as Tony enters (“Mambo”). During the dance, Maria and Tony spot each other.

There is an instant connection. Bernardo interrupts them, telling Tony to stay away from his sister and asking Chino to take her home. Riff and Bernardo agree to meet at Doc’s in half an hour for the war council. As everyone else disappears, Tony is overcome with the feeling of having met the most beautiful girl ever (“Maria”).

Later, Tony finds the fire escape outside of Maria’s apartment and calls up to her. She appears in the window, but is nervous that they will get caught. Her parents call her inside, but she stays. She and Tony profess their love to each other (“Tonight”). He agrees to meet her at the bridal shop the next day. Bernardo calls Maria inside.

Anita admonishes him, saying that Maria already has a mother and father to take care of her. Bernardo insists that they, like Maria, don’t understand this country.

Bernardo, Anita, Chino and their friends discuss the unfairness of America – they are treated like foreigners, while “Polacks” like Tony are treated like real Americans, paid twice as much for their jobs. Anita tries to lure Bernardo inside and away from the war council, but he refuses. As the boys leave for the council, one of Anita’s friends, Rosalia, claims to be homesick for Puerto Rico. Anita scoffs at this. While Rosalia expounds on the beauties of the country, Anita responds with why she prefers her new home (“America”).

At the drugstore, the Jets wait for the Sharks. discussing what weapons they 10

might have to use. Doc is upset that the boys are planning to fight at all.

Anybodys, a tomboy who is trying to join the Jets, asks Riff if she can participate in the rumble, but he says no. Doc doesn’t understand why the boys are making trouble for the Puerto Ricans, and the boys respond that the Sharks make trouble for them. Doc calls them hoodlums and Action and A-rab get very upset. Riff tells them that they have to save their steam for the rumble and keep cool, rather than freaking out (“Cool”).

Bernardo arrives at the drugstore and he and Riff begin laying out the terms of the rumble. Tony arrives and convinces them all to agree to a fair fight – just skin, no weapons. The Sharks’ best man fights the Jets’ best man; Bernardo agrees, thinking that means he will get to fight Tony, but the Jets say they get to pick their fighter. Schrank arrives and breaks up the council. He tells the Puerto Ricans to get out. Bernardo and his gang exit. Schrank tries to get the Jets to reveal the location of the rumble and becomes increasingly frustrated when they refuse. He insults them and leaves. As Tony and Doc close up the shop, Tony reveals that he’s in love with a Puerto Rican. Doc is worried.

The next day at the bridal shop, Maria tells Anita that she can leave, that Maria will clean up. Anita is about to go when Tony arrives. She suddenly understands and promises not to tell on them. When she leaves, Tony tells Maria that the rumble will be a fair fight, but even that’s not acceptable for her, so she asks him to go to the rumble and stop it. He agrees. He’ll do anything for her. They fantasize about being together and getting married (“One Hand, One Heart”). Later, the members of the ensemble wait expectantly for the fight, all for different reasons (“Tonight Quintet”).

At the rumble, Diesel and Bernardo prepare to fight, with Chino and Riff as their seconds. Tony enters and tries to

break up the fight, but provokes Bernardo against him instead. Bernardo calls Tony a chicken for not fighting him. Riff punches Bernardo and the fight escalates quickly until Riff and Bernardo pull out knives. Bernardo kills Riff and, in response, Tony kills Bernardo, instantly horrified by what he’s done. The police arrive as everyone scatters; Anybodys pulls Tony away just in time.

ACT TWO In Maria’s apartment, she gushes to her friends about how it is her wedding night and she is so excited (“I Feel Pretty”).

Chino interrupts her reverie to tell her that Tony has killed Bernardo. She refuses to believe him, but when Tony arrives on her fire escape, he confesses. He offers to turn himself in, but she begs him to stay with her. She says that, although they are together, everyone is against them. Tony says they’ll find a place where they can be together (“Somewhere”).

In a back alley, the Jets regroup in shock.

No one has seen Tony. Officer Krupke comes by, threatening to take them to the station house. The boys chase him away for the moment and then release some tension by play-acting the scenario of what would happen if Krupke actually did take them to the station house (“Gee, Officer Krupke”).

Anybodys shows up with information about Tony and the fact that Chino is looking for him. She uses this information to get the boys to treat her like one of the gang. The Jets agree that they need to find Tony and warn him about Chino.

Meanwhile, Anita comes into Maria’s room and finds her with Tony. Tony and Maria are planning to run away. Tony knows that Doc will give him money, so he goes to the drugstore and tells Maria to meet him there. She agrees. When he leaves, Anita explodes at her for loving the boy who killed her brother. Maria acknowledges that it’s not smart, but she can’t help it (“A Boy Like That / I Have a Love”). Anita tells

Maria that Chino has a gun and is looking for Tony. Schrank arrives and detains Maria for questioning. Maria covertly asks Anita to go to Doc’s and tell Tony that she has been delayed. Reluctantly, Anita agrees.

The Jets arrive at Doc’s, learning that Tony and Doc are in the basement. Anita arrives and asks to speak to Doc. The Jets, recognizing her as Bernardo’s girl and thinking that she is there to betray Tony to Chino, won’t let her go down to the basement to talk to Doc. Instead, they harass and attack her. Doc arrives to find them ganging up on her; he breaks it up, but Anita, disgusted and hurt, lies to Doc and tells him to relay a message to Tony: Chino has shot Maria, and he will never see her again.

When Doc returns to Tony in the basement, he delivers Anita’s message.

Tony is distraught and heartbroken. He runs out into the streets and calls Chino to come for him. Anybodys tries to stop him, but Tony doesn’t care. He yells to Chino that he should come out and shoot him, too. Maria appears in the street – much to Tony’s surprise – and they run toward each other. In that moment, Chino steps out of the shadows and shoots Tony, who falls into Maria’s arms, gravely wounded.

The Jets, Sharks and Doc appear on the street. Maria picks up the gun and points it all of them, asking Chino if there are enough bullets to kill all of them and herself, as well. The depths of her sadness and anger move everyone as she breaks down over Tony’s body. Officers Krupke and Schrank arrive. They stand with Doc, watching as two boys from each gang pick up Tony’s body and form a processional.

The rest follow the processional, with Baby John picking up Maria’s shawl, giving it to her and helping her up. As Maria follows the others, the adults continue to bear silent witness (“Finale”).

Courtesy of Music Theatre International 11

Although America is a country of immigrants, we continue to struggle with issues around immigration and migration, which makes West Side Story an important tale for today. (As Sondheim’s lyric neatly put it, “Nobody knows in America / Puerto Rico’s in America.”)

The creators of West Side Story, although well intentioned, didn’t get everything right; later critics have pointed out lapses into stereotype. (This is true in so many “period pieces” that we put on the stage today, and as always, I look forward to the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about some of the thorny issues presented by the piece, both with my colleagues and with our audience members.)

Francesca Zambello photo: Daniel Chavkin

AN OUT AND OUT PLEA ...

BY FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO, PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

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“Two households, both alike in dignity…” Thus begins Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo and Juliet, in which we see “ancient grudge break to new mutiny.”

When Arthur Laurents first conceived a modern, musical version of the play, he imagined a rivalry between Catholic and Jewish communities on the Lower East Side; only later did he and his collaborators move the story uptown, pitting a gang of native New Yorkers against those more recently arrived.

Lapses aside, by putting the tragic cost of two warring tribes center stage, the authors made an important statement about the human tendency to organize ourselves into factions. Especially with the rise of social media, we have all become more tribal in our outlook. I think the story of two warring “tribes” challenges all of us to look at how we define and marginalize “the other.” Perhaps we find it easy to engage with people of different cultural backgrounds. But what about differences in education? Religion?

Resources? Politics?

Leonard Bernstein scrawled “an out and out plea for racial tolerance” across the first page of his copy of Romeo and Juliet.

As we approach this piece in 2018, in the midst of a world refugee crisis, I hope we can make that plea reverberate in a new way. I also hope we can challenge ourselves to think broadly about ways in which we arbitrarily dismiss the experiences and opinions of those who are not like us.

JULIO MONGE, CHOREOGRAPHER Shortly after Julio Monge moved to New York from Puerto Rico, he was selected to join the cast for what became Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. The project was initially intended to create an archive of Robbins’ choreography, particularly some of the early works that had never been recorded. Jerome Robbins’ Broadway opened in 1989 and ran for 633 performances and 55 previews.

notebooks are available, but good luck to anyone who hasn’t been inside the movement. Dance is passed on from body to body, in a kind of muscleemotional-psychological memory. If you are lucky enough to work with someone like Robbins, he puts that into your body and the movement never leaves you. It is so deeply ingrained by that rigorous approach.”

The work of Jerome Robbins – whose centennial we celebrate in 2018 – remained an important touchstone for Monge as he went on to build his career as an actor, choreographer, and director.

These days, Monge is one of the few people authorized by the Robbins Rights Trust to set the legendary choreographer’s work.

Robbins was one of the first members of New York’s newly formed Actors Studio, best known as a place for theatrical professionals to develop and refine skills in method acting. “Everything Robbins did was built on what he learned at the Actors Studio,” says Monge. “He was very much an observer of human behavior. His movement is a study of what a character feels and how he lives in the world.”

“Dance has an unwritten law that gets passed on from dancer to dancer – how it is supposed to feel, why you are moving. When you want to do Robbins’ choreography, the original choreography

Courtesy Kelley Rourke for The Glimmerglass Festival

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Leonard Bernstein, 1955

photo: World Telegram & Sun photo by Al Ravenna. , 1955. From the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001695796/.

A DREAM OF A BETTER WORLD

JAMIE BERNSTEIN DESCRIBES GROWING UP ALONGSIDE WEST SIDE STORY I’ve been a fan of West Side Story ever since my dad composed the score back in the '50s, when I was a little girl. I was too young to understand a lot of the story, and I wasn’t permitted to see the original Broadway production; the knife fights and scary gunshot at the end rendered it thoroughly inappropriate for a 5-yearold. So I just listened to the record, over and over and over, until I knew every note. My siblings had the same experience of completely internalizing West Side Story; we joke that the work is our fourth sibling.

It can happen with a rich work of art that it will grow and unfold along with you over the course of your life. And so it was with me and West Side Story. At the age of 10, the film came out – and I was finally old enough to see it. I was thoroughly 14

smitten; I vowed I would see it 10 times!

That turned out to be a modest vow; by now, I’ve seen West Side Story more times and more ways than I can count: in several Broadway theaters; in regional theaters all over the country; in movie houses, on video, in high schools; in a punk rock version, in a one-woman version

by Cher(!); and even at the illustrious La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy, where the blue jeans and fire escapes onstage made a fine contrast with the elegantly dressed audience in the gilded balconies.

But the most vibrant, memorable productions of West Side Story tend to be the high school shows. The kids are the right age; they “get” it. Whatever is less than perfect in the performance is marvelously compensated by the passionate commitment of the players.

