20250530_Summer opera - Orfeo ed Euridice

Dean’s Message Dear Friends, Welcome to our final presentation of the season, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. This timeless opera brings us back to the roots of theater in the Greek mythological story of Orpheus descending into the Underworld to be reconnected with his beloved Euridice. The music by Gluck is simple in its style and always evocative of the emotion each character feels from moment to moment.

Amy Helms, the director of this program, joins a long history of directing students presenting a final project as part of the Master’s Opera Production degree program. She joins past alumni including Joshua Borths, Corinne Hayes, Grant Preisser, among many others, and we wish her success as she follows in their footsteps into the professional world of opera.

Of course, every student at Florida State is mentored and shaped by our terrific faculty, including our Director of Opera Workshop James Marvel and Director of Opera Dr. Bernard McDonald. Bernard’s dual contributions on this opera as both conductor and chorus master are commendable, as is his mentorship of Guilherme Rodrigues who leads Saturday night’s performance.

Our staff members in the opera area have also made important contributions, including Ken Frederickson’s reconceptualization of Michael Schweikardt’s set, Matt Cooksey stepping in as the Production Stage Manager, Christina Marullo’s costume design, and Julia Matteson Bradley’s leadership in the costume shop.

Rounding out the team are Scott Freese as the production’s Projection Designer and Naiomy Perez del Valle, who comes from the School of Theatre program as our Lighting Designer.

Next season features exciting programming, including Massenet’s Cendrillon in the fall and Mozart’s Così fan tutte in the spring. And further on the horizon, we look forward to bringing Houston Grand Opera’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall in the fall of 2026.

Until we see you again next time, I wish you a wonderful summer and thank you for joining us on this special night.

Sincerely,

M. Todd Queen

Florida State University Opera presents

Christoph Willibald Gluck’s

Orfeo ed Euridice Libretto by Ranieri de’ Calzabigi | Music by Christoph Willibald Gluck By arrangement with Bärenreiter, publisher and copyright owner.

Conductor.................................................................................................. Bernard McDonald Stage Director......................................................................................................... Amy Helms Scenic Designers....................................... Ken Frederickson, Michael Scweikardt Lighting Designer..........................................................................Naiomy Perez del Valle Projection Designer...........................................................................................Scott Freese Costume Designer....................................................................................Christina Marullo Hair Stylist......................................................................................................Christina Marullo Principal Makeup Designer.............................................. Katherine Anne Ledbetter Language & Musical Preparation.........Bernard McDonald, Valerie M. Trujillo Emma Anderson, Guilherme Rodrigues Production Stage Manager........................................................................ Matt Cooksey Assistant Conductor..........................................................Guilherme Leal Rodrigues* Chorus Master......................................................................................... Bernard McDonald Assistant Stage Manager................................................. Katherine Anne Ledbetter

*

Conducting May 31st performance

CAST (in order of appearance)

Orfeo Alissa D’Alton

Amore Olivia Bahmer

Euridice Lizzie Robertson

Morgan Cerra Hope Goodman Carter Houston Alyssa Jimenez

Chorus Logan C. Kenison Zachary Magner Cecilia Malley Jackeline Petichakis

Madison Riley Kristopher Stam Samuel Stevenson Luke West

UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Violin I Jean-Luc Cataquet ‡ Madelyne Garnot Harshul Mulpuru Joan Prokopowicz Bárbara Santiago Violin II Francesca Puro* Tori Joyce Myra Sexton Viola Maya Johnson* Emelia Ulrich Jonathan Taylor Cello Abbey Fernandez de Castro* Angelese Pepper Mitchell George

