VPO Messiah Program 2023 by Significant Productions, Inc

MESSIAH

CONTENTS Theatre Staff.......................................................................................................... 2 Whitney Morse on The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center........................ 3 Program Note........................................................................................................ 4 Program.............................................................................................................5-8 Message from the Maestro..................................................................................... 9 Maestro..........................................................................................................10-11 Featured Artists..............................................................................................12-16 Orchestra Roster................................................................................................. 17 VPO Donors..................................................................................................18-19 Business Partners................................................................................................. 20 Coming Soon...................................................................................................... 21

THEATRE STAFF Executive Director.......................................................................... Jason Goedken Artistic Director.............................................................................Whitney Morse Associate Artistic Director..................................................................Angel Creeks Director of Operations..........................................................................Jon Cronin Production Manager........................................................................Mike Giovinco Booking Manager.................................................................................Sierra Weiss Marketing Director.......................................................................... Taylor Adkins Senior Business Manager................................................................... Sean Graham Lighting Supervisor..................................................................... Alison Southgate Senior Production Coordinator.............................................................. Madi Carr Audio Visual Director...........................................................................Luke Bezio House Manager.....................................................................................Alec Speers Assistant House Managers..........................Mark Kirschenbaum, Nichole Pollack Director of Ticketing & Customer Relations............................... Yasmeen Stogden Ad Sales............................................................................................ Taylor Adkins marketing@significantproductions.org All shows produced by SignificantProductions.org Significant Production, Inc. is a nonprofit production company that operates The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol in The Villages.

TheSharon.com

WHITNEY MORSE on

The Sharon®L. Morse

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Dear Patron of the Arts, Welcome to The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center! Much like the building’s namesake, my grandmother, Sharon L. Morse, we love all varieties of the performing arts here. It is in her memory that I, along with my amazing team of artists and arts administrators, strive to bring many different types of the highest quality entertainment here to The Sharon. Since opening in 2015, we have strived to establish your trust, that a show at The Sharon is a show worth seeing. Perhaps you find yourself here today to see a concert of one of your favorite musicians, or to take in the national tour of a Broadway show. Either way, we encourage you to consider trying out a new show that perhaps you haven’t heard of before, knowing that it has been intentionally curated by our team. We welcome you to The Sharon: a place for you to see an old favorite, but also a place to discover your new favorite. I sincerely hope you enjoy the show today, and I look forward to seeing you here again soon! See You at The Sharon,

Whitney Morse Artistic Director

352-751-7799

PROGRAM NOTE Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music. Part I (the Nativity) has opened The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra’s holiday season every year since 2008. Messiah is George Friederich Handel’s best-known composition. It has become one of the world’s most frequently performed choral works, particularly popular during Advent season. Part I is divided into “scenes” composed of individual recitatives, in which the singer adopts a rhythm of ordinary speech, as well as arias and choruses. There are two instrumental numbers, the opening overture and the “pastoral symphony” at the mid-point of the work. The performance concludes with the jubilant Hallelujah Chorus. Oratorio Messiah differs from Handel's other oratorios in that it does not contain an encompassing narrative, instead offering contemplation on different aspects of the Christian Messiah. The oratorio's structure follows the liturgical year: Part I corresponding with Advent, Christmas, and the life of Jesus. The birth and death of Jesus are told in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the most prominent source for the libretto. The only true "scene" of the oratorio is the annunciation to the shepherds which is taken from the Gospel of Luke. The imagery of shepherd and lamb features prominently in many movements, for example: in the aria "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd" (the only extended piece to talk about the Messiah on earth), in the opening of Part II ("Behold the Lamb of God"), in the chorus "All we like sheep", and in the closing chorus of the work "Worthy is the Lamb". The librettist arranged his compilation in "scenes" each concentrating on a topic.

