FESTIVAL O18 WITH A LOOK TO SPRING 2019
O
P
E I
T
H
A
R O
E
R S
H
a life drawn in patterns
E
R
T F
A
the pooling of rage
a tangle of sheets
chance’s meandering
hypnotized our fingers trace what we cannot grasp
the steady lines of courage
a dapple of innocence
love’s indelible calligraphy
hopeful and humming, yet beholden to what we know
yesterday rage
sorrow regret
lonely’s blank corners
up around and down
blending blending
blending once more
until all is revealed
this, your finest work
This civic experiment, comprised of eleven days of opera and citywide events, transforms Philadelphia into an urban stage where diverse audiences gather to share an experience and amplify human connectedness. BEST FESTIVAL NOMINEE
O 18
5
S eptem be r 20- 30
Academy of Music September 21–30
SKY ON SWINGS Perelman Theater September 20–29
NE QUITTEZ PAS:
A Reimagined La voix humaine Theatre of Living Arts September 22–30
GLASS HANDEL The Barnes Foundation September 22–30
QUEENS OF THE NIGHT Theatre of Living Arts September 24–28
F R I D AYS AT F I E L D Curtis Institute of Music September 21 & 28
S P R I N G 2 019 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Academy of Music February 8–17
LA BOHÈME Academy of Music April 26–May 5
For personalized assistance curating your Opera Philadelphia experience, contact Guest Services at 215.732.8400 or visit operaphila.org/order.
O 18
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
B R E N DA R A E I S A N “A S T O U N D I N G ” L U C I A . THE CLASSICAL REVIEW
MICHAEL SPYRES “HAS LIMITLESS G R A C E A N D V O C A L P U R I T Y. ” T H E G U A R D I A N
L A U R E N T P E L LY I S A N “A - P L U S D I R E C T O R . ” THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
ANTHONY ROTH COSTANZO BRINGS A “ UNIQUE MIX OF MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL STRENGTHS.” T H E N E W YO R K E R
F R E D E R I C A VO N S TA D E I S “ O N E O F A M E R I C A’ S F I N E S T ARTISTS AND SINGERS.” T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S
M A R I E T TA S I M P S O N ' S P E R F O R M AN C E S A RE “ INF INITELY TO U C H I N G A N D V I V I D .” OPERA NEWS
S T E P H A N I E B LY T H E “ C A N DO ANY THING.” T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S
L E M B I T B E E C H E R ' S M U S I C I S “ H A U N T I N G LY L O V E LY A N D D E E P LY P E R S O N A L . ” SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
PA T R I C I A R A C E T T E I S “ T H E M O S T F E A R L E S S WO M A N I N O P E R A .” LA TIMES
JA M E S DA R R A H I S “A N I N C R E D I B LY I N G E N I O U S , C R E AT I V E A N D TA L E N T E D D I R E C TO R .” HUFFINGTON POST
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR /
9
Academy of Music
O 18
A seductively beautiful, deeply disturbing tale of love unhinged. Often considered the Scottish take on Romeo & Juliet, Lucia di Lammermoor explores the depths of passion and despair that overtake its heroine, who is used as a political pawn by her family. When forced to marry a man she does not love—rather than her beloved Edgardo, the mortal enemy of her brother—Lucia is driven to derangement, escalating to one of the most haunting mad scenes in all of opera.
NEW PRODUCTION
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
CAST & CREATIVE CONDUCTOR Corrado Rovaris
Co-produced by Opera Philadelphia and Wiener Staatsoper
LUCIA Brenda Rae DIRECTOR Laurent Pelly*
EDGARDO Michael Spyres* SET DESIGN Chantal Thomas*
The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
SEPTEMBER 21, 23, 26, 28, 30
Music GAETANO DONIZETTI Libretto SALVADORE CAMMARANO
ENRICO Troy Cook
PERFORMED IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
RAIMONDO Christian Van Horn*
COSTUME DESIGN Laurent Pelly*
LIGHTING DESIGN Duane Schuler *Opera Philadelphia debut
#PHLUCIA
SKY ON SWINGS /
11
Perelman Theater
O 18
Is there any grace in forgetting? Can time’s cruel and random destruction of memory also produce fleeting moments of happiness and love, unencumbered by the past and stripped of the self? Frederica von Stade and Marietta Simpson embody this dreamlike world premiere from composer Lembit Beecher and librettist Hannah Moscovitch.