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By now, pretty much everyone knows that West Side Story is a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The Romeo character is Tony, who belongs to the Jets street gang, and Maria is the Puerto Rican Juliet, attached to the Sharks gang. Like the characters they’re based on, Tony and Maria fall in love and suffer the consequences of the hate and prejudice in their respective worlds. And THAT, unfortunately, is a storyline that never seems to lose its urgency.

Here’s a bit of background on how West Side Story came into the world. Director Jerome Robbins’ original concept was not about Jets and Sharks at all; he first wanted the gangs to be Jews and Catholics, with everyone’s strong feelings boiling over during the Easter and Passover holidays. But somehow the idea just wasn’t clicking.

But when Jerry Robbins suggested making one street gang Puerto Rican, everything suddenly came together.

Now Lenny and Jerry knew exactly what do! The Jets would move to the cool American sounds of bebop jazz, while the Sharks would dance to the restless, syncopated Latin rhythms of the mambo. There it was: The Jets were cool; the Sharks were hot. Music, dancing, costumes – everything fell into place.

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But just because a show is a hit doesn’t mean any less agony went into its creation. In the summer of 1957, my father was feverishly finishing the score of West Side Story in time for the August opening in Washington, D.C. To get little 5-year-old me out of the stinking New York City heat, my mother took me down to South America to visit her

family in Chile. While I played with my cousins, my parents kept in touch through the mail.

July 19: “Darling: the work grinds on, relentlessly, and sleep is a rare blessing. It’s going to be murder from here on in.”

July 23: “The show – ah yes. I am depressed with it. All the aspects of the score I like best – the big, poetic parts – get criticized as “operatic” – and there’s a concerted move to chuck them. What’s the use? I am tired and nervous...This is the last show I do.”

[Not true.]

July 28: “A RUN-THRU of Act One! Imagine – already! In a minute it will be August, and off to Washington – and people will be looking at West Side Story in public, and hearing my poor little marked-up score. All the things I love most in it are slowly being dropped – too operatic, too this and that. They’re all so scared and commercial success means so much to them. To me too, I suppose – but I still insist it can be achieved with pride. I shall keep fighting.”

On August 1, my mother writes back from South America, using my father’s family nickname Lennuhtt: “Don’t give up the ship, Lennuhtt.

Fight for what you think is right.

What you wrote was important and beautiful. I can’t bear it if they chuck it out – that is what gave the show its stature, its personality, its poetry, for heaven’s sake! From way down here I PROTEST!! Promise me you’ll make

an effort to get enough sleep... Are you eating correctly or just pastrami sandwiches and coffee in cartons?

Lennuhtt?”

My father writes back on Aug. 3: “We ran through today for the first time, and the problems are many, varied and overwhelming; but we’ve got a show there. And just possibly a great one. But the work is endless: I never sleep: everything gets rewritten every day: and that’s my life for the moment. And imagine, we open two weeks from Monday.”

Aug. 13: “Well look-a me. Back to the nation’s capital and right on the verge.

We open Monday. Everyone’s coming, my dear, even Nixon and 35 admirals...

I tell you this show may yet be worth all the agony. As you can see, I’m excited as hell.”

A few days later, the reviews were in. The Daily News said the show opened “a new field in the American stage.” After the New York opening the following month, the Herald Tribune said, “The radioactive fallout from West Side Story must still be descending on Broadway this morning.”

But my personal favorite, from the Seattle Times, offered this perceptive criticism: “Perhaps the love story is a little too reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet.” *** Because my father was such a bundle of contradictions, it makes sense that he was so attracted to the notion of ambiguity as a way to express the irresolvable tensions in his own personality.

Maybe the original contradiction in Bernstein’s life can be found in his relationship with his creator: both the spiritual and the biological one.

Leonard Bernstein was raised by his Russian immigrant parents in a fairly traditional Eastern European Jewish environment, albeit in the Boston area.

He went regularly to synagogue, had his bar mitzvah, and grew up in the intense atmosphere of his father Sam’s devotion to the Talmudic scriptures. Sam Bernstein ran a successful hair and beauty supply business in Boston, and he was proud indeed to be able to pass along such an excellent business opportunity to his eldest son.

But you know? Leonard Bernstein didn’t want to run the Samuel Bernstein Hair Company! No, Lenny wanted to be a musician, and for Sam, who grew up in the shtetls of Poland and Russia, a musician was little more than a beggar who bummed from village to village, from wedding to bar mitzvah, barely keeping food in his belly and shoes on his feet. The story goes that Sam refused to pay for his son’s piano lessons. After Bernstein’s famous lastminute debut in Carnegie Hall on Nov. 14, 1943, some reporters challenged Sam about his reluctance to encourage his son’s musical career, to which Sam famously replied, “Well, how was I supposed to know he’d turn out to be Leonard Bernstein?”

So from his earliest conflicts with his father, Bernstein was already establishing a template for a lifetime of confronting authority. And the wrestling match moved into the 17

spiritual realm as well. Over and over again, Bernstein turned to his father’s beloved Hebrew biblical texts for both inspiration and disputation. These texts appear in so many of Bernstein’s pieces that, taken together with the music, they comprise a document of the composer’s lifelong running argument with God. What Leonard Bernstein ended up doing in West Side Story was go back and forth between harmony and dissonance – like two end zones between which Bernstein could throw his musical ambiguity back and forth. And that permanently unsettled interval, the tritone, serves as the football. Harmony... dissonance.

Love... hate. Optimism... pessimism.

My father worked so hard to make the world a better place; he never gave up on the goals of brotherhood and world peace that he held so close to his heart. But he struggled with it: Was the world coming to its senses?

Was it in fact becoming a better place?

He wasn’t sure, and we can hear him wrestling, as a composer, with his own notions of faith, hope, and despair in piece after piece. It’s as if he were constantly shaking his fist at the heavens, demanding: If you’re up there taking care of us, why is everything so terrible down here, and why are we all so terrible to each other?

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Yet my father could never entirely give up hope for a better world. There was even a part of him that believed if he could just write a melody that was beautiful enough, he could cure the world’s ills. He knew, of course, that this was impossible – but it was

that impulse to heal the world through music that galvanized him as a composer.

In the end, what I hear in my father’s music is that he cannot and will not give up on the possibility of a better future for humanity. He’s dreaming it for us through his notes. His own creative impulse was his deepest expression of faith – and it’s what makes his music so touching to everyone who hears it.

And that dream of a better world is the final message Bernstein leaves us with in West Side Story, too. At the end of the show, Tony has been shot dead and Maria has vented her rage at both gangs: the equivalent of Mercutio’s “a pox on both your houses” speech in Romeo and Juliet. The two gangs tentatively come together to help carry out the body.

As they all exit, we hear the final notes of “Somewhere” – that anthem to the possibility of something better – but this time that final, hopeful C major chord is darkened by an F-sharp lurking in the bass fiddles and timpani, bringing back that tritone of ambiguity, the one we’ve been hearing all through the show.

The C major chord swells with longing for a better world, but it’s offset by that dark warning from below, that maybe what we long for so desperately is out of our reach.

Or is it? We, the listeners, are free to decide.

Jamie Bernstein is an author, narrator, and filmmaker. Her memoir, "Famous Father Girl," was released in June of this year.

Courtesy The Glimmerglass Festival

CAST & CREATIVE JEROME ROBBINS CONCEPTION

Jerome Robbins is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets as well as his work as a director and choreographer in theater, movies, and television. His Broadway shows include On the Town, Billion Dollar Baby, High Button Shoes, West Side Story, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam, and Fiddler on the Roof.

His last Broadway production in 1989, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director. Among the more than 60 ballets he created are Fancy Free, Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, Dances at a Gathering, In the Night, In G Major, Other dances, Glass Pieces, and Ives, Songs, which are in the repertoires of New York City Ballet and other major dance companies througout the world. His last ballets include A Suite of Dancers, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov (1994), 2 & 3 Part Inventions (1994), West Side Story Suite (1995), and Brandenburg (1996). In addition to two Academy Award for the film West Side Story, Mr. Robbins received four Tony Award, five Donaldson Awards, two Emmy Awards, the Screen Directors Guild Awards, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. He was a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and was awarded the French Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur. Mr. Robbins died in 1998.

ARTHUR LAURENTS BOOK

An award-winning playwright, screenwriter, librettist, director, and producer, Arthur Laurents has been responsible for creating the librettos of many Broadway shows, including Gypsy, Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear A Waltz?, Hallelujah, Baby!, and Nick & Nora. He wrote the screenplays for The Snake Pit, Anna Lucasta, Anastasia, Bonjour Tristesse, The Way We Were, and The Turning Point. He also wrote the plays Home Of The Brave, The Time Of The Cuckoo, and A Clearing of The Woods. He directed I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Anyone Can Whistle, Gypsy, La Cage Aux Folles, Birds Of Paradise, and Nick & Nora.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN MUSIC

Composer, conductor, author, teacher, and recording artist, Bernstein transformed the way Americans and people everywhere hear and appreciate music. A few of his many compositions include the symphonies Jeremiah and The Age of Anxiety, the theater piece Mass, Chichester Psalms, Divertimento, the film score for On the Waterfront, the ballets Fancy Free and Facsimile, and the operas, Trouble in Tahiti and A Quiet Place. He was music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1958 to 1969 and, over his lifetime, conducted many of the major orchestras of the world. His Broadway musicals include Wonderful Town, Candide, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and the immensely popular West Side Story.

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STEPHEN SONDHEIM LYRICS

Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park With George (1984), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), and Road Show (2008), as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), and Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Anthologies of his work include Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), and Sondheim On Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores for the films Stavisky (1974) and Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (1990) and the TV production Evening Primrose (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat (2010) and Look, I Made a Hat (2011). In 2010, the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theater as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to more than 70,000 professional, community, and school theaters in the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theater, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior™ shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

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DAVID NEELY CONDUCTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

David Neely has appeared as a conductor with the Bochumer Symphoniker, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, the Symphonieorchester Vorarlberg, and numerous European opera houses including Bonn, Halle, Dortmund, and St. Gallen. In the United States, he has appeared for concerts and opera at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and Sarasota Opera, where he has led numerous productions including their American Classics series of 20th-century operas. He has conducted the German premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie, the North American premiere of Robert Orledge’s reconstruction of Debussy’s The Fall of the House of Usher, and recently, world premieres of Arthur Gottschalk’s Four New Brothers, Billy Childs’ Concerto for Horn and Strings, and Alexandre Rydin’s Clarinet Concerto. He is Visiting Associate Professor in Orchestral Conducting at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and was head of Orchestral Activities at the University of Kansas for nine years. He holds a B.M. in Piano Performance and an M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from Indiana University, where his teachers were Zadel Skolovsky and Leonard Hokanson (piano), and Thomas Baldner and Bryan Balkwill (conducting). He received post-graduate study in orchestral conducting with Gerhard Samuel at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO PRODUCTION DIRECTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

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An internationally recognized director of opera and theater, Francesca Zambello has staged productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the United States. Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, she takes a special interest in new music theater works, innovative productions, and in producing theater and opera for wider audiences. Ms. Zambello has been the General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival since 2010, and the Artistic Director of The Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center since 2012. She also served as the Artistic Advisor to the San Francisco Opera from 2005-2011, and as the Artistic Director of the Skylight Theater from 1987-1992. In her current roles at the Kennedy Center and The Glimmerglass Festival, she is responsible for producing 12 productions annually. She was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. She recently developed and directed the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Heart of a Soldier for the San Francisco Opera. Other projects include the first international production of Carmen to ever be presented at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the world premiere of An American Tragedy, Cyrano, and Les Troyens for the Metropolitan Opera, Carmen and Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House, Boris Godunov, War and Peace, Billy Budd, and William Tell at the Paris Opera, and The Ring for the San Francisco Opera. She has also served as a guest professor at Yale University and The Juilliard School and lives in New York and London.