TheSharon.com

PROGRAM PART I "The prophecy and realization of God's plan to redeem mankind by the coming of the Messiah" Scene 1: "Isaiah's prophecy of salvation" (movements 2–4) 1. " Overture "......................................................................................... Orchestra 2. Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people............................................................ Tenor 3. Ev'ry valley Shall be exalted........................................................................ Tenor 4. And the Glory of the Lord........................................................................Chorus Scene 2: " The prophecy of the coming of Messiah and the question, despite, of what this may portend for the World" (movements 5–7) 5. Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts - the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His Temple........................................................Bass 6. But who may abide the day of His coming....................................................Bass 7. And He shall purify..................................................................................Chorus Scene 3: "The prophecy of the Virgin Birth" (movements 8–12) 8. Behold, a virgin shall conceive.......................................................................Alto 9. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion........................................................Alto 10. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth....................................................Bass 11. The people that walked in darkness.............................................................Bass 12. For unto us a Child is born....................................................................Chorus Scene 4: "The appearance of the Angels to the Shepherds" (movements 13–17) 13. Pastoral Symphony 14. There were shepherds abiding in the field............................................. Soprano And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them.................................... Soprano 15. And the angel said unto them............................................................... Soprano 16. And suddenly there was with the angel................................................. Soprano 17. Glory to God in the highest Scene 5: "Christ's redemptive miracles on earth" (movements 18–21) 18. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion...................................................... Soprano 19. Then shall the eyes of the blind be open'd....................................Alto, Soprano 20. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd Come unto Him, all ye That labour 21. His yoke is easy, His burthen is light......................................................Chorus 44. Hallelujah .............................................................................................Chorus

352-751-7799

PROGRAM SONG LYRICS Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world Is become the kingdom of our Lord And of His Christ, and of His Christ And He shall reign for ever and ever And He shall reign for ever and ever And He shall reign for ever and ever For ever and ever, forever and ever King of kings (Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And Lord of lords (Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) King of kings (Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And Lord of lords (Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) King of kings (Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And Lord of lords (King of kings and Lord of lords) And He shall reign And He shall reign And He shall reign forever and ever King of kings (Forever and ever) And He shall reign (Hallelujah! Hallelujah!) And He shall reign forever and ever King of kings! and Lord of lords! King of kings! and Lord of lords! And He shall reign forever and ever Forever and ever Forever and ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

TheSharon.com

PROGRAM “Ave Verum Corpus”, K. 618, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart In the early summer of 1791 Mozart’s attention was divided between his work and some pressing family matters. He was in the midst of composing an opera (The Magic Flute) and a series of commissioned German dances, both expected to help with his tenuous financial situation, and applying to secure the position of Kapellmeister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. because the elderly owner was ill. On the other hand, his wife Constanze was in the last two months of her sixth pregnancy. Mozart wrote the motet “Ave verum corpus” on 17 June in Baden. Peter Clive reports that Stoll premiered it on 23 June in the parish church of Baden and H.C. Robins Landon refers to the first performance on the feast of Corpus Christi, for which the work was intended. June 23 could be the date on which the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in 1791. “Ave verum corpus” is a Communion motet set to a 14th-century text often attributed to Pope Innocent VI. Robbins Landon describes the elaborate Austrian celebration of the holiday, which features a procession calling for “a good harvest” and “uniting Mother Church with Mother Earth.

W. A. Mozart wrote is Vesperae solennes de confessore K.339 at the age of 24. He had essentially quit his musical job working for Count Colloredo in his hometown, had almost gotten his father fired in the process, and left for Paris seeking his fortune with his Mother as chaperon. He stopped in Mannheim along the way, and immediately fell in love with a soprano named Aloysia Weber. Accordingly, using post-adolescent logic, he wasted time and resources, and pressed the patience of his parents hoping to stay there. Fortune finally persuaded him to move on to Paris, where he made all attempts to impress nobility and to find musical employment. Late in June his Mother developed a high fever, and died on July 3. This single event shook and changed him, in the midst of the realization that he would never receive a substantial offer for musical employment in Paris. On his way back, he stopped for consolation from Aloysia Weber, only to discover that she had forgotten him, and was already seeing someone else. Two years later, he married Aloysia’s sister, Constanze. His father had managed to plead with the 352-751-7799 7

