Stewart Wallace
COMPOSER
Michael Korie
LIBRETTIST
May 31–June 7
Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA
GENERAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Nicole Paiement
FOUNDER, GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dear friends, patrons, and supporters,
I cannot express the joy and gratitude I feel for presenting Harvey Milk Reimagined as the culmination of Opera Parallèle’s 15th anniversary season. It has been a labor of love since we began our collaboration with Stewart Wallace and Michael Korie in 2017 to create this significantly revised and reorchestrated version of their earlier work, and it is a privilege to share it with you on the stage of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
The central theme of the opera is particularly relevant to the times in which we live today, where Harvey’s call for equality for all continues to echo in halls of justice across the world. It is a story of resilience, of hope, and determination. And it is a story that merits re-telling at least once in every generation.
Opera Parallèle was founded on the principle that art has the power to inspire and galvanize, and most importantly, to bring us together in times of division. Art reminds us that change is not only possible—but necessary, and it begins with dialogue. It is a process that takes place “in parallel,” on the performance stage and in the community. The creation of Harvey Milk Reimagined is the perfect project to achieve all of the above.
Our journey to bring this production to the stage has had its share of setbacks as well, including COVID and the recent cancellation of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Nevertheless, we stand firm in our resolve, confident that the OP community will ensure that our work continues unimpeded. We take inspiration from the words of our hometown hero: “Hope will never be silent.”
Thank you for joining us for this important milestone in OP’s 15-year history, and to celebrate the legacy of a towering figure in the history of San Francisco itself.
Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA
May 31, June 1, 6, 7, 2025
A co-commission by Opera Parallèle and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Presented in partnership with YBCA.
Used by arrangement with Schott Music Corporation, agent for Sidmar Music, publisher and copyright owner.
Sung in English with English supertitles.
Approx. 2 hours, 20 minutes with one 20-minute intermission
The composer dedicates this opera to David Gockley, who started it and helped bring it back to life.
CONDUCTOR
Nicole Paiement
STAGE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Brian Staufenbiel
SCENIC & PROPS DESIGNER
Jacquelyn Scott
COSTUME DESIGNER
Alina Bokovikova
PROJECTION DESIGNER
David Murakami
CAST
HARVEY MILK
Michael Kelly*
DAN WHITE
Christopher Oglesby*
SCOTT SMITH
Henry Benson*
MAMA
Catherine Cook
*Opera Parallèle Debut
Please respect the audience and creative team. Photographing, videotaping, or recording this production is strictly prohibited.
GEORGE MOSCONE / TEAMSTER
Matt Boehler*
DIANNE FEINSTEIN / HOOKER
Marnie Breckenridge
Stewart Wallace
COMPOSER
Michael Korie
LIBRETTIST
HAIR & MAKEUP DESIGNER
Y. Sharon Peng
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Mextly Couzin
SOUND DESIGNER
Ben Krames*
CHOREOGRAPHER
Michael Mohammed
CHORUS MASTER & ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Jaco Wong
MESSENGER
Matheus Coura*
ANNE KRONENBERG
Gabriela Stoloff-Báez
HENRIETTA WONG
Chea Kang*
JACK
Bradley Kynard
YOUNG HARVEY
Curtis Resnick*
Gay Freedom Day Parade and Harvey Milk archival footage used in projections, courtesy of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society. Candlelight March archival footage, Assassination News footage, and Milk Press Conference footage courtesy of KQED Inc. Still images of Milk used in projections courtesy of Harvey Milk Archives - Scott Smith Collection (GLC 35), James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco Public Library.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Brian Staufenbiel
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
The Time for HARVEY MILK is now!
It is almost five years to the day that Opera Parallèle programmed Harvey Milk. In the year that would have been Harvey’s 90th birthday, the pandemic shattered that dream and so many others. OP rescheduled it and had to reschedule again and then everything stopped. You remember!
Harvey Milk won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977; he was the first openly gay man elected to office in a major American city. It happened at a moment when the backlash against a rising tide of gay and lesbian rights was in full, vitriolic swing. The times were changing, but there was a long way to go. A Gallup poll in 1977 showed only a bare majority of Americans — 56 percent — agreed that gay people should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities. Only 43 percent said gay or lesbian relations between adults should be legal and a mere 14 percent said gays and lesbians should be allowed to adopt children. It was in this climate that Harvey pressed every doorbell he could find, building a vast coalition that led to his election. Along the way, he also pushed a lot of people’s buttons, which created a deep divide, even in San Francisco.
And now, as we reach what would have been Harvey’s 95th birthday, I look at the current political climate and am ironically grateful for that painful postponement five years ago. Because there is no better time to be talking about Harvey Milk than right now. Today, the list of attacks on the LGBTQ+ community is too long to go into. Suffice to say, it feels like we are back in the ’70s, when gay bashing was a daily occurrence.
We at OP are honored to be able to tell Harvey’s story through the art form he loved so deeply — opera. What I am reminded of while creating Harvey Milk’s life journey on stage is that change doesn’t just happen on its own or without struggle, it comes at a cost — proven time and time again by the arc of history. Harvey was no saint; he was flawed like all of us. But he gave his life for a greater cause and for his community. He gave his life to be able to love another man freely with no fear attached. One purpose of art is to celebrate human dignity, human struggle, and the endless power of love. Thanks for joining in this celebration.
SYNOPSIS
ACT I
The opera begins with Harvey Milk’s assassination, interwoven with a scene of his mother warning him as a boy. At the opera, young Harvey follows a man into Central Park and is arrested. As an adult on Wall Street, Harvey grapples with his gay identity and reflects on the connection between being Jewish and gay. After witnessing the Stonewall riots, he resolves to live authentically. In the early 1970s, Harvey moves to San Francisco’s Castro District, where Dan White, a fireman, is unhappy with the neighborhood’s changing character. Gay men and women from across the country flock to the Castro, and Harvey introduces himself as the unofficial “Mayor of Castro Street.” Through flashbacks and interviews, we see his first unsuccessful campaign for city supervisor. Encouraged by Scott, his partner, Harvey gains confidence and cuts his hair, signaling a fresh start.
