Festival O19 | Spring 2020 Brochure

Opera for All. Festival O19 | Spring 2020

Its name has not changed: opera remains opera. A NEW KIND OF CO MEDY And yet, it is wondrously new— A N E W K I N D O F M Y T H The fusion of yesterday and tomorrow. A N E W K I N D O F T R A G E D Y Monologue and moving arias. A N E W K I N D O F S AT I R E Quintessential themes and otherworldly stagings. A N E W K I N D O F E U L O G Y A renaissance that welcomes the uninitiated and rekindles adoration. A N E W K I N D O F C L A S S I C Experience a new kind of opera.

F E S T I VA L O 1 9 September 18 – 29

The Love for Three Oranges September 20, 22, 27 & 29 | Academy of Music

Semele

September 19, 21, 24, 26 & 28 | Perelman Theater

Denis & Katya

September 18, 19, 21 – 23, 25, 26, 28 & 29 | The Suzanne Roberts Theatre

Let Me Die

September 21, 22, 25 – 28 | FringeArts

Curtis in Concert

September 21, 22, 28 & 29 | Curtis Institute of Music

Major support for Festival O19 has been provided by the William Penn Foundation.

SPRING 2020 Verdi’s Requiem

January 31 & February 2 | Academy of Music

Madame Butterfly

April 24, 26 & 29, May 1 & 3 | Academy of Music

For personalized assistance curating your Opera Philadelphia experience, contact Guest Services at 215.732.8400 or visit operaphila.org/order.

C O M PA N Y P R E M I E R E

THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES Academy of Music A favorite of Opera Philadelphia’s Music Director Corrado Rovaris, this rarely seen musical gem is a fun, fantastical farce. Opulent stage design, a kingdom of colorful characters, and some of Prokofiev’s most energetic, accessible music combine for a seriously funny opera about a melancholic prince and his cursed quest for love.

Music

adaptation of the play by

SERGEI PROKOFIEV

SEPTEMBER 20, 22, 27 & 29

Libretto

PERFORMED IN ENGLISH

Production of Maggio

SERGEI PROKOFIEV AND

WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES

Musicale Fiorentino

VERA JANACOPOULOS

Carlo Gozzi

A New Kind Of Comedy

#THREEORANGES

Based on Vsevolod Meyerhold’s

The Academy Series is underwritten, in part, by Judy and Peter Leone.

The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

C A S T & C R E AT I V E T E A M The King of Clubs / Scott Conner*

Ninette / Tiffany Townsend*

Conductor / Corrado Rovaris

The Prince / Jonathan Johnson*

The Cook / Zachary James

Director / Alessandro Talevi*

Truffaldino / Barry Banks*

Smeraldine / Amanda Bottoms*

Scenic Design / Justin Arienti*

Fata Morgana / Wendy Bryn Harmer*

Pantalone / Will Liverman

Costume Design / Manuel Pedretti*

Princess Clarissa / Alissa Anderson*

Linette / Katherine Pracht

Lighting Design / Giuseppe Calabro*

Leandro / Zachary Altman

Nicolette / Kendra Broom*

The Magician Tchelio / Brent Michael Smith

Farfarello / Ben Wager

O 19

5

*Opera Philadelphia debut

C O M PA N Y P R E M I E R E

SEMELE Perelman Theater Rife with themes of unbridled love, jealousy, and revenge, Semele gets an energetic makeover courtesy of visionary director James Darrah (Breaking the Waves). Featuring Handel’s most glorious orchestral and virtuosic vocal writing, Semele transports audiences to the world of Greek and Roman mythology and its larger-than-life personas: from lustful gods and vengeful goddesses to fallible mortals.

A New Kind Of Myth

Music

#SEMELE

Co-produced with Opera Omaha

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

SEPTEMBER 19, 21, 24, 26 & 28

Libretto

PERFORMED IN ENGLISH WITH

WILLIAM CONGREVE

ENGLISH SUPERTITLES

After Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”

Aurora Productions in the Perelman Theater are underwritten, in part, by the Wyncote Foundation at the recommendation of Frederick R. Haas.

The Perelman Theater is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

C A S T & C R E AT I V E T E A M Semele / Amanda Forsythe*

Conductor / Gary Thor Wedow

Jupiter, Apollo / Alek Shrader

Director / James Darrah

Juno, Ino / Daniela Mack

Scenic & Lighting Design / Cameron Mock* and Emily MacDonald*

Athamas / Tim Mead

Costume Design / Sarah Schuessler*

Cadmus, Somnus / Alex Rosen*

Projection Design / Adam Larsen

Iris / Sarah Shafer

O 19

*Opera Philadelphia debut

7

WORLD PREMIERE

DENIS & KATYA The Suzanne Roberts Theatre Composer Philip Venables and director Ted Huffman—the duo behind the award-winning 4.48 Psychosis—team up once again on this powerful, ripped-from-the-headlines world premiere about the deaths of two 15-year-old runaways. While in the midst of a standoff with Russian Special Forces, the couple broadcast themselves live on social media, creating a spectacle of real-time voyeurism, and have production uses verbatim text to examine the vast public response to these events, what that reveals about our society, and what it means to make an opera out of it.