PROGRAM Count, begging forgiveness for his son and eventually getting him his job back. It was in the year following these events that the Vesperae was created in Salzburg, for the Count. The Vespers were a traditional part of the Roman Catholic liturgy, within the Divine Offices; which were services designed to take place from dawn through dusk. The Vespers were the seventh of eight offices comprising this worship, and were celebrated at sunset. It was the only office for which concerted music was allowed by the Church. The Vespers consisted of five psalm texts (#110, 111, 112, 113 and 117), a hymn, and it culminated with the Magnificat (which is the Canticle of the Virgin Mary from Luke 1:46-55). Other composers set the Vespers, or adapted its texts in their own way both before and after Mozart, including Monteverdi, Alessandro Scarlatti, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. Mozart set the complete Vespers twice (K.321 and K.339) both of which are in C major, and both leave out the hymn to create a six movement design. Six years earlier he had also set the Dixit and Magnificat texts in C major K.193. Known during his lifetime primarily as an opera composer, the influence of operatic style was often present in non-operatic works by Mozart. It is fascinating to hear how Mozart infuses a sacred text with the spirit of opera, while still maintaining the strict and proper religious spirit of the times demanded by Count Colloredo. The operatic style is often introduced with music given to soloists. In the Dixit Dominus, in the midst of the contrasts, organizational complexity and juxtaposed styles, the soloists introduce an operatic style briefly and subtly in the final section, where they preface the re-presentation of music heard earlier in the movement with music and style unique to themselves. The middle section of the Confitebor is like an operatic scene, and is given entirely to soloists. In the Beatus Vir and the Magnificat, soloists alternate with the choir. Soloists, and operatic qualities are lacking only in the J.S. Bach influenced Laudate Pueri, which in its austerity helps to prepare the jewel of the collection, Laudate Dominum, set as an operatic aria for the soprano soloist.

TheSharon.com

MESSAGE FROM THE MAESTRO Dear friends and supporters of The Villages Philharmonic, It is a great pleasure to invite you to the twentieth season of The Villages Philharmonic! Reaching the milestone of 20 years of music production is a source of great pride for our community and speaks to the rich legacy of the commitment of our passion for music, for art. I am very grateful to the long list of supporters, donors, consultants and volunteers who over the years have made live orchestral music a part of the artistic life of our city, The Villages. Through symphony concerts, chamber music recitals, special presentations, as well as numerous educational programs and artistic collaborations, The Villages Philharmonic has become an indispensable part of the cultural tapestry woven by all of you. I look forward to all the musical offerings we will have this season and to serving our communities for years to come. Join us for all the musical and fundraising events in the coming months and help us share our art and mission for the coming years and our cultural legacy that we will leave to the next generations. The next concert on November 28th inaugurates the Christmas holiday season and is an extraordinary occasion to celebrate a historical monument of sacred music composition, the Messiah Part I by G.F. Handel is divided into three parts, traditionally in this period the orchestras/chorus Performing the part one of this masterpiece, the nativity. We will also perform two extraordinary compositions by W.A. Mozart, Ave Verum Corpus and Laudate Dominum with extraordinary soloists and with the support of Opera Orlando Chorus. Musically yours Pasquale Valerio Music Director and Founder

Please Save the Date The Villages Philharmonic Annual Black Tie Fundraising Event February 27, 2024 | The Sharon

352-751-7799

MAESTRO PASQUALE VALERIO, MAESTRO Pasquale Valerio is an internationally acclaimed Orchestral Conductor. In 2004 he founded The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra, became its musical director, and is still engaged in concerts and tours throughout Florida and worldwide. Maestro Valerio was also the founder of the Lake Sumter Chamber Orchestra as well as co-founder and conductor of the Florida Lakes Symphony from 2005 to 2006. He collaborates with various European orchestras such as the Philharmonic Orchestra ‘900 of the Teatro Regio Opera in Turin, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague, the Virtuosi of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, the Virtuosi of the Philharmonic of Bacau, the “A. Scarlatti” Symphony Orchestra of Naples, Orchestra Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. In 2006 had the opportunity to assist Sir Antonio Pappano, current Music Director of the Royal Opera House in London This collaboration represented a great point of reference for maestro Valerio and indelibly marked his experience of conducting growth. From 2007 to 2009 he collaborated with the internationally known Viotti music festival in Vercelli, Italy and in May 2018 he began an ongoing cooperation with the North California Music Festival as guest conductor. Pasquale Valerio was born in Naples to a family linked to cultural traditions and founding religious values. The great passion for music was evident from the first years of his life, but, only towards the tenth year of age did he begin his musical studies, first with the piano, and subsequently, at the age of thirteen years, when he began studying trumpet. It is in this period that Pasquale met Maestro Filippo Veniero, an important musical guide for subsequent studies. He studied trumpet at the school of Maestro Francesco Lentini, Bari Conservatory, with whom he obtained the middle completion and, subsequently under the guidance of Maestro Diego Benedusi, he obtained the superior completion of trumpet. After completing his trumpet studies, he collaborated as an instrumentalist with orchestras of major opera and symphonic institutions including the Opera House “Teatro di San Carlo in Naples “and with other major opera orchestras and symphonic institutions. Simultaneously he studied Composition and Score Reading at the School of Maestro Filippo Veniero. The meeting with two conductors, J Withney and Gunther Smidth (United States) conditioned the musical journey and made it possible that in 1998 Pasquale resumed his studies started in Naples with F. Veniero. Also important was the meeting with the famous conductor Anton Coppola in 1999, who became 10