ACT II
After witnessing a gay-bashing incident, Milk urges the community to elect one of their own. He wins, joining the Board of Supervisors alongside Dan White. Their relationship becomes tense, especially when Milk supports policies like a halfway house in White’s district and a citywide gay rights ordinance. White, frustrated by his salary and political failures, resigns but later returns. Milk convinces Mayor Moscone not to reappoint him, triggering White’s rage. On November 27, 1978, Dan White assassinates Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. In the aftermath, a candlelight vigil is held, commemorating Milk’s life and legacy. The opera ends symbolically with a young Harvey, still in handcuffs, breaking free, representing the impact of his death and the progress it inspired.
COMPOSER’S NOTE
COMPOSER
Harvey Milk was born a year after my father. They are from the same generation and similar family circumstances. They were equally and profoundly affected by the mass slaughter of Jews during the Holocaust. They understood it was imperative never to remain silent (later echoed during the AIDS crisis by ACT UP’s rallying cry, “Silence = Death”).
American Jews understood the alternative was quite literally death. This profoundly influenced their generation’s psychology and drive for social justice. Harvey Milk’s consciousness as a Jew informed his burgeoning consciousness as a gay man.
From closeted Goldwater Republican stock broker, he transformed antisemitism and prejudice into political action and emerged as a leader of the gay rights movement.
In Act One, Harvey has an epiphany, citing the Nazi badges for gays and Jews:
“My Star is a pair of triangles. One pink. One yellow. They overlap as I do. I am one person. I am just one person But I have power. I remember who I am. My name. My people. Our histories. I remember.”
At this moment Harvey breaks out of his handcuffs and becomes “Harvey Milk.”
—Stewart
Wallace
The composer especially thanks:
Dominique Simonneaux, for her amazing support, love, and boundless patience. Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony for the time and space and care to dream. Angelo Garro, Amy Tan, and Lou DeMattei for their generous hospitality and so many kindnesses. Nicole Paiement and Brian Staufenbiel for their imagination and ambition and the instinct to say yes to the adventure! The opera is officially dedicated to David Gockley. Harvey Milk Reimagined was completed February 26, 2024, on what would have been my father’s 95th birthday.
Stewart Wallace
LOBBY DISPLAY BY GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY & YBCA
Alongside Harvey Milk Reimagined, YBCA is pleased to present a collection of archival material from Milk’s life and times. Organized in collaboration with the GLBT Historical Society, the display offers additional dimension to the stories, themes, and era explored in the opera.
Founded in 1985, the GLBT Historical Society is recognized internationally as a leader in LGBTQ+ public history. The organization is devoted to making the past accessible in order to inspire a more equitable and just future.
The GLBT Historical Society Museum, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District at 4127 18th St., is the first stand-alone museum of LGBTQ+ history and culture in the United States. Through its archives, the GLBT Historical Society stewards one of the largest collections of LGBTQ+ historical materials ever assembled around the world. The Society celebrates San Francisco’s vast queer past through dynamic and surprising exhibitions and programming. Learn more about both their museum and their archives at glbthistory.org.
GRAVITY ACCESS SERVICES
Gravity Access Services offers a range of services in the San Francisco Bay Area and the United States to make live performance more accessible to audience members with diverse sensory modalities and physicalities. These include live and recorded Audio Description services, pre-show Haptic Access Tours, Sign Language referral services, Site Visits, Media Assessments and General Accessibility consulting to advise and assist artists, producers, organizations, venues and events on best practices for eliminating inequitable barriers that prevent diverse audiences from participating in their work.
Learn more at op-sf.org/GravityAccess
Live Audio Description on June 7, 2025, by Gabriele Christian of Gravity Access Services is generously supported by the Ford Foundation.
Photograph by Efren Convento Ramirez (1941–2017).
HARVEY BERNARD MILK
What the Opera Leaves Out
BEFORE SAN FRANCISCO
Born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, New York, Harvey Milk grew up in a Jewish family that emphasized civic duty and community service. He earned a degree in mathematics from Albany State College and worked as a high school teacher and insurance actuary. Milk served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, serving as diving instructor and achieving the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) before being given an ‘other than honorable’ discharge after being questioned about his sexuality.
In the early 1960s, he worked as a securities analyst on Wall Street, where he was respected for his analytical mind but lived a closeted and conservative life, in contrast to his later activism. Later in the 1960s, he worked in New York’s theater scene, including as a Broadway production assistant. Milk also had a lifelong passion for opera, attending performances at The Met as a teenager and later was a regular patron at San Francisco Opera.
After years of living a closeted life, he moved to San Francisco with his partner, Scott Smith, in 1972 seeking personal freedom and a more open life as a gay man. In the Castro District, they opened Castro Camera, both a business and a hub for the growing LGBTQ+ community.
ASSASSINATION & LEGACY
The night before Milk’s assassination, he attended a performance of Tosca at the War Memorial Opera House, across the road from his City Hall office. On the morning of November 27, 1978, former Supervisor Dan White entered San Francisco City Hall through a basement window to avoid metal detectors, carrying a revolver. He first shot and killed Mayor George Moscone in his office, then walked down the hall and assassinated Harvey Milk in his own office with multiple gunshots — including one fired at close range into Milk’s head.
At trial, White’s lawyers argued diminished capacity due to depression, citing his consumption of junk food — later sensationalized as the “Twinkie defense.” He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, not murder, and served just over five years. After his release, Dan White died by suicide in 1985.