Bass Alex Lunday* Kent Rivera

Horn Giovanni Pereira* Thomas Langston

Flute Talley Powell* Jordi Banitt

Trumpet Sharavan Duvvuri* Vance Garven

Oboe Steven Stamer* Nic Kanipe

Trombone Carter Wessinger, alto Kevin Li, tenor Brent Creekmore, bass

Clarinet Jariel Santiago* Ethan Burke

Timpani Kylan Bigby

Bassoon Josie Whiteis* Susanna Campbell

Harpsichord & Electronic Keyboard Emma Anderson

SYNOPSIS Orfeo and his companions mourn the recent and untimely passing of Euridice. In private, he cries out for her return, but only hears echoes in reply. Though he nearly curses the gods, Amore – the goddess of love – arrives and presents him with an intriguing challenge. If Orfeo can successfully enter the domain of the shades and pacify the furies, he will have an opportunity to be reunited with his wife in the underworld.

This bargain comes with more stipulations, as Orfeo cannot look back at Euridice, nor can he tell her about the bargain to which he has agreed.

Orfeo agrees to Amore’s terms and gathers his courage for the journey soon to begin.

In the depths of Erebus, Orfeo comes face to face with the fearsome furies. They initially tell him that he is unworthy of entry, but he gains their empathy through his music and demonstration of his own grief and loss. Their hearts have softened, and they open the black gates that lead to Elysium where Euridice is held.

Orfeo makes his way to the abode of heroes in the Elysian fields. He is still not at peace, at least not until he can find his beloved wife Euridice.

Orfeo encounters the more gentle spirits of Elysium, and they reunite him with Euridice. The two must now commence on the hardest part of their journey together.

Orfeo and Euridice make their way through the tunnels of the underworld on the way to the surface. Euridice wishes to understand how they were brought together, but Orfeo is desperate to leave the cave behind and honor the bargain. Euridice asks for some acknowledgement and tenderness from Orfeo, but he denies her. She cannot understand her husband’s coldness towards her and tells him that death would be a greater comfort. As Orfeo presses forward, Euridice is driven to madness at his unfeeling behavior, and it seems to Orfeo that she could pass away even before leaving the cave. Orfeo cannot resist her cries for help any longer and turns to find her. But in a moment, she dies. Orfeo loses all hope and wishes to end his own life, when Amore intervenes.

She presents Orfeo with a miracle: Euridice is restored to life after the gods recognize his unconscionable suffering.

Though a happy ending is nearly in sight, Amore reveals her true identity as the goddess of the Underworld, having led Orfeo on a quest that was doomed from the start. Euridice is torn from Orfeo yet again, reclaimed by death. Amore summons the Furies, who dismember Orfeo, tearing him apart.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE My two years here at Florida State in the opera directing program have been the answer to a call I hadn’t expected to receive so soon. I’ve fallen in love with directing, and I feel so grounded in my purpose of storytelling and making art in this way. In a similarly serendipitous way, I also felt called to select this opera as my thesis project. In bringing this timeless and universal story to life, I was deeply inspired by the work of the French symbolist painter Odilon Redon in shaping the projection designs. His use of vivid colors and their vibrant saturation capture the magnitude of love and loss present in this piece. The dreamy pre-surrealist essence of his paintings seamlessly illustrates the lush fantasy of finding love and the surreal devastation of losing it. I also wanted to explore the use of fabric as an extension of the body throughout the opera, with it becoming symbolic of thematic ideas and physical entities. I’m very interested in creating opera that is at least somewhat traditional in its aesthetic, but not in its style. I aim to achieve this through highly engaging the physicality of the singing actors to treat opera as theater, in addition to integrating imaginative design elements into the narrative by symbolizing elements of the story in both abstract and literal ways.

Orfeo describes Euridice as the “object of his soul,” but not his soulmate or the love of his life. This small detail speaks volumes, demonstrating how he put her on a pedestal, romanticizing her and their relationship. Orfeo falls in love with the idea of Euridice more than the reality of who she is, projecting everything he believes love to be onto her. Their unravelling under duress and lack of effective communication demonstrate how deadly this can be. His inability to process his emotions through logic and restraint teaches us how the more we try to transcend our grief and overcome it, the more it consumes us. We cannot intellectualize our emotions, we must feel them to fully process them. If you were Orfeo, would you have looked back at Euridice? I think we all would, even if we’d like to believe otherwise. In the age of reason and Enlightenment

in which Gluck composed the opera, if emotions are seen as something to fight and logic is held in the highest esteem, where does that leave Love? Love is the villain and passion is the enemy, because they are out of our control, defying reason.