ERIC SEAN FOGEL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina and inspired by The Spoleto Festival, Eric became passionate about classical music and dance at an early age. After graduating from the College of Charleston in Theatre, Eric furthered his studies at the Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham Dance Schools on scholarship in New York City. He was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet for four years as a concert dancer. He also was a member of Ben Munisteri Dance Projects for fourteen years performing at Lincoln Center, BAM, The Joyce Theatre and Dance Theatre Workshop. Other companies include NY City Opera, NY Philharmonic, LA Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Washington National Opera, Mark Dendy, and Donald Byrd / The Group. Eric also performed in the National Tours of Evita!, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and three productions of West Side Story: European Tour, La Scala Opera, and an International Tour. Throughout his career Eric has been fortunate to assist and learn from many choreographers and directors while being an associate on Broadway, national tours, and encores at City Center. This led to the debut of his own choreography in 2007. Eric continues to study in both classical and modern forms of dance and music, while working to create new visuals in story telling on new productions and world premieres. His choreography has now been featured on television, theatre, and in opera houses around the world.

PETER DAVISON SCENIC DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Opera: Le Nozze di Figaro (Vienna); Die Gezeichneten, Falstaff, and Die Schweigsame Frau (Zurich); Capriccio (Berlin and Torino); Der Rosenkavalier, Carmen, and Mary Stuart (ENO); Anna Bolena (Bayerische Staatsoper); Katya Kabanova (New Zealand); Mitridate Re Di Ponto (Salzburg); Manon Lescaut (Australia); The Rake’s Progress, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Cyrano de Bergerac (Metropolitan Opera); The Queen of Spades (Royal Opera House); Guillaume Tell (Opera Bastille); Fidelio, Walküre, Porgy and Bess, Salome, Forza Del Destino (Washington); La bohéme (Royal Albert Hall); La Rondine (La Fenice); Cyrano de Bergerac (La Scala); Porgy and Bess (Chicago and San Francisco); Carmen, Les Contes d’Hoffman (Beijing); Heart of a Soldier (San Francisco Opera); La traviata (Bolshoi Theatre); Two Women (San Francisco, Cagliari, Sardinia); Carmen (Salzburg); Porgy and Bess (Glimmerglass). Theater: The White Devil, Don Carlos, and The Duchess of Malfi (RSC); Bed, Le Cid, Copenhagen, Democracy, Afterlife (National Theatre); Medea, Hamlet, Deuce, Copenhagen, Democracy, Is He Dead, and Blithe Spirit (Broadway).

Saint Joan (West End London). Musicals: Boy From Oz (Sydney), Jesus Christ Superstar (UK/USA tour, Broadway), Show Boat (Royal Albert Hall), Rebecca (Vienna, St Gallen and Stuttgart), Marie Antoinette (Bremen), Spiral (China), Show Boat (Lyric Opera Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera and Dallas), Der Besuch der Alten Dame (Austria), Butterfly Princess (China), Artus, Don Camillo and Peppone, Matterhorn (St. Gallen), West Side Story (Houston). He won Best Designer at the 1994 Martini/TMA award for Medea and Saint Joan.

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JESSICA JAHN COSTUME DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

New York credits: Love, Loss and What I Wore (Westside Theatre); Once On This Island (Paper Mill Playhouse); One Night... (world premiere, the Cherry Lane Theatre); Die Mommie Die! (New World Stages, winner of the Lucille Lortel Award); Monodramas and Mose in Egitto (New York City Opera). Regional: Dead Man Walking (Washington National Opera); Norma (Canadian Opera Company and Lyric Opera of Chicago, winner of the Dora Mavor Moore Award); Life Is A Dream (world premiere, Santa Fe Opera); Carousel (Glimmerglass Festival); Anna Bolena (Lyric Opera of Chicago); The Manchurian Candidate (world premiere); Maria Stuarda (Seattle Opera); Moby Dick (Utah Opera); West Side Story (Houston Grand Opera). International: Norma (The Gran Teatre de Liceu); Don Bucefalo (Wexford Opera Festival). Upcoming: Gloria: A Life (Daryl Roth Theatre, NYC); West Side Story (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Moby Dick (The Gran Teatre de Liceu). She is an Adjunct Costume Design Professor with Brandeis University’s Theatre Arts Department.

ANDREW HARPER SOUND DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Andrew is a sound designer, mixer, and consultant for theatre, opera, and ballet, based in Houston. He is the resident designer for Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars for the 2018-19 season, the resident sound design consultant for Houston Ballet, and regularly designs for Houston Grand Opera. He first designed Francesca Zambello’s production of West Side Story for Houston Grand Opera and then again for Lyric Opera Kansas City. For New York City Opera: Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. For Houston Grand Opera: The House Without a Christmas Tree (world premiere), It's A Wonderful Life (world premiere), A Coffin in Egypt (world premiere), Cruzar, Carousel, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music. For Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars: Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Memphis, How to Succeed, In the Heights. He is honored to collaborate with The Atlanta Opera on West Side Story!

DAVE BOVA HAIR, WIG, & MAKEUP DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Broadway designs include M. Butterfly, Sunset Boulevard, Bandstand, Indecent, The Real Thing, Violet, Off-Broadway designs include BE More Chill, Jerry Springer The Opera, Little Miss Sunshine, Here Lies Love, Buried Child, Pericles, Booty Candy, My Name Is Asher Lev, Good Person of Szechwan, Romeo and Juliet. Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Signature Theatre, Playwright Horizons, Dallas Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre of DC, Ford’s Theatre, The Public, Public Works, Seattle Rep, Two River Theatre, Delaware Rep, Cleveland Play House, Utah Shakespeare Festival. Opera: Glimmerglass Festival 2016-18, Central City Opera 2012-15, Sarasota Opera 2015, Kansas Lyric Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera. davebovadesign.com 24

MARK McCULLOUGH LIGHTING DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Mark has lit productions for the Vienna Staatsoper (Macbeth); Bolshoi Theatre (La traviata); the Metropolitan Opera (Le nozze di Figaro); the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing (The Tales of Hoffmann); La Scala (Cyrano de Bergerac); Madrid’s Teatro Real (Luisa Miller); Strasbourg's Opéra National du Rhin (The Beggar's Opera); The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (The Queen of Spades); Opera North (Eugene Onegin) as well as numerous productions with Boston Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, The Dallas Opera, Glimmerglass, Canadian Opera Company, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, and San Francisco Opera, including the Ring Cycle directed by Francesca Zambello. Among his successes in theater have been the Broadway productions of Outside Mullingar; Jesus Christ Superstar (revival); After Ms. Julie, and The American Plan. International theater credits include Whistle Down the Wind (Aldwych Theatre, London); Der Besuch Der Alten Dame (Ronacher Theatre, Vienna); Artus (St. Gallen, Switzerland); and Rebecca (St. Gallen, Switzerland and the Palladium Theatre, Stuttgart); the UK tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Future engagements include Dialogues of the Carmelites at Indiana University; Norma at the Ópera Nacional de Chile; La traviata with Washington National Opera.

JULIO MONGE CHOREOGRAPHER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Julio Monge is an actor, choreographer, and director. His performance credits on Broadway include On Your Feet, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Lincoln Center’s Twelfth Night, Man of La Mancha, Fosse, Victor/ Victoria, and Paul Simon’s The Capeman. Choreography works include West Side Story: The Somewhere Project, celebrating Carnegie Hall’s 125th anniversary; and Tony Kushner’s translation of Mother Courage and Her Children, starring Meryl Streep, and the musical Radiant Baby, both directed by George C. Wolfe. Other choreography credits include The Threepenny Opera at Williamstown Theater Festival, starring Betty Buckley; José Rivera’s premiere of References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot, starring Rosie Pérez; and the revival of Pablo Cabrera’s La verdadera historia de Pedro Navaja in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Directing credits include Putting Out by Laura E. Bray at New York Venus Theater Festival and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (also producer and translator) at the Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival in Puerto Rico (Best Production Award 2010). During 2018-19, he will be resetting Jerome Robbins’ original West Side Story choreography for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Glimmerglass Festival, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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VANESSA BECERRA MARIA

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: SWEENEY TODD, 2018 Soprano Vanessa Becerra is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and a recent graduate of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, where she was seen as Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Annina in La traviata, and Gossip 2 in the Grammy Award-winning recording of The Ghosts of Versailles. The 2018-19 season began with Ms. Becerra’s Lyric Opera of Kansas City debut as Maria in West Side Story, where her performance was described as “the show’s anchor” and her singing “revelatory.” She first performed the role at The Glimmerglass Festival receiving praise for her “bold and bright” voice (Opera News). In the fall, she joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera, followed by her return to Opera Omaha, where she will perform Lise in Philip Glass’ Les enfants terribles. Last season marked exciting debuts for Ms. Becerra with the LA Phil, San Francisco Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago as Miss Lightfoot in Fellow Travelers, Opera Omaha as Glauce in Medea, The Atlanta Opera as Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Opera Delaware as Sophie in Werther, and a return to Opera San Jose singing the title role in Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella after previously singing Musetta in their production of La bohème. She has spent summers with The Glimmerglass Festival, Wolf Trap Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Seagle Music Colony. She received her master’s degree from The Boston Conservatory and her bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.

ANDREW BIDLACK TONY ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Featured by Opera News as one of their “top 25 brilliant young artists” (October 2015), tenor Andrew Bidlack begins the 2018-19 season at Lyric Opera of Kansas City in his role debut as Tony (West Side Story), before traveling to The Atlanta Opera to reprise the role.

At Calgary Opera he re-creates the role of Rob Hall (Everest), and at Arizona Opera he appears as Nikolaus Sprink (Silent Night). The role of Greenhorn (Moby Dick) takes the artist, to Chicago Opera Theatre.

Last season at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the artist revived the role of Rob Hall (Everest), a debut he made at Dallas Opera in 2015. He appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Beppe (I Pagliacci), reviving the great success he had in the role in a previous season. At Opera Santa Barbara, he appeared as Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), followed by Arcadio (Florencia en el Amazonas) at Florida Grand Opera. The artist ended the season at Des Moines Metro Opera in the role of Bill (Flight) in highly lauded performances. Past roles include Lensky (Eugene Onegin) and Greenhorn/Ishmael cover (Moby-Dick) at Dallas Opera. At Madison Opera, he sang the role of Tamino (Die Zauberflöte); at Saratoga Opera, he sang in the title role of Getry’s rarely heard opera, Zemire et Azor.