The White Night Riots broke out on May 21, 1979, the night of White’s sentencing, when thousands of outraged San Franciscans marched to City Hall. The peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with police, resulting in fires, smashed windows, and dozens of injuries. The riots became a powerful expression of grief, rage, and a demand for justice, marking a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Milk became a martyr and symbol for LGBTQ+ rights, known for his message of hope and call to come out and live openly. His legacy lives on through honors such as the Harvey Milk Terminal at SFO, a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009), and the launch of the USNS Harvey Milk (2021) — a U.S. Navy ship named for the once-closeted naval officer turned civil rights icon.
THE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THE OPERA
GEORGE MOSCONE
was a political leader, recognized for his integral part in the equality movements of the 1960s and 70s. His 1975 mayoral campaign is still seen as a catalyst for progressivism that has come to define San Francisco’s political identity.
SCOTT SMITH was Milk’s lover and the coowner of the camera shop who administered Milk’s will following the assassination. He was able to see the premiere staging of the opera in 1994. He died of complications resulting from AIDS in 1995.
ELLA HILL HUTCH
served as San Francisco’s first female African American Supervisor, elected alongside Milk. She is regarded as a major force in the San Francisco civil rights movement, fighting against housing discrimination and campaigning for equal opportunity employment.
ANNE KRONENBERG worked as an aide to Milk after acting as campaign manager on his successful campaign to become a City Supervisor. After 40 years in public service, she retired in 2018 after serving on multiple city commissions.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN broke the news to the world about the assassinations of Milk and Moscone. After spending almost 10 years
as mayor of San Francisco, she went on to become California’s first female U.S. senator, serving for more than 30 years.
GORDON LAU was San Francisco’s first elected Asian American Supervisor and an active figure in fighting for civil rights and fair housing in the Chinese community. His legacy is remembered by Gordon J. Lau Elementary School in SF’s Chinatown.
CHORUS & SUPERS
SOPRANO
Phoebe Chee
(Cover: Henrietta Wong)
Elizabeth Gaitan
Lena Goldstein
(Sup. Carol Ruth Silver)
Chelsea Hollow
(Cover: Dianne Feinstein/Hooker)
Christabel Nunoo
(Sup. Ella Hill Hutch)
MEZZO-SOPRANO
Adellyn Geenen
Jordan McCready
(Cover: Messenger)
Rachel Rush
(Cover: Anne Kronenberg)
Carmen Voskuhl
Krista Wigle
(Cover: Mama)
TENOR
Michael Mendelsohn
Michael Orlinsky
(Sup. Robert Gonzalez)
J. Raymond Meyers
(Cover: Dan White)
Dan Rivard
Cole Stanford
JJ Trimble
(Cover: Scott Smith/Soldier/Sailor)
BASS
Tony Delousia
Bradley Kynard
B Schaubhut
Nathaniel Sullivan
(Cover: Harvey Milk)
Wayne Wong
(Sup. Gordon Lau)
Scott Walton
SUPERNUMERARIES
Calvin Landrum
Mark Leslie
Michael Pinell
Qween / Travis Santell Rowland
William Schmidt
Omar Stewart
Brandon Styles
Mercury Van Sciver
ONSCREEN SUPERS
Richard Hart
Priscilla Lore
Rotimi Agbabiaka
ORCHESTRA
ORCHESTRA
Jessie Nucho FLUTE
Lance Suzuki FLUTE
Laura Griffiths OBOE
Clayton Luckadoo CLARINET
Peter Josheff BASS CLARINET
Jamael Smith BASSOON
Kyle Ko HORN
Susan Vollmer HORN
Charles Ryan TRUMPET
Kate Lambert TROMBONE
Jason Hebert BASS TROMBONE
Francis Upton IV TUBA
Keisuke Nakagoshi KEYBOARD
Mattijs van Maaren
TIMPANI/PERCUSSION
Gregory Messa PERCUSSION
Hrabba Atladottir CONCERTMASTER
Bronwyn James VIOLIN
Monika Gruber-Gibbons VIOLIN
Mark Chen VIOLIN
Natalie Boberg 2ND VIOLIN
Noah Strick 2ND VIOLIN
Vita Yee 2ND VIOLIN
Ellen Ruth Rose VIOLA
Daria D’Andrea VIOLA
Josh Choi VIOLA
Vanessa Ruotolo CELLO
Michelle Kwon CELLO
Jo de Mars CELLO
Michel Taddei CONTRABASS
Zachary Iscoff CONTRABASS
PRODUCTION TEAM
Nicole Paiement CONDUCTOR
Brian Staufenbiel
STAGE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Jacquelyn Scott
SCENIC & PROPS DESIGNER
Alina Bokovikova
COSTUME DESIGNER
David Murakami
PROJECTION DESIGNER
Y. Sharon Peng
HAIR & MAKEUP DESIGNER
Mextly Couzin
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Ben Krames
SOUND DESIGNER
Michael Mohammed
CHOREOGRAPHER
Jaco Wong
CHORUS MASTER & ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Rotimi Agbabiaka
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Bethanie Baeyen
STAGE MANAGER
Jan Brown
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Keisuke Nakagoshi RESIDENT PIANIST
Taylor Chan
REHEARSAL PIANIST
YBCA STAFF
Chris Griffin
GENERAL MANAGER
Cori Lucas
ASSOC DIRECTOR COMMUNITY & PROGRAM EVENTS
Veronica Pheils
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Greg Wilson
HEAD ELECTRICIAN/STEWARD
Bert Hebbert Castillo
HEAD AUDIO
Michael Sousa
HOUSE MANAGER
Dave Gardner
SET BUILDER
Zolie Saurriugarte
PROPS INTERN
Angela Tirrell
SCENIC VOLUNTEER
Ting Xiong
ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER
Bianca Hernandez-Knight
WARDROBE SUPERVISOR / DRESSER
Yang Cao
WARDROBE ASSISTANT / DRESSER
Annie Enbom
WARDROBE INTERN
Michael Romero
WARDROBE VOLUNTEER
Rafael Alvarez
HAIR & MAKE UP ARTIST
Nicole Hoke
HAIR & MAKE UP ARTIST
Kimmy Virgen
HAIR & MAKEUP ARTIST
Ariya Selvakumar
PROJECTION DESIGN ASSISTANT
Marion Richardson-Beatty
LIGHTING INTERN
Audrey Chandler