Co-commissioned and co-produced with Music Theatre Wales and Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

SEPTEMBER 18, 19, 21 – 23,

Music

25, 26, 28 & 29

PHILIP VENABLES

PERFORMED IN ENGLISH

Libretto

A New Kind of Tragedy

# D E N I S A N D K AT YA

since become the Romeo and Juliet of internet clickbait. This multimedia

AND RUSSIAN WITH

TED HUFFMAN

ENGLISH SUPERTITLES

Major support for Denis & Katya has been provided by the William Penn Foundation.

C A S T & C R E AT I V E T E A M Theo Hoffman*

Director / Ted Huffman*

Siena Licht Miller

Co-Creator and Dramaturge / Ksenia Ravvina*

Johnny Herford*

Music Director / Emily Senturia*

Emily Edmonds*

Scenic & Lighting Design / Andrew Lieberman Costume Design / Millie Hiibel* Sound Design / Rob Kaplowitz Projection Design / Pierre Martin*

O 19

9

*Opera Philadelphia debut

WORLD PREMIERE

LET ME DIE FringeArts Joseph Keckler brings his sharp wit and rich, versatile voice to this world premiere “aria-logue” interweaving snippets of famous death scenes from dozens of canonic operas with his own music and signature comedic storytelling. Sardonic in all the right ways, this biting commentary on the grim portrayal of the state of opera features video and piano accompaniment in a nuanced and playful

#LETMEDIE

Presented in partnership with FringeArts as part of the 2019 Fringe Festival

SEPTEMBER 21, 22, 25 – 28 From the mind of

PERFORMED IN ENGLISH

JOSEPH KECKLER

AND OTHER LANGUAGES WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES

Major support for Let Me Die has been provided by the William Penn Foundation.

O 19

11

A New Kind Of Satire

exploration of opera’s fascination with death.

CELEBRATE

20 YEARS WITH

MAESTRO ROVARIS Opera News says Corrado Rovaris has “presided over a

The 2019-2020 Season celebrates our Jack Mulroney Music

striking evolution at Opera Philadelphia.” Since making

Director on the 20th anniversary of his Opera Philadelphia

his U.S. debut with the company in Mozart’s The Marriage

debut. Corrado will conduct The Love for Three Oranges in

of Figaro in 1999, Maestro Rovaris has built an international

September, Verdi’s Requiem in winter, and the spring production

reputation for his fine musicianship and leadership.

of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, all at the Academy of Music.

Festival O19 Celebration H O N O R I N G M A E S T R O R OVA R I S

S AV E T H E DAT E Saturday,

SEPTEMBER

21 2019

Sponsorships now on sale at operaphila.org/O19Celebration Single tickets on sale May 15

Opera Philadelphia invites you to celebrate Festival O19 with a stunning evening in the Academy of Music in honor of Maestro Rovaris. Kick off another spectacular season with an array of talented O19 artists. The evening will feature a performance by a special guest artist and a seated dinner on the stage of the Academy of Music surrounded by the beautiful set of Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges.

O 19

13

S E P T E M B E R 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 8 & 2 9 12:00 P.M.

CURTIS FIELD CONCERT HALL

in Concert

CO-PRESENTED WITH THE CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC Singers trained at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, including renowned sopranos Karen Slack and Rachel Sterrenberg, perform in recital at the historic and intimate Field Concert Hall. A full lineup of vocalists and repertoire will be announced prior to O19.

A FES TIVAL NOT TO BE MISSED

“ A hotbed of operatic innovation.”

The New York Times “ Philadelphia is reaffirming that classical music has a legit place in 21st century American art.”

The Denver Post “ This citywide festival runs the

“ A model for innovation in

gamut of operatic ingenuity.”

the classical music industry.”

The New Yorker

Opera News

“Opera in Philadelphia really can claim to offer something for everyone.”

The Washington Post

“ I feel grateful to live in Philly.”

Parterre Box

O 19

15

CONCERT PERFORMANCES

VERDI’S REQUIEM Academy of Music In celebration of Corrado Rovaris’s 20th anniversary with Opera Philadelphia, the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus take center stage in what NPR has called “a conductor’s dream come true”: Verdi’s Requiem.

Joining soloists Leah Crocetto (Don Carlo), Daniela Mack (Carmen), Evan LeRoy Johnson (Carmen), and In-Sung Sim are more than

#REQUIEM

exploration of the full range of human emotions experienced during the Roman Catholic mass for the dead.

JANUARY 31 & FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Music GIUSEPPE VERDI

PERFORMED IN LATIN

A New Kind of Eulogy

80 instrumentalists and 100 choristers, resulting in a dramatic

The Academy Series is underwritten, in part, by Judy and Peter Leone.