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AMANDA CASTRO ANITA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

A graduate of California Institute of the Arts, Castro studied under Glen Eddy (Nederlands Dans Theater), Andre Tyson (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and Colin Connor (director of Limón Dance Company). Principal dancer of Urban Bush Women for four years, Castro won New York City’s 2016 Run the Night competition and placed second in 2017 with her collaborative trio Soles of Duende, which recently participated in the 2018 Women in Dance Leadership Conference as invited artists. Castro has danced in Jared Grimes’ 42nd Street pre-production workshop in Chicago and performed with Jason Bernard, Ayodele Casel, and Andrew Nemr. She also assisted choreographer Nick Kenkel for his work in BC Beat, has been featured as a model/movement specialist in New York Fashion Week, and danced at Radio City Music Hall for the Ellie Awards. She recently finished In the Heights at Geva Theatre in Rochester, N.Y.

BRIAN VU RIFF

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT In the 2018-19 season, Brian debuts with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and The Atlanta Opera as Riff in Francesca Zambello’s new production of West Side Story, a role he premiered at Houston Grand Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival. He then sings Alcée (Sapho) with Washington Concert Opera and Moralès (Carmen) with San Diego Opera. Previous roles include Schaunard (La bohème) with Glimmerglass, Hannah before (As One), John Brooke (Little Women), Fiorello and Figaro (student matinee Il barbiere di Siviglia) with Pittsburgh Opera. He has performed songs from the Frederick Koch collection with Yale in New York at Carnegie Hall and as baritone soloist with in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Yale Glee Club and Yale Symphony Orchestra. A first-place winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition, he is a grand finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, recipient of the Sullivan Foundation Award, third prize in the Gerda Lissner Lieder competition, and a major prizewinner in the Opera Index Competition, among others. Brian holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and University of California, Los Angeles. You can find him @vouski on Instagram.

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CONNOR McRORY ACTION ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Connor is thrilled to be making his Atlanta Opera debut! His previous credits include Finding Neverland (first national tour), White Christmas (tour), Trip of Love (off-Broadway), West Side Story (Houston Grand Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City), Jerome Robbins Broadway, Holiday Inn (MUNY) and other regional work at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Maine State Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, and Pennsylvania Center Stage. Connor is a proud Pennsylvania State University graduate.

PJ PALMER A-RAB

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

PJ Palmer is excited to be joining the Jets again. Credits include the national touring company of Elf: The Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Goodspeed), Oliver! (Paper Mill Playhouse), Young Frankenstein, Peter Pan, The Music Man, Singin' in the Rain (MUNY), Mamma Mia! (Maine State Music Theatre), Elf, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz (Fulton Theatre), Mary Poppins, Grease (KC Starlight), The Music Man, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Gypsy (Stages St. Louis), A Chorus Line (Westchester Broadway Theatre), and A Chorus Line (John Engeman Theatre). He performed in West Side Story with the Houston Grand Opera, North Shore Music Theatre, Casa Manana, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Fireside Dinner Theatre, and The Glimmerglass Festival.

He would like to thank the West Side Story team for bringing him along and the entire cast for being so much fun to work with. Thanks also to his family, Jeremy and Dave at the Daniel Hoff Agency, Shania Twain, and Tucker Breder. Much love to Quentin and Ulysses. @peejpalmer

TYLER WHITAKER BABY JOHN ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Previous performances include West Side Story at Lyric Opera of Kansas City and The Glimmerglass Festival, Carousel at The Glimmerglass Festival, Sweeney Todd with the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, Gypsy at Ocean State Theatre Company, and The Pirates of Penzance with the Toronto Operetta Theatre. Earlier this year, he appeared as Baby John in West Side Story in concert with the NSO Pops/John F. Kennedy Center under the baton of Steven Reineke. He earned his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory.

MATTHEW STERITI BIG DEAL ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Matthew Steriti is thrilled to be making his Atlanta debut with West Side Story. Most recently, he played Big Deal in West Side Story at Lyric Opera of Kansas City (September 2018). Other credits include: West Side Story (The Glimmerglass Festival 2018), Mary Poppins (Syracuse Stage), My Fair Lady (Syracuse Opera), Ragtime (Syracuse University), Crazy For You (Syracuse University). Originally from Boston, he graduated this spring from Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theater.

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SCHYLER VARGAS DIESEL ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Colorado native Schyler Vargas has performed with Opera Fort Collins, Boulder Symphony, Loveland Opera Theatre, and Cincinnati Opera.

He is an alumnus of Houston Grand Opera’s YAVA program and has served as a Studio Artist with Opera Fort Collins and Opera in the Ozarks. This year, Schyler joined The Glimmerglass Festival as a Young Artist in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night, Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti in the Trio, and West Side Story as Chino and Riff understudy. Following the production after the summer, he performed the role of Diesel at Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Notable operatic roles include Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, the Father in Hänsel und Gretel, Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Maximilian in Candide, the title role in Signor Deluso by Thomas Pasatieri, and both Samuel and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. Schyler holds a B.A. in Music from Colorado State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

TAYLOR SIMMONS SNOWBOY ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Taylor is excited to be performing in Atlanta for the first time after previously being seen in Houston Grand Opera's production of West Side Story. Simmons performed the title role in the national tour of Peter Pan 360. Favorite regional theater credits include The Music Man, Peter and the Starcatcher, Peter Pan, Our Town, Into the Woods, State Fair, Next to Normal, Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, and many productions of West Side Story. Taylor's performing has also taken him across the United States, Europe, and Japan with The Young Americans. Love to Gabriella. Go Rams! www.taylor-simmons.com

SPENCER BRITTEN GEE-TAR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Spencer Britten is from Vancouver, Canada, and holds a muaster’s and bachelor’s in Music from the University of British Columbia. He grew up dancing ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, partnering, and lifts. UBC Opera highlight roles include Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Tanzmeister/Brighella (Ariadne auf Naxos), and Lysander (A Midsummer Night's Dream). He also spent four seasons with Vancouver Opera, most notably as Older Brother in Dead Man Walking. He also sang the title role in the Vancouver Opera in School’s tour of Stickboy. Other favorite performances include Vanderdendur (Candide), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), and Basilio in (Le nozze di Figaro). He performed at The Glimmerglass Festival this past summer, where he sang in Silent Night, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Trouble in Tahiti, and West Side Story. He is a member of l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, where he will perform as Peter Quint (The Turn of the Screw), Doughboy (27), and as Dorvil (La scala di seta).

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KELSEY GIBBS ANYBODYS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Kelsey began dancing at the age of 3 with the Art Park Dancers in Deer Park, Texas. She went on to train at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and perform preprofessionally with the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theater under the direction of Lynette Mason Gregg. Her professional career began in 2013 when she joined Hope Stone Dance. She has since performed with other Houston-based companies such as Frame Dance Productions, Chapman Dance, and Karen Stokes Dance.

She has had the pleasure to dance in the Houston Grand Opera's productions of Eugene Onegin (soloist), Nixon in China (chorus), La traviata (The Matadora), West Side Story (Anybodys) and to work with choreographers Serge Bennathan, Sean Curran, Austin McCormick, and Julio Monge. She has since reprised the role of Anybodys with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and is excited to do so again in Atlanta!

MELISSA McCANN GRAZIELLA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Melissa is thrilled to be revisiting this production of West Side Story after playing Graziella in Houston Grand Opera’s production earlier this year. Previous credits include Finding Neverland (first national tour), Jerome Robbins' Broadway (MUNY), West Side Story (Carnegie Hall), and Paint Your Wagon (New York City Center Encores!). The biggest thanks to Julio, Eric, Francesca, and the rest of the team at The Atlanta Opera, CESD & of course my most supportive parents! B.F.A. graduate in commercial dance from Pace University. MAMBO!

KAYLEE GUZOWSKI VELMA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Recent credits include The Theory of Relativity and White Christmas at Rider University, where she recently graduated from with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. She’d like to thank her family, friends, teachers, and husband for their endless love and support. www.kayleeguzowski.com

AYANA DUBOSE MINNIE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Ayana is excited to be performing with The Atlanta Opera. Her favorite credits include Lisa in Mamma Mia! (Arkansas Repertory Theater) and Alice in Alice in Wonderland excerpt (Flying Foot Forum). She has a B.F.A. in dance from the University of Minnesota, where she performed in a concert with the Martha Graham Dance Company at Northrop Auditorium, the Choreography of Garth Fagan and Uri Sands. Thank you to my family for all of your support! @ayanadubose 30

RACHEL SHIFFMAN CLARICE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Rachel is excited to be making her debut in the Atlanta Opera’s West Side Story. Rachel is a CCCEPA alumni and graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Judaic studies from the University of Arizona.

Her most recent work was with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel, but she is excited to be performing back where she grew up. She would like to thank her parents for still loving her even though she is now in a gang and cannot wait to perform in her hometown for family and friends.

PRISCILLA EUGENE CURTIS PAULINE

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, 2017 Priscilla is an Atlanta-raised resident of NYC. Favorite credits include The Producers (national tour); The Will Rogers Follies (FLMTF); Funny Girl (AR Lyceum Theatre); The Seven Deadly Sins (The Atlanta Opera); 42nd Street (City Springs Theatre Company); Sophisticated Ladies, Chicago (Atlanta Lyric Theatre). She is also a magician's assistant for master illusionist Elliot Zimet. Priscilla could not be happier to be a part of this production. Huge thank you to my family for letting me borrow your cars so I could do this show. @pris_skilla

DJ PETROSINO BERNARDO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

DJ is so excited to tell this story once again; ninth time’s the charm!

Tours: Cabaret; Television: Bernstein Centennial Celebration for “PBS Great Performances” (Bernardo); regional theater: La Cage Aux Folles, West Side Story (Signature Theatre), Saturday Night Fever (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), West Side Story (Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, North Shore Music Theatre, Harbor Lights Theatre Company), A Chorus Line (The Engeman Theatre), Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia! (Ogunquit Playhouse/Gateway Playhouse), The Donkey Show (American Repertory Theatre), Young Frankenstein, Buddy Holly Story, Kiss Me, Kate (Arizona Broadway Theatre), Zanna, Don’t!

(Speakeasy Stage Company), 9 to 5 (Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre); Education: Salem State University, B.F.A. Theatre Arts.

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BRIAN WALLIN CHINO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Hailed by the Dallas Morning News as having a “finely focused and wellmannered” voice, he recently completed his second summer as a Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival, in West Side Story, The Cunning Little Vixen, and Kevin Puts’ Silent Night. This season includes appearing in West Side Story with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. He will return to Palm Beach Opera as a second-year Benenson Young Artist performing Gastone in La traviata and covering Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. He will appear in the world premiere of The Fix with Minnesota Opera and as the tenor soloist in St. Matthew Passion with Shreveport Symphony.