SUPERTITLES OPERATOR
Sabrina Habel
SENIOR MANAGER OF AUDIENCE AND CONCESSIONS SERVICES
Lauren Macmadu
CHIEF EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICER
Chris Royalty
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Brooke Vlasich
DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
Amelia Mafflin
DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER
Photos: p.1, 15 La Belle et la Bête, The Shining/Cory Weaver; p.4-6, 10/Scott Wall; p. 11/Daniel Harvey; pp.13, 18-19/Corey Marsau; pp.14–15, Production images through 2020/Steve DiBartolomeo; p.15 Everest: An Immersive Experience, Fellow Travelers, The Pigeon Keeper/Stefan Cohen; p.15 Birds & Balls/ Kristen Locken; p.20/Drew Altizer Photography; back/Ludwig Olah/Konzert und Theater St.Gallen
ARTIST BIOS
MICHAEL KELLY
Harvey Milk (New York City, NY)
Baritone
OP Debut
CHRISTOPHER OGLESBY
Dan White (Woodstock, GA)
Tenor
OP Debut
HENRY BENSON
Scott Smith (Cincinnati, OH)
Tenor
OP Debut
CATHERINE COOK
Mama (Daly City, CA)
Mezzo-soprano
MATT BOEHLER
George Moscone (Minneapolis, MN)
Bass
OP Debut
MARNIE BRECKENRIDGE
Dianne Feinstein (Atlanta, GA)
Soprano
Engagements: Hannah Younger, As One (Kentucky Opera, 2024); Barry, February (OOTA, 2023); Michael, The Pleasing Recollection (54 Below, 2022); Abraham, Hometown to the World (Santa Fe Opera, 2022) michael-kelly.com
Engagements: Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi (Calgary Opera); Voice of a Young Sailor/Shepherd, Tristan und Isolde; Luke, The Handmaid’s Tale (San Francisco Opera); Rodolfo, La bohème (Utah Opera, Opera Maine, Sacramento Opera) christopheroglesby.com
Engagements: Pepe (cover), Pagliacci (Glimmerglass Festival, 2024); Male Chorus, The Rape of Lucretia (CCM Opera, 2024; Boy, Bulrusher (Cincinnati Opera, 2024); Timothy Laughlin, Fellow Travelers (CCM Opera. 2023) henry-benson.com
Engagements: Mama Lucia, Cavalleria Rusticana (Sacramento Philharmonic Opera, 2025), Marquis du Berkenfield, La fille du régiment (Opera Colorado, 2024), The Teacher, Innocence (San Francisco Opera, 2024), Mere Jeanne, Dialogues of the Carmelites (San Francisco Opera, 2022)
Engagements: Composer of Fat Pig (BK Opera, Melbourne, 2025); Arkel, Pelléas et Mélisande (Des Moines Metro Opera, 2024); Les noces (Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, 2024); Van Helsing, The Lord of Cries (Santa Fe Opera, 2021) mattboehler.com
Engagements: Jacqueline (West Edge Opera, 2024 & PDX Festival, 2025); Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera Orlando, 2024); Adina, L’Elisir d’amore (Toledo Opera, 2026) marniebreckenridge.com
MATHEUS COURA
Messenger (Tampa, FL)
Countertenor
OP Debut
GABRIELA STOLOFF-BÁEZ
Anne Kronenberg (Puerto Rico)
Mezzo-soprano
CHEA KANG
Henrietta Wong (Deokso, South Korea)
Soprano
OP Debut
BRADLEY KYNARD
Jack (San Francisco, CA)
Baritone
CURTIS RESNICK
Young Harvey (Lafayette, CA)
Tenor
OP Debut
Engagements: Alto Soloist, Magnificat (I Cantori di Carmel, 2024); Shepherd, Venus & Adonis (Tafelmusik, 2024); Giuliano, Eliogabalo (West Edge Opera, 2021); Narcissus, …two united in a single soul… (San Francisco Ballet, 2019) matheuscoura.com
Engagements: Ruth, The Pirates of Penzance, Rosina (cover), The Barber of Seville, The Scribe, Galileo Galilei (Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 2024); Rosie Casals, Birds & Balls (Opera Parallèle, 2024) gabrielalinaresmezzo.com
Engagements: Sonic Blossom (M+ Museum, Hong Kong, 2024); Papagena (cover), The Magic Flute (San Francisco Opera, 2024); Soprano Soloist, Carol’s Concert (Sinfonia Spirituosa, 2024) cheakang.com
Engagements: Escamillo, Carmen (The Main Canyon at The Cedars, 2024); Baritone Soloist, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Sonoma Symphony, 2025); Yoshiro, The Emissary (Opera Parallèle, 2023) bradleykynard.com
Engagements: Midshipman, Billy Budd (San Francisco Opera); Junior Artist, Winner’s Recital, Carnegie Hall (Concert Artists International); Pepik/ Frog, Cunning Little Vixen (Pocket Opera); San Francisco Opera Guild Events/Recitals
IG: @curtisresnick
NICOLE PAIEMENT Conductor
OP Founder and General & Artistic Director Nicole Paiement is an internationally acclaimed conductor renowned for contemporary opera and has been Principal Guest Conductor of The Dallas Opera since 2012, most recently leading Gonoud’s Romeo & Juliette. Mo. Paiement has performed with companies across the US and internationally, including the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana Palermo, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and The Atlanta Opera. In 2020 Paiement made her Canadian debut at L’Opéra de Montréal with Benjamin’s Written on Skin, returning in 2023 to conduct Ainadamar by Golijov. In 2022, Paiement debuted with the English National Opera conducting Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life, returning to the UK in 2023 to conduct Talbot’s Everest with the BBC Symphony at the Barbican Center. In 23/24, Paiement debuted with the Volksoper Vienna conducting John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary. This summer includes a return to The Glimmerglass Festival for the world premiere of The House on Mango Street by Derek Bermel and concerts with the Grant Park Music Festival Chicago. In 25/26, Paiement returns to Montréal to conduct Jenůfa, followed by her debut with the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania and Pacifc Opera Victoria.