TheSharon.com

MAESTRO Pasquale’s mentor and guide. Pasquale is a guest collaborator at festivals and international competitions, including: International Piano Competition “F. Schubert” in San Cristoforo Virtuosi of the Bacau Philharmonic, Romania, Viotti Music Festival, Camerata Ducale, Italy, Piano Festival of Carrara/Arezzo Orchestra 900’ of the Teatro Regio of Turin, Oída Symphony Orchestra (Arezzo) Philharmonic Orchestra of Benevento, New Orchestra Scarlatti and Florida Philharmonia In the academic year 2023 he was appointed Visiting Professor of Conducting Studies at the “London Performing Arts Academy”.

23/24 SEASON SEPT 3 / MAY 6

Monday, December 18..................................................... Holiday Celebration Tuesday, December 19..................................................... Holiday Celebration Sunday, January 28 ....................................................Classical Concert Series Wednesday, February 14 ...................... American Music Celebration of Love Monday, March 18......................................................Classical Concert Series Sunday, April 21..........................................................Classical Concert Series Monday, May 6 ................... Opera Gala Magical Moments of Opera Scenes SUBSCRIPTIONS* & INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ON SALE CHOOSE AT LEAST 4 SHOWS & GET 10% OFF 352-751-7799

FEATURED ARTISTS JULIE BATMAN, SOPRANO An Iowa native, Julie Batman sings with The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra as a featured soloist for the 7th year. She sings as a soloist and occasional choral singer with many local organizations such as Opera Tampa, the Orlando Light Opera, the Basilica, Mary Queen of the Universe, St. James Cathedral Orlando, The Bach Festival choir, the Messiah Society of Winter Park, The Dicken’s Carolers and Central Florida Community Arts. She is a graduate and Staff Professor of voice and piano at Rollins College. Julie has been a church music director for several churches, classroom music teacher, choral director and vocal and instrumental accompanist as well. Her credits include being a featured soloist for the contemporary ballet, Carolina, Handel’s The Messiah with Messiah Choral Society, Central Florida Community Arts, and the Basilica Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine. She has sung Mozart’s Requiem, Schubert Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Nulla in Mundo Pax/Alleluia, Mozart’s Laudate Dominum with the Bach Festival Choir and t in Carnatus est from Mozart’s Grand Mass in C with Central Florida Community Arts and has been a featured soloist on several CDS: Osterkantate Ernest Wolf Easter CantataMoravian Society, All is Bright- Bach Festival Choir, Ave Maria- Stemik music, Carolina contemporary Ballet CD and DVD. In addition to singing and teaching, Julie enjoys accompanying choral groups, and offering vocal and piano musical entertainment to social groups and events and traveling with family.

EMILY HEUMANN, MEZZO-SOPRANO Emily Heumann has gained recognition for her “delicious vocals” (Arts and Culture Texas Magazine) and “credible” storytelling (Orlando Sentinel). Last season’s highlights include Véronique in Le Docteur Miracle with First Coast Opera, Sorceress in Dido & Aeneas with Capella Nova, and the Alto Soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the St. Augustine Community Chorus. Other highlights include Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Hansel in Hansel & Gretel, Mrs. Noye in Noye’s Fludde, and the Fox in The Little Prince. Emily is an alumna of the St. Petersburg Opera Company Emerging Artist Program, the Opera Orlando Studio Artist Program, the Savannah VOICE Festival Studio Artist Program, and the Florida Opera Theatre Apprentice Program. She has appeared with dozens of companies across TheSharon.com