In reading both the Ovid and Virgil accounts of this myth, among other retellings, I was utterly unconvinced of Gluck and Calzabigi’s happier ending where Euridice is brought back to life and Orfeo is rewarded for his suffering. Why? That’s not what happens in real life. The ending in which Orfeo is dismembered by the savage cult women for his rejection, while gruesome, is a much more accurate portrayal of what lost love and that grief feel like. I’ve decided to combine these ideas and reinterpret them to create an alternative ending where hope is dangled in front of the pair of lovers before being ripped away once again. A quote by Ovid that has become one of my mantras is “Everything changes, nothing is lost.” But can we lose what we never really had? You can’t bring what’s dead back to life. You cannot resurrect love or passion. Happy endings don’t exist. Love is deceptive. Love rips us apart. Love tears us limb from limb. Is love just an illusion?

Thank You

2024-2025 Marty Beech • Ramona D. Bowman • Scott and Suzi Brock Brian Causseaux and David Young • Malcolm Craig Richard Dusenbury and Kathi Jaschke • Ruth Godfrey-Sigler Kirby W. and Margaret-Ray Kemper • Joan Macmillan Victoria Martinez • Meredith and Elsa L. McKinney • Bob Parker David and Joanne Rasmussen • Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers Ken and J.R. Saginario • Karen and Francis C. Skilling Donna Cay Tharpe • Marjorie Turnbull Anne van Meter and Howard Kessler

CAST BIOS Alissa D’Alton, Orfeo Hometown: Orlando, FL Degree: Soprano, M.A. Performance (1st year) Past roles at FSU: Chorus, Die Zauberflöte; Mother, Hänsel und Gretel (outreach tour); Chorus, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Chorus, Príhody lišky Bystroušky; Hänsel, Hänsel und Gretel Other credits: Agathe, Der Freischütz, FSU Opera Scenes Program; Frasquita (concert excerpt), Carmen, FSU University Symphony Orchestra; Soloist, Helletused (Tormis), FSU Chamber Choir Olivia Bahmer, Amore Hometown: Tallahassee, FL Degree: Soprano, B.A. Performance (3rd year) Past roles at FSU: Chorus, Hänsel und Gretel

Lizzie Robertson, Euridice Hometown: Marietta, GA Degree: Soprano, B.A. Performance (3rd year) Past roles at FSU: Chorus, Příhody lišky Bystroušky; Chorus, Hänsel und Gretel; Papagena, The Magic Flute (Outreach) Other credits: Sandmann, Hänsel und Gretel (scene), FSU Opera Workshop; Ännchen, Der Freischütz (scene), FSU Opera Workshop; Sœur Constance, Dialogues des Carmélites (scene), FSU Opera Workshop