BRIAN STAUFENBIEL Director
Brian Staufenbiel is the Creative Director for Opera Parallèle, where he has directed and spearheaded the conceptual designs of the company’s productions since it was founded in 2010, specializing in multimedia, immersive, and interdisciplinary work. Staufenbiel’s recent projects include Golijov/Hwang’s Ainadamar for L’Opéra de Montréal, Moravec/ Campbell’s The Shining for OP, Portland Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, and Atlanta Opera, Wagner’s Das Rheingold for Seattle Opera and Calgary Opera, Strauss/Hofmannsthal’s Elektra for Minnesota Opera, and the award-winning Everest – A Graphic Novel Opera for OP. Recently, Staufenbiel directed a documentary about the life of Frederica von Stade with Paper Wings Films, and Out of the Darkness, a dance film about Japanese incarceration camps in the United States during World War II. Upcoming engagements include a return to The Shining for Utah Opera, and Fellow Travelers with Pittsburgh Opera.
STEWART WALLACE Composer
Stewart Wallace’s groundbreaking operas share an obsession with what it means to be American, the dark undercurrents in our politics, and a perhaps naive sense that art can change the world. His two San Francisco premieres, The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Harvey Milk, have been called “brave, bold, and important,” “truly staggering,” and “a potent addition to the repertoire.” The Bonesetter’s Daughter inspired both a documentary for PBS and a book by Chronicle Books that includes the original libretto by Amy Tan. The San Francisco Opera’s 1996 recording of Harvey Milk was released on Teldec Classics. Over forty years with works in every genre, Wallace has collaborated with a diverse group of artists including Michael Korie, Richard Foreman, Christopher Alden, Evelyn Glennie, Marc Ribot, Mark Campbell, and Amy Tan. His newest opera, The Swerve, is based on Stephen Greenblatt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book with a libretto by Adam Gopnik. Stewart Wallace is a Director Member of the Board of Yaddo, the renowned artist retreat. His music is published and represented internationally by Schott.
MICHAEL KORIE Librettist
Michael Korie is the librettist of original operas composed by Stewart Wallace including Harvey Milk, Hopper’s Wife, Kabbalah, and Where’s Dick? produced at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, and Brooklyn Academy Next Wave Festival. His librettos to the operatic adaptations of The Grapes of Wrath and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, composed by Ricky Ian Gordon, premiered at Minnesota Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Michigan Opera, and in concert at Carnegie Hall. His lyrics for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals include Grey Gardens, War Paint, Far From Heaven, and Happiness with composer Scott Frankel, and Flying Over Sunset with composer Tom Kitt. For his work in both opera and musical theater he received The Marc Blitzstein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards and nominations. Korie co-chairs the Dramatists Guild Opera Committee, which produced the short film Credit the Librettist. He teaches musical-theater writing at Yale University and Columbia University School of the Arts.
OPERA PARALLÈLE IMPACT CAMPAIGN
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INTRODUCING OP’S AVENIR LEGACY CIRCLE
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PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Opera Parallèle’s production of Harvey Milk Reimagined is made possible, in part, by the generous support of:
Lead Sponsors Bob Ellis, Gordon Getty, and Jack & Betty Schafer
Production Sponsors Norby Anderson, The Bay Area Reporter, Helen Berggruen (sponsoring the cover role of Dianne Feinstein sung by Chelsea Hollow), The Bob Ross Foundation, Janet Cluff (chorus sponsor), Michèle & Larry Corash (sponsoring the role of George Moscone sung by Matt Boehler), Leslie Crary & Andrew Stoloff (sponsoring the role of Anne Kronenberg sung by Gabriela Stoloff-Báez), The Future Fund, Philip Goward & Theodore Ueki, Robert Holgate, Bernice Lindstrom, Stephen & Linda Lowens (sponsoring the role of Dianne Feinstein sung by Marnie Breckenridge), Patrice Maginnis & Eric Rice, Helen Mckenna Ridley & H. Allan Ridley, Judy Miner, OPERA America, San Francisco Bay Times, The Shenson Foundation, and Dr. Katherine Slazak.
This production of Harvey Milk Reimagined received funding from OPERA America’s Next Stage program, supported by Gene Kaufman, Terry Eder-Kaufman, and New Vision for Opera with additional revision support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Special thanks to additional Sponsors of our 2020 Harvey Milk production, which could not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown:
Matthew & Krista Annenberg, Michael P.N. Araque Hormel, David I. Berley, Carolyn Zecca Ferris, Willis & Marilynn Goldsmith, Dr. Barry & Carolina Gustin, Horizons Foundation, Jones Day Foundation, Jeffrey Kimball & Pamela Hogan, Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman, Susan Unterberg, Fred Wistow.
Co-Commission with Opera Theater of St. Louis made possible with the generous support of:
Laura Ambroseno & Raffaele Savi, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Matthew & Krista Annenberg, Anonymous, David Berley, Jerome & Jean Cooper, Katie Ford & Tom Bishop, Stacy Greene & Fred Wistow, Marilynn & Willis Goldsmith, Barry & Carolina Gustin, Amy Johnson & Michael Savage, Kaufelt Family Fund, Jeffrey Kimball & Pamela Hogan, Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman, Patrick Montgomery, The Shenson Foundation, Anya & Joseph E. Stiglitz, and Carolyn Zecca Ferris.