FEATURED ARTISTS the country. Emily holds a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from The University of Houston and a Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College. She serves on the voice faculty at The College of Central Florida in Ocala, where she was named the 2019 Adjunct Professor of the Year. Recently, Emily was named the Executive & Artistic Director of The Howey Mansion Music Series. ALEX MANSOORI, TENOR Called “Outstanding” and “Hilarious” by critics, tenor Alex Mansoori has been hailed as “solid and convincing” and “smartly characterized” by The New York Times. Specializing in character tenor roles, Mr. Mansoori’s varied repertoire runs the gamut from Handel and Mozart to Bernstein and Sondheim. In the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Mansoori returned to Opera Naples in his role debut as Goro in Puccini’s iconic Madama Butterfly and makes his company and role debut as Dr. Caius in Falstaff for Opera Colorado. He also makes his Opera Tampa debut in the dual roles of Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. In the summer of 2018, Mr. Mansoori made his debut at The Tanglewood Festival in multiple roles in Bernstein’s Candide. The production was originally presented with Orlando Philharmonic under director Alison Moritz and will be heard at Tanglewood with the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights. In the 2018-19 season, Mr. Mansoori made his Dallas Opera debut as Bardolfo in Falstaff, joining an all-star cast led by Riccardo Frizza. He also returned to Opera Orlando for his role debuts as Beppe in Pagliacci and the Four Servants in Les contes d’Hoffmann. This season, Mr. Mansoori returns joins the New York Festival of Song as a soloist for multiple performances. Recently, he appeared as Monostatos in the Orlando Philharmonic’s staged concert of Die Zauberflöte and was also part of the rebirth of Opera Orlando, singing Monsieur Vogelsang in The Impresario and Lacouf, le Fils, and le Journaliste in Les mamelles de Tirésias. In the 2016 – 2017 season, he was heard as Pang in Turandot and Monostatos with Opera Naples under the baton of Artistic Director Ramón Tebar. He was also seen as Pirelli in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for Palm Beach Dramaworks.

352-751-7799

Past seasons have seen him as Nika Magadoff in The Consul with Seattle Opera, as Bastianello and Lorenzo in the double bill of Bastianello/Lucrezia with UrbanArias in Washington DC, and a return to the Ravinia Festival as Monostatos in a 13

FEATURED ARTISTS concert production with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Conlon. He also appeared in the same role in Peter Brook’s Une flûte enchantée which toured Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Morocco, and Russia. It also was in residence at Mr. Brook’s home theatre Theatres des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. Appearances also include Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro with the Santa Fe Opera, Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro with Glimmerglass Opera, Monostatos with Chicago Opera Theatre, and the Aspen Music Festival where he was also heard as Lenia in the North American Premiere of Cavalli’s Eliogabalo. Other roles include Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Seattle Opera), Remendado in Carmen (Aspen Music Festival), and the Stage Manager in the New York premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town (The Juilliard School). He has also appeared on the Musical Theatre stage as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and Igor in Young Frankenstein. Mr. Mansoori has a long relationship with the Steven Blier and New York Festival of Song, most recently appearing in “A Modern Person’s Guide to Hooking Up and Breaking Up”. He has also appeared with NYFOS for tributes to Harold Prince, Cole Porter, and Johnny Mercer and is a favorite at their annual seasonal concert “A Goyische Christmas to you!” Mr. Mansoori has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York’s famed Rainbow Room and appeared in Candide in Concert with The New York Philharmonic which was also broadcast on PBS and later released on DVD.

GABRIEL PREISSER, BARITONE Grammy Award winning baritone Gabriel Preisser has been praised by Opera News for his “handsome voice, charismatic energy, and timbral allure” and The New York Times called his performance as Lt. Gordon “wonderful.” His resume includes over 40 operatic and musical theater roles including Danilo in The Merry Widow with Utah Festival Opera, Billy Bigelow in Carousel with Minnesota Orchestra, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with St Petersburg Opera, Dandini in Cenerentola with Opera Tampa, Escamillo in Carmen with Lyric Opera of the North, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Shreveport Opera, Le Mari in Les Mamelles de Tiresias with Opera Parallele, Albert in Werther with Minnesota Opera, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette with Opera Tampa and St. Petersburg Opera, Tommy in Brigadoon with Gulfshore Opera, Silvio in Pagliacci with Opera Naples, Harold Hill in The Music Man with Colorado Symphony, and Bob Baker in Wonderful Town with Skylark Opera to name a few. He TheSharon.com

