Robert Ward's The Crucible Program

THE CRUCIBLE 24

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APRIL 26 + 28 THE LOBERO THEATRE

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Robert Ward’s

THE CRUCIBLE OPERA SANTA BARBARA PREMIERE

PRODUCTION KOSTIS PROTOPAPAS CONDUCTOR

STEPHANIE HAVEY STAGE DIRECTOR

KOURTNI DALE NOLL

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

STEVEN C. KEMP SCENIC DESIGN

JARED A. SAYEG * LIGHTING DESIGN

HEATHER STERLING

HAIR & MAKEUP DESIGN

STACIE LOGUE

COSTUME MANAGER

T. THERESA SCARANO PROPS MASTER

EMILIA COVAULT KATHERINE BELYEA *

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS

ZACH MENDEZ

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

AUBREY TRUJILLO-SCARR *

CAST

APRIL 26 & 28

APRIL 29 Student Matinee

LOBERO THEATRE

There will be no intermission.

In order of appearance

TITUBA...............................................................NINA YOSHIDA NELSEN REVEREND SAMUEL PARRIS...............................ROBERT NORMAN ++ ABIGAIL WILLIAMS.............................................ANYA MATANOVIC * THOMAS PUTNAM.............................................YAZID GRAY + ANN PUTNAM....................................................AUBREY TRUJILLO-SCARR REBECCA NURSE...............................................ASHLEY KAY ARMSTRONG + FRANCIS NURSE................................................WILLIAM VALLANDIGHAM GILES COREY.....................................................BENJAMIN BRECHER JOHN PROCTOR...............................................WAYNE TIGGES * REVEREND JOHN HALE.....................................COLIN RAMSEY ++ ELIZABETH PROCTOR........................................AUDREY BABCOCK * MARY WARREN..................................................JENNIFER LINDSAY + EZEKIEL CHEEVER.............................................MICHAEL KOLLMORGEN + JUDGE DANFORTH............................................COREY BIX * BETTY PARRIS....................................................KELLY GUERRA SARAH GOOD....................................................NAOMI MERER RUTH PUTNAM...................................................AUDREY YODER SUSANNA WALCOTT..........................................MOLLY CLEMENTZ ++ MERCY LEWIS....................................................KATE AMERIKANER MARTHA SHELDON............................................OXANA HUGHES BRIDGET BOOTH...............................................LISA SUEYRES

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

PROCTOR’S SON................................................MATTHEW WEITZEL

JANE HATFIELD

ORCHESTRA

COSTUME ASSISTANT/SEAMSTRESS

SARA MARTINOVICH MARISOL MILLER-WAVE HAIR/MAKEUP ARTISTS

TIM ACCURSO

VIOLIN I Samuel Fischer, Concertmaster Steven Zander, Associate Concertmaster Kelly Bunch Dmitry Olevsky

LEX BENES

VIOLIN II Ji-Young An, Principal Colleen Coomber Jeanne Ullom

ROBERT WEINMAN

VIOLA Diane Gilbert, Principal Karen Long

LINDA DI FIORE

CELLO Christopher Ahn, Principal Paula Fehrenbach

SUPERTITLES

SUPERTITLE OPERATOR

PRE-OPERA LECTURE

STUDIO ARTIST MASTER TEACHER

* DEBUT ARTIST + STUDIO ARTIST ++ STUDIO ARTIST ALUMNUS

DOUBLE BASS Neil Garber, Principal FLUTE/PICCOLO Gary Woodard, Principal Suzanne Duffy OBOE/ENGLISH HORN Catherine Del Russo, Principal CLARINET Larry Hughes, Principal Patricia Massey BASSOON Andrew Radford, Principal

HORN Allen Fogel, Principal Annie Bosler TRUMPET John Ernest, Principal Dustin McKinney TROMBONE Mark Miller, Principal HARP Ellie Choate, Principal TIMPANI/PERCUSSION Jon Nathan, Principal