OUR SUPPORTERS
Support for Opera Parallèle’s 15th Anniversary Season is provided by our Producers Circle
($25,000+)
Norby Anderson*
Michèle & Larry Corash
Dagmar Dolby*
Donna Dubinsky & Len Shustek*
Bob Ellis*
Gordon Getty*
Corey Goodman & Marcia Barinaga
Philip Goward & Theodore Ueki
Stephen & Diane Heiman
Franklin & Catherine Johnson*
Dina Kuntz & Sherry Parker*
Lisa Lindelef*
Bernice Lindstrom*
Scott Lord*
Nicole Paiement & Brian Staufenbiel*
Martha Peak Rochelle*
Jerry Roth & Ray Jenks*
Jack & Betty Schafer*
Diane B. Wilsey
15th Anniversary Honor Roll
First time, returning, and increased gifts of $1,500 or more in honor of OP’s 15th Anniversary:
Malekeh Amini & Arman Pahlavan
Norby Anderson
Christopher Barefoot / Opus One Winery
Helen Berggruen
David Bertoni
The Bob Ross Foundation
Didi Boring
Machelle Burkstrand & Steven Winick
Jack Calhoun & Trent Norris
Marna Clark
Janet Cluff
Michèle & Larry Corash
Kip Cranna
Leslie Crary & Andrew Stoloff
Dagmar Dolby*
Donna Dubinsky & Len Shustek
Bob Ellis
Judith Erdberg
Lisa Erdberg & Dennis Gibbons
Chris & Glenn Etow
Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg & Dr. Mary E. Wilson
Louise Fox
Keith & Priscilla Geeslin
Jo Giessler
Judy & Jeff Gough
Philip Goward & Theodore Ueki
Richard Hart
Jane Hartley
Christina & Kenneth Hecht
Stephen & Diane Heiman
Bette & Joseph Hirsch
Olivier Janin
Franklin & Catherine Johnson
Mark L. Kalow & Marlene Pitkow
Vicki Kaspar
Amelia Kaymen & Eric Yopes
John Klopacz
David Kremer & Marla Miller
Patricia Kristof Moy
Karen Kubin
Marcia Lazer
Steven Lei
Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation
Lisa Lindelef
Bernice Lindstrom
Stephen & Linda Lowens
Jeffrey Lyttle & David Murphy
Patrice Maginnis & Eric Rice
Jeff Mattlin & Alexa Fitzpatrick
Mary McDermott Cook
Helen Mckenna Ridley & H. Allan Ridley
Mina Miller & David Sabritt
Judy Miner*
Alice Morison
Anne L. Morton
Simin Naaseh & Farhang Ostadan
Peggy & Boyce Nute
Alan Olejniczak & David Bourne
Peggy Otum & Andrew Price
Martha Peak Rochelle
Mary Ellen Poole
Daniel L. Rabinowitz & Ann F. Thomas
Robert Ripps & Steven Spector
Jerry Roth & Ray Jenks
Terri & Bob Ryan
Tony Shayne
Michael Staufenbiel
Theresa Stuart
Martin Tannenbaum & Alex Ingersoll
Melody Walsh
Emily Wang & Aaron Hoffer
Diane B. Wilsey
Brenda Yost
Jee Young You & Paul Alsdorf
Candace Zander Kahn
Institutional Support
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, The Amphion Foundation, Inc., Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, California Arts Council, A Stage Agency, Federal Arbitration, Inc., Google, The Henry W. & Nettie Robinson Foundation, The Lemala Fund, New York Foundation for the Arts, OPERA America’s Opera Fund, Opus One Winery, City & County of San Francisco Grants for the Arts, The Sam Mazza Foundation, Starlite Vineyards, The Bob Ross Foundation, Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation.
We are deeply grateful to the following donors who made a special gift in response to the recission of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts for this production: Bettina Aptheker, Daniel Arrigoni, Stefanie Arthur, Buffy Baggott, Sarah Bell, Marilyn Brenner, Stanford Brown, Charles Bush & Calvin Lau, Norman F. Carlin & David Gladstein, Alijah Carter, Valerie & Roberta ChaseReyes, Marna Clark, Michael Colbruno (in support of the role of Harvey Milk sung by Michael Kelly), Susan Convirs, Hugh Coughlin, Laura Dahl, Paul Dana, Khoi Dang, Simon & Monica Donovan, Lisa Erdberg & Dennis Gibbons, Roberto Esteves, Cher Evans, Doris Flaherty, Harriet C. Fried, Pamela J. & Kirk Fry, Gordon Getty, Stephen Gifford, Dr. Steven Goldberg & Sandee Blechman, Jacinthe Harbec, Sarah Harvey, Mark Hernandez, Wendy Hillhouse, Bette & Joseph Hirsch, Greer Hopkins, James Ingalls, Peter Kazaras, Robert Kerman, Carole Klein, Andrew Korniej, James Lapine, Alan Lessik, Meagan Levitan, Peter Lundberg, Patrice Maginnis & Eric Rice, Henry & Deada Mally, Paul McCullough, James Meredith, Melinda Meyers, Diane Miller, John Moore, James Morehead, Alice Morison, Erin Neff, Jennifer Norris, Peggy & Boyce Nute (in support of the role of Dan White sung by Chris Oglesby), Tarik O’Regan, Alan Oakley, Evan Painter & Wendy Polivka, Susanna Philipose, Ruth Rainero, Harold Rappaport, Michele Rivard, Ryan Robertson, Marleen Roggow, Martin & Deborah Chin Rokeach, Arthur Rose, Carla Sarett, Milton Schaefer, Linda Scourtis, Jeffrey and Gretchen Shopoff, Dr. Kay Stern, Barbara Stolz, Les Thaler, Marta Tobey, Steven Vlasak, Scott Walton, Sheila Willey, Celeste Winant, Candace Zander Kahn
OUR SUPPORTERS
ANNUAL SPONSORS
($1,000+)
Vincanne Adams & John Norby
Sandra & Darr Aley
Martha Allday
Malekeh Amini & Arman Pahlavan
Bettina Aptheker