Recent engagements include Spoletta in Tosca (Palm Beach Opera), Vanderdendur in Candide (Palm Beach Opera), Editor Daily in The Cradle Will Rock (Opera Saratoga), Third Jew in Salome (The Minnesota Orchestra), and The King of El Dorado in Candide (Opéra National de Bordeaux and Théâtre du Capitole). Recent concert engagements include St. John Passion with Lyric Opera of the North and Carmina Burana with The Atlanta Ballet. Wallin proudly received his B.M. from the University of Maryland and his M.M. from the Maryland Opera Studio.

JAWAN CLIFF-MORRIS PEPE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

A baritone, native of New York, Jawan obtained his bachelor’s from Prairie View A&M, master’s from the University of Texas at Austin where he is completing a doctorate in musical arts, studying with Donnie Ray Albert. Jawan received his training early as a member of the Boys Choir of Harlem. With Houston Grand Opera’s Opera to Go, he performed various roles for three seasons. Recent premiered roles include Asku in Stomping Grounds with The Glimmerglass Festival and at Houston Grand Opera, Mr. Delgado in Jake Heggie’s It’s A Wonderful Life, and Quartet Member in Ricky Ian Gordon’s A Coffin in Egypt. Roles with the Butler Opera Center include Ford in Falstaff, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Charlie in Three Decembers, and Vater in Hänsel und Gretel. Internationally, Jawan has performed the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni in Germany and Canada.

As a Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival, he was seen as Indio (Cover-Bernardo) in West Side Story and Scottish Soldier No.1 (Cover-Lt. Gordon) in Silent Night. Recently, he was seen as Anxious in West Side Story at Lyric Opera Kansas City.

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JOHN FISCIAN INDIO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

John is thrilled to make his Atlanta Opera debut! Recently, you may have seen him in the Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida as a Nubian ensemble member. His previous credits include Wasted Love (Lead Male) at New York Live Arts with Born Dancing Inc. and Aida (Mereb) at the Little Theatre of the Rockies. John is an Atlanta native, and he is a proud University of Northern Colorado alumnus with a B.A. in Musical Theatre and a Dance minor. He thanks God, his beautiful friends, and his family. Love always. @jfiscian

CANSLER McGHEE LUIS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Cansler is thrilled to be a part of this production of West Side Story. After training at Pebblebrook High School, he has performed locally with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre and the Aurora Theatre in shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as aboard the Navigator of the Seas as a dancer for Royal Caribbean International.

NICHOLAS ANTHONY ANXIOUS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Nicholas is thrilled to be making his professional stage debut with the fantastic Atlanta Opera! A Marietta native, he attended the Performing Arts Magnet at Pebblebrook High School and went on to get his B.F.A. degree in Musical Theatre from Wright State University. Favorite credits include A Chorus Line (Mark), Rent (Mark/Roger Cover), and One Man, Two Guvnors (Alfie). Nicholas teaches dance at Duet Dance Academy in Canton and is so grateful for the unparalleled support he’s received from his Duet family. Thank you to Meem, Popul, and the Barrau bunch for always being there and giving so much love. It’s always for you, Mama! @_nicholas_anthony

PATRICK COLEMAN NIBBLES ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Patrick is thrilled to be working at The Atlanta Opera! Previous credits include Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins (Legacy Theatre); Mamma Mia!, Ben Butler (Kavinoky Theatre); Peter Pan (ArtPark); Oklahoma!, Gypsy (The Prizery); and The Rocky Horror Show (Out Front Theatre Company). He is a graduate of Elon University with a B.F.A. in music theatre, Class of 2017. @pjcoalman 33

ELIZA BONET ROSALIA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Cuban-American mezzo-soprano Eliza Bonet continues to garner critical praise for her “sparkling, uninhibited delivery” (SF Classical Music Examiner) and “full, bright, warm sound” (Mercury News). She made her Kennedy Center debut in 2017 as a member of the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, presenting her role debut as Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina. She also performed in the Kennedy Center’s Leonard Bernstein at 100 celebration as Paquette in Bernstein’s Candide, and West Side Story with the National Symphony Orchestra, both directed by Francesca Zambello. Ms. Bonet also made her Carnegie Hall debut this September performing selections of Manos Indocumentados by Jorge Lockward with the Mimesis Ensemble. Other recent credits include David Cote’s opera Three Way as The Domme, Angelina (La Cenerentola), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Carmen (La tragedie de Carmen). Ms. Bonet returns to Washington National Opera for the 2018-19 season for The Lion, Unicorn, and Me by Jeanine Tesori, and a world premiere of Taking Up Serpents by Kamala Sankaram. She is thrilled to be in her hometown singing with The Atlanta Opera.

NATALIE CARUNCHO CONSUELO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Natalie is thrilled to be joining the Atlanta Opera’s production of West Side Story. Most recently, she was part of the original Broadway company of On Your Feet! as a member of the ensemble and dance captain. First national tours: On Your Feet! (Ensemble, Associate Choreographer), Flashdance (Dance Captain, Swing), In the Heights (Ensemble, u/s Vanessa, Nina and Carla). Regional: A Chorus Line (Morales), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), West Side Story (Francisca). Thank you to her love Sean, family, and Bean. @natcaruncho

JOANNA LATINI TERESITA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Soprano Joanna Latini, a New Jersey native, is excited to be performing with The Atlanta Opera! This past summer, she sang the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen with The Glimmerglass Festival. Opera News hailed Ms. Latini “a generous performer [with] winning personality and a sound both luscious and supple, exuding charm[.]” Also in 2018, she was a national semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She will be a Benenson Young Artist at Palm Beach Opera this season. She will be covering Violetta in La traviata, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and singing Sally in Die Fledermaus. She has been a Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival, Apprentice Artist with Santa Fe Opera, Young Artist with Kentucky Opera, and Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera. Highlights on the concert stage include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Handel’s Messiah. Ms. Latini holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Music from Rice University.

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OLIVIA BARBIERI FRANCISCA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Olivia is thrilled to make her debut at The Atlanta Opera! Regional Credits include West Side Story (Francisca) at The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Magic Flute (Principal Dancer), Candide (Principal Dancer/ Chorus), Oklahoma! (Dream Laurey/ Sylvie), The Cunning Little Vixen (Dragon Fly/Hen #1); and West Side Story (Teresita, u/s Rosalia & Francisca) at The Glimmerglass Festival. European Tour: Candide (Principal Dancer/Chorus) at Opera National de Bordeaux and Theatre du Capitole (Bordeaux and Toulouse, France). Olivia recently made her Kennedy Center debut in Bernstein’s Centennial Celebration with West Side Story in concert. B.F.A., Syracuse University. All my love to my amazing family and friends. @obarbz

CAROLINA VILLARAOS ESTELLA ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Carolina is a graduate from The Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. in classical ballet. She lives in New York City. Credits include West Side Story at the Weston Playhouse, Carousel, Madama Butterfly with The Glimmerglass Festival, and Song and Dance with Andrew Harper Choreography. Wants to thank her lovely family for their love and support.

RIAL ELLSWORTH DOC ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Rial has been active in Atlanta’s theater scene for nearly 15 years.

His most recent role was Gaston in a production of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile at the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village in Woodstock. He has been blessed to be a part of many wonderful productions over the years at many Atlanta metropolitan area stages.

He has been in productions at The Alliance Theater, Actor’s Express, Stage Door Players, the Essential Play Festival, Onstage Atlanta, and Out of Box Theater, to name but a few. His roles run the gamut from comedy to drama, from the sublime to the silly. He truly loves acting and is looking forward to doing much more of it as he heads toward his “golden years." In addition to his acting, Rial is the resident sound designer at Stage Door Players in Dunwoody. He is grateful and honored to be a part of this beautiful production and to work with such a talented cast and crew. He thanks his “Maria” for being the most beautiful sound he ever heard for the past 40 years.

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ZACHARY OWEN LIEUTENANT SCHRANK ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Born and raised in Illinois, bass-baritone Zachary Owen has performed with The Glimmerglass Festival, Arizona Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Opera North, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Opera Santa Barbara. He has performed the roles of Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Ashby in La fanciulla del West, Don Fernando in Fidelio, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress, Frank Maurrant in Street Scene, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, Spencer Coyle in Owen Wingrave, and the title role in Don Pasquale. In the 2018 season, Mr. Owen returned to the Marion Roose Pullin Studio at Arizona Opera and performed several roles, including Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Angelotti in Tosca, and Lycos in Hercules vs.

Vampires. A returning member of The Glimmerglass Festival, he went on to perform the Badger and the Parson in The Cunning Little Vixen, cover Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and perform supporting roles in West Side Story and cover the French General in Silent Night.

C. AUGUSTUS GODBEE OFFICER KRUPKE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

An Atlanta native, C. Augustus Godbee has been a regularly performing member of The Atlanta Opera in both the chorus and as a comprimario for more than ten seasons. During the workday, he is the head of the vocal music area of Fine Arts at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell. He directs choir, musical theater, and the music ministry, as well as singing, conducting, and directing in various venues throughout the Atlanta area. He can be heard as one of the staff cantors at the Cathedral of Christ the King. He holds degrees in voice performance, music education, and theater education from the University of Georgia, Auburn University, and Piedmont College respectively. He can be seen in the Atlanta Opera’s upcoming productions of Dead Man Walking and Eugene Onegin.

BRADY DUNN GLAD HAND ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Brady is an actor/performer hailing from West Virginia, and couldn’t be more excited to make his debut with The Atlanta Opera. After graduating from West Liberty University with a B.S. in music and theatre, he moved to Atlanta to pursue a career as an artist, and has loved every minute of it. Credits include Ed in Evil Dead: The Musical, Jape in Bat-Hamlet (Out of Box Theatre); Ernst u/s in Cabaret, Ross u/s in Macbeth, and Brom Bones in The Sleepy Hollow Experience (Serenbe Playhouse). He would like to thank his friends and family for their undying love and support, as well as his artistic collaborators for their passion and vision. Lots of love to Julia, his favorite Slytherin. www.bradydunnactor.com 36

THE ATLANTA OPERA ORCHESTRA VIOLIN

CLARINET

TROMBONE

Peter Ciaschini The Loraine P. Williams Orchestra Concertmaster Chair

David Odom Principal

Mark McConnell Principal

Justin Stanley

Richard Brady Bass Trombone

Fia Durrett Felix Farrar Adelaide Federici Patti Gouvas Lisa Morrison Patrick Ryan

CELLO Charae Krueger Principal Hilary Glen Assistant Principal

John Warren

BASSOON Ivy Ringel Principal

SAXOPHONE Jan Berry Baker Mace Hibbard Luke Weathington

HORN

Mary Kenney

David Bradley Principal

Cynthia Sulko

Jason Eklund

BASS

TRUMPET

Lyn DeRamus Principal

FLUTE Jim Zellers Principal

Ron Turner Lead Trumpet Yvonne Toll Principal

PERCUSSION Michael Cebulski Principal Karen Hunt Jeff Kershner Courtney McDonald-Bottoms

GUITAR Dan Baraszu

TIMPANI John Lawless Principal

PIANO Scott Gendel

PERSONNEL MANAGER Mark McConnell

Hollie Lifshey

Kelly Bryant Erica Pirtle

OBOE Diana Dunn Principal

Musicians employed in this production are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

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photo: Lynn Lane

THE LEAP FROM BROADWAY, TO CLASSICAL, TO OPERA

BY NOEL MORRIS

In this computer age, whole financial empires are built upon the organization of goods and data, helping (or forcing) us to categorize the things we consume, be they food, ideas or types of music.