STAFF BIOS Emma Anderson, Rehearsal Pianist Hometown: Nashville, TN Degree: D.M. Collaborative Piano (1st year) Past work at FSU: Répétiteur, The Rake’s Progress; Répétiteur, Hänsel und Gretel Other credits: Pianist/Coach, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Music on Site; Pianist, Carmen, Seagle Music Festival; Music Director, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, Seagle Music Festival Matt Cooksey, Production Stage Manager Hometown: Nashville, TN Title: Opera Program Manager Past work at FSU: Stage Director, The Prodigal Child; Production Stage Manager, Candide; Assistant Director, Prince of Players; Production Stage Manager, La traviata; Ottone, L’incoronazione di Poppea; Papageno, The Stolen Princess (Outreach); Masetto, Don Giovanni Other credits: Stage Director, L’elisir d’amore, Florida Grand Opera; Stage Director, La bohème, Florida Grand Opera; Stage Director, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Florida Grand Opera Amy Helms, Stage Director Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Degree: M.M. Opera Production (2nd year) Past work at FSU: Assistant Director/ASM, The Rake’s Progress; Director, The Magic Flute (Outreach); Assistant Director/ASM, Hänsel und Gretel; Assistant Director, Příhody lišky Bystroušky; Stage Director, Abrazo de Oso (Outreach); Assistant Director, Il barbiere di Siviglia Other credits: Assistant Director, L’elisir d’amore, Opera Neo; Assistant Director, Don Giovanni, Music on Site Katherine Anne Ledbetter, Assistant Stage Manager Hometown: High Point, NC Degree: M.M. Performance (Graduate) Past roles at FSU: Baba the Turk, The Rake’s Progress; Witch, Hänsel und Gretel; Mrs. Páskova, Příhody lišky Bystroušky; Berta, Il barbiere di Siviglia Other credits: Marcellina, Le nozze di Figaro, Lyric Opera Studio Weimar; Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Lyric Opera Studio Weimar; Maddalena, Linda di Chamounix, A.J. Fletcher Opera Christina Marullo, Costume Designer Hometown: Tallahassee, FL Title: Assistant Shop Manager Recent work at FSU: Costume Designer, Příhody lišky Bystroušky; Costume Designer, Il barbiere di Siviglia; Costume Designer, Luisa Fernanda/As One; Costume Designer, A Streetcar Named Desire; Costume Designer, Hänsel und Gretel Other credits: Designer, Macbeth, Southeast Missouri State; Designer,

St Nicholas, Dorset Theater Festival; Draper, Glimmerglass Festival (20162019 seasons) Bernard McDonald, Conductor Hometown: Dumbarton, Scotland Title: Director of Opera Activities Past roles at FSU: Conductor, Il barbiere di Siviglia; Conductor, Hänsel und Gretel Other credits: Conductor, Albert Herring, Opera Orlando; Conductor, The Fantasticks, Opera Orlando; Conductor, Ghosts of Gatsby, Mobile Opera Naiomy Perez del Valle, Lighting Designer Hometown: Arecibo, Puerto Rico Degree: Lighting Designer, MFA (1st year) FSU Opera debut Other credits: Lighting Designer, Between the Lines, FSU Days of Dance; Assistant Lighting Designer, USITT Mainstage Ballroom; Lighting Designer, USITT Mainstage Ballroom Guilherme Leal Rodrigues, Assistant Conductor Hometown: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Degree: Ph.D. Music Education (2nd year) Past roles at FSU: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Assistant Conductor; Příhody lišky Bystroušky, Assistant Conductor; Assistant Conductor, Hänsel und Gretel Other credits: Assistant Conductor, Lyric Music Festival - Italy Michael Schweikardt, Scenic Designer Hometown: San Francisco CA Past work at FSU: Les mamelles de Tirésias, Scenic/Costume Designer; Gianni Schicchi, Scenic/Costume Designer; ll barbiere di Siviglia, Scenic/ Costume Designer; The Mikado, Scenic/Costume Designer; Le comte Ory, Scenic/Costume Designer; Semele, Scenic/Costume Designer; The Pirates of Penzance, Scenic Designer Other credits: Scenic Designer, Bloodsong of Love, Ars Nova; Scenic Designer, Norma, Sarasota Opera; Scenic Designer, The Black Suits, New York Public Theatre