THE CRUCIBLE

SYNOPSIS Salem, Massachusetts, 1692 ACT I The house of Reverend Parris. Parris and niece Abigail kneel at the bedside of daughter Betty who is unconscious. Rumors of witchcraft are rampant in the town. Neighbors arrive and report that their own daughter is also stricken. Other Salem farmers, including John Proctor enter and a dispute breaks out about witchcraft being the cause of the girls’ malady. Reverend Hale, an expert on the subject, has been summoned. He questions Parris’ slavegirl Tituba whom Abigail accuses of inciting the girls. Under heavy inquiry, Tituba “confesses” that she has spoken with the Devil. This seems to break the “spell” over Betty and all rejoice in a hymn.

ACT II John Proctor’s farm. Proctor argues with his wife Elizabeth over their dismissed servant Abigail, whom Proctor has seduced. Abigail is now falsely claiming to Boston Judge Danforth that many women in Salem are guilty of witchcraft. Elizabeth begs her husband to go to the court and expose her. Mary Warren, the Proctor’s servant girl, has been sent to Salem as one of Abigail’s witchfinders. She reports that many are already condemned to hang. Reverend Hale arrives with a warrant for Elizabeth’s arrest: she is accused of witchery by Abigail and must stand before the court. Proctor passionately vows to see this never happens.

ACT III Outside the Parris house. Abigail secretly meets John, asks him to abandon his wife for her. Proctor indignantly refuses and calls her a monster. She defies him, and threatens Elizabeth’s life. As the day’s Court The Crucible Production Design by Steven C. Kemp session opens, Proctor presents to Judge Danforth Mary Warren’s testimony that Abigail and her accomplices are frauds. Proctor admits his own lechery with Abigail, calling her a whore, thus explaining his wife’s antipathy to the girl.

Elizabeth is summoned, but cannot admit her husband’s infidelity, which makes him seem a liar.

Abigail and the Salem girls then strike, attacking Mary Warren as a traitor. In the general hysteria, Mary recants, accusing John Proctor of Devilish lechery. He is led off to prison in chains.

ACT IV The Salem jail. Tituba sits in a cell, dreaming of her home island of Barbados. The Salem notables arrive, hoping to convince Judge Danforth to delay Proctor’s hanging. Danforth is resolute, but asks Elizabeth to convince Proctor to “confess,” and thereby save his life. Alone with his wife, John Proctor relents, out of love for her and his family, but when Danforth insists that he sign his confession, Proctor refuses: “I have given you my soul. I will not give you my name!” He is led off to execution. In her tears, Elizabeth exults that he “has his goodness now.”

Purchase College, State University of New York

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THE CRUCIBLE

DIRECTOR’S NOTE As we increasingly watch social, cultural, and political disagreements play out on social media, we often find debates decided in the court of public opinion. Whether disseminating opinions, jokes, or articles from familiar or unfamiliar sources, social media contributes to public perceptions of guilt or innocence before—and sometimes after—a verdict in a court of law. The power and influence of social media becomes most urgent when figures of authority use social media to address the public directly and spontaneously; opinion and fact become blurred, notions that not too long ago were unthinkable become mainstream, and truth becomes a matter of perspective. The spreading of misinformation combined with the desperation of a fearful and divided people can result in unfounded accusations, hatred, and even violence.

History shows clearly where this pattern leads.

Arthur Miller wrote his play The Crucible in 1953 as an allegory for McCarthyism, or a period in the United States during the 1950s when hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. In these proceedings, suspicion alone was often reason enough for punishment or imprisonment. Fearmongering, or a campaign spreading exaggerated rumors of impending danger, stirred citizens to turn against their neighbors and colleagues. The term ‘McCarthyism’ is now used to describe attacks on character or patriotism of political opponents, which are not based on facts.

Our new production of The Crucible traces the infestation of fear and suspicion as they suffocate the rational mind and turn neighbor against neighbor. The fear that begins in the home of Reverend Parris, as he strives to maintain a façade of piety, grows like wildfire to engulf even those in the far ends of the society. Fuel for the fire is piled high in every corner as the danger increases.