Leonard Bernstein couldn’t abide that sort of thinking. And so it was, two weeks before the 1957 Broadway premiere of West Side Story, that he sat down to compose retroactive “journal entries” going back nearly nine years. His purpose: to reconstruct a chronology of the show’s creation.

Lenny was not one to color inside the lines. In his world, art was life and life was art. This was his story, and he chose the medium in which he’d share it – even if it required some artistic license.

“6 January 1949, Jerry R called today with a noble idea,” he wrote in September 1957, “a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, set in slums at the coincidence of EasterPassover celebrations. Feelings running high between Jews and Catholics. Former: Capulets, latter: Montagues. Juliet is Jewish.

Friar Lawrence is a neighborhood druggist.

Street brawls, double death – it all fits.”

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Both Bernstein and “Jerry R” – director/ choreographer Jerome Robbins – were sons of Jewish immigrants. New York’s Lower

East Side had given both men front-row seats to tensions between ethnic groups.

A project tentatively called “East Side Story” began to ferment. As a next step, they recruited playwright Arthur Laurents to write the book. Artistic differences and Bernstein’s travel schedule soon stalled discussions. They put the idea in mothballs.

1950S GANGS OF NEW YORK After World War II, gangs of young people spread throughout New York City’s boroughs. Members typically ranged in age from 12 to 19, and their main concern was territory. They were neither drug dealers nor drug users, for the most part. But they would “rumble,” fighting with fists, baseball bats, chains, and knives; sometimes negotiating the time and place of their battles in advance.

"My office is on Lexington Avenue and 74th Street and just 20 blocks away life is entirely different," Robbins said in a 1957 interview. "Those kids live like pressure cookers. There's a constant tension, a feeling of the kids having steam that they don't know how to let off.”

Gang violence, not unlike today, was a recurring theme in newspapers. It was just such a story that woke Bernstein, Laurents,

and Robbins to the social relevance of their modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

They dropped the religious pretext for a timelier scenario, using the migration from Puerto Rico to New York as their backdrop.

Pitting a gang of white street thugs against the darker-skinned newcomers, the “Romeo project” began to take on a life of its own. Bernstein found his creative fire in the rhythms and harmonies of Latin music.

STEPHEN SONDHEIM Of course life didn’t pause for West Side Story. The three original creators were heavily committed to other projects, including an international conducting schedule, Hollywood films, ballets, and plays, not to mention Bernstein’s ongoing work on his operetta Candide. He opted to enlist the help of a 25-year-old protégé of Oscar Hammerstein II: an American songwriter named Stephen Sondheim.

Initially, Sondheim was to be credited as co-lyricist. His rhymes were so exceptional, however, Bernstein (quite magnanimously) gave him full credit.

THE LEGACY West Side Story opened Sept. 26, 1957, at the Winter Garden Theatre. In 2000, Sondheim shared a memory with New York Times columnist Frank Rich about an unhappy patron leaving the theater during the show’s second-ever performance.

“He wanted a musical,” Sondheim recalled, “meaning a place to relax before he has to go home and face his terrible dysfunctional family. Instead of which he got a lot of ballet dancers in colorcoordinated sneakers snapping their fingers and pretending to be tough.''

West Side Story “upended the genteel conventions of an American art form,” Rich wrote in his Times piece. “The future's possibilities seemed boundless, for both the musical theater and the four young artists retooling it.”

And it was a shock to the system. West Side Story was snubbed at the 1958 Tony

awards in favor of Meredith Willson’s sunnier The Music Man. The 1961 movie with Natalie Wood and George Chakiris, however, won 10 Academy Awards.

West Side Story wasn’t Bernstein’s only big news in 1957. He also became music director of the New York Philharmonic.

Four years later, he organized an orchestral suite from the show for a musicians’ pension fund benefit.

In transporting the piece from pit orchestra to symphony orchestra, his orchestrator beefed up the strings, used fewer saxophones, more orchestral winds, and eliminated the vocal lines. And he added violas, which had been cut to make room for extra percussion in the theater pit. That’s how West Side Story made the leap from Broadway to classical.

If that didn’t secure its leap into opera, Bernstein, himself, gave it the shove. In 1984, he returned to the studio to make a new West Side Story recording. The singers included Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Kurt Ollmann, Tatiana Troyanos, and Marilyn Horne. From contemporary accounts, one gets the impression he was trying to come closer to the music he heard in his head. "l'd always thought of West Side Story in terms of teenagers," he told Humphrey Burton of Gramophone magazine, "and there are no teenage opera singers, it's just a contradiction in terms. But this is a recording and people don't have to look 16, they don't have to be able to dance or act a rather difficult play eight times a week. And therefore we took this rather unorthodox step of casting No. 1 worldclass opera singers."

The Atlanta Opera stages West Side Story to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s birth. It’s possible that not even the mercurial composer imagined a new generation of opera singers who would add serious acting and dancing chops to their vocal prowess. But that day is here. And it is a great thing for opera.

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Pictured from left to right: Annette Callen, Dr. Florence Barnett, and Michael Callen. photo: Lynn Lane

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: DR. FLORENCE BARNETT

BY REBECCA DANIS

Often, the things that inspire us in our childhoods stay with us as adults: the girl whose mother baked with her on weekends may become a pastry chef, or the boy who accompanied his grandmother to a knitting circle keeps it as a hobby. For Dr. Florence Barnett, it was opera.

When Dr. Barnett’s father, Dr. Joseph Barnett Jr., was training at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, he and his wife, Ruth, would make the journey down to Lincoln Center and grab a couple of cheap seats to see whatever new, glorious thing was onstage at the Metropolitan Opera. A love of the art form immediately took root. For more than 40 years, the Barnetts took their “Florrie” to hundreds of Metropolitan Opera performances at the Fox Theatre.

They would sit up close and center, taking in the orchestra, the sets, the costumes, and the world-class singers.

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Dr. Barnett remembers a time when her parents proved to her that the arts could make a difference. Kennestone Hospital needed funds to open its first cath lab, complete with the latest heart monitoring technology. The Barnetts went into planning mode, calling on singers from the Met who were in town on one of their traveling tours. For an audience of donors, patrons, and friends, the singers performed a concert of arias, and the family raised enough money to open the cath lab. “All of the planning and fanfare of that production which lasted at most three hours will be with me all of my life,” recalls Dr. Barnett.

Nowadays, she shares her love of opera with just about anyone who will keep an open mind. In addition to her subscription tickets, Dr. Barnett regularly invites groups of 10, 20, or even 30 to join her at the performances and pre-opera dinner. “I enjoy bringing people to The Opera and every year our circle grows.”

In the weeks leading up to each performance, she’ll study the score and listen to recordings so she can explain it to her friends. For Dr. Barnett, it’s the thrill and the passion to share and introduce opera to anyone who has never experienced a real, live opera performance. “I haven’t been able to consistently encourage my colleagues in the operating room to listen to opera. I don’t expect everyone to like it – just to have an open mind.”

We are thankful to Dr. Florence Barnett for her passion for arts advocacy, and we are proud to call her a friend and patron of The Atlanta Opera.

ANNUAL GIVING We are grateful for the following donors' generous support.

This list reflects gifts and pledges to unrestricted operating, special projects, and/or endowment made between Feb. 1, 2017, through Aug. 31, 2018.

DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE $1,000,000+ John & Rosemary Brown Ann & Frank Critz $500,000+ Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell $200,000+ *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg Harold Brody & Donald Smith

James M. Kane & Andrea Braslavsky Kane Mr. Kevin Kelly Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Mary Ruth McDonald Drs. Aileen & Richard Robinson *Mrs. Eleanor H. Strain

GOLD $10,000+ Anonymous Elizabeth & Jeremy Adler Mrs. Phillip E. Alvelda $100,000+ Julia & Jim Balloun Anonymous Bryan & Johanna Barnes Mr. Howard W. Hunter Dr. Florence C. Barnett - Gramma Fisher Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Asad Bashey Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation Dr. R. Dwain Blackston Mr. Mario Concha $50,000+ Elise R. Donohue Charitable Trust Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori Ms. Rebecca Y. Frazer & Mr. Jon Buttrey The Laura & Montague Boyd Foundation *Heike & Dieter Elsner Martha Thompson Dinos Mr. & Mrs. Carl & Sally Gable Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross William & Debbie Hyde Judith & Mark Taylor Candy & Greg Johnson Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Klump Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Mr. James B. Miller, Jr. Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Morelli II Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Paulhus $25,000+ John & Barbara Ross Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Nancy & *Jim Bland Mr. & Mrs. Timothy E. Sheehan Mr. David Boatwright Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. St.Clare Mr. & Mrs. John L. Connolly William Tucker John L. Hammaker Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mary & E.P. Rogers Foundation, Inc. SILVER Victoria & Howard Palefsky $5,000+ Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation Dr. Bruce Cassidy & Dr. Eda Hochgelerent Mr. William F. Snyder Col. & Mrs. Edgar W. Duskin The Mary & Charlie Yates Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Lance Fortnow Brian & Marie Ward Mrs. John W. Grant III Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Hardin PATRON'S CIRCLE Mr. L. D. Holland $15,000+ Mr. & Mrs. Harry C. Howard Anonymous Dr. & Mrs. James Lowman Mr. & Mrs. Dante Bellizzi Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III Mr. & Mrs. Andy Berg Belinda & Gino Massafra Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein Mr. Conrad Mora The Hilbert Firm, Inc. Mrs. Polly N. Pater

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi Milton J. Sams Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk Morton & Angela Sherzer Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber Yee-Wan & John Stevens Mr. & Mrs. George B. Taylor, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas Valerio III Mr. Allen W. Yee Rae & George Weimer Larry & Beverly Willson Mrs. Wadleigh C. Winship Bob & Cappa Woodward Charitable Fund BRONZE $2,500+ Mr. & Mrs. C. Duncan Beard Mrs. Elizabeth Tufts Bennett Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Mrs. Enrique E. Bledel Dr. John W. Cooledge Jean & Jerry Cooper Amy & James Davis Mr. Richard H. Delay & Dr. Francine D. Dykes Mr. Robert S. Devins Drs. Morgan & Susanne Horton Eiland Rita Evans Dr. & Mrs. Donald J. Filip R. Derril Gay, Ph.D. Kevin Greiner & Robyn Roberts Judge Adele P. Grubbs Mr. Jake Heggie Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills Lisa Kennedy Dr. Jill Mabley Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel Ms. Priscilla M. Moran Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Nicholas III *Mr. & Mrs. William A. Parker Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence S. Phillips Johannah Smith Lynne & Steven Steindel Mr. Tarek Takieddini FRIEND'S CIRCLE INVESTOR $1,000+ Anonymous Michael Arens & Jeff Daniel Christine M. Beard Michael L. & Valerie W. Benoit