FEATURED ARTISTS has been praised for having a “matinee idol’s charm and charisma,” “a beautiful, luscious baritone,” and “a compelling, commanding stage presence.” Mr. Preisser has made a name for himself as a versatile, cross-over performer and has especially been active in new works. He created the role of Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night at Minnesota Opera with subsequent performances at Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre. His performance as Lt. Gordon with Minnesota Opera was also broadcast nationally on PBS in 2013 and 2014. He also took on the role of Farmer Bean in Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr Fox both with Opera San Antonio and Odyssey Opera of Boston. He can be heard on the first official audio recording of Fantastic Mr Fox under the baton of Gil Rose with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project which won the Grammy Award for best new opera recording in 2020. He has also been seen as the title role in Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry, Tom Joad in Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, Riolobo in Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Antonio in Hagen’s New York Stories, John Brooke in Adamo’s Little Women, and the Shoe Salesman/Puppet role in Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. He recently made his Italian debut in Naples, Italy as soloist in the Mozart Requiem under the baton of Maestro Pasquale Valerio.

352-751-7799

FEATURED ARTISTS

OPERA ORLANDO CHORUS The Opera Orlando Chorus is made up of local professional singers trained in opera and classical voice. They have been featured in multiple productions over the years including Carmen, La Traviata, La Boheme, Rigoletto, and The Magic Flute and can next be seen in Opera Orlando’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor this April at Steinmetz Hall. SOPRANO Mariangel Cestari Christi Germaine Kenya Hailey Cass Panuska Hannah Runner Candice Shields Miranda Graham Ashley Acksen ALTO Lisamarie Guadalupe Caroline Smith Michaela Wright Carrie Tyndal Natrikie Louissaint Mallory Latsko Rachel Laquea

TENOR Michael Font TaeSuk Park Jake Thede Mark Humenik Joshua Dykes Chris Teixeira John Teixeira BASS Seth Elsheimer James Guild Adrian Ahren Joe Bostwick Scott Dainton Justin McGill Richard Repp Joseph Cosgrove

TheSharon.com

ORCHESTRA ROSTER OBOE Amy Collins, Principal Chanmi Kim

BASSOON Chris Eberle, Principal

TRUMPET John De Paola, Principal Matt Sisaleumsak

TYMPANI Chris Nolin

HARPSICHORD Sergei Kossenko Rosa Hencinski

SECOND VIOLIN Gregory Carreno, Principal Elizabeth Kitts Israel Mendez Luisamar Navarro Yenifer Laurens Eduardo Castro

VIOLA Rafael Ramirez, Principal Juan C. Siviero Andrea Oliveira Francia Laurens

CELLO David Calhoun, Principal Valentina Alejandra Hernandez Espitia DOUBLE BASS Kevin Gallagher, Principal Jonathan Timothy Ingram

FIRST VIOLIN Stewart Kitts, Concertmaster José Guedez David Dajiang Michael De Jesus Baoling Xu Cindy Qi Sandy Kitts

352-751-7799

VPO DONORS 2023-24 CONCERT SEASON ORCHESTRA CIRCLE $10,000+

David & Jeanette Colvin

Paul & Dorian Schnirring

Margaret M. Dick

Charlotte Conway

Ken & Mary Shutts

Linda Ferens

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph DeVuono

Joan Spires

Maurice & Betsy Joy

Charlotte & John Gates

Dean & Audrey Throndsen

Ralph William Gingery

Dr. Laurie Ullery

MAESTRO CIRCLE $5,000 – $9,999 Augusto Bernardini Jeff & Ursula Bergman David & JoAnne Kelch Diane Kupchak Peter & Mary Jane Moeller Richard & Charlotte Rahm Mary Thomas

Jay & Lesly Ginsberg Carol Guglielm Richard Hoag Janet Howell

Kathy Sumner Anna Whipple SUITE CIRCLE $100 – $499

Doris Martin

Bernie & Elizabeth Albrecht

George Neal

Gene Armani

Darlene Pruett

Randall & Gemma Benjamin

Dr. & Mrs. Winfred Stringer

Linda Boese

Abbott & June Webber

Doug & Sharon Bretz

Keith & Randee Workowski

Dora Bryan Thomas & Linda Casey

OVERTURE CIRCLE

Kenny & Elizabeth Constant

$500 – $999

Glenda Crandall

Katheryn Batman

Barbara Dipol

Robert Becker

James & Karen Donavan

Michelle Boone

Mary Dzuro

Roger & Julie Cooper

Greg & Mary Feichtel

Ruth DiMare

Jack & Nancy Fieldman

CONCERTO CIRCLE

Richard & Jeanne Geoffrion

Leslie Flanders

$1,000 – $2,499

Noel Kott

Anonymous Donor

William & Sharron Leonhirth

William & Gail FraserGiacchi

Don & Bonnie Waggoner SYMPHONY CIRCLE $2,500 – $4,999 Avrum Abramowitz Sarah Jordan Steve & Donna Bell

John Canner Bonita Carnes Dennis R. Carney

Robert & Sara McPhail Norman Lee & Terri Schaffer

Mia Ford

Lisa French Peter Fritz & Carol Mangan

TheSharon.com

VPO DONORS 2023-24 CONCERT SEASON Mary Ann Garback

Tony & Joanne Sutylo

Patrice Pastore

Alan Geller

Donna Thompson

Geraldine Piscitelli

Greg & Carolynn Gilbert

Roy & Jackie Ullrich

Marianne Reinhard

Sheldon & Shelley Goldseker

Richard & Grace Waller

Sally Rowe

Doris Goodwin

Robert & Joan Waller

Erika Schaffer

Marie Washburn

Joyce Smidt

Jeffrey Wheeler

Robert Smidt

Tera White

Robert & Glenda Supino

Theresa R. White

C & H Van Benthuysen

Carole Williamson

Eric Williams

Bob & Debbie Wilson

Susan Wright

David & Kathleen Haviland Debbie Halye Richard & Susan Jacobs Marlene Knopf Brad Koozman Gregory & Bonnie Larson Gayle Marra Eileen McCabe James McQuiniff Nick & Donna Meister Harold & Roberta Messenheimer

Patricia Wilson Mary Yankowski Andrea Ziccarelli Joseph Zientara ARIA CIRCLE Up to $99

Kathleen Miller

Barbara Athanasiou

Thomas Murphy

Irene Coen

Fritz & Debbie Neal

Louise Elwood

John Nickelson

Susan Escobedo

Phillip Oliveira

Paul F. Gaecke

Robert A. Phillips

Jordan Galvarino

Ron & Grace Ranger

Paul & Ann Hagerty

Jeremy & Barbara Reynolds

Valery Heyduk

Frank & Deborah Salerno

Irene Hong-McAtee

Paul & Rita Segnatelli

Lora MacPherson

Andrew & Mary Sloan

Joanne Michalski

George Stenz

Donald Mooty

Ronald Streib

Robert Muzzi

352-751-7799

MEMORIAL DONATIONS Bill Barnes: Susan Escobedo Fred Boyd: Frank & Janet Argenziano Fred Boyd: Mr. & Mrs. Manning Fred Boyd: Don & Janet Schiegel Carolyn Johnson: Richard Johnson

K. L. Hoffman

BUSINESS PARTNERS BUSINESS PARTNERS Blackston Financial Advisory Group FMK Restaurant Group Francesco’s Ristorante Fross & Fross Wealth Management

Havana Country Club & Legacy Restaurant at Nancy Lopez Country Club by Suleiman Family Restaurants Royal Décor Company Sheds N More

TheSharon.com

COMING SOON

352-751-7799

SEASON 8 Trust your instincts.

A hilarious comedy about the absurdities of motherhood. Produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois

In here, life is beautiful. CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

11/14/23 - 12/16/23

1/30/24 - 3/2/24

An off-beat comedy about an even odder couple. THE ROOMMATE is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

3/26/24 - 4/27/24

ON SALE NOW! TheSharonStudio.com |

#TheStudioTheatreTDS 352-751-7799 | 806 San Marino Drive, The Villages, FL 32159

All shows produced by SignificantProductions.org

Shhh...

only for The Sharon® ticket holders! Show your ticket stub* from The Sharon at these participating restaurants & order from an exclusive

Secret Drink Menu!

*Ticket stub must be from a show in the last six months. It may be show digitally or printed.

Would you like show information and behind the scenes fun from The Sharon and The Studio Theatres?

Visit TheSharon.com and sign up today!

introductory ADVERTISING RATE 50% OFF

FULL PAGE PACKAGES

Hurry, this offer has limited availability so reach out today! Email us at marketing@significantproductions.org

AN EVENING WITH