WORLD PREMIERE
American Repertoire Program
SKY ON SWINGS
CAST & CREATIVE
DIRECTOR Joanna Settle*
Aurora productions in the Perelman Theater are underwritten, in part, by the Wyncote Foundation at the recommendation of Frederick R. Haas. Additional production support received by the Allen R. and Judy Brick Freedman Venture Fund for New Opera.
DANNY Frederica von Stade SET DESIGN Andrew Lieberman
MARTHA Marietta Simpson
COSTUME DESIGN Tilly Grimes*
The Perelman Theater is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Music LEMBIT BEECHER
SEPTEMBER 20, 22, 25, 27, 29
Libretto HANNAH MOSCOVITCH
PERFORMED IN ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
IRA Daniel Taylor
PROJECTION DESIGN Jorge Cousineau
WINNIE Sharleen Joynt*
CONDUCTOR Geoffrey McDonald*
LIGHTING DESIGN Pat Collins
SOUND DESIGN Daniel Perelstein *Opera Philadelphia debut
#SKYONSWIN GS
NE QUITTEZ PAS: A Reimagined La voix humaine
13
Theatre of Living Arts
O 18
This site-specific production begins with an intimate performance of French art and cabaret songs, followed by one of opera’s most powerful monodramas,
La voix humaine, in which a lonely woman lays bare the heartbreak of unrequited love. This reimagined staging brings new perspective to a work once described by Poulenc himself as “a musical confession.”
N E W P R O D U C T I O N A N D C O M PA N Y P R E M I E R E
NE QUITTEZ PAS
Based on the play by Jean Cocteau
Music
SEPTEMBER 22, 23, 27, 29, 30
Libretto
PERFORMED IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
FRANCIS POULENC JEAN COCTEAU
CAST & CREATIVE
ELLE Patricia Racette*
DIRECTOR James Darrah
COSTUME DESIGN Chrisi Karvonides
LE JEUNE HOMME Edward Nelson*
MUSIC DIRECTOR & PIANIST Christopher Allen*
LIGHTING DESIGN Pablo Santiago *Opera Philadelphia debut
# T L AVO I X
GLASS HANDEL /
15
The Barnes Foundation
O 18
Superstar countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and the New York-based luxury art and fashion multimedia company Visionaire create an hour-long operatic art installation with the music of Handel and Philip Glass. Luminaries from the worlds of art, fashion, dance, and film collaborate with Costanzo to create a new way to experience live music, offering each audience member a unique immersion. Glass Handel features live painting by George Condo, choreography by Justin Peck with star dancer Patricia Delgado, and videos by directors and artists including James Ivory, Pix Talarico, and more.
WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION
GLASS HANDEL
CAST & CREATIVE CONDUCTOR Corrado Rovaris
Co-presented by Opera Philadelphia, the Barnes Foundation, and National Sawdust
COUNTERTENOR
Anthony Roth Costanzo
PRODUCERS
Music
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL AND PHILIP GLASS
VISUAL ARTIST George Condo*
Anthony Roth Costanzo, Visionaire, and Cath Brittan
DANCER
Patricia Delgado*
SEPTEMBER 22 (PREVIEW), 23, 30 PERFORMED IN ENGLISH & ITALIAN VIDEO ARTISTS
James Ivory*, Pix Talarico*
CHOREOGRAPHER Justin Peck*
*Opera Philadelphia debut
QUEENS OF THE NIGHT /
17
Theatre of Living Arts
O 18
Pomp, pageantry, and bawdy ballads await at the Theatre of Living Arts (TLA), courtesy of cohosts Blythely Oratonio (Stephanie Blythe) and Martha Graham Cracker (Dito van Reigersberg), along with a few special guests. This highly improvisational, three-night serial expands upon the 2017 genre- and gender-bending caba-play Dito & Aeneas:
Two Queens, One Night.