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Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Betor Martha S. Brewer Chris Casey & Douglas Weiss Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Catalfano Mr. & Mrs. Raymond H. Chenault Mrs. Carol J. Clark Don & Linda Coatsworth Mr. Lawrence M. Cohen Ms Lillianette Cook & Ms. Carol Uhl Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Mrs. Lavona Currie Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Curry Maureen & Michael Dailey Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Daly Jr. Ms. Suzanne Mott Dansby Ms. Ariana B. Fass Dr. Mary M. Finn Mr. & Mrs. Michael Flaherty Alex Graham Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr. *Mr. Harald Hansen Mr. Ronald L. Harris & Mrs. Jacqueline Pownall Dean & Vivian Haulton Mr. George Hickman, III Kay & Neil Hightower Donna & Richard Hiller Hills Family Foundation James Honkisz Ann P. Howington Richard & Linda Hubert Mr. & Mrs. David C. Huffman Mary & Wayne James Lou & Tom Jewell Mrs. Cecile M. Jones Mr. & Mrs. Gert Kampfer Marsha & David King Ms. Eleanor Kinsey Joan & Arnold Kurth Mr. & Mrs. Gedas Kutka Ms. Brenda O. Lambert Mrs. Treville Lawrence Chris & Jill Le Ms. Salli LeVan Dr. Carlos E. Lopez Dr. Robert & Judge Stephanie Manis Samantha & William Markle Dan D. Maslia Shelley McGehee Mr. James R. Meucci Ms. Mimi S. Monett Mrs. Audrey B. Morgan Jane & Jim Murray Terri & Stephen Nagler John & Agnes Nelson Mr. & Mrs. John L. O'Neal The Opera Guild for Atlanta

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Clara M. & John S. O'Shea Dr. & Mrs. Donald A. Paul Mr. Darryl C. Payne & Ms. Lisa C. Richardson Lucy S. Perry Mrs. Betsy Pittman Dr. Michael F. Pratt & Nancy Peterman Mr. Daniel V. Pompilio III & Mrs. Lark Ingram The Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. Mr. James D. Powell Tandi Reddick Lynn & Kent Regenstein R.J. & D.G. Riffey, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. George P. Rodrigue Sandra & Ronald Rousseau Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Katherine Scott Mr. & Mrs. S. Albert Sherrod Mr. Fred B. Smith Mr. Paul Snyder Mr. Peter James Stelling Judge Mike & Mrs. Jane Stoddard Steve & Christine Strong Dr. Jane T. St. Clair & Mr. James E. Sustman Dr. & Mrs. Michael Szikman Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Taylor Mr. Stephen H. Thompson & Mr. Drew Mote Tull Charitable Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Walden Dr. & Mrs. James O. Wells, Jr. Jone Williams Dr. & Mrs. R. Craig Woodward Ms. Jerrie Woodward SUPPORTER $500+ Anonymous Mr. C. Scott Akers, Jr. Judith Alembik Dr. Raymond Allen Mr. Larry M. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Robert O. Banker Colonel & Mrs. John V. Barson, D.O. Daniel & Bethann Berger Cynthia & Albert Blackwelder Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Blumenthal Martha S. Brewer Stanford M. Brown Dr. & Mrs. Harold L. Chapman, Jr. Mr. David F. Chastain III Mr. & Mrs. George Cemore Mr. N. Jerold Cohen & Ms. Andrea Strickland Mrs. Jan W. Collins

Mr. Thomas J. Collins & Jeff Holmes Mr. James M. Datka & Ms. Nora P. DePalma Dr. & Mrs. Albert De Chicchis Jim & Carol Dew Mr. Mark du Mas Ms. Diane Durgin Mr. Mark Edmundson Mr. Micah Fortson John Gam, Ph. D. Marie Graham Ms. Brenda D. Jennings Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Hantula Mr. & Mrs. Howell Hollis III Ms. Jan W. Hughen Robert L. Jeffrey Cliff Jolliff & Elaine Gerke Mr. & Mrs. Edward Katze Mr. & Mrs. Fred R. Keith John & JoAnn Keller Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich Brenda Lawrence Mrs. Jeanine Lewis Sophie Li Livvy Kazer Lipson Vaneesa & Allan Little Alex Livingston Mr. Thomas L. McCook Mr. M. Sean Molley Mortimer Family Barbara & Mark Murovitz Mr. Vernon Norris Mr. & Mrs. Henry C. Parrish III The Honorable & Mrs. George A. Novak Mr. John Owens George Paulik Mr. & Mrs. John Payan Mr. W. Ray Persons Mr. Lawrence F. Pinson Mr. Stephen L. Rann Ward Reed Mr. John B. Rofrano Ms. Regina Schuber Mr. Robert Sidewater Dr. & Mrs. Stanley J. Smits Gail & Barry Spurlock Mr. & Mrs. Robert Stansfield Dr. Susan Y. Stevens Mr. & Mrs. John Stephenson Mr. & Mrs. James Summers Carolyn & Robert Swain Suzanne & Mark Sykes Mr. & Mrs. Alan Taylor Ms. Virginia S. Taylor Mr. James D. Tyson Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Tuller Dr. & Mrs. James H. Venable

Mrs. Linda P. Vinal Alan & Marcia Watt Mrs. Jody Collins Weatherly Mr. James Weis Dr. & Mrs. Sam Williams Virginia S. Williams Kiki Wilson Dr. & Mrs. David Wingert Sherrilyn & Donn Wright CONTRIBUTOR $250+ Anonymous William Allison Dr. Robert & Mrs. Lynne Alpern Charles Arp Janice Arsan Mr. David Baker Mr. & Mrs. Harris P. Baskin Ms. Lauren Benevich Mr. & Mrs. Matthew H. Bernstein Mr. Matt Blackburn Mr. & Mrs. George Boulineau Ms. Susan H. Branch Mr. Paul Brenner Ms. Melodye G. Brown Mark & Peg Bumgardner Drs. Brenda & Craig Caldwell Dr. & Mrs. W. Jerry Capps Dr. & Mrs. Arthur E. Chapman

Dr. Earle D. Clowney Melanie Collins Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cohn Mr. & Mrs. Newt Collinson Mrs. Claudia Colvin Carol Comstock & Jim Davis Dr. & Mrs. John E. Cooke Mr. & Mrs. David Courtney Mr. & Mrs. John H. Crawford Mr. David D'Ambrosio Mr. & Mrs. Harold T. Daniel Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David R. Dye Mrs. Arnoldo Fiedotin Dr. & Mrs. Stanley Fineman Dr. & Mrs. Richard D. Franco Ms. Mozelle Funderburk Mr. Glen Galbaugh Mary L. Garner Mr. James Gary Dan & Harriet Gill Col. & Mrs. Donald M. Gilner Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Grodzicki Ms. Louise S. Gunn Jim & Virginia Hale Pearlann & Jerry Horowitz Dr. Karen Kuehn Howell Mr. Rolf Ingenleuf Mr. Scott Ingram Stuart Jackson & Robyn Jackson Mrs. Gail G. Johnson

Mr. Johnny C. Johnson Ms. Susan Johnston & Mrs. Shannon Motley Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Johnston Mr. & Mrs. Windell R. Keith Ms. Leslie Leland Ms. Joanne Lincoln Mr. Sidney E. Linton Richard Lodise & Valerie Jagiella Christina McCoy Mr. Simon Miller Dr. Patricia S. Moulton Ms. Nancy W. Noe Mr. Joseph M. Pabst Ms. Sandra Perkowitz Ms. Sophia B. Peterman Sharon & Jim Radford Mrs. Karin Radosta Dr. Anne Saravo Dr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Scanlan Crista & Glenn D. Schaab Mr. & Mrs. David M. Scoular Dr. & Mrs. Stuart H. Silverman Mr. & Mrs. Frederick A. Stuart Barbara & Jon Swann Mr. Richard Thio Ms. Nancy A. Thomas Ms. Parsla A. Welch Ms. Ann D. Winters *Mr. & Mrs. John Zellner *deceased

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CORPORATE PARTNERS $100,000+ The Coca-Cola Company Fidelity Southern Corporation The Home Depot Foundation $50,000+ Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Gas South $10,000+ Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters Republic National Distributing Co., Inc. PNC Wealth Management SAP Success Factors TriMont Real Estate Advisors, Inc. Turner

$5,000+ Ad Graphics Affordable Equity Partners, Inc. Atlantic Trust Capital Group Companies Georgia Dermatology Center Indian Hills Country Club Modern Luxury St. Regis Atlanta UBS Financial Services Inc. $2,500+ BNY Mellon Wealth Management Wallace Graphics $1,000+ Anonymous Empire Distributors, Inc. Orange Cone Productions, LLC

FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOUNDATIONS $1,000,000+ Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation $850,000+ Robert W. Woodruff Foundation $225,000+ Livingston Foundation $50,000+ Atlanta Music Festival Association The Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. The Sara Giles Moore Foundation The Zeist Foundation $20,000+ J. Marshall & Lucile G. Powell Charitable Trust The Jim Cox, Jr. Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Opera America, Inc. $10,000+ George M. Brown Trust Fund Ida Alice Ryan Charitable Trust Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. David, Helen, & Marian Woodward Fund

44

$5,000+ Camp-Younts Foundation Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. Fraser-Parker Foundation JBS Foundation Nordson Corporate Foundation Norfolk Southern Corporation Foundation $1,000+ Bright Wings Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Kiwanis Foundation of Atlanta, Inc Mary Brown Fund of Atlanta, Georgia Piedmont National Family Foundation Publix Super Markets Charities GOVERNMENT FUNDING $20,000+ Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs National Endowment for the Arts 10,000+ Georgia Council for the Arts

TOGETHER, LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR NATION’S HEROES The Home Depot Foundation is proud to partner with the Atlanta Opera to honor our U.S. military, veterans and their families.

45 © 2018 Homer TLC, Inc. All rights reserved.

homedepot.com/teamdepot

BARBARA D. STEWART LEGACY SOCIETY The Atlanta Opera established the Barbara D. Stewart Legacy Society to recognize donors who have designated The Opera as a beneficiary in their estate plan. In honor of Barbara D. Stewart’s many contributions to The Atlanta Opera, our planned giving division, the Encore Society, has been renamed the Barbara D. Stewart Legacy Society.

Anonymous Cathy Callaway Adams & Mark Adams Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley Mrs. Wallace F. Beard The Bickers Charitable Trust Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Ms. Mary D. Bray Mr. Robert Colgin Martha Thompson Dinos The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation Arnold & Sylvia Eaves Ms. Dorothy E. Edwards *Heike & Dieter Elsner Ms. Melodi Ford Carl & Sally Gable Peg Simms Gary Mr. & Mrs. Sidney W. Guberman Ms. Judy Hanenkrat Mr. Hilson Hudson *Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison Mr. J. Carter Joseph Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Ms. Corina M. LaFrossia Dr. Jill Mabley Mr. & Mrs. John G. Malcolm

46

Mr. Robert L. Mays Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel Mr & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell Mr. & Mrs. Craig N. Miller Miss Helen D. Moffitt Mr. J. Robert Morring Clara M. & John S. O'Shea Mrs. Polly N. Pater Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. Bruce Roth Ms. Hazel Sanger Mr. D. Jack Sawyer, Jr. Anita & J. Barry Schrenk Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Christine & Mark St.Clare *Ms. Barbara D. Stewart Dr. Jane T. St. Clair & Mr. James E. Sustman Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. Teepen Dr. & Mrs. Harold Whitney *Mrs. Jane S. Willson Rhys T. Wilson Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle Mr. Charles R. Yates, Jr. & Mrs. Mary Mitchell Yates *Mr. & *Mrs. Charles R. Yates, Sr.