Rob Bailis
Christopher Barefoot / Opus One Winery
Robert Beadle
The Beatrice Giving Fund
Lynn D. Berger
Helen Berggruen
David Bertoni
Didi Boring
Romana Bracco
Stanford Brown
Machelle Burkstrand & Steven Winick
Kenneth Caldwell
Don Scott Carpenter
Joseph Chan
Elaine Châteauvert
Debbie Chinn
Carolyn Clark Beedle
Marna Clark
Janet Cluff
Michael Colbruno
Kip Cranna*
Leslie Crary & Andrew Stoloff
Meriem Curtil
Simon & Monica Donovan
John Downey & Brad Hise
Judith Erdberg
Lisa Erdberg & Dennis Gibbons
Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg & Dr. Mary E. Wilson
Andrea & Don Fineberg
Steve Fletcher & Carl Croft
Louise Fox*
The Future Fund
John Garfinkle
Keith & Priscilla Geeslin
Susan & Mark Geyer
Jo Giessler*
Alexandra Gillen & Hartmut Koeppen
David Gockley & Linda Kemper
Judy & Jeff Gough
Geoffrey & Marcia Green
Melinda Haag
Richard Hart
Jane Hartley*
Lizbeth Hasse & Joe Orrach
Christina & Kenneth Hecht
Jake Heggie & Curt Branom
Bette & Joseph Hirsch*
Tom Horn
Eman Isadiar & Carlos Zamora
Olivier Janin
Leslie Ann Jones
Mark L. Kalow & Marlene Pitkow
Amelia Kaymen & Eric Yopes
Frank Kelly
Martha & Michael Kessler
Kelly Klaus
Carole Klein
John Klopacz & Richard Wilson
Karen Kubin
Danielle Lavoie
Marcia Lazer*
Steven Lei*
Fred Levin*
Deborah Lewis & Martin H. Myers
Priscilla Lore
Stephen & Linda Lowens
Peter Lundberg
Jeffrey A. Lyttle
Betty Maddux
David Madson*
Patrice Maginnis & Eric Rice
Jeff Mattlin & Alexa Fitzpatrick*
Patrick McCabe
Susan McConkey
Mary McDermott Cook
Helen Mckenna Ridley & H. Allan
Ridley
Mina Miller & David Sabritt
Judy Miner
Alice Morison
Anne L. Morton
Simin Naaseh & Farhang Ostadan*
Peggy & Boyce Nute
Alan Olejniczak & David Bourne
Barney & Barbro Osher
Peggy Otum & Andrew Price*
Erica Pascal & Michael Hostetler
Nancy Petrisko & Don Beckham*
Mary Ellen Poole
Daniel L. Rabinowitz & Ann F.
Thomas
Mark & Susan Reinstra
Robert Ripps & Steven Spector*
John Roevekamp & Lisa Jill
Freeman*
Dr. Elise & Jay Rossiter
Terri & Bob Ryan
Michael & Gini Savage*
Tony Shayne*
Jeffrey & Gretchen Shopoff
Dr. Katherine Slazak
Deborah Stallings & Sharna Fey
Michael Staufenbiel
Joseph Stecher
Theresa Stuart
Martin Tannenbaum & Alex Ingersoll
Lily Toney
Melody Walsh
Emily Wang & Aaron Hoffer
Henry Weissmann
Marianne Welmers
Karen & James Wiley
Dee Williams
Barbara Wolfe
Paul Woolford & Rick Freeman
Brenda Yost
Jee Young You & Paul Alsdorf*
Candace Zander Kahn
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS
($500+)
Denise Artal
Catherine Atcheson
Dr. Roy C. Bergstrom
Donna Brorby
Philip & Elayne Dauber
Ann Del Simone
Roberto Esteves
Donna Jean Fogel
Harriet C. Fried
Karen Gabrielson
Mark Gibson
Dr. Steven Goldberg & Sandee Blechman
Mary Henderson
George & Leslie Hume
Drs. Phyllis A. Kempner and David D. Stein
Nelda Kilguss
Angie Kim
Harvey Kohs
James Lapine
Peter & Patty Li
Arend Lijphart
Sylvia Lindsey
Myron Marx & Cora Yang
Melinda Meyers
Diane Compagno Miller
Patricia Moy
Paul Mugnier
Erin Neff
Richard Nichols
Ruth Nott
Maria Paiement
Laura Pauli
Amanda Keith Perrot
Dr. Robert W. Popper
Karl Pribram
Eric & Lissa Resnick
Carla Sarett
Pamela Sebastian
Marjorie Shapiro & Ian Hinchliffe
Matthew Shilvock
Lawrence & Gail Siegel*
Blanche Germain Streeter
Aileen Tat
Christopher Verdugo
Barbara Waldman
Judy Walsh
Jessica Wan
Patricia Ward
Daphne & Stuart Wells
Peter Wender
Philip Wilder
James Williams
Jason Williams
Heather Young
Sarah Young & Earl Speas
IN HONOR OF OPERA PARALLÈLE’S STAFF AND BOARD
Mary Ellen Poole
Laura Kaminsky & Rebecca Allan
Aileen Tat
IN HONOR OF OPERA PARALLÈLE’S FOUNDERS
Patrice Maginnis & Eric Rice
IN HONOR OF NORBY ANDERSON
Candace Zander Kahn
IN HONOR OF MARYLENE DELBOURG-DELPHIS
John Klopacz & Richard Wilson
Peter Wender
IN MEMORY OF DAVID R. DEL SIMONE
Ann Del Simone
IN HONOR OF JACQUES DESJARDINS
Dr. Katherine Slazak
IN HONOR OF BOB ELLIS
Linden Berry
Sue & Phil Marineau
IN MEMORY OF GIOVANNI FAVRETTI
Jerry Roth & Ray Jenks
IN CELEBRATION OF JANE HARTLEY’S BIRTHDAY
Alan Lee Follett
IN HONOR OF JAKE HEGGIE
Bette & Joseph Hirsch*
Karen Kubin
IN HONOR OF DANIEL HARVEY
Sarah Harvey
IN HONOR OF MARK HERNANDEZ
Sherrie & Coleman Rosenberg
IN HONOR OF JOHN KLOPACZ & RICK WILSON
Stephen Marshall & James Goodell
IN MEMORY OF DINA KUNTZ
Nicole Paiement & Brian Staufenbiel
IN HONOR OF LISA LINDELEF
David Stein & Phyllis Kempner
IN MEMORY OF GLORIA LOWELL
Jerry Roth & Ray Jenks
IN HONOR OF MARY NOLA
Nina Elsohn
Barbara Waldman
OUR SUPPORTERS
IN MEMORY OF DOUG NORBY
Laurel Ann Winzler
IN HONOR OF RUTH NOTT
David Bertoni
Susan McConkey
Miriam Perkoff
IN HONOR OF ELLEN RUTH ROSE
Arthur Rose
IN HONOR OF JERRY ROTH
Cris Arguedas
Nicholas Fram
IN MEMORY OF CHERYL RUBY
Randall Alfred
Tod & Susan Brody
Kathy Celentano
