The Atlanta Opera, La Boheme & Rent, September 2024

THE BOHÈME PROJECT AT PULLMAN YARDS

Sep 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, Oct 1, 3, 5, 2024

Rent

Jonathan Larson book, music, & lyrics

Billy Aronson additional lyrics

Sep 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29, Oct 2, 4, 6, 2024

La Bohème

Giacomo Puccini composer

Carl W.

General & Artistic Director

Welcome to The Bohème Project

I am thrilled to be back in Pullman Yards. It’s been three seasons since we last came here with our 2022 Come As You Are Festival, which featured the musical Cabaret and the contemporary opera As One. For Cabaret, our most successful Discoveries series production ever, a team of incredibly talented, hardworking individuals transformed this warehouse into the Kit Kat Club. A fully immersive experience, Pullman Yards was both the venue and a character in the action. We all knew we wanted to return, but what would be the perfect project? We not only found the perfect project but also the perfect purpose. The coronavirus pandemic left an indelible mark on each of us. Among the many people and places that suffered, the setbacks for artists and the performing arts industry were especially profound. The COVID-era put a massive spotlight on the devastation of pandemics; and how the rituals, customs, and livelihoods that we depend upon can come to a screeching halt.

The Atlanta Opera’s unusual reaction to the pandemic led to the creation of our internationally recognized Big Tent Series. We quickly learned and embraced the idea that theater doesn’t have to be confined to four walls and a stage. As the leader of this organization, people often attribute the circus tent’s success entirely to me. While I appreciate that, the credit belongs to a much bigger group. Creating immersive, groundbreaking, safe productions during the pandemic was a plan shaped by a large group of people: a select, bold group of board members, a brave staff led by our managing director Micah Fortson, and our brilliant health care colleagues on the board Dr. Carlos del Rio and John Haupert. This team developed safety protocols that allowed us to keep artists working and provide desperately needed beauty and connection for our patrons. More astonishing was the execution of the plan. Vaccines were still unavailable; no other opera company in the world was performing, and The Atlanta Opera provided forty live performances without an outbreak!

Now that we have put some order in the facts let’s return to Pullman Yards. The Bohème Project has incubated in our minds since the dawn of the pandemic. Seeing so many artists out of work, thoughts of La bohème and Rodolfo and Marcello burning poems to keep warm suddenly hit close to home. An idea was born. What if we could tell the same story over three different centuries, over three different pandemics, over three different productions that are entirely different than each other— breaking boundaries of genres and traditional theater?

Tomer Zvulun

Knobloch, Jr.

We began with a traditional, stunning La bohème just as Puccini imagined showcased in our “normal theatre” this past February. The Bohème Project’s remaining two productions start here at Pullman Yards: Jonathan Larson’s Puccini-inspired Rent, set during the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, and La bohème set during the 2020s COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bohème Project epitomizes The Atlanta Opera’s mission to break the boundaries of opera. Both Puccini and Larson removed barriers in their writing styles—both pieces are through composed, and the story never stops for dialogue pauses. Similarly, our immersive space foregoes typical barriers. There is no orchestra pit between you, the audience, and the artists; there is no proscenium to constrict the action. This will literally amplify the already powerful stories of Rent and La bohème. There is no barrier between those stories and our own, between the characters’ emotions and ours. We have all known youth; we have all known loss.

As we prepared for these three productions, each focusing on a different century and a different pandemic, we realized something else. These viruses are still with us, especially here in Atlanta. TB cases have exploded in recent years. The coronavirus surprises us with new, debilitating variants every few months. HIV is far from eradicated; in fact, Atlanta has the dubious title of being the American capital of HIV today.

The magnificent artists we assembled here—the performers, designers, directors, musicians, staff, technicians, and visual artists—are united in their passion for telling these evergreen, human stories in the most immediate way.

These performances are dedicated to healthcare workers who cared for many through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Atlanta Opera thanks Grady Health Systems and CEO, John Haupert and Emory Healthcare and interim dean of Emory University School of Medicine, Carlos del Rio for helping us to navigate ways to perform safely for audiences during the pandemic.

As for the project’s purpose, a dedication: The Bohème Project is dedicated to the people who literally saved us from the pandemic: Dr. Carlos del Rio, John Haupert, and their heroic colleagues at Grady Hospital and Emory Health Care. Thank you for taking care of not only our physical safety but also our mental health. Allowing art and music to be heard during a world pandemic is the finest medicine I can think of.

Thank you!

by Henri Murger

February 1, 1896, at Teatro Regio, Turin, Italy

This is a new production by The Atlanta Opera. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

DISCOVERIES SERIES

The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM The Livingston Foundation

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

Katherine Scott

SPECIAL THANKS

THE ATLANTA OPERA IS GRATEFUL FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT FROM VETERANS TICKET PROGRAM

The Atlanta Opera receives support from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and 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. Funding for programming is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

LA BOHÈME AN OPERA IN FOUR ACTS

CONDUCTOR James Lowe

PRODUCER & CO-DIRECTOR Tomer Zvulun

CO-DIRECTOR & SET/PROJECTION DESIGNER Vita Tzykun

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER Ricardo Aponte

COSTUME DESIGNER Amy Sutton

LIGHTING DESIGNER Thomas C. Hase

SOUND DESIGNER Joshua D. Reid

WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Lindsey Ewing

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Peter Nictakis

FILMED MEDIA Felipe Barral, Amanda Sachtleben

GRAFFITI ARTISTS Henry Samuels, Jesse Jaeger

CAST (IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE)

RODOLFO Kameron Lopreore†

MARCELLO Luke Sutliff

COLLINE Allen Michael Jones

SCHAUNARD David Crawford

BENOIT/ALCINDORO Andrew Nolen

MIMÌ Amanda Batista

PARPIGNOL Levi Adkins

MUSETTA Cadie J. Bryan

CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICER Jason Zacher*

SARGEANT Andrew Kapsar

CHILD Hensley Peters

PRUNE MAN Cameron King

SUPERNUMERARIES Myric Andreasen, Jarrett Heatherly

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR/CHORUSMASTER Rolando Salazar

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Gregory Luis Boyle

SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Elio Bucky*

ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGNER Michael Lewis

COSTUME ASSISTANT Kaitlyn Flory

ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER Natalia Carlson

SOUND ASSISTANT Noah Dettman

PROJECT MANAGER Abraham Sheckels

MUSICAL PREPARATION Elena Kholodova

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Kyle Chassells, Caitlin Denney-Turner, Aletha Saunders

COVER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Jess Tibboles

PROJECTED TITLES OPERATED BY Brendan Callahan-Fitzgerald

Projected titles by Jonathan Dean. English Captions for La bohème owned by Jonathan Dean, ©2021.

The performance will last approximately 2 hours, 25 minutes. There will be one 25-minute intermission.

EVENT ADVISORY: Strobe and lighting effects plus haze will be in use.

The purchase of equipment for The Atlanta Opera is supported by a gift from Eva & Robert Ratonyi.

*Member of The Atlanta Opera Studio. Significant support for The Atlanta Opera Studio Artist Program from the Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation, John & Yee-Wan Stevens, and Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg.

†Alum of The Atlanta Opera Studio.

Scenery built by McCordco Scenic | Props built by The Atlanta Opera Production Studio | Costumes by The Atlanta Opera Costume Shop

Synopsis & Scene Structure

WRITTEN

BY

Michelle Winters

ACT I

Recent days. It’s Christmas Eve in an industrial loft, home to a quartet of optimistic artists whom the composer Puccini called “bohemians.” The near-destitute artist Marcello and poet Rodolfo sacrifice the pages of Rodolfo’s latest drama to feed a stove as they try to keep warm. Roommates Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician, arrive with food, fuel, and funds they collected from an unusual job playing music. While celebrating, the quartet is joined by the landlord, Benoit, who wants the overdue rent. The bohemians ply the landlord with wine and his tipsy confession of near infidelity is just the opening the artists need to feign outrage and push him out of the room. While the rest of the group heads to Café Momus to continue celebrating their bounty, Rodolfo excuses himself to meet the deadline for an article he is writing. A knock at the door brings the seamstress Mimì, a pretty neighbor, to the scene. Her candle has gone out, but while seeking a match, she suddenly feels faint. Candles go out, a key goes missing, and Rodolfo is Mimì’s hero as he tends to her needs and promptly falls madly in love. Rodolfo shares his dreams with her in the beautiful aria “Che gelida manina” (“Your tiny hand is frozen”). She recounts her life embroidering flowers and waiting for spring in the celebrated aria “Mi chiamano Mimì” (“They call me Mimì”). The scene ends with the two leaving arm in arm, now quite in love, to join the bohemians at the café.

ACT II

Christmas Eve at Café Momus. Vendors surround Café Momus in a rollicking street scene. Rodolfo buys Mimì a beret and introduces her to his friends. Joining the festive mood, they all sit at an outdoor table and order supper. The toy vendor Parpignol passes by and is besieged by children. Marcello’s former girlfriend, Musetta, arrives on the arm of the elderly and wealthy Alcindoro. Though she is bored and annoyed by her wealthy suitor, Musetta sings of her popularity and teases

Marcello in an aria known as “Musetta’s Waltz.” She sends the eager Alcindoro away to get her shoe repaired. While he’s gone, Musetta and Marcello reconcile and the group departs, merrily leaving the dinner check to Alcindoro.