TRIBUTES & MEMORIALS IN HONOR OF CATHY ADAMS Turknett Leadership Group Mr. Allen W. Yee Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland

IN MEMORY OF HARRIETT HARRIS Gary Hanson Ms. Freya Harris Dr. Dr. & Mrs. Stuart H. Silverman

IN MEMORY OF IN MEMORY OF MRS. BOYCE L. ANSLEY MR. & MRS. KENNETH BRYAN Milton J. Sams HORTON Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk Drs. Morgan & Susan Horton Eiland Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF MARGARET TALMADGE HOWELL ELEONORA MARGET BARSON Dr. John W. Cooledge Colonel & Mrs. John V. Barson, D.O. IN HONOR OF MR. WALTER HUFF IN HONOR OF DR. HAROLD BRODY Milton J. Sams Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland IN MEMORY OF IN HONOR OF MRS. KATHRYN H. HUTCHISON ROSEMARY & JOHN BROWN Jody Collins Weatherly Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF DR. JOSEPH MR. ALFRED D. KENNEDY & MRS. RUTH P. BARNETT Kay & Neil Hightower Dr. Florence C. Barnett Mr. Allen W. Yee IN MEMORY OF DR. JAMES W. BLAND, JR. Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk

IN HONOR OF THE KEOUGH FAMILY Mr. Allen W. Yee

IN MEMORY OF MRS. ELEANOR H. STRAIN Samantha & William Markle Suzanne & Mark Sykes Mr. & Mrs. Mark K. Taylor Mr. S. Jarvin Levison IN MEMORY OF MR. THOMAS H. TEEPEN Mr. & Mrs. David S. Baker IN HONOR OF BILL TUCKER Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland IN HONOR OF MRS. REBECCA WARNER Mr. Allen W. Yee IN HONOR OF CINDY WIDNER WALL Mr. Allen W. Yee IN MEMORY OF MADISON WEEKS Judge Adele P. Grubbs IN MEMORY OF MS. GOLDIE T. WEINSTEIN Ms. Edith Kelman Lori Smith

IN HONOR OF MRS. RAE WEIMER IN MEMORY OF Mr. & Mrs. Montague L. Boyd IV MR. CARL W. KNOBLOCH, JR. Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland IN MEMORY OF IN HONOR OF MR. ROBERT P. DEAN IN HONOR OF MARYA GABRIELLE WILLIAMS Mr. Allen W. Yee Jone Williams MR. & MRS. ALLAN LITTLE III Kristin Whatley IN MEMORY OF MRS. THELMA DEAN IN MEMORY OF Marianne Craft MRS. LORAINE P. WILLIAMS IN MEMORY OF Rae & George Weimer Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland JANET MIDDLEBROOKS Mr. & Mrs. John Riley IN HONOR OF MR. ROBERT G. EDGE IN HONOR OF Mrs. Eleanor Crosby MR. CHARLES R. YATES, JR. IN MEMORY OF KARINA MILLER Leslie Gordon & Blake Leland Mr. & Mrs. John Stephenson Peggy & Jack McDowell Mr. & Mrs. Alan Taylor IN HONOR OF IN HONOR OF MR. & MRS. ARTHUR FAGEN IN MEMORY OF PEGGY & JACK MCDOWELL '73-'74 Chi O's MRS. DOROTHY M. YATES Mrs. Enrique E. Bledel Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk IN MEMORY OF ULF-DEITER FILIPP Ms. Karen Nowicki IN HONOR OF POLLY PATER Mr. Johnny C. Johnson IN HONOR OF JOANNE & ALEX GROSS IN MEMORY OF MR. ROBERT SNEAD Mr. Allen W. Yee Dr. Florence C. Barnett IN HONOR OF ANN & FRANK CRITZ Mr. Allen W. Yee

47

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS

CHAIR Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Mr. William E. Tucker VICE CHAIR Mr. John L. Hammaker VICE CHAIR Mr. Rhys T. Wilson VICE CHAIR Mr. Charles “Charlie” R. Yates, Jr. TREASURER Mr. Robert Dean SECRETARY Mr. Michael E. Paulhus

MEMBERS

Mrs. Elizabeth Adler Mr. Bryan H. Barnes Mr. Dante Bellizzi Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Mrs. Rosemary Kopel Brown Ms. Mary Calhoun Mr. Mario Concha Dr. Frank A. Critz Ms. Martha Thompson Dinos Mr. Robert G. Edge Mr. Dieter Elsner Dr. Donald J. Filip Mr. Kevin Greiner Mrs. Joanne Chesler Gross Mr. Howard W. Hunter

HONORARY MEMBERS

Mrs. Nancy Carter Bland The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler Mr. Carl I. Gable, Jr. Mrs. Nancy Hall Green Mr. Carter Joseph Mr. Alfred Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Michael Keough Mr. George Levert 48

Mr. Gregory F. Johnson Mr. Kevin Kelly Mr. Andrew Long Mr. James B. Miller Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. Herbert J. Rosenberg Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Mr. Timothy E. Sheehan Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr. Mr. William F. Snyder Mrs. Christine St.Clare Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr. Ms. Bunny Winter

Mrs. Peggy McDowell Mr. Harmon "Sandy" B. Miller, III Mr. Bruce A. Roth Mr. J. Barry Schrenk Mr. Mark K. Taylor Mr. Thomas R. Williams Mr. Robert G. Woodward

STAFF EXECUTIVE Tomer Zvulun CARL W. KNOBLOCH, JR. GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Micah Fortson MANAGING DIRECTOR ARTISTIC Arthur Fagen CARL & SALLY GABLE MUSIC DIRECTOR Lauren Bailey DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION Rolando Salazar ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR / CHORUS MASTER Wade Thomas ARTISTIC SERVICES & STUDIO MANAGER Jessica Kiger AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION MANAGER Malesha Taylor EDUCATION COORDINATOR Mark McConnell ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Adelaide Federici ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN PRODUCTION Kevin G. Mynatt DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Dave Smith DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL PRODUCTION Jody A. Cohen PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Brian August PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Renée Varnas RESIDENT ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Justin Michel LIGHTING SUPERVISOR Joanna Schmink COSTUME DIRECTOR Mary Torres WORK ROOM MANAGER Laura Elizabeth Payne STITCHER Emory C. Tuttle STITCHER Daniella Ampudia FITTING ASSISTANT / STITCHER Amy Jackson STITCHER Alyson Rubin COSTUME INTERN FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Kathy J. White DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Inga V. Murro CONTROLLER Kenneth R. Timmons HUMAN RESOURCES & OFFICE MANAGER Chamberlynn Shelton EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Ruth Strickland BOOKKEEPER DEVELOPMENT Lisa Kennedy CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Rae Weimer DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Rachel Jorgensen DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS Amy Davis MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER James Tyson ANNUAL FUND MANAGER Katie Lawrence DEVELOPMENT SERVICES & DATABASE MANAGER MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Holly Hanchey DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Renee Smiley SENIOR MANAGER, TICKETING SERVICES Matt Burkhalter CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER Rebecca Danis MARKETING MANAGER 49

HOUSE POLICIES CONCESSIONS

Concession stands are located in the center of the lobbies on all three levels. Food and beverage items are prohibited inside the theater. Thank you for your cooperation.

RESTROOMS

Restrooms are located on house right and house left of all three lobbies. Family restrooms are also located on house right of all three lobbies. Mobility-impaired patrons may use any of our restrooms.

PARKING

There are 1,000 parking spaces available at $10 per car. Valet service is available for $15. Please be sure to allow enough time for travel to the theater and parking as there is no late seating.

Persons requiring access assistance are asked to contact the box office at 770-916-2850 for advance arrangements.

Audio-clarification devices are available to our hearing-impaired guests at no charge.

This is on a first-come, first-served basis, or you may call the House Manager ahead of time to reserve one at 770-916-2828.

A limited number of booster seats are also available. All items require a form of identification to be held until the item is returned.

COBB ENERGY CENTRE RULES & REQUESTS

ATM

• All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to the performance. Please be aware that not all performances are suitable for children.

COAT CHECK

• Infants will not be admitted to adult programs. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.

There is one Bank of North Georgia ATM located in the grand lobby.

Coat check is available at the concierge desk.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION In the event of an emergency, please locate the nearest usher who will direct you to the appropriate exit.

ELEVATORS

Elevators are located on each side of the lobbies on all levels.

LOST & FOUND

Lost and Found items are turned into the concierge desk on the day of a performance.

To inquire about a lost item, please call the House Manager at 770-916-2828.

SMOKING

Smoking is prohibited inside the building.

50

SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

• There is no late seating allowed. Closedcircuit monitors are provided in the lobby as a courtesy to latecomers.

• Please turn off all cellphones prior to the beginning of each performance.

• Please limit conversation during the performance.

• Cameras (including use of cellphone camera) and audio and video recording devices are strictly prohibited at all times.

• Leaving while the show is in progress is discourteous and we ask that you refrain from doing so.

• Please unwrap all candies and cough drops before the performance.

FRESH, SEASONAL FOOD IN VININGS VILLAGE Join us before or after the show! Theater menu available.

4300 Paces Ferry Road • 770.801.0089 • www.SOHOatlanta.com

Soho_TAO1511 hp.indd 1

11/3/15 10:42 PM

Share in the Spirit

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, December 2 1– 4 p.m.

Serving grades 7–12, Marist School provides an education where achievement exists within a spirit of humility and generosity. Students are challenged by an extensive college-preparatory curriculum while an array of extracurricular activities inspire exploration and uncover hidden talents. Through it all, students gain a unique strength of character and skill and a joy of serving others that prepares them to be compassionate, confident leaders.

Come visit to experience Marist’s spirit yourself.

marist.com

An Independent Catholic School of the Marist Fathers and Brothers

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Call or e-mail us today: 404.368.2100 Claudia@GoldenBEvents.com

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COMFORT AND

DELIGHT 4300 PACES FERRY ROAD S.E .

30339 - VININGS

(404)205-8255

emoryhealthcare.org/voicecenter 288

WELLSTAR & MAYO CLINIC

WORKING TOGETHER. WORKING FOR YOU. At WellStar Health System, we want every patient to receive the care they need right here in Georgia. As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, our doctors have special access to Mayo Clinic knowledge, expertise and resources. And you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing we’re here for you.

ASK YOUR WELLSTAR PHYSICIAN ABOUT THE MAYO CLINIC CARE NETWORK. WellStar is the first health system in Georgia to become a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

wellstar.org/mayo 770-956-STAR (7827)