A R OYA L LY R A M P E D - U P R E V I VA L
September 24
QUEENS OF THE NIGHT
CABARET NIGHT HOSTED BY BLYTHELY ORATONIO September 25
CAST & CREATIVE
September 28
DITO & AENEAS: TWO QUEENS, ONE NIGHT
BLYTHELY ORATONIO Stephanie Blythe
WRITER & DIRECTOR John Jarboe
PERFORMED IN ENGLISH
CABARET NIGHT HOSTED BY MARTHA GRAHAM CRACKER
Production support received from Linda and David Glickstein.
MARTHA GRAHAM CRACKER Dito van Reigersberg
COSTUME & SCENIC DESIGN Machine Dazzle
MARTHA COSTUMES Max Brown
MUSIC DIRECTION & ARRANGEMENTS Daniel Kazemi
LIGHTING DESIGN Drew Billiau
SOUND DESIGN Daniel Perelstein *Opera Philadelphia debut
#DITOANDAENEAS
SEPTEMBER 21 & 28 FIELD CONCERT HALL
I
at Field
AY
CO-PRESENTED WITH THE CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC Hear tomorrow’s stars on today’s stage, as members of Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artists Program from the Curtis Institute of Music perform in recital at the historic and intimate Field Concert Hall. Singers and repertoire will be announced prior to O18. # F R I DAY S AT F I E L D Photographs by Dominic M. Mercier and Visit Philadelphia
F E S T I VA L EXTRAS Connect with your fellow opera lovers and enrich your O18 experience with these free offerings—all added value with your performance ticket.
OPERA OVERTURES Hear engaging and informative pre-curtain talks one hour prior to performances at the Academy of Music and Perelman Theater.
TALKBAC KS Ask questions of cast and creative team members after select performances.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Join in a facilitated post-performance dialogue surrounding themes explored in Sky on Swings.
GALLERY HOUR Explore select galleries of the Barnes Foundation, open exclusively to Glass Handel ticket holders one hour before performances.
EXPLORE PHILADELPHIA Museum exhibitions, lectures, tours, and other special events will be on tap via festival partners. Plus, experience Philly’s thriving restaurant scene, historic neighborhoods, and so much more. Explore O18 Hotel Partners at operaphila.org/hotels
O P E R A AT YO U R FINGERTIPS
Discover more at operaphila.org/events
Download the My OperaPhila mobile app to navigate your festival experience. Keep a schedule of events and performances, access your e-tickets, find your way around town, and learn the latest O18 news.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM /
21
Academy of Music
S P R I N G 2 019
Having toured the world for over a quarter century, Robert Carsen’s celebrated staging of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream finally makes its way stateside. This jovial adaptation of Shakespeare’s popular comedy follows a throng of characters as they get tangled in complicated love triangles, mistaken identities, and alarming transformations.