Each action or inaction suddenly carries with it great repercussions, as a fearful people clamor for answers and look to protect themselves. In the chaos, those who seek power or financial gain, easily manipulate the naïve and the feckless.

Our design culminates in the courtroom scene, where kindling has all but blocked out the sun. Lies and accusations ignite the fire that could burn this community to the ground. Finally, it is in the quiet solitude of the prison, looking into the face of the condemned, that clarity finally prevails. The entanglement of kindling lifts as the cowardly accusers and their web of lies have now cleared away to leave each of the prisoners to decide their own fate. Will they stand for truth, even in the face of death?

– Stephanie Havey

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ARTISTS AUDREY BABCOCK, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible Hometown: Hollywood, CA Resides: Culver City, CA OSB DEBUT

Audrey Babcock is an award-winning mezzo-soprano who is widely recognized for her commanding performances in classic and modern works. She has earned much praise for her portrayal of Carmen with companies across the United States and in France. Ms. Babcock has premiered operas including Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin (Dicapo Opera), and With Blood, With Ink (Fort Worth Opera). Recent and upcoming roles include the Secretary in The Consul (Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater), the title role in María de Buenos Aires (San Diego Opera), Carmen (Mill City Opera) and Baba in The Medium (Victory Hall Opera).

I’ve always loved Santa Barbara- I spent a lot of time here as a kid. I learned how to swim on your beaches with my dad when I was five years old!

OMER BEN SEADIA Stage Director, La bohème Hometown: Tel-Aviv, Israel OSB DEBUT: L’italiana in Algeri, 2015 After more than a decade with the Israeli Opera, Director Omer Ben Seadia moved to the United States in 2012 and has quickly established herself as one of opera’s fresh new voices.

She is a graduate of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s opera directing program and was the Merola Opera’s 2014 Apprentice Stage Director. Recent productions include Idomeneo for Wolf Trap Opera; Steal a Pencil for Me (world premiere) for Opera Colorado; and Faust for Tulsa Opera. Upcoming credits include Ariadne auf Naxos for Cincinnati Opera; Elektra for Canadian Opera Company; and Josephine/After Life for Opera Colorado.

When fulfilling my mandatory military service in Israel, I was stationed right across from the opera in Tel-Aviv. I would sneak out to watch whenever possible.

COREY BIX, tenor Judge Danforth, The Crucible Hometown: Clarinda, IA Resides: Chicago, IL OSB DEBUT

Opera News praises Corey Bix for his “clear sense of drama and self-possession, exhibiting sturdy, unwavering control, flinty resonance and confident high notes.” His recent engagements include Elemer in Arabella for Canadian Opera Company; Max in Der

Freischütz for Virginia Opera; and Énée in Les Troyens for Lyric Opera of Chicago. He has also been seen in leading roles with the San Francisco Opera (Les Troyens and Jenůfa); Los Angeles Opera (Der fliegende Holländer); and Washington National Opera (Ariadne auf Naxos). Upcoming engagements include the title role in Lohengrin (Opera South West) and Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos (Arizona Opera).

Judge Danforth is such an interesting character; I can’t wait to bring him to life in Santa Barbara!

BENJAMIN BRECHER, tenor Monsieur Triquet, Eugene Onegin Giles Corey, The Crucible Hometown: Toledo, OH Resides: Santa Barbara, CA OSB DEBUT: Mr. Cole, Séance on a Wet Afternoon, 2009 Since Benjamin Brecher’s ’09 OSB debut, his roles with the company have included Guillot de Morfontaine in Manon, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Schoolmaster/Mosquito in Cunning Little Vixen. He has performed sixteen roles with New York City Opera. Recent and upcoming engagements include Mozart’s Requiem with the Santa Rosa Symphony; Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Fresno Opera; and a recital dedicated to the music of Franz Liszt in Tel Aviv, Israel. He also performs in Celtic Celebration concerts with major North American symphonies. He serves as Area Head of the Voice Program at UCSB. I feel so fortunate to live in Santa Barbara and to call Opera SB my hometown opera company. Bravi Tutti! to everyone who has made this company great for 25 years!