ACT III

It’s dawn on a frigid February morning and workers are getting started with their day. Late guests who have partied through the night are heard at a tavern. Cold and ill, Mimì arrives and searches for Marcello, who now lives with Musetta. Mimì confides to Marcello that she’s so troubled by Rodolfo’s incessant jealousy that she thinks it best that they part. Surprisingly Rodolfo comes out of the busy tavern and Mimì hides nearby. Rodolfo declares to his friend that Mimì’s flirtatious behavior is pushing him to break up with her, but when pressed for his real concerns, Rodolfo breaks down and confesses his despair that his continued poverty is only making Mimì’s life miserable. Despite his concern for his friend, when Musetta’s laugh rings out, Marcello runs back into the tavern. Mimì reveals herself and offers to say goodbye to their love in the touching aria “Addio, senza rancor” (“Goodbye, without bitterness”). However, they then begin to recall their past happiness. At the same time Marcello and Musetta emerge from the tavern quarreling bitterly. In one of the greatest quartets of opera, one relationship falls apart as the other reconciles.

Act IV

Weeks go by and in the warehouse, Rodolfo is again living with only his bohemian friends as both he and Marcello broke up with their girlfriends and are awash with regrets and loneliness. Again, Colline and Schaunard manage to get funds for a meager meal and to lighten their spirits the friends stage a mock duel. At the height of the hilarity, Musetta bursts in with the news that Mimì is outside and is seriously ill. As Rodolfo runs to her aid, Musetta relates that Mimì asked to be taken to Rodolfo to die. The friends scramble to get money to get medicine for Mimì. Colline goes off to pawn his favorite coat in an emotional “Veccia Zimarra” known as the “Coat Aria.” Left alone, Mimì and Rodolfo recall their first happy days, but she is too weak and ill to continue. When the others return, despite their prayers and efforts, Mimì slowly drifts into unconsciousness. Schaunard realizes she is dead and Rodolfo is left broken-hearted.

Director’s Note

WRITTEN BY Tomer Zvulun

The opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini and the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson share a unique kinship despite their separation of 100 years. The characters, storylines, emotional arc, and musical structure have strong parallels between the two works.

I find it significant that both works are renowned for their “through-composed” nature, a structural principle that forgoes the traditional presentation of dialogue in favor of continuous musical expression, creating an uninterrupted flow of music and narrative. The similarities and differences between these iconic pieces are fascinating to explore, from their throughcomposed format to their distinct difference in vocal style and their cultural contexts.

THROUGH-COMPOSED STRUCTURE

At the heart of both La bohème and Rent is their through-composed structure. In traditional operas and musicals, the melodies often halt for spoken dialogue or recitative that carries the story forward, creating a clear separation between songs and plot development. Conversely, a throughcomposed piece ensures that the music continuously drives the story forward, eliminating pauses for spoken word. This approach is evident in La bohème, where Puccini masterfully intertwines arias, duets, and ensemble pieces, ensuring the drama flows seamlessly from one musical moment to the next. Similarly, Rent adopts this principle, with songs like “One Song Glory,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Seasons of Love” interweaving with flexible lines of sung dialogues, maintaining an uninterrupted narrative momentum.

This continuous musical flow creates a heightened emotional engagement, as the audience is immersed in an unbroken tapestry of sound and story. In both works, the relentless progression mirrors the lives of the characters, who are caught

PHOTO: THE SINTOSES

in the unstoppable currents of their passions, struggles, and fleeting joys. This structural choice differentiates these works from traditional operas and musicals in which the alternation between spoken dialogue and musical numbers can sometimes disrupt the narrative intensity.

VOCAL STYLE: AMPLIFIED VS. UNAMPLIFIED

Despite their shared structural philosophy, La bohème and Rent diverge significantly in their vocal execution. La bohème, as an opera, is generally performed with classically trained operatic voices, unamplified and relying on the natural acoustics of the theater. The singers project their voices over the orchestra, showcasing their vocal power and control. This method requires years of training and a specific technique to ensure clarity and expressiveness without electronic amplification. With the challenge of performing in Pullman Yards, a venue that devours even the most well-trained operatic voices, we made the unusual choice to support the performers by lightly amplifying this production.

In contrast, Rent is entirely a product of the modern musical theatre tradition, where singers use microphones to amplify their voices. This allows for a broader range of vocal styles, from rock and pop influences to traditional musical theatre techniques. The amplified voices in Rent contribute to its raw, gritty aesthetic, aligning with its themes of urban struggle and the counterculture of the late 20 th century. The use of amplification enables singers to employ more conversational tones and subtle inflections, which enhances the immediacy and relatability of the characters’ experiences.

CULTURAL CONTEXTS & THEMES

While La bohème and Rent are structurally aligned, their cultural contexts and thematic focuses reflect the eras in which they were created. La bohème, premiering in 1896, captures the bohemian lifestyle of young artists in 1830s Paris. It depicts their loves, losses, and the harsh realities of poverty and illness, with a romanticized yet poignant lens. Puccini’s lush orchestration and lyrical melodies evoke the emotional depth and bittersweet beauty of these lives.

Rent, premiering in 1996, transposes the bohemian narrative to the gritty streets of New York City’s East Village during the AIDS crisis of the late 20 th century.

Jonathan Larson’s score blends rock, pop, and musical theatre styles to reflect the diverse, vibrant, and often tumultuous world of the characters. Themes of artistic

struggle, community, and the urgency of living in the face of terminal illness resonate deeply, echoing the timeless human experiences portrayed in La bohème.

In summary, La bohème and Rent are exemplary throughcomposed works that eschew traditional dialogue for an unbroken musical narrative. This continuous flow enhances the emotional and dramatic impact, setting them apart from more conventional operas and musicals. While La bohème relies on the, classical power of operatic voices, Rent embraces the amplified, stylistically diverse voices of modern musical theatre. Both works, despite their differences, offer profound reflections on the human condition through their innovative use of music and narrative, bridging the centuries with their enduring relevance and emotional power.

OUR IMMERSIVE PRODUCTION:

Producing the musical Rent and the opera La bohème in an immersive environment amplifies the impact of their through-composed structures by eliminating physical and conceptual barriers between the performers and the audience. In such a setting, the continuous musical flow of these works is mirrored by an uninterrupted theatrical experience, where the audience is enveloped in the action. This approach enhances the emotional intensity and immediacy of the narrative, as the seamless transition from one musical number to the next is mirrored by a physical space that encourages an unbroken engagement. The characters’ experiences, whether the passionate love affairs and artistic struggles of La bohème or the gritty realities and vibrant defiance in Rent, become more visceral and compelling as the audience is not merely observers but participants in the unfolding drama.

This immersive production style resonates deeply with the inherent structure of both Rent and La bohème and creates a relentless momentum. By blurring the lines between stage and audience, the immersive environment emphasizes the interconnectedness of the characters’ lives and their surroundings, reflecting the throughcomposed nature of the music, which flows without interruption. In La bohème, the audience find themselves in the bustling streets of Paris or the intimate garret of the artists, while in Rent, they are amidst the vibrant chaos of the East Village. This continuous, enveloping experience reinforces the thematic elements of community, struggle, and celebration of life, making the emotional peaks and valleys of these works more poignant and profound.

JONATHAN LARSON RENT: BOOK, MUSIC, & LYRICS

Jonathan Larson received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Rent. He also won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1994 Richard Rodgers Award for Rent and twice received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation’s Commendation Award. In 1989 he was granted the Stephen Sondheim Award from American Music Theatre Festival, where he contributed to the musical Sitting on the Edge of the Future. In 1988 he won the Richard Rodgers Development Grant for his rock musical Superbia, which was staged at Playwrights Horizons. He composed the score for the musical J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, which was presented by En Garde Arts in 1995. Mr. Larson performed his rock monologue tick, tick... BOOM! at Second Stage Theatre, The Village Gate and New York Theatre Workshop. In addition to scoring and songwriting for Sesame Street, he created music for a number of children’s book-cassettes, including Steven Spielberg’s An American Tail and Land Before Time. Other film scores include work for Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner. He conceived, directed and wrote four original songs for “Away We Go!”, a musical video for children. Rent, his rock opera based on La bohème, had its world premiere on February 13, 1996 at New York Theatre Workshop. Mr. Larson died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, ten days before his 36th birthday. His music (including songs cut from his shows) is archived in the Library of Congress.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres 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 theatre 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 over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, 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. MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).

TOGETHER, LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR NATION’S HEROES

The Home Depot Founda tion is proud to partner with The Atlanta Opera to honor our U.S. militar y and their families.

JAMES LOWE

RENT & LA BOHÈME: CONDUCTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT CANDIDE, 2023

James Lowe, conductor, is equally at home in opera and musical theater and the Grammy Award-nominated conductor continues to garner praise for “beautifully sculpted” (Opera News) performances. Highlights of his 2024-25 season include returns to The Atlanta Opera for Rent and La bohème and Lyric Opera of Kansas City for Il barbiere di Siviglia. Last season, Lowe made debuts at Lyric Opera of Kansas City for The Sound of Music, San Diego Opera for El Milagro del Recuerdo, Opera San Antonio for The Pirates of Penzance, and returned to Washington National Opera for Songbird. Lowe returned to The Glimmerglass Festival for Songbird, an adaptation of Offenbach’s La Périchole which he arranged and orchestrated in the style of 1920s New Orleans jazz bands, Houston Grand Opera for La bohème, Lyric Opera of Chicago for West Side Story, Washington National Opera for Jeanine Tesori’s The Lion, The Unicorn and Me, The Glimmerglass Festival for Show Boat, Utah Opera for The Little Prince, and Tulsa Opera for Madama Butterfly. Additionally, his arrangements can be heard on The Metropolitan Opera’s Three Divas Live in Concert that was recorded live at the Palace of Versailles. Lowe has had a long relationship with Houston Grand Opera, where he has led Carmen, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Sweeney Todd, Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair (world premiere production), as well as the HGO Studio production of Copland’s The Tender Land. At HGO he also conducted the world premiere production of The Little Prince, and he led Jonathan Dove’s Flight at the Pittsburgh Opera Center. He has appeared at Utah Opera leading Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas and Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, and he conducted Mark Adamo’s Little Women at Lyric Opera Cleveland in a production directed by the composer. He has also led the Houston Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Wolf Trap Opera, and the American Composers Orchestra, as well as The Nutcracker with the Houston Ballet.