U.S. PRODUCTION PREMIERE
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
CAST & CREATIVE
OBERON Tim Mead*
DEMETRIUS Johnathan McCullough CONDUCTOR Corrado Rovaris
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Music BENJAMIN BRITTEN
FEBRUARY 8, 10, 15, 17
Production of the Festival d’ Aix-enProvence & Opera National de Lyon
Libretto BENJAMIN BRITTEN & PETER PEARS
PERFORMED IN ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
TYTANIA Anna Christy*
THESEUS Evan Hughes*
DIRECTOR Emmanuelle Bastet*
PUCK Miltos Yerolemou*
HIPPOLYTA Allyson McHardy*
HELENA Georgia Jarman*
BOTTOM Matthew Rose
ORIGINAL DIRECTION Robert Carsen*
The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
LYSANDER Brenton Ryan
FLUTE Miles Mykkanen*
SET AND COSTUME DESIGN Michael Levine*
LIGHTING DESIGN Robert Carsen* and Peter Van Praet* *Opera Philadelphia debut
#BRITTEN ONBROAD
LA BOHÈME /
23
Academy of Music
S P R I N G 2 019
A chance encounter on a winter night changes everything for Mimì and Rodolfo, sending them into a deep, passionate whirlwind romance in the heart of Paris, living among other young bohemians who are making art and falling in love. This popular revival of Puccini’s romantic blockbuster features sets inspired and enlivened by masterpieces from the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
B E LOV E D R E V I VA L
LA BOHÈME
CAST & CREATIVE SCHAUNARD Will Liverman CONDUCTOR Corrado Rovaris
Production of the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofía” in Valencia, Spain, in 2012
RODOLFO Evan LeRoy Johnson COLLINE Peixin Chen
Music GIACOMO PUCCINI
APRIL 26, 28, MAY 1, 3, 5
Libretto LUIGI ILLICA AND GIUSEPPE GIACOSA
PERFORMED IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES
MIMÌ Vanessa Vasquez*
MARCELLO Troy Cook
BENOIT & ALCINDORO Kevin Burdette
DIRECTION & SET DESIGN Davide Livermore
COSTUME DESIGN Davide Livermore and Palau de Les Arts
The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
AUDIOVISUAL D-Wok *Opera Philadelphia debut
#PHILABOHEME
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FESTIVAL VISIONARY
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$800 Includes four productions: Lucia, Sky on Swings, Ne Quittez Pas, and Glass Handel.*
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EVENT
VENUE
LUCIA/ MIDSUMMER/ BOHÈME
SKY ON SWINGS
ACADEMY
DAY
ZONE 1
ZONE 2
ZONE 3
ZONE 4
ZONE 5
Sunday
$241
$185
$129
$81
$49
$221
$165
$109
$69
$45
Sept. 20, 22, 29
$185
$129
$81
$49
Sept. 25, 27
$165
$109
$69
$45
$160
$120
$40•
Thursday
$120
$80
$20•
Preview
$60
Sunday
$280 with after-party
$80
Cabaret
$80
$60
Dito & Aeneas
$200
Friday
$20
Wednesday/ Friday
PERELMAN
Saturday/
N E Q U I T T E Z PA S
GL ASS HANDEL
TLA
Sunday
Limited availability. The only way to ensure you’ll get tickets
BARNES
QUEENS OF THE NIGHT
TLA
F R I DAYS AT FIELD
CURTIS
is to purchase a Festival Pass.
$40
$20•
$100
$40•
•Standing Room
F E S T I VA L C A L E N DA R September
Th
F
Sa
Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa
Su
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Academy of Music
I N C L U D E D I N T H E F E S T I VA L PA S S
LUCIA DI L AMMERMOOR
Perelman Theater
SKY ON SWINGS
8:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
Theatre of Living Arts
NE QUITTEZ PAS: A Reimagi ned La voix humaine
8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m.
The Barnes Foundation
9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Preview
GL ASS HA N DEL
Theatre of Living Arts
9:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Cabaret Cabaret
QUEENS OF THE NIG H T
8:00 p.m. Dito & Aeneas
Curtis Institute of Music
FRIDAYS AT FIELD
4:00 p.m.
4.00 p.m.
O R D E R BY M AY 31 , 2 018 T O L O C K I N YO U R P R I C E ! A F T E R T H AT D AT E , P R I C E S W I L L I N C R E A S E B A S E D O N D E M A N D . Tickets for single events will go on sale August 1, 2018.
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