JEFF BRUCKERHOFF Lighting Designer, La bohème Hometown: Washington, MO Resides: West Palm Beach, FL OSB Debut: Carmen, 2016 Lighting Designer Jeff Bruckerhoff has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center. He is also Director of Production for Palm Beach Opera, where his upcoming productions include La traviata, Don Giovanni, and Die Fledermaus. Other opera credits include La rondine for Opera Santa Barbara, Seven Deadly Sins/Pagliacci for Virginia Opera, and Tesla, a multidisciplinary opera about the life of Nikola Tesla for SoBeArts in South Beach, FL. He is also active in theater and ballet with credits including Into the Woods for Northern Stage and The Great Gatsby and Le Corsaire for the Washington Ballet.

I love to come to Opera Santa Barbara - this company is great and the city is just gorgeous! When I am not here, you’ll find me working or sailing in West Palm Beach.

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ARTISTS ELENI CALENOS, soprano Mimì, La bohème

Project for La bohème (SM), and to Opera San Luis Obispo for The Magic Flute (ASM).

Hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece Resides: New York, NY

My love of theater comes from my musical theatre back-ground: I’ve performed in Cats, Les Misérables, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

OSB DEBUT

Greek soprano Eleni Calenos is capturing critics’ and audiences’ admiration for her “vocal range, stamina and fire” (Wall Street Journal) and her “nuanced characterizations” (Houston Press). She recently made her German debut as Saida in Schönerland at the Wiesbaden Staatstheater and her Greek debut as soprano soloist in a concert honoring Maria Callas with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. Other recent performances include Giorgetta and Suor Angelica in Puccini’s Trittico (Opera Delaware); Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly (Shreveport, Annapolis, and Ash Lawn); Tosca (Opera Idaho); Mimì in La bohème (Shreveport and Palm Beach); and Desdemona in Otello (Phoenicia International Festival).

One of my favorite quotes is by the Russian poet and playwright Vladimir Mayakovsky: “Art is not a reflecting mirror, but a magnifying glass.”

DANIELLE CORELLA, mezzo-soprano Madame Larina, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Chandler, AZ Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT

Danielle Corella was recently featured in Long Beach Opera’s production of Frank Martin’s The Love Potion as part of a the work’s 12-voice ensemble. She also recently covered the Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide with Angels Vocal Art, and performed scenes from Cherubin and Aida with that company. This season, Danielle will appear in the chorus of OSB’s La bohème and in Long Beach Opera Outreach’s operas for children.

I’m a 7th generation Arizonian. When I’m not singing I’m probably drinking African coffee, practicing yoga, loving my cat or cross-stitching Christmas ornaments.

EMILIA COVAULT ’18/’19 Season Assistant Stage Manager Hometown: Ventura, CA Resides: Ventura, CA OSB DEBUT: Manon, 2017 This season Emilia Covault will serve as Assistant Stage Manager for all three of Opera Santa Barbara’s mainstage productions. Recent productions include Rossini’s La gazzetta (SM) and Carmen (ASM) at Pacific Opera Project. Other recent productions include Oklahoma! with Opera San Luis Obispo (ASM) and The Barber of Seville with Opera Santa Barbara (ASM). This season, she returns to Pacific Opera 36

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ELLIOTT DEASY, tenor Lenski, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Tulsa, OK Resides: Chicago, IL OSB DEBUT: Remendado, Carmen, 2016 Tenor Elliott Deasy is an alumnus of OSB’s Studio Artist Program, where he performed Pasek in Cunning Little Vixen and Remendado in Carmen. He was also a Tulsa Opera Young Artist, where he covered Rodolfo in La bohème and performed The Messenger in Samson et Dalila. Other career highlights include Brighella in the Costa Rican premiere of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos for the Jovanes Cantantes in San Jose; Schubert’s Mass in G Major with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra; and Basilio in The Bronx Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro. He holds a degree in music from University of Tulsa.

