Festival O18 Brochure

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

With YOU the show WILL go on.

Help us share opera with audiences all across Philadelphia.

P I C T U R E O P E R A . O R G 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0

OPERA PHILADELPHIA relies on you to stage its groundbreaking

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What can you

GIVE T O D AY that will make all the difference tomorrow?

Show your support today at

P IC T U R E O P E R A . O R G

FESTIVAL INNOVATOR $250

Save up to 10% on single tickets Access Private Sales to purchase single tickets and register for events before the general public Receive special invitations to Festival kick-off and closing parties Receive an invitation to the Between the Notes: Festival Preview and hear from a guest speaker about O18 productions Receive an invitation for two to the annual Emerging Artists Recital Hear from Opera leadership about company plans at the Annual Meeting Receive a Festival Membership card and commemorative postcards featuring season illustrations

FESTIVAL VISIONARY

$1,000

Benefits of Innovator Level, plus: Invitation for two to attend the dress rehearsal of Lucia di Lammermoor Invitation for two to attend champagne receptions for select Festival productions Invitation to attend a Backstage Tour of the Academy of Music Recognition as a Festival Visionary in the O18 program book

2 018 - 2 019 T I C K E T PAC K AG E S Your menu of options

F E S T I VA L PA S S

OPERA À LA CARTE Mix and match any two or more operas

The best way to experience

for total flexibility.

Festival O18 for one flat price.

$20–$280 per ticket Select any two operas across the 2018-2019 Season.

$800 Includes four productions: Lucia, Sky on Swings, Ne Quittez Pas, and Glass Handel.*

S AV E 2 0 %

S AV E U P T O 2 6 %

B U Y A F E S T I VA L PA S S A N D G E T T H E B E S T B E N E F I T S Complimentary exchanges No handling fees 5-month payment plan** Invitations to Private Sales

Be at the front of the line for the best seats in the house Your choice of performances and dates* First access to Glass Handel* Access to VIP Services concierge hotline

O P E R A À L A C A R T E T I C K E T P R I C E S ( R E F L E C T 2 0 % S AV I N G S )

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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IN PERSON

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Seating priority is based on current donor level, number of years as a donor, number of years as a subscriber, package type, and date order is received.

Casting, program, schedule, and pricing subject to change without notice. Deposited checks or charges do not guarantee seating availability. *Subject to availability **5-month payment plan available through May 18, 2018

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