The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

C A S T & C R E AT I V E T E A M Soprano / Leah Crocetto

Conductor / Corrado Rovaris

Mezzo / Daniela Mack

Chorus Master / Elizabeth Braden

Tenor / Evan LeRoy Johnson Bass / In-Sung Sim*

2020

*Opera Philadelphia debut

17

MADAME BUTTERFLY Academy of Music What sacrifices will one make in the name of love? Director Ted Huffman eloquently unravels Puccini’s 115-year-old musical masterpiece for today’s audiences, elevating what was once considered a period piece into a modern-day commentary on power dynamics and Western exploitation, set soaring with its achingly beautiful score.

APRIL 24, 26 & 29,

GIACOMO PUCCINI Production of Opernhaus Zürich

MAY 1 & 3, 2020

Libretto

PERFORMED IN ITALIAN

GIUSEPPE GIACOSA

WITH ENGLISH SUPERTITLES

AND LUIGI ILLICA

The Academy Series is underwritten, in part, by Judy and Peter Leone.

The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

A New Kind Of Classic

# M A DA M E B U T T E R F LY

Music

C A S T & C R E AT I V E T E A M Cio-Cio San / Eri Nakamura*

Conductor / Corrado Rovaris

Pinkerton / Bryan Hymel

Director / Ted Huffman

Sharpless / Anthony Clark Evans*

Scenic Design / Michael Levine

Suzuki / Kristen Choi*

Costume Design / Annemarie Woods*

Goro / Julius Ahn

Lighting Design / Franck Evin*

Bonze / Wei Wu* Prince Yamadori / Takaoki Onishi*

2020

*Opera Philadelphia debut

19

With YOU the show WILL go on.

Your gift

T O D AY makes all the difference

T O M O R R O W. Give rise to unexpected transformations in opera.

Bring creative vigor to the canon.

Spark conversation and further arts education.

Set the stage for emerging artists.

Membership benefits begin with a gift of $100 and include special invitations, ticketing privileges, and more opportunities for you to enjoy an enhanced connection to the art you love all year long.

Show your support today at

P I C T U R E O P E R A . O R G

2 019 – 2 0 2 0 T I C K E T PA C K A G E S

1.

2.

Festival Pass Includes 3 performances: The Love for Three Oranges, Semele, and Denis & Katya Premium Seating Standard Seating Value Seating

$500 $300 $140

S AV E U P T O 21 %

Augment your Festival Pass by adding any of the À La Carte operas listed below

Season Pass Includes 6 performances: The Love for Three Oranges, Semele, Denis & Katya, Let Me Die, Verdi’s Requiem, and Madame Butterfly Premium Seating Standard Seating Value Seating

$900 $525 $250

S AV E U P T O 2 6 %

Season Pass includes complimentary ticket exchanges and admission to all four Curtis recitals

Buy a pass and get the best benefits 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* Access to VIP Services concierge phone line

3.

EVENT

Opera À La Carte

VENUE

THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES MADAME BUTTERFLY

DAY

ZONE 1

ZONE 2

ZONE 3

ZONE 4

ZONE 5

Sunday

$240

$184

$128

$80

$48

$221

$165

$109

$69

$45

All

$168

$128

$88

$56

$48

Sept. 19, 21, 28

$144

$104

$72

$48

$24

Sept. 24, 26

$128

$88

$56

$40

$17

Sept. 18, 21, 28

$120

$72

$48

$72

$48

$32

ACADEMY Wednesday / Friday

VERDI’S REQUIEM

ACADEMY

SEMELE

PERELMAN

DENIS & KATYA

SUZANNE ROBERTS

Sept. 19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29

LET ME DIE

CURTIS IN CONCERT

B U Y T WO O R M O R E A N D S AV E 2 0 %

Sept. 21, 27, 28

$48

Sept. 22, 25, 26

$32

Sept. 21, 22, 28, 29

$16

FRINGEARTS

CURTIS

F E S T I VA L O 19 & S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 September

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Th

Fr i

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I N C L U D E D I N T H E F E S T I VA L PA S S

Academy of Music

The Love for Three Oranges

8:00 p.m.

Perelman Theater

Semele

The Suzanne Roberts Theatre

Denis & Katya

7:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

FringeArts

Let Me Die

Field Concert Hall

8:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.

Curtis in Concert

2:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.

Academy of Music

Festival O19 Celebration

January/February Academy of Music

Verdi’s Requiem

April/May Academy of Music

Madame Butterfly

7:00 p.m.

Fr i

Sa

Su

31

1

2

8:00 p.m

2:00 p.m.

Fr i

Sa

Su

M

Tu

W

Th

Fr i

Sa

Su

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

1

2

3

8:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

O R D E R BY M AY 1 , 2 019 T O L O C K I N YO U R P R I C E !

ONLINE

IN PERSON

OPERAPHILA.ORG/ORDER

GUEST SERVICES

PHONE 215.732.8400

1 4 2 0 L O C U S T S T R E E T, S U I T E 2 1 0 P H I L A D E L P H I A , PA 1 9 1 0 2 M O N D AY – F R I D AY, 9 : 0 0 A . M . – 5 : 0 0 P. M .

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 March 20, 2019

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operaphila.org/order | 215.732.8400

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