I cannot wait to bring Tchaikovsky’s beautiful Eugene Onegin to Santa Barbara. This role is truly the fruition of lifelong aspirations and I couldn’t be more excited.

JONATHAN FOX Stage Director, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Resides: Santa Barbara, CA OSB DEBUT: The Consul, 2014 Jonathan Fox is Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, where his productions include Husbands and Wives and The Invisible Hand (also seen at English Theatre of Frankfurt, Germany). Prior to joining Ensemble, Jonathan helped establish New Jersey’s Two River Theater Company.

During his tenure, he directed over a dozen productions including Peter Brook’s adaptation of the opera Carmen.

He has directed productions in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New Jersey and has received acclaim from publications including The New York Times and Variety. Upcoming productions include School for Lies and Everything is Illuminated (Ensemble Theatre) and A Soldier’s Tale (SB Symphony).

I am thrilled to return to Opera Santa Barbara for Eugene Onegin. The emotional sweep of Pushkin’s story is universal, and Tchaikovsky’s music is so powerful.

ARTISTS VINCENT GRANA, bass-baritone Colline, La bohème Hometown: Phillipsburg, NJ Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT: Innkeeper, Manon, 2017 Los Angeles-based bass Vincent Grana made his Opera Santa Barbara debut in 2017. Since then, he has performed the Officer in Barber of Seville; Noah in Noye’s Fludde; and Jazz Trio baritone in Trouble in Tahiti for the company. Other recent engagements include Bartolo in Barber of Seville with the Aspen Music Festival and Zuniga in Carmen with Dayton Opera. He will reprise his Colline for Pacific Opera Project’s upcoming production of Bohème and join The Metropolitan Opera Chorus for their production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung.

He holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.

I’m an east coast kid but I must say I quite prefer the weather and temperament of the west coast. It’s a pleasure to bring Bohème to life and be a part of OSB’s 25th Anniversary!

NATHAN GRANNER, tenor Rodolfo, La bohème Hometown: Kansas City, MO Resides: North Hollywood, CA OSB DEBUT

Nathan Granner has been praised for his “vibrant and flexible” voice (The Boston Globe). Recent credits include the title role in Stewart Copeland’s The Invention of Morel with Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Pacific Opera Project, and Ubaldo in Donizetti’s Pia de’ Tolomei at the Spoleto Festival. Upcoming engagements include Jacopo Foscari in Verdi’s I due Foscari with West Bay Opera and Aubrey in the world premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s Today it Rains with Opera Parallèle; he will also be featured in Long Beach Opera’s world premiere of Anthony Davis’s The Central Park Five.

Singing’s given me some unusual experiences; I studied throat singing with a Tibetan monk and sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at coldest baseball game in Shea Stadium’s history!

YAZID GRAY, baritone Schaunard, La bohème Zaretski/Captain, Eugene Onegin Thomas Putnam, The Crucible Hometown: Germantown, MD Resides: Gaithersburg, MD OSB DEBUT

Yazid Gray is a recent graduate of University of Michigan where he received his master’s degree in Vocal Performance.

His roles there included Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This summer, he was an Opera Maine Studio Artist where he performed Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers. Recent credits include Silvio in Pagliacci and Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring with Opera in the Ozarks; Bello in La fanciulla del West with Maryland Lyric Opera; and Undertaker/Frazier in Porgy and Bess with the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, MI. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University.

I’m thrilled to join Opera Santa Barbara’s Studio Program this season. Outside of music, I hope to explore this beautiful part of the country!

STEPHANIE HAVEY Stage Director, The Crucible Hometown: Knoxville, TN Resides: Sarasota, FL OSB DEBUT

Winner of the 2014 Adelaide Bishop award for artistic quality and the 2013 Opera America Director-Designer Showcase, Stephanie Havey is sought after as a collaborator for the development of new opera. She directed Double Exposure for Opera Philadelphia and participated in Opera America’s New Works Forum and the North American New Opera Workshop. She is equally at home in repertory staples; Ms. Havey recently staged Eugene Onegin for Michigan Opera Theatre and Tosca for the Lyrique-en-mer Festival in Belle-Ile France. Her upcoming productions include La bohème for Pittsburgh Opera and La traviata for Arizona Opera and Hawaii Opera Theatre.