Paul Colardo
Roger & Kathy Cramer
Rich Deucher
Nina Elsohn
Madelyn English
Harriet Fried
Dianne Fukami
Karen Gilden
Judy & Jeff Gough
Rose Jennings Newhouse
Diane Keaton
Robin Kennedy
Dina Kuntz & Sherry Parker
Elizabeth McMillan & George Varian
Mark Miller
Anna C. Mullins
Marie A. Nola
John & LeAnn Pokorski
Robert Ripps & Steven Spector
Michael Rosenthal
Lawrence & Gail Siegel
Daniel Smith
Barbara Waldman
Bill Weidman
William & Brenda Winston
Patricia Ward
IN MEMORY OF BETTY CHRISTENSEN
WALLERSTEIN & IN HONOR OF RALPH WALLERSTEIN
Judy & Jeff Gough
Rebecca Schumacher
IN MEMORY OF MY PARTNER ROBERT
Victoria Chen
IN HONOR OF NICOLE PAIEMENT AND BRIAN STAUFENBIEL
Didi Boring
Patricia Green
Edward M. Irvin
James Meredith
Alice Morison
Lawrence & Gail Siegel
Barbara Waldman
Brenda Yost
IN HONOR OF NICOLE PAIEMENT
Maria Paiement
IN HONOR OF NANCY PETRISKO AND DON BECKHAM
Christine Malek
IN HONOR OF JEE YOUNG YOU
Holly Hogan
IN KIND DONORS
Phillip & Sala Burton
Academic High School
Etxea Wines
Gordon Getty
Neal Ordmond
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
Starlite Vineyards
Jane Hartley
Jeff Mattlin & Alexa Fitzpatrick
We are deeply grateful for the collective generosity of our patrons at all levels. Giving at the Collaborator+ level includes digital program recognition, and gifts of $100+ are recognized on our website. This listing recognizes gifts received between January 1, 2024, and May 20, 2025. If an error or omission is noted, please accept our sincere apologies and contact development@operaparallele. org with any updates.
* Indicates Impact Campaign Charter Donors
ABOUT OP
MISSION STATEMENT
Opera Parallèle merges tradition with innovation to re-invent opera for our modern world. We are committed to the highest artistic standards in our productions. We foster an inclusive and creative environment that values curiosity and innovation. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We embrace communication and respect and are accountable for our actions.
We believe in the power of music, the importance of storytelling, and the ability of art to ignite awareness. Opera is for everyone.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We acknowledge that the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. We recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland, and we affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples. ramaytush.org
OP STAFF
Nicole Paiement
GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Brodersen
INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR
Brian Staufenbiel
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Eman Isadiar
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Daniel Harvey
ARTISTIC PRODUCER & COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
Pamela Sevilla
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Calvin Eng
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Phil Lowery
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Jacques Desjardins
ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR
Jay Cruz
MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Muskan Parashar
DEVELOPMENT & IDEA ASSOCIATE
Jenna Toler
CONTRACTING ASSOCIATE & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Jon Finck
PUBLICIST
Brett Metzger
FINANCE MANAGER
Deb Stallings
IMPACT CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR
Keisuke Nakagoshi
RESIDENT PIANIST
Michael Mohammed
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
BOARD MEMBERS
Jerome C. Roth, Chair
Peggy Otum, Vice Chair
Lisa Lindelef, Secretary
Jo Giessler, Treasurer
Malekeh Amini
Kip Cranna
Marylene Delbourg-Delphis
Louise Fox
Jane Hartley
Marcia Lazer
Steven Lei
Jeff Mattlin
Simin Naaseh
John D. Roevekamp
Tony Shayne
Jee Young You
HONORARY BOARD
Terence Blanchard
Ruth A. Felt
Philip Glass
Jake Heggie
John Holiday
Frederica von Stade
Scott Wiener
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Joseph Chan
Steve Kesten
Carmelita Mitchell
Robert Ripps
Lawrence Siegel, JD
ANNOUNCING OUR 2025/2026 SEASON
Cal Performances UC Berkeley & Opera Parallèle present
An opera by Philip Glass
Based on the film by Jean Cocteau
March 13 & 14, 2026
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
Presidio Theatre & Opera Parallèle present
Music by Douglas J. Cuomo
Libretto by John Patrick Shanley, after his play and film
May 29–31, 2026
Presidio Theatre, San Francisco
Based on the book by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic COMING UP FROM THE BULLHORN OP’S COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
A Hands-On-Opera Commission World Premiere
October 25 & 26, 2025
Creativity Theater, Children’s Creativity Museum
Music by Carla Lucero Libretto by Jarrod Lee