THE OPERA STAFF Dean, Executive Producer..................................................... M. Todd Queen Director of Opera Activities..........................................Bernard McDonald Stage Director/Director of Opera Workshop................... James Marvel Director of Orchestra Activities................................. Alexander Jiménez Opera Program Manager......................................................... Matt Cooksey Technical Director............................................................... Ken Frederickson Assistant Technical Director......................................... Cameron Hanmer Library Bowing Assistant..........................................................Anna Kirkland Musical Coaching........................Bernard McDonald, Valerie M. Trujillo Emma Anderson Rehearsal Pianist....................................................................Emma Anderson Scenic Artists................................................ Amanda Holton, Liana Rieger Master Carpenter............................................................... Cameron Hanmer Carpenters.........................................................Scott Freese, Ray Hattaway Opperman Music Hall Support Staff..................................Ethan Bigelow Cameron Downs, Russell Marsh, Nick Smith Opperman Crew................................. Wajira Amarakoon, Wesley Bellew Amelia Cooper, Emma Finnegan, Scott Freese Ray Hattaway, Patrick Mongeon, Malinda Perera Liana Rieger, Daelynn Trotman Additional Crew....................................David Bernstein, Kinsley Mitchell Barbara Roberts, Dante Souverain, Dylan Valdes Costume Shop Manager........................................ Julia Matteson Bradley Assistant Shop Manager....................................................Christina Marullo Wardrobe Supervisor.............................................. Julia Matteson Bradley Wardrobe Crew............................................................................. Tobi Sponsler Costume Crafts............................................................................Kaylee Sibelle Stitchers.................................................................... Mary Albul, Samira Agbi, Abigail Jennings, Chanti Max, Tobi Sponsler Wig & Makeup Crew..........................................Katherine Anne Ledbetter Christina Marullo Graphic Designer.........................................................................Laura Chacon Marketing Team...........................................Megan Mowery, Wendy Smith Director of Special Programs.................................................... Kim Shively

UNIVERSITY MUSICAL ASSOCIATES 2024-2025 Dean’s Circle Les and Ruth Ruggles Akers Dr. Pamela T. Brannon Richard Dusenbury and Kathi Jaschke Bob Parker

Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers Paula and Bill Smith Jo and Tate Todd

Gold Circle Margaret and Russ Dancy Louie and Avon Doll Patrick and Kathy Dunnigan Kevin and Suzanne Fenton Michael Killoren and Randy Nolan

Albert and Darlene Oosterhof Todd and Kelin Queen Karen and Francis C. Skilling Bret Whissel Kathy Wright

Sustainer Marty Beech Kathryn M. Beggs Karen Bradley Scott and Suzi Brock Steve and Pat Brock Brian Causseaux and David Young Bonnie and Pete Chamlis Mary and Glenn Cole Sandy and Jim Dafoe William H. Davis Patrice Dawson F. Marshall Deterding and Dr. Kelley Lang Diane and Jack Dowling Ron Erichson / Beth Frederick Joy and James Frank William Fredrickson and Suzanne Rita Byrnes Ric Gauthier Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Henricks Dottie and John Hinkle Todd S. Hinkle

Matt and Holly Hohmeister The Jelks Family Foundation, Inc. Alexander and Dawn Jiménez Emory and Dorothy Johnson Wade Johnson and Dr. Laura Rosner Greg and Margo Jones Martin Kavka and Tip Tomberlin Dennis G. King, Esq. Robert and Karen Large Annelise Leysieffer Nancy and Jeff Lickson Linda and Bob Lovins William and Gayle Manley Ken and Kay Mayo Robert R. and Patricia H. McDonald DeWitt and Kathy Miller Marian and Walter Moore Ann W. Parramore Almena and Brooks Pettit Robert and Caryl Pierce Mary Anne J. Price

Sustainer, cont’d David and Joanne Rasmussen Mark and Carrie Renwick Lawrence and Lisa Rubin Ken and J.R. Saginario Lane and Fraser Smith Greg Springer and Jonathan Jackson Richard Stevens and Ron Smith Lee Stewart

William and Ma’Su Sweeney Anne van Meter and Howard Kessler Steve M. Watkins and Karen S. Brown David and Jane Watson Stan Whaley and Brenda McCarthy Sonya L. Wilcox John and Jeanie Wood