When I’m not directing opera, you will find me boating in Sarasota Bay in a 1982 24-foot SeaRay Sundancer that my father built.

STEVEN C. KEMP Scenic Designer, Eugene Onegin Scenic Designer, The Crucible Hometown: Houston, TX Resides: Kansas City, MO OSB DEBUT: Falstaff, 2014 Steven C. Kemp is a NYC-based set designer for theatre, opera and events. Ordinary Days is the most recent of his designs Off-Broadway. Steven’s many designs for opera include Opera San Jose’s acclaimed production of Idomeneo presented by the Packard Humanities Institute. He was a finalist in the World Stage Design exhibit for his set design for Falstaff, which appeared at OSB in 2014. He recently designed Roméo et Juliette for Hawaii Opera Theatre and Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera San Jose. Upcoming projects include Candide for Des Moines Metro Opera, Silent Night for Arizona Opera, and 2018-2019 SEASON

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ARTISTS Rigoletto for New Orleans Opera.

Set design is in my blood; I’ve been building scale models and dioramas since the age of seven.

MICHAEL KOLLMORGEN, tenor Parpignol, La bohème Ezekiel Cheever, The Crucible Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma Resides: Houston, Texas OSB DEBUT

This season, Chrisman Studio Artist Michael Kollmorgen will perform Parpignol in La bohème and Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible for Opera SB. Michael has been performing since he was seven years old as a member of the The Tulsa Boy Singers. This May, he graduated from the University of Houston Moore’s Opera Center with his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. While there, his roles included Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Levin in David Carlson’s Anna Karenina, Judge Danforth in The Crucible, and Roméo in Roméo et Juliette. Michael is an adjunct professor at Lonestar Community College Tomball.

I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I’m a descendant of William Anderson Hatfield – one of the original Hatfields of the famous civil war-era Hatfield/McCoy family feud.

HELENA KUUKKA Lighting Designer, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Helsinki, Finland Resides: Orlando, FL OSB DEBUT: The Barber of Seville, 2018 A Native of Helsinki, Finland, Helena Kuukka now resides in Orlando, Florida.

She is the Resident Lighting Designer for the Orlando Ballet, where her work includes productions of Swan Lake, Carmen, and Vampire’s Ball. Her work in opera includes Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette for Tulsa Opera, Aida for Vancouver Opera and Portland Opera, and La traviata for Kansas City Lyric Opera. She has also designed productions of Oklahoma, Ragtime and Mary Poppins for Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

Lighting design is like a coloring book in motion; I love the lyric, “untold colors cloaked the ground, unexplored and wild” from Alana Jacoby’s “When We’re Gone.”

KEVIN LANGAN, bass Prince Gremin, Eugene Onegin Hometown: New York, NY Resides: Eatontown, NJ OSB DEBUT

Kevin Langan’s “deep, toffee-smooth voice and convincing interpretive abilities” (New York Times) have earned him a sterling reputation. He has 38

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appeared worldwide at companies including The Metropolitan Opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago (125 performances), Santa Fe Opera (165 performances) and the San Francisco Opera, where he has sung 300 performances– a first in the company’s history. Recent roles include Sarastro in The Magic Flute (Central City Opera), Osmin in Abduction from the Seraglio (Livermore Valley Opera), and Piero in Pia de’ Tolomei (Spoleto Festival). Later this season, Mr. Langan sings Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers with Opera Tampa.

Onegin is one of the greatest Russian operas of them all – the music is incredible! What a pleasure to bring this work to Santa Barbara. Don’t miss this one!

E. SCOTT LEVIN, bass-baritone Benoît & Alcindoro, La bohème Francis Nurse, The Crucible Hometown: Galveston, TX Resides: Glendale, CA OSB DEBUT: Simone, Gianni Schicchi, 2016 E. Scott Levin is a graduate of USC’s Thornton School of Music. He has sung almost sixty roles in over twenty productions with Union Avenue Opera in Saint Louis as well as many productions with Pacific Opera Project. Recent credits include Leporello in Don Giovanni with Pacific Opera Project and the Sacristan in Tosca with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera. In 2015, Scott made his LA Opera debut as Dr. Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi, starring Plácido Domingo and directed by Woody Allen. His roles at OSB include the Badger/Priest in Cunning Little Vixen and Simone in Gianni Schicchi.

It is always a pleasure to sing in Santa Barbara.

And this year, it will be twice as nice - I look forward to performing for you in La bohème and The Crucible.

JENNIFER LINDSAY, soprano Mary Warren, The Crucible Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA Resides: Fountain Valley, CA OSB DEBUT

This season, soprano Jennifer Lindsay joins OSB’s Chrisman Studio Artist Program.

She has been lauded for her “clever comic ability” and “vocal athleticism” by Naples Daily News. Jennifer recently made her role debut as Leonora in Il trovatore with Pacific Lyric Association in Escondido, CA alongside Metropolitan Opera tenor Luis Lima. She also recently performed the title role in Aida with the Temecula Symphony Orchestra and covered Mathilde in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell with Opera Southwest.

This season, she is soprano soloist in Mahler’s 2nd Symphony with Southeast Symphony Orchestra (Los Angeles) and she will perform Mimì in La bohème with Opera Connecticut.

ARTISTS I’m a math/CS major in search of operatic fame & glory! I also play violin, and am a historical costuming enthusiast. I went viral for singing Aida from the orchestra pit.

STACIE LOGUE ‘18/’19 Season Costume Manager Hometown: Pasadena, CA Resides: Ventura, CA OSB DEBUT: Faust, 2004 Stacie Logue began her association with Opera Santa Barbara with the company’s 2004 production of Faust. Since then, she has worked on more than twenty OSB productions.

She is also an accomplished visual artist; her whimsical animal portraits were transformed into masks for the Santa Barbara Youth Opera’s performance of Noah’s Flood. She recently served as Costume Shop Manager for the Central City Opera Festival’s productions of Verdi’s Trovatore and Mozart’s Magic Flute. She received her BA in Fine Arts from Cal State Los Angeles. She maintains a ceramic studio at Obscurity Studios in the eclectic Ventura neighborhood known as the Avenue.

Faust was the first opera I ever worked on. During the finale, I was backstage surrounded by the chorus. They sang the choir of angels’ music and my heart cracked open; I tear up even as I write this.

ANYA MATANOVIČ, soprano Abigail Williams, The Crucible Hometown: Issaqua, WA Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT

Praised for her “thrilling vocal color” and her “sweetly winning” presence, American soprano Anya Matanovič made her international opera debut as Musetta in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s La bohème with the New Israeli Opera. She recently appeared as Mimì in La bohème with Opera Colorado; Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress with Boston Lyric Opera; and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Seattle Opera.

In upcoming seasons, Ms. Matanovič appears as soprano soloist in Mozart Mass in C Minor with the North Carolina Symphony; Juliette with Utah Opera; and she covers Ginevra in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ariodante.

I used to be very shy. I discovered the power of opera in high school and found a strength in this style of singing that I knew I had always had inside of me.

NINA YOSHIDA NELSEN, mezzo-soprano Tituba, The Crucible Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA Resides: Bloomington, IN OSB DEBUT: Kate Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly, 2003 Santa Barbara native Nina Yoshida Nelsen first appeared with Opera Santa Barbara in 2003 as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly; In 2012, she returned to the company as Suzuki, a role she has sung at houses including New York City Opera, Utah Opera, Atlanta Opera, Sarasota Opera, Manitoba Opera, and at Royal Albert Hall in London.

She created the role of Mama in Jack Perla’s An American Dream at Seattle Opera: she reprises the role next season at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Santa Barbara audiences will also remember her as The Secretary in OSB’s 2014 premiere of The Consul