TOMER ZVULUN

RENT & LA BOHÈME: PRODUCER & CO-DIRECTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, 2009 2024-25

General and Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Israeli born Tomer Zvulun is also one of opera’s most exciting stage directors, earning consistent praise for his creative vision, often described as cinematic and fresh. His work has been presented by prestigious opera houses around the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, the opera companies of Israel, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Montreal, Wexford, Glimmerglass, Houston, Washington National Opera, Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, San Diego, Minnesota, Boston, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Wolf Trap, as well as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, Boston University, and IVAI in Tel Aviv.

As General and Artistic Director, Zvulun has led The Atlanta Opera and expanded the operations of the company from three to six productions per season, gained international notice for transformative artistic vision, while stabilizing the financials, and directed 30 of the company’s productions.

In the course of his first decade tenure, he secured Atlanta’s position as one of the top 10 opera companies in the US. During this time, he launched the successful Discoveries series, created the first young artist program in the company’s history, tripled the company’s annual fund raising, launched the company’s first RING cycle, created The Atlanta Opera Film Studio, and built a theatre in a circus tent where performances were conducted safely during the pandemic. His work at The Atlanta Opera attracted international attention by earning numerous awards and prizes including the nomination of The Atlanta Opera for the International Opera Awards in London and the selection of his production of Silent Night as both the Irish Times and Atlanta Journal-Constitution production of the year. His focus on innovation led to an invitation to deliver a TED talk as well as a case study that is being taught at Harvard Business School. His productions travel the world and bring wide exposure to the company. Next season his productions of Rigoletto travel to Los Angeles Opera, his La bohème returns to The Dallas Opera, and his acclaimed production of Steve Jobs will make its Kennedy Center debut at the Washington National Opera.

VITA TZYKUN

RENT & LA BOHÈME: CO-DIRECTOR & SET/PROJECTION DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT RIGOLETTO, 2015

Vita Tzykun has designed and directed productions for companies worldwide, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Bolshoi Theatre, Norwegian Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and Tel Aviv Museum of Art. She also has designed over a dozen world premieres to date. Film and tv credits include art direction for Lady Gaga, and production design for award-winning films, music videos, and nationally aired television ads. Vita and performer/ media artist David Adam Moore are co-founders of the interdisciplinary art collective, GLMMR, that presents stage and multimedia works throughout the world. GLMMR was recently awarded a dual Granada Artist Residency and Visiting Professorship at University of California, Davis, where they created a new large-scale immersive theater installation, REFUGE, in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Due to the impact of REFUGE, Tzykun and Moore have been awarded a second dual Granada Artist Residency for 2025, for which they will create an immersive, mixed reality theatrical experience called Taming The Lightning, which will focus on climate resilience. Tzykun serves on the faculty of the National Theater Institute and has lectured at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Mannes School of Music, and Carnegie Hall’s Weil Institute. Advisory roles include the National Endowment for the Arts, and tech-focused panels for San Diego Opera and Austin Opera. Tzykun has been featured in “Lighting and Sound America” magazine, given a solo exhibition at the national Opera America center in NYC, and nominated for Designer of the Year by the International Opera Awards. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Ceres Gallery in NYC and are held in private collections worldwide.

JOSHUA D. REID

RENT & LA BOHÈME: SOUND DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

AMY SUTTON

RENT & LA BOHÈME: COSTUME DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

THOMAS C. HASE

RENT & LA BOHÈME: LIGHTING DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

ROMEO AND JULIET, 2016

Joshua D. Reid, sound designer, is a sound and systems designer, based in New York City, and has worked extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, International Productions and Sound System Installations. Recent design selections include The Preacher’s Wife (Alliance Theatre), Rent (Stratford Festival), A Christmas Carol (Broadway, Tony Nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award), Ragtime (Calgary Philharmonic), Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Calgary), A Little Night Music (Arizona Opera), Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (National Tour), The Color Purple (National Tour), Girlfriend (TheatreWorks Hartford, Connecticut Critics Circle Award), A Christmas Carol (Geffen Playhouse, LA Drama Critics Circle Award, LA Ovation Award), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Signature Theatre), and A Time Like This (Carnegie Hall).

Amy Sutton designs for live performance, film, and television, and has collaborated with companies and producers around the country. Sutton believes that costume design can communicate character and environment while also engaging the artistic imagination. Every detail offers an opportunity to provide insight into the world and the characters in a show. She received her MFA in Costume Design from the University of California, San Diego, and holds a BFA in Theater with a minor in Art History from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Amy is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, USA Local 829. Select design credits include: SMART (W.H.A.T., MA), Heisenberg (Northern Stage, VT), Apples in Winter (Denizen Theatre, NY), Summer Shorts (Throughline Artists, NY), and Sparring Partner (Short Film). Select assistant design credits include: Patriots (Broadway), The Connector (MCC, NY), Parade (Broadway), Some Like It Hot (Broadway), and Hamilton (National Tour/International).

Thomas C. Hase is an internationally recognized lighting designer who is known for dynamic designs in opera, new theatrical productions and avant-garde dance. His design for the Tony-Award winning revival of Company on Broadway received critical acclaim. His work has been described as “superb” by “The New York Times.” Hase’s designs have been featured at many of the major opera companies in the United States, Europe, Canada, South America, and Asia. As resident lighting designer for Stadttheater Giessen in Germany, Hase produced more than 100 designs for theater, opera, and ballet. His work can be seen in several productions recorded for broadcast and distribution. Recordings of Company on Broadway and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at LA Opera have been released on DVD. Concurrent with his many freelance projects, Hase is the resident lighting designer & director for the Cincinnati Opera Summer Festival.

ROLANDO SALAZAR LA BOHÈME: ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR & CHORUSMASTER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT LA TRAVIATA, 2013

Rolando Salazar has an expansive repertoire, including more than forty productions with The Atlanta Opera as conductor, assistant conductor, and/or chorusmaster. He made his Opera Columbus debut in 2023 conducting Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires. Conducting credits with The Atlanta Opera include Pagliacci, The Barber of Seville (Mainstage debut), Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, and student matinees of La bohème and Don Pasquale. Salazar has also been featured as the pianist in Love Letters to Atlanta, performing alongside singers Morris Robinson, Jamie Barton, Ryan McKinny, and Kevin Burdette. Recent conducting credits include Susannah and Die Zauberflöte with Atlanta’s Harrower Summer Opera, Ned Rorem’s Our Town with Georgia State University School of Music, Handel’s Messiah with the Atlanta Concert Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro with Red River Lyric Opera, Tosca with Permian Basin Opera, and other guest conducting engagements with the Georgia State University Symphony Orchestra, The Atlanta Ballet, Rome Symphony Orchestra, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, as well as collaborations with Opera Louisiane, Madison Opera, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Rolando has served as associate conductor and chorusmaster for The Atlanta Opera, where he has studied and worked alongside his mentors Arthur Fagen and Walter Huff, in addition to a long and distinguished list of conductors and directors. He keeps an active coaching and collaborative piano schedule in Atlanta. Salazar is represented by Marvel Arts Management.

GREGORY LUIS BOYLE

RENT & LA BOHÈME: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, 2016

Gregory Luis H. Boyle is grateful to have lived and traveled all around the United States to pursue his passion for opera. He happily calls Philadelphia his home. Boyle will be the Staging Director of Tomer Zvulun’s production of Macbeth at The Atlanta Opera, where he was the Staging Director for Zvulun’s production of La bohème as well as the associate director of Rigoletto. Boyle made his Atlanta Opera debut as the assistant director on Zvulun’s new production of Das Rheingold, which Boyle helped originate at the Dallas Opera. He continued the journey on Die Walküre in 2024, and looks forward to the continuation of the cycle. Most recently, Boyle directed Don Pasquale for Inland Northwest Opera in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Other credits include associate director at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, revival director for Michael Shell’s The Barber of Seville at Austin Opera, director for a semi-staged Tosca for Opera Philadelphia’s outdoor series at the Mann Center, director of a new production of La Favorite at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and assistant director of Stephen Barlow’s new production of Don Giovanni at the Santa Fe Opera. Boyle has also worked with the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists at Central City Opera as a director working with young students. Boyle has also worked with programs including at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Herndon Foundation of Emerging Artists of Virginia Opera. Previously, Boyle has held associate and assistant director engagements at companies including Opera Philadelphia, the Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Opera Association, the Dallas Opera, Central City Opera and Virginia Opera among others.

GREG MATTESON

RENT: ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Greg Matteson is a conductor, music director, pianist, and composer/arranger, and is thrilled to be working with The Atlanta Opera. Recently, Greg conducted and played for City Springs Theatre Company’s production of Legally Blonde Past productions at City Springs Theatre Company include Beauty and the Beast (Piano), Monty Python’s Spamalot (Music Director & Cond./Piano), A Chorus Line (Music Director & Cond.), West Side Story (Piano), The Color Purple (Piano), and The Sound of Music (Piano). Greg can also be heard playing and conducting at the Alliance Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol, for which he has served as Music Director since 2020. Past productions at the Alliance Theatre include Ride the Cyclone (Music Director & Cond./ Piano), Maybe Happy Ending (Assoc. Music Director), Max Makes a Million (Copyist & Transcriber), and Ever After (Music Asst. & Keyboard). Greg is an Artist Affiliate in Collaborative Piano at Emory University and collaborates in and around Atlanta. He is a vocal coach, instructor, pianist, and chamber recitalist, and performer. His award-winning arrangements and compositions have been featured in a variety of contexts from choirs and wind ensembles to video game soundtracks.

RICARDO APONTE

RENT: CHOREOGRAPHER & ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT FRIDA, 2019

LINDSEY EWING

RENT & LA BOHÈME: WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Ricardo Aponte is delighted to return to The Atlanta Opera after choreographing Rigoletto last season. Aponte is a stage director and choreographer originally from Venezuela and resides in Atlanta, where he has become one of the most in-demand creators, recognized with three Suzi Awards and ten nominations. Recent work: Director and/or Choreographer: Oodles of Doodles (Alliance Theatre); Candide, Cabaret, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Carmen, and Frida (The Atlanta Opera); Little Shop Of Horrors (Emory University), Spring Awakening (Jennie T. Anderson), Cinderella (Aurora Theatre), Luisa Fernanda (Florentine Opera).

Lindsey Ewing is a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she received her bachelor’s in fine arts degree (concentration in wig and makeup design) in 2008. Included in her work and design experience are such companies as Sarasota Opera Co., Opera Carolina, Piedmont Opera, Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Spoleto Festival, Playmaker’s Rep, The University of Maryland, The Aurora Theatre, Kennesaw State University, Oglethorpe University, The Atlanta Opera, Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, and The Alliance Theatre. Currently, she is the resident Wig master at The Alliance Theatre, and does freelance film work and film wig making. LEHairandMakeupArtistry.com

THE ATLANTA OPERA CHORUS

CHORUS MASTER

Rolando Salazar

SOPRANO

Talia Aull

Emily Nelson

Robin Sewell

Tiffany Uzoije

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Isabella Chaney

Melissa Godbee

Eva Lukkonen

Jessica Wax

TENOR

Levi Adkins

Grant Jones

Cameron King

Jose Montanez

BASS

David Champion

Andrew Kapsar

Stephen McCool

Charlie Wentz

THE ATLANTA OPERA ORCHESTRA

VIOLINS

Lisa Morrison

Acting Concertmaster

Sally Gardner-Wilson Acting Assistant Concertmaster

Jessica Stinson Acting Principal Second Violin

Virginia Respess-Fairchild

Acting Assitant Prinicipal Second Violin

Patti Gouvas

Rafael Veytsblum

VIOLA

William Johnston

Principal

Meghan Yost†

Acting Assistant Principal

CELLO

Charae Krueger Principal

Mary Kenney

Acting Assistant Principal

BASS

Daniel Tancredi Principal

FLUTE

James Zellers Principal

Kelly Bryant

OBOE

Christina Gavin Principal

CLARINET

John Warren Acting Principal

Justin Stanley†

BASSOON

Debra Grove Acting Principal

FRENCH HORN

Jason Eklund Acting Principal

Mackenzie Newell†

CHILDREN’S CHORUS

Phoebe Rose Claeys

Eloise Fleck

Gretta Godbee

Willa Godbee

Violet Montague

Hensley Peters

Anika Singh

Ava Trojanowski

Max Walls

Maya Zvulun

CHILDREN’S CHORUS

WRANGLER

Alexandra Svirshch

TRUMPET

Yvonne Toll-Schneider Principal

Alexander Freund

TROMBONE

William P. Mann Principal

TIMPANI/PERCUSSION

John Lawless Principal

HARP

Ellen Foster†

PERSONNEL MANAGER

James Zellers

ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN

Phil Parsons

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

†Non-Core Musician

BOOK, MUSIC, & LYRICS BY JONATHAN LARSON

MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS

STEVE SKINNER ORIGINAL CONCEPT/ADDITIONAL LYRICS BILLY ARONSON

MUSIC SUPERVISION & ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

TIM WEIL DRAMATURG LYNN THOMSON

RENT WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED IN NEW YORK BY NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP AND ON BROADWAY BY JEFFREY SELLER, KEVIN MCCOLLUM, ALLAN S. GORDON AND NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP

RENT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. Influenced by La bohème by Giacomo Puccini | This production originates with The Atlanta Opera performed in English | The performance will last approximately 2 hours, 36 minutes. There will be one 25-minute intermission.

DISCOVERIES SERIES

The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM The Livingston Foundation

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

John Haupert & Bryan Brooks

SPECIAL THANKS

THE ATLANTA OPERA IS GRATEFUL FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT FROM

The Atlanta Opera receives support from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and 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. Funding for programming is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

CONDUCTOR James Lowe

PRODUCER & CO-DIRECTOR Tomer Zvulun

CO-DIRECTOR & SET/PROJECTION DESIGNER Vita Tzykun

COSTUME DESIGNER Amy Sutton

LIGHTING DESIGNER Thomas C. Hase

SOUND DESIGNER Joshua D. Reid

WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Lindsey Ewing

CHOREOGRAPHER & ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Ricardo Aponte

CALLING STAGE MANAGER Liz Campbell

FILMED MEDIA Felipe Barral, Amanda Sachtleben

GRAFFITI ARTISTS Henry Samuels, Jesse Jaeger

CAST (IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE)

ROGER DAVIS Heath Saunders

MARK COHEN Jake Levy

TOM COLLINS Jonathan Christopher

BENJAMIN “BENNY” COFFIN, III Gerald Caesar

ENSEMBLE

MARK’S MOM & OTHERS Deborah Bowman

JOANNE JEFFERSON Harper Miles

ANGEL DUMOTT SCHUNARD Christin Byrdsong

MIMI MARQUEZ Chani Maisonet

MAUREEN JOHNSON Bligh Voth

MR. JEFFERSON, CHRISTMAS CAROLER, A PASTOR, & OTHERS Fenner Eaddy

MRS. JEFFERSON, WOMAN WITH BAGS, & OTHERS Stephanie Zandra

GORDON, THE MAN, MR. GREY, & OTHERS Leo Thomasian

STEVE, MAN WITH SQUEEGEE, A WAITER, & OTHERS Jacob Taylor Starks PAUL, POLICE OFFICER, & OTHERS Benjamin Harding

ALEXI DARLING, ROGER’S MOM, & OTHERS Alexandria Joy

ENSEMBLE MEMBERS Chris McKnight, Bailey Jo Harbaugh, Brandon Nguyen-Hilton

BAND

CONDUCTOR & KEYBOARD James Lowe

GUITAR Bill Hatcher

GUITAR 2 & KEYBOARD 2 David C. Cooper

BASS Emory Clements

DRUM SET Geoff Gill

PERCUSSION John Lawless

ASST. CONDUCTOR Greg Matteson

ASST. DIRECTOR Gregory Luis Boyle

SECOND ASST. DIRECTOR Elio Bucky*

ASST. SCENIC DESIGNER Michael Lewis

COSTUME ASST. Kaitlyn Flory

ASSOC. LIGHTING DESIGNER Natalia Carlson

SOUND ASST. Noah Dettman

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

PROJECT MANAGER Abraham Sheckels

MUSICAL PREPARATION Andrew Fazackerley

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Peter Nictakis

ASST. STAGE MANAGERS Kyle Chassells, Caitlin Denney-Turner, Aletha Saunders

COVER ASST. STAGE MANAGER Jess Tibboles

EVENT ADVISORY: Strobe and lighting effects plus haze will be in use.

The purchase of equipment for The Atlanta Opera is supported by a gift from Eva & Robert Ratonyi.

*Member of The Atlanta Opera Studio. Significant support for The Atlanta Opera Studio Artist Program from the Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation, John & Yee-Wan Stevens, and Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg.

Scenery built by McCordco Scenic | Props built by The Atlanta Opera Production Studio | Costumes by The Atlanta Opera Costume Shop

Synopsis & Scene Structure

COURTESY

Music Theatre International (MTI)

Act I

Mark, a filmmaker and the show’s narrator, is spending a cold Christmas Eve in the Lower East Side industrial loft that he shares with his musician roommate, Roger. They receive several phone calls (“Tune Up / Voice Mail #1”).

The first is from Mark’s mother, consoling him over the loss of his girlfriend, Maureen, a performance artist, to Joanne, a Harvard Law School graduate. The second is from their friend, Tom Collins, who is detained by muggers. The last is from their landlord, Benny, demanding the rent. The power blows ... and so do Roger and Mark’s tops (“Rent”).

Outside, Collins is reeling from the mugging. He is comforted by Angel, a street musician, who offers him a helping hand (“You Okay, Honey?”). Both HIV+, Angel and Collins head out for a night on the town and a life support meeting.

In response to a call for help, Mark sets out for the lot where Maureen is performing a protest against Benny’s eviction of the homeless from a nearby lot. He urges Roger to come along, but he refuses. As Mark reports, Roger has not left the apartment in six months. He is still reeling from the suicide of his girlfriend, who slashed her wrists upon learning that she had AIDS. Roger tries to write a song but the only melody he finds is “Musetta’s Waltz” from Puccini’s La bohème (“One Song Glory”).

Mimi, an S&M dancer who lives below Mark and Roger, knocks with a request: “Light My Candle.” The attraction between her and Roger is immediate, but Roger shies away and shows her the door. Mimi knocks again; she has lost her stash. Roger helps her look, and Mimi eventually finds it—in Roger’s back pocket.

As Joanne wrangles with the sound equipment for Maureen’s performance, her parents leave her “Voice Mail #2,” pleading with her to come to her mother’s

confirmation hearings in Washington. Collins arrives at the loft with a bag full of goodies. This includes Angel, transvested into Angel Dumott Shunard and gloriously arrayed in his Christmas finest – wig, glitter and platform pumps. In “Today 4 U,” Angel explains how he earned $1,000: a wealthy woman hired him to play the drums until her neighbor’s yappy Akita barked itself to death.

Benny enters with a proposal (“You’ll See”): if Mark and Roger stop Maureen’s protest, he will forgo the rent. He entices them with plans for Cyber Arts, a state-of-theart, multimedia studio that will realize all of their dreams. Unsuccessful, Benny leaves. Mark, Collins and Angel try to coax Roger into coming to the life support meeting with them, but he refuses.

Mark finally reaches the lot where Maureen will perform her protest. He encounters Joanne, still struggling with the sound equipment and the many demands that Maureen makes upon her. Mark offers help. Although they dreaded meeting, they have a lot in common (“Tango: Maureen”). Once he finishes, Mark joins Angel and Collins at the “Life Support” meeting.

In her apartment, Mimi dresses and appeals to an imaginary Roger to take her “Out Tonight.” She barges into his apartment and continues her appeal to Roger himself but, after a passionate kiss, he vehemently rejects her. They fight, her words blending with the affirmation of the support group that emphasizes the importance of living the moment (“Another Day”). A young man from the support group asks quietly, “Will I lose my dignity / Will someone care?” (“Will I?”). His thoughts and fears are echoed by each member of the community. The thoughts are Roger’s, too, and he decides to go outside.

After the meeting, Mark, Angel and Collins roam the lot and rescue a homeless woman from the taunts and nightsticks of the neighborhood cops (“On the Street”). Discouraged by life in New York, the three dream of opening up a restaurant in “Santa Fe.” Alone at last, Angel and Collins finally express their love for each other (“I’ll Cover You”). Joanne, meanwhile has her hands full juggling work, parents, and the ever-demanding Maureen... all over the phone (“We’re Okay”).

The scene changes to St. Mark’s Place, where vendors hawk their wares to the bohemians of the East Village (“Christmas Bells”). Angel buys a new coat for Collins. Mark finds Roger, who spots Mimi looking for drugs.

Roger apologizes and asks her to dinner. Just as the snow begins to fall, Maureen finally appears to perform her protest, “Over the Moon.”

Following the protest, all convene at the Life Café, including Benny, who announces that Bohemia is dead. Thus ensues a makeshift mock-wake that quickly segues into a celebration of “La Vie Boheme.” During the song, Benny confronts Mimi and threatens to reveal their past affair to Roger. Beepers go off to remind the revelers to take their AZT. Roger and Mimi each discover that the other is HIV+. Frightened and excited, they vow to be together (“I Should Tell You”).

Joanne has been sent back to the lot by Maureen several times to check on the equipment. She finally rebels, telling Maureen that their relationship is over and announcing a riot in the lot: Benny has padlocked the building and called the cops, but the homeless are standing their ground... and mooing. The artists rejoice, the riot continues, and Roger and Mimi share a small, lovely kiss.

Act II

The second act begins with the company posing the question, “How do you measure a year in the life?” (“Seasons of Love”). It is one week later, New Year’s Eve, and Mark, Roger, Mimi, Maureen, Joanne, Angel and Collins are having a breaking-back-into-the-building party (“Happy New Year”). Once inside, Mark listens to one more phone message from his mother in Scarsdale as well as one from Alexi Darling, a tabloid TV producer who is salivating over his footage of the riot (“Voice Mail #3”). Benny crashes the party, angering Roger and alienating Roger from Mimi. Dejected, Mimi wanders outside and into the welcoming arms of her drug dealer.

Mark fast-forwards to Valentine’s Day. Roger and Mimi are still together. Angel and Collins could be anywhere. Maureen and Joanne are still rehearsing another show, but it is not going well (“Take Me or Leave Me”).

The company reprises “Seasons of Love,” and time marches forward again into spring. Roger and Mimi have a fight, and Roger walks out. Alone, Mimi reflects on what life would be like without Roger (“Without You”).

At the same time, Collins nurses a sick Angel; Maureen and Joanne reconcile, as do Mimi and Roger.

At the end of the summer, Alexi is still courting Mark for her TV show (“Voice Mail #4”). Roger and Mimi,

unsatisfied by love’s complications, break up, as do Maureen and Joanne. Angel dies. At a memorial service, his friends remember his spirit. Collins remembers his love (“I’ll Cover You – Reprise”).

Outside of the church, Mark phones Alexi to accept the job. Mark ponders how life has changed since last year as he recalls the joys of that one night last Christmas (“Halloween”). As the mourners leave the church, Mimi confirms that Roger has sold his guitar and is leaving town. Roger confirms that Mimi is now with Benny. A fight erupts among Roger, Mimi, Maureen, Benny and Joanne. Collins interrupts them with the sorrowful reality that the family is breaking up. Joanne and Maureen reunite. Mimi and Benny leave.

Mark tries to convince Roger to stay in New York to face his pain and the fact that Mimi is very sick. Roger attacks Mark, accusing him of hiding from his feelings. Mimi enters, having overheard the entire angry exchange, and bids Roger farewell (“Goodbye, Love”). Roger leaves town. Mimi turns to Mark for help. Benny offers one helping hand to Mimi and extends the other to Collins to help him pay Angel’s funeral expenses. Mimi refuses the help and flees. Collins accepts and he and Benny go out for a drink.

Mark considers the events and faces the last year, as does Roger, who is on his way to Santa Fe. Roger begins to discover his own song, and Mark turns down the television job to finish his own film (“What You Own”).

Roger’s mom, Mark’s mom, Mimi’s mom and Joanne’s father all wonder where their children are (“Voice Mail #5”). Back at the loft, Mark tells us again that it’s Christmas and that he now has a rough version of his film, which he’s going to show tonight. Roger has returned with his written song but cannot find Mimi. Collins enters with money that he has gotten from an ATM, rewired to give money to anyone with a special code. The password? A-N-G-E-L.

Maureen and Joanne suddenly arrive, holding Mimi, whom they found collapsed and near death in the park. Roger begs her not to die and sings for her the song that it has taken him all year to write, “Your Eyes”. Mimi dies as Roger wails her name over a blast of Puccini’s music. Suddenly Mimi awakens; it seems that a guardian Angel was watching over her.

The company joins in a reprise of the affirmation that love is all and that there is “no day but today” (“Finale”).

Levi Adkins is a Georgia native, born in Decatur and raised in Augusta. Growing up, he had a love of choir which led him to study music education at University of South Carolina Aiken for his undergraduate degree. It was here that he found an interest in opera. After graduating he moved to Atlanta and began studying voice with Georgia State University’s masters program. Since then, Adkins has worked hard to start a career in performance. He has been a principal in various productions in and outside of Atlanta, as well as participating in competitions, and receiving awards for his work. He hopes now to continue to participate in this art, sharing his passion with colleagues and audience members alike.

Amanda Batista, soprano, is a Puerto Rican Cuban American from Manchester, New Jersey in her third year in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. During the Met’s upcoming 2024–25 season, she will reprise the role of the High Priestess in the company’s new production of Aida and cover Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Last season, she sang First Lady in the Met’s holiday presentation of The Magic Flute and Bianca in La Rondine. This past summer, she made her company and role debut as Mimì in La bohème at Wolf Trap Opera, under the baton of Grant Gershon. She made her Met debut during the 2022–23 season as the High Priestess and covered Clotilde in Norma. Recent operatic engagements include Elettra in Idomeneo at Aspen Opera Theater, the title role of Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas and Salud in de Falla’s La Vida Breve with the Merola Opera Program, Frau Fluth in Nicolai’s Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor with Juilliard Opera, and the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Chautauqua Institution. Recent concert engagements include the Dvořák and Bruckner Te Deum with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra and Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, respectively. She is an alumna of the Chautauqua Institution, the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, and the Académie du Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. She holds degrees in voice from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the Juilliard School, where she was a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Amanda Batista’s participation in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program is sponsored by The Elroy and Terry Krumholz Foundation.

AMANDA BATISTA MIMÌ

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

LEVI ADKINS PARPIGNOL

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

CADIE J. BRYAN MUSETTA

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, 2022

Cadie J. Bryan, Louisiana-born soprano, returned to Arizona Opera, in the 2022-23 season, to debut the role of Maria in The Sound of Music opposite her husband, baritone Jonathan Bryan (Captain Von Trapp) and to The Atlanta Opera for a role debut as Woglinde in Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Das Rheingold. During the summer, she joined The Santa Fe Opera, covering the title role in Pelléas et Mélisande, while fall 2023 brought her New Orleans Opera debut as Susanna in Chas Rader-Shieber’s new production of Le nozze di Figaro Bryan’s 2021-2022 season featured multiple house and role debuts, including: in concert with The Dallas Opera for the Hart Institute for Women Conductors; Opera Las Vegas as Addie Mills in the west coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The House Without a Christmas Tree, The Atlanta Opera as Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Arizona Opera, reprising the role of Despina in Così fan tutte. In the summer of 2021, she debuted the roles of Clarine in Rameau’s Platée and Prilepa in Pique Dame as an Ensemble Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera. A previous young artist at Arizona Opera, her roles there included Bess in Craig Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage, Musetta in La bohème, Lucy in Fellow Travelers, Maid in the Taliesin West Premier of Daron Hagen’s Shining Brow, Chan Parker in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro

DAVID CRAWFORD SCHAUNARD

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

ROMEO AND JULIET, 2016

David Crawford, American bass-baritone, returned to Japan in the 2022-23 season to perform with the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy as Schaunard in La bohème, joined The Metropolitan Opera for their production of Dialogues des Carmélites, covered the roles of The Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Alberich in Die Walküre with The Atlanta Opera, sang the role of Blitch in Susannah with Marble City Opera, and appeared as the bass soloist in both Handel’s Messiah with Nashville Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem with Knoxville Symphony, respectively. In 2023-24, he returned to The Atlanta Opera to sing Count Montarone in Rigoletto, joined the Amarillo Symphony to sing as the bass soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and sang with the Knoxville Symphony as the bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem. The 2021-22 season saw him as Achilla in Giulio Cesare and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with The Atlanta Opera, Monterone in Rigoletto with Nashville Opera, Zuniga in Carmen with Santa Fe Opera and a return to The Metropolitan Opera for their production of Turandot. Since making his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2007 as The Warrior Apparition in Macbeth, Crawford has taken part in over three hundred performances and covered roles in over two hundred performances with the company. In 2020-21, Mr. Crawford sang an Opera Outdoors concert with Opera Omaha. Due to the pandemic, postponed or cancelled engagements included Il barbiere di Siviglia with The Atlanta Opera, Don Giovanni with Opera Naples, and Les contes d’Hoffmann and Billy Budd with The Metropolitan Opera.

ALLEN MICHAEL JONES COLLINE

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

MADAMA BUTTERFLY, 2022

Allen Michael Jones, a rising young bass, continues to gain recognition in major theaters around the world. A native of Atlanta, Jones made his debut with Dutch National Opera in the in the 2023-24 season world premiere of Ellen Reid’s The Shell Trial as Laborer, his debut with the Neville Holt Festival as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, and returned to the role of Colline in La bohème with Florentine Opera. Jones began the 2022-23 season as Colline in La bohème for his company debut with Nashville Opera, a role he then reprised at Pensacola Opera. He was then heard as the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly with his hometown company, The Atlanta Opera, and returned to Minnesota Opera as Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni He ended that season at Des Moines Metro Opera in the role of Zuniga in Carmen. In summer 2022, Jones returned to the Santa Fe Opera as a member of the renowned Apprentice Artist program. During his two summers in Santa Fe, he was heard as the Officer in Il barbiere di Siviglia and as Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, a role he sang with the Dallas Symphony under the baton of Fabio Luisi. A former resident artist with Minnesota Opera, Jones was heard in performances as Zuniga in Carmen, Superintendent Budd in Albert Herring, and appeared in concerts and performances specifically produced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE SHINING, 2023

Kameron Lopreore, tenor, is thrilled to be returning to The Atlanta Opera in the role of Rodolfo after two seasons as a Glynn Studio Artist. Last season with The Atlanta Opera, he performed the roles of Bill Watson and Lloyd the Bartender in Moravec’s The Shining, the Tenor Soloist in Shapiro’s Frankenstein: The Movie Opera, Matteo Borsa in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Recently, he enjoyed participating in the Santa Fe Opera’s prestigious young artist program. Additionally, he sang Tamino in The Magic Flute and Panatellas in the world premiere of Songbird at the Glimmerglass Festival. Recently, he portrayed the Woeful Tenor in AMC’s hit series Interview with the Vampire. He performed the roles of Le Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen and Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with Pensacola Opera. In November of 2019, Lopreore travelled with The Glimmerglass Festival to perform the role of the Marquis in the culmination of Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles at the Château de Versailles in France. He is a prominently featured artist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra where he regularly performs major works such as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas and Easter Oratorios, and Rossini’s Stabat Mater

KAMERON LOPREORE STUDIO ARTIST ALUMNUS RODOLFO

ANDREW NOLEN BENOIT/ALCINDORO ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Most recent and current projects of American bass Andrew Nolen include Councilman, Breaking The Waves at Opéra Comique; Alidoro, La Cenerentola at Stadttheater Klagenfurt; Ramfis, Aida on tour in Germany, including Hamburg, Berlin and Munich; Hotel Manager, Powder Her Face and Der Alte, Die Gespenstersonate at Semperoper Dresden/Semper Zwei; and bass soloist in Carnegie Hall in Beethoven’s Mass in C. Past guest engagements include the world premiere of Im Stein by Sara Glojnarić and Clemens Meyer for Oper Halle; Urilas in Keiser’s Ulysses with Schwetzinger Festspiele; roles in The Nose at Komische Oper Berlin; Basilio, Il barbiere di Siviglia at Nouvel Opéra Fribourg; and Banco, Macbeth at Staatstheater Schwerin.

As a member of the ensemble of Theater KrefeldMönchengladbach, Andrew has sung roles such as Leporello, Don Giovanni; Figaro, Le Nozze di Figaro; Oroveso, Norma; Swallow, Peter Grimes; Orsini, Rienzi; John Sorel, The Consul; Zaccharia, Nabucco; Kuligin, Káťa Kabanová; Sam, Un ballo in maschera; and Heerufer, Lohengrin. Important past engagements were at Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Philharmonie Essen, Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, Oper Bonn, Oper Dortmund, Lyrique-enMer in France, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Dubai Festival Opera, and Beth Morrison Projects. He toured with The Wooster Group to Brussels, Rotterdam, Edinburgh, Luxembourg, New York, and Los Angeles, recorded with Bridge Records and is the bass soloist on the Naxos box set of Haydn’s complete masses. Nolen trained at Oberlin Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory, and the Juilliard Opera Center.

MARCELLO

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, 2023

Luke Sutliff, baritone, is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and is making his mark in the opera world. This season, Sutliff returns to Atlanta for two role debuts: Marcello in La bohème and Papageno in The Magic Flute Later in the season, he returns to the Houston Grand Opera for his first Wolfram in Tannhäuser. He will also appear as Marcello in La bohème with Opera Maine. In concert, he makes his debut with the Nashville Symphony as the baritone soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Giancarlo Guerrero conducting. Future engagements include debuts with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Canadian Opera Company, the Glyndebourne Festival, and the Dallas Symphony. Sutliff premiered the title role in Nico Muhly version of Monteverdi’s Orfeo at the Santa Fe Opera in Summer 2023, then had several role debuts: Silvio in I Pagliacci (Lyric Opera of Kansas City), Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Opera North Carolina and the Seattle Opera), Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Atlanta Opera). He returned to the Santa Fe Opera in the summer of 2024 to perform Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore. Notable awards include: Second Prize at the 2023 Operalia competition and two grants from the prestigious Richard Tucker Foundation.

LUKE SUTLIFF

DEBORAH BOWMAN

ENSEMBLE: MARK’S MOM & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT CABARET, 2022

Deborah Bowman is thrilled to be back at TAO for her 3rd year in a row! Stage credits include Chicago, Candide, Cabaret (5 times), 42nd Street, The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, Oliver (1st National Tour), Evita, Sweeney Todd, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Bowman is represented by Atlanta Models & Talent (SE Region) & Collier Talent (SW Region). TV/ Film credits include Megalopolis directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Stargirl DC Comic Series as Miss Woods, Creepshow, Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Ugly Betty, Wall Street 2, and several national commercials. Look out for her upcoming role as Mrs. Carter opposite Paris Jackson in One Scoop of Chocolate written & directed by RZA. Bowman performs nationwide with her unique Cabaret acts including “American Songbook Series,” “Bitches of Broadway,” “A Big Love Holiday,” and “Shaken Not Stirred: Music of James Bond.” Bowman is releasing her fourth jazz album in 2025 with legendary Grammy Award winning producer “Jedi Master.” Deb is also an esteemed private coach.

CHRISTIN BYRDSONG

ANGEL DUMOTT SCHUNARD

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Christin Byrdsong is thrilled to join The Atlanta Opera family. Byrdsong is a graduate of the Oklahoma City University where he studied voice under Dr. Florence Birdwell, and Dr. Billy Christensen. Most recently he was seen as Simba and a Vocal Swing on the National Tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Byrdsog can also be seen in Conframa on HereTV, and Euphoria on HBO. Other roles include Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Richard in Shout Sister Shout, and Man 1 in Songs for A New World Thank you to UIA Talent and BAC Talent. For my Uncle George. Psalm 100. @christinbyrdsong

GERALD CAESAR

BENJAMIN COFFIN, III

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Gerald Caesar is grateful to be making his debut at The Atlanta Opera. He has a distinguished background in theatre, notably as part of the original Broadway casts of A Bronx Tale, Choir Boy, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Off-Broadway, Caesar appeared in Mansa Ra’s what the end will be at the Roundabout Theatre Company and Francois and the Rebels at The Public Theater. On screen, Caesar has gained recognition, particularly for his role as Ty Wessex in the third season of Only Murders in the Building, where he received a Screen Actors Guild nomination alongside actors such as Selena Gomez and Meryl Streep. His television work also includes roles in Law & Order, Helpsters, and the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. Caesar’s theatrical credits outside of New York include houses such as North Shore Music Theatre, The Muny, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Sacramento Music Circus, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, and Paramount Theatre, as well as the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Caesar is a graduate of Elon University with a BFA in Music Theatre. Caesar is represented by DGRW, Inc. and 11:11 Entertainment.

JONATHAN CHRISTOPHER

TOM COLLINS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Jonathan Christopher comes to Atlanta from the hit Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd. Previously, he played Aaron Burr and George Washington in the national tour and Canadian premiere of Hamilton. In New York he has performed in productions at Lincoln Center (A Little Night Music in Concert; The Black Clown) and Signature Theatre (Dave Malloy’s Octet). Regionally, he has worked with Eugene Opera (La Fanciulla del West), Syracuse Opera (Tosca, Sweeney Todd), Michigan Opera Theater (La traviata), Knoxville’s Clarence Brown Theater (Candide), and Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theater (Porgy and Bess). The musical Rent brought Jonathan to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Aruba National Theatre. In concert, Christoper has sung with the Cincinnati, Hilton Head, and Asheville Symphonies, Naples Philharmonic, and Toronto’s Amplified Opera Company. He earned degrees in voice and opera from the University of Michigan and McGill University. @geezjawn

FENNER EADDY ENSEMBLE: MR. JEFFERSON, CHRISTMAS CAROLER, A PASTOR & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT CANDIDE, 2023

BAILEY JO HARBAUGH ENSEMBLE

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT SALOME, 2020

BENJAMIN HARDING

ENSEMBLE: PAUL, POLICE OFFICER, & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Fenner Eaddy, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, is honored and excited to join The Atlanta Opera. Gracing stages throughout Georgia, Fenner is a favorite within the Atlanta Theatre community. His memorable performances include The Wiz (True Colors) Bright Star, Pretty Pants Bandit, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Georgia Ensemble Theatre), Mamma Mia!, Holiday Inn, Mary Poppins, Elf, 42nd Street (City Springs Theatre), In the Heights, Memphis (Aurora Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar, Damn Yankees, Chicago, Cats, Anything Goes, The Producers (Atlanta Lyric Theatre), Candide, Carmen, Porgy and Bess (The Atlanta Opera), Memphis, Fly (Theatrical Outfit), Godspell (Legacy Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Stage Door Players). Fenner thanks his family and friends for their love and support.

Bailey Jo Harbaugh has been active in Atlanta arts for eight years while earning her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kennesaw State University in 2019. She has had the privilege of collaborating and originating roles in process with artists local and abroad. Numerous creations include work in Atlanta and New York City with Tomer Zvulun, Amir Levy, Ricardo Aponte, George Staib, Donald Byrd, and Omar Román de Jesús. Harbaugh is thrilled to be in her 11th production with The Atlanta Opera and continually grateful to previous and current creatives who have influenced her artistry so deeply.

Benjamin Harding is extremely excited to be a part of the Atlanta Opera’s production of Rent. Recently graduated from Samford University with a BFA in Musical Theatre, Harding is looking forward to leading a production of The Light in the Piazza later this Fall as part of Samford’s Vocal Performance graduate program. Harding has been a lifelong performer here in Atlanta; working with the Alliance in Zorro: The Musical and James and the Giant Peach, and with Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville in Mary Poppins. Benjamin performed on Broadway in Matilda the Musical and in the National Tour of Elf. Thank you to God and to the Atlanta Opera for this wonderful opportunity, and to Mom, Dad, and Brianna for their continued support. Enjoy the show!

ALEXANDRIA JOY ENSEMBLE:

ALEXI DARLING, ROGER’S MOM, & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

JAKE LEVY

MARK COHEN

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

MIMI MARQUEZ

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Alexandria Joy is an Atlanta native and is thrilled to be making her Atlanta Opera debut. Joy’s regional appearances have include Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Horizon Theatre); The Incredible Book Eating Boy, The Boy Who Kissed The Sky, Beautiful Blackbird LIVE!, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience (Alliance Theatre); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aurora Theatre); Mother of God: A New Musical by Christian Magby and Christian Albright, Heathers: The Musical (Actors Express); Spring Awakening, Hair, Ragtime (Serenbe Playhouse); Ella Enchanted (Synchronicity Theatre); and Jekyll & Hyde (Atlanta Lyric Theatre). Joy’s television and film credits include Lovecraft Country. She was part of the 2018-19 Apprenticeship Company (Serenbe Playhouse) and earned her BFA at Valdosta State University. Special thanks to her husband for his love and support.

Jake Levy is “jumping over the moon” to be part of this beautiful cast of Rent. Jake’s theatre credits include originating the role of Dwayne in the Off-Broadway 2NDSTAGE production of Superhero, touring the country as Dmitry in the 1st National Tour of Anastasia, and playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Fulton Theatre. TV/Film credits include Harlem (Amazon), WeCrashed (AppleTV), and Bones (FOX). Jake wants to thank his family, friends, Christine and educators for their continued love and support. Special thanks to his mom for always being his biggest fan. Gratitude to HCKR and Robert Stein for this opportunity. Proud AEA member and UCLA graduate. He also loves food (please send local recommendations), cats, and pickleball. @OfficialJakeLevy

Chani Maisonet is excited to be making her Atlanta Opera debut. She is a vocal performance graduate of Kennesaw State University. Maisonet was most recently seen OffBroadway in Titanique, Disney’s Hercules at Papermill as The Muse standby, and the 1st National Tour of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. Regional Credits: West Side Story as Anita, Hairspray as a Dynamite (City Springs Theatre), Becoming Nancy and Ever After (Alliance Theatre). “I am so happy to be home again serving a great story and role. What a cool way to combine Musical Theatre and Opera. Let’s rock it!” @chanimaisonet.

CHANI MAISONET

CHRIS McKNIGHT ENSEMBLE

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

HARPER MILES

JOANNE JEFFERSON

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

BRANDON NGUYEN-HILTON ENSEMBLE

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT OUT OF DARKNESS: TWO REMAIN, 2018

Chris McKnight has been featured in the Center for Puppetry Arts production of Sesame Street: The Musical, Ruth & the Green Book, and Duke Ellington’s Cat. He performed for Out Front Theatre in The Prom and for Voices of Note in Everything Old Is New Again, and Strictly Sondheim. McKnight holds his degree from Georgia State University in Film/TV Production and Vocal Performance. Chris is excited to make his Atlanta Opera debut in Rent. He thanks God for the support of his family and friends on this incredible journey, and he loves each and every one of you!

Harper Miles is jumping over the moon with excitement stepping into her first principal role as Joanne. Miles was in Atlanta just three months prior in The Preacher’s Wife at the Alliance Theatre. Before that she was touring North America in the 1st National Tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical as La Chocolat. Her other credits include; the hit Broadway revival of Caroline, or Change portraying Radio 3 at Roundabout Theatre Company, Zahara in Bat out of Hell at New York City Center, and Lucille/Shirelles in the National tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Grateful to God, family and her LG management team for the constant support. @harpermiles

Brandon Nguyen-Hilton is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and first-generation American whose father is from Vietnam. He began his dance training at Margo Dean School of Ballet and later at the Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy on full scholarship. His professional dance experience includes performing with Houston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, The Atlanta Opera, and Cirque Du Soleil. He has also performed with Mariah Carey for the Disney Christmas Day Parade. In 2018 he performed in Seoul, South Korea for the Pyeong Chang Winter Music Festival in celebration for the Winter Olympics. Brandon would like to thank his family, friends, and past, present, and future teachers for encouraging and instilling passion into his life.

HEATH SAUNDERS

ROGER DAVIS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Heath Saunders wears a lot of hats, literally and figuratively. They are an actor, director, composer, multi-instrumentalist, writer, teacher, producer, and diversity dramaturg—a role they infamously made up one day and now is a whole career unto itself. All of their free time is generally devoted to readings, workshops, and new works in one of those aforementioned capacities. They recently joined the faculty at The New School, in addition to enjoying teaching with the Musical Creators Institute, and Actor Therapy. Selected theater credits: Company (Broadway), Once (Hangar Theater), Jesus Christ Superstar (NBC Live!, Chicago Lyric), Alice By Heart (MCC Theater), and The Great Comet (Broadway). Their 2020 EP Does Not Play Well With Others (I Hope You’re Not ‘Others’) can be heard wherever you stream music. In 2021, they co-founded a tech start-up, Spectra Media Collective, with their mother and siblings, where they now act as Chief Creative Officer. @feeltheheath.

JACOB TAYLOR STARKS

ENSEMBLE:

STEVE, MAN WITH SQUEEGEE, A WAITER, & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Jacob Taylor Starks, singer, dancer, actor, and drag artist, was born and raised in Louisiana. He discovered a love for music and dancing at the age of four and joined the choir at his hometown church. His love of performing only grew from there. Most recently, Starks made his Broadway début in Aladdin. He also showed off his tumbling skills and incredible dancing in heels as one of the Angels in Kinky Boots at Rivertown Theaters. He takes to the seas again this season as part of The Showmen aboard the MSC Meraviglia. Previously, Jacob performed as a lead vocalist on several of Celebrity Cruises’ newest ships. He also worked as a dancer in The Festival of the Lion King at Walt Disney World and returned in Celebrate a Dream Come True. He continued his relationship with Disney, performing in multiple tours with Disney Live. He showed off his dancing skills in the ensemble of Three Classic Fairytales, and he returned as the charismatic MC for Mickey’s Rocking Road Show. Other credits include R&B: The Voice and the Wolfie in Universal Monsters LIVE!, both at Universal Studios Japan.

LEO THOMASIAN

ENSEMBLE:

GORDON, THE MAN, MR. GREY, & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

BLIGH VOTH

MAUREEN JOHNSON

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Leo Thomasian has been performing as an actor and a musician since he was about sixteen years old. With an associate’s degree in Performing Arts from Collin College, Thomasian has been seen on stage throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He was most recently seen as Rudolph in Wishing Star Productions’ national tour of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. Other past credits include: Laurie in Little Women (Contemporary Theatre of Dallas); Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show (Lakeside Community Theatre); Sonny in In The Heights and Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone (Collin Theatre Center). In addition to Thomasian’s stage credits, he has also starred in various short films. Leo is also a musician and songwriter and is currently working on his band’s debut album. He would like to extend his gratitude to his friends and family for all their endless love and support.

Bligh Voth is thrilled and genuinely surprised she is cool enough to be a part of this incredible production of Rent! Her recent credits include performing in the world premiere of Here We Are, the final Stephen Sondheim musical at The Shed in New York City. Additionally, she spent two years developing and leading the world premiere country musical May We All at TPAC in Nashville. Broadway/First National Tour: Jagged Little Pill (ensemble/MJ Standby), The Band’s Visit (Dina U/S). New York: Atlantic Theater Company, Primary Stages, Boomerang Theater Company, NYMF, NAMT. Select Regional Theater: Bright Star (Alice Murphy), Big River (Mary Jane Wilkes); Lyric Theater of Oklahoma: Steel Magnolias (Shelby); Totem Pole Playhouse: Million Dollar Quartet (Dyanne); Paper Mill Playhouse: Parade (Iola Stover), Civil War (Sarah), A Christmas Carol (Mrs Fred’s Sister); Ford’s Theater: Reefer Madness, Jerry Springer the Opera; others include The Studio Theater DC: Signature Theater, Washington Stage Guild, Cincinnati Playhouse, Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse. Training: The Boston Conservatory. All the love to MSA, Framework Entertainment, Paul and Karen. @blighadeline

STEPHANIE ZANDRA

ENSEMBLE:

MRS. JEFFERSON, WOMAN WITH BAGS, & OTHERS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Stephanie Zandra is an Atlanta, GA, native with theatre credits that include Hair (Serenbe Playhouse), The Color Purple (Actor’s Express), 9-5 the Musical (Georgia Ensemble Theatre), Footloose (Theatre Buford), Caroline, or Change and Once On This Island, where she won Best Supporting Performer in a Streaming Musical from the 2021 Broadway World Regional Awards for her portrayal of Asaka during the Overture Series (Jennie T. Anderson Theatre). Regional Theatre Credits: Caroline, or Change/ Radio 1, Black Nativity/Archangel Gabriel (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe), All Shook Up/Sylvia (Garden Theatre). Zandra has had the pleasure of traveling the world with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises where she’s performed for audiences from parts of Asia and Europe.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Board Chair

Mr. Rhys T. Wilson

Vice-Chair

Mr. John L. Hammaker

Vice-Chair | Development Committee Co-Chair

Mr. Charles R. Yates, Jr.

Secretary

Mr. Howard Hunter

Treasurer | Finance Committee Chair

Ms. Bunny Winter

Audit Committee Chair

Mr. Bryan H. Barnes

Community Engagement Committee Chair

Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr.

Development Committee Co-Chair

Mrs. Talia Murphy

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair

Mrs. Stephanie Morela

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEMBERS

Mrs. Susan M. Anderson

Mr. Dante Bellizzi

Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV

Dr. Harold J. Brody

Mrs. Rosemary Kopel Brown

Dr. Frank A. Critz

Mr. Robert Dean

Dr. Carlos del Rio

Dr. Todd Ellis

Mr. Dieter Elsner

Dr. Donald J. Filip

Mrs. Joanne Chesler Gross

Mrs. Caroline Hardin

Mr. Jamael Hester

Mrs. Laura Lane

Mr. Andrew R. Long

Mr. Alfredo Martin

Ms. Kelly Mayhall

Facilities Task Force Chair

Mr. Howard Palefsky

Investment Committee Co-Chair

Mr. Frank Butterfield

Investment Committee Co-Chair

Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli

Nominating & Board Engagement Committee Chair

Mr. Kevin Greiner

Strategic Planning Committee Chair

Mrs. Christine St.Clare

At-Large Member, Immediate Past Chair

Mrs. Cathy Callaway Adams

At-Large Member

Mr. John Haupert

Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic

Director, ex-officio member

Mr. Tomer Zvulun

Mr. James B. Miller, Jr.

Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli

Mr. Michael E. Paulhus

Mr. Herbert J. Rosenberg

Mr. Thomas Saylor

Mr. William E. Tucker

HONORARY MEMBERS

Mr. Ronald Antinori

The Very Reverend

Samuel G. Candler

Mr. Robert G. Edge

Mr. Carl I. Gable, Jr.

Mrs. Nancy Hall Green

Mr. Gregory F. Johnson

Mr. Carter Joseph

Mr. Alfred Kennedy, Jr.

Mr. Michael Keough

Mrs. Emily C. Knobloch

Mr. George Levert

Mr. J. Barry Schrenk

Mr. Timothy E. Sheehan

Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr.

Mr. Mark K. Taylor

Mr. Thomas R. Williams

Mr. Robert G. Woodward

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mr. Andrew J.M. Binns

Mr. Kenny L. Blank

Mrs. Inge Bledel

Ms. Mary Calhoun

Mrs. Lejla Dickson

Ms. Sally Bland Fielding

Ms. Julia Filson

Mr. Roger Fleming

Mr. Lance Fortnow

Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr.

Mr. Douglas Hooker

Mrs. Erin Quinn Martin

Mr. Robert G. Pennington

Mr. Paul Snyder

Mr. Rhys T. Wilson

EXECUTIVE

Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun

Managing Director

Executive Assistant & Board Liason

Special Projects Manager

ARTISTIC / MUSIC

Music Director Emeritus

Director of Artistic Administration

Artistic & Operations Manager

Chorus & Orchestra Manager

Orchestra Librarian

Artistic Services Coordinator

PRODUCTION

Director of Production

Assoc. Director of Production

Production Manager

Technical Director

Associate Technical Director

Lighting Supervisor

Props Supervisor & Artisan

Production Finance Specialist

Production Stage Manager

Calling Stage Manager

Micah Fortson

Misty Reid

Nancy Kritikos

Arthur Fagen

Meredith Wallace

Megan Bennett

Chris Bragg

Phil Parsons

Elizabeth Graiser

Robert Reynolds

Meggie Roseborough

Amy Smith

Rick Combs

Rodney Barge

Matthew Peddie

Paige Steffens

Ruth Strickland

PeterNictakis

Liz Campbell

Assistant Stage Managers Kyle Chassells, Aletha Saunders, Jess Tribboles, Caitlin Denny-Turner

COSTUME

Costume Director

Sarah Burch Gordon

Show Manager Paula Peasley-Ninestein

Communications Coordinator Allison Hines

Stock Manager / Wardrobe Supervisor

Master Draper / Tailor

First Hand

Lead Stitcher

Stitcher

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

PRODUCTION

Head Carpenter

Assistant Carpenter

Head Electrician

Lighting Programmer

Head Properties

Assistant Properties Supervisor & Artisan

Head Video

Video Programmer

Head Audio

Jenn Rogers

Mary Cruz Torres

Gibron Shepperd

Michelle Lee

Maggie Tennant

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION

Director of Community Engagement & Education Jessica Kiger

Education Manager Amy Williams

Community Engagement & Education Coordinator Jonesia Williams

DEVELOPMENT

Development Managing Director Jessica Langlois

Director of Development—Individual Giving Jonathan Blalock

Associate Director of Development Operations Katy Gardner

Development Operations Manager Aaron Walker

Individual Giving Manager Luke MacMillan

Development Operations & Events Coordinator Erin Turner

FINANCE

Controller Inga V. Murro

Staff Accountant David Tubbs, Jr.

Accounts Payable Specialist Yolanda Watt

ADMINISTRATION

Chief Administrative Officer.

Kathy J. White

Director of Facilities Kenneth R. Timmons

HR Manager Winona Cobb

MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Director of Sales & Marketing Rebecca Brown

Creative Services Manager Matt Burkhalter

Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing

Emily Crisp

Box Office Associate Justin Stanley

COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Director of Communications & Public Relations Michelle Winters

Communications & Marketing Manager Ashley May King

THE ATLANTA OPERA FILM STUDIO

Director of The Atlanta Opera Film Studio Felipe Barral

Film Associate Amanda Sachtleben

Short-Form Video Editor Brittany Fontis

Hank Collins

Daniel Ware

Jaime Mancuso

Will Brunson

Gina Cirillo

Rebel Clodi

Andrew Van Eyechaner

Parker Molacek

Teddy Murray

Audio Engineer (Rent) Parrish Robberson

Audio Engineer (La bohème)

COSTUME/WIG & MAKEUP

Wardrobe Supervisor

Wig & Makeup Lead

David Young

Jenn Rogers

Alana Spach

BOHEME PROJECT: LA BOHÈME LIVESTREAM

Additional Camera Operators

Sound Capture & Live Mixing

Sound Monitor

Livestream Technical Operator

Livestream Technical Support

Elizabeth Bachmann, Adam Khan, Amber Kirchner

Tim Whitehead

Preston Goodson

Gerald Griffith

Keelan Bearden Switcher

Felipe Barral-Secchi