Patron Joyce Andrews Stan and Tenley Barnes Mary S. Bert Marcia and Carl Bjerregaard Beverley Booth Sara Bourdeau Joan and Kip Carpenter Carol J. Cooper Malcolm A. Craig Rochelle M. Davis Pamala J. Doffek Judith Flanigan John S. and Linda H. Fleming Bonnie Fowler L. Kathryn Funchess Debbie Gibson Ruth Godfrey-Sigler Bryan and Nancy Goff Harvey and Judy Goldman Kay Hall Michael Hanawalt and Justine Sasanfar Dr. Albert Henry Jerry and Bobbi Hill Madeleine Hirsiger-Carr Jane A. Hudson Sally and Dr. Link Jarrett Judith H. Jolly Arline Kern Jonathan Klepper and Jimmy Cole Elna Kuhlmann

Donna Legare Mary Lovell Joan Macmillan Mary “Jo” Mansfield Victoria Martinez Neil Mooney Ann and Don Morrow Joel and Diana Padgett Thomas Parrish Marjorie J. Portnoi Karalee Poschman David Reed Edward Reid Carol Ryor Jill Sandler Paula S. Saunders Jeanette Sickel Susan Sokoll Alice C. Spirakis Judy and Mike Stone George S. Sweat Marjorie Turnbull Ed Valla Margaret Van Every Sylvia B. Walford Geoffrey and Simone Watts Drs. Heidi Louise and Christopher Williams Jeff Wright

Associate Patricia C. Applegate Michael Buchler and Nancy Rogers Judy and Brian Buckner Marian Christ Mary and David Coburn Carla Connors and Timothy Hoekman Kirk and Michelle Croasmun Jane Daniel Geoffrey Deibel Joseph Feheley The Fennema Family Fred Forsythe Bonnie Gaughan-Bailey Gene and Deborah Glotzbach Laura Gayle Green Richard Green Donna H. Heald Linda Husbands Jayme and Tom Ice Louise Jones William and DeLaura Jones Joseph Kraus Paige McKay Kubik

Silky and John Labie Dottie Lee Sandra Leis Eric Lewis Mari Magro Lealand and Kathleen McCharen Annette Nelson Janet Newburgh Martha Onate Becky Parsons William Peterson Joe, Amanda, Leah, Laura Price Margaret S. Reed Sanford A. Safron John Scholz Louise Simons Janet Smith Susan P. Stephens Allison Taylor C. Richard and Phrieda L. Tuten Scott and LaDonna Wagers Karen Wensing Samantha Ynclan

Lifetime Members Willa Almlof Florence Helen Ashby Mrs. Reubin Askew Tom and Cathy Bishop Nancy Bivins Ramona D. Bowman André and Eleanor Connan Janis and Russell Courson J.W. Richard Davis Ginny Densmore Nancy Smith Fichter Carole Fiore Patricia J. Flowers Hilda Hunter Julio Jiménez Kirby W. and Margaret-Ray Kemper

Patsy Kickliter Anthony M. Komlyn Fred Kreimer Beverly Locke-Ewald Cliff and Mary Madsen Ralph and Sue Mancuso Meredith and Elsa L. McKinney Ermine M. Owenby Mike and Judy Pate Laura and Sam Rogers Dr. Louis St. Petery Sharon Stone Donna C. Tharpe Brig. Gen. and Mrs. William B. Webb Rick and Joan West John L. and Linda M. Williams

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The University Musical Associates is the community support organization for the FSU College of Music. The primary purposes of the group are to develop audiences for College of Music performances, to assist outstanding students in enriching their musical education and careers, and to support quality education and cultural activities for the Tallahassee community. If you would like information about joining the University Musical Associates, please contact Kim Shively, Director of Special Programs, at kshively@fsu.edu or 850-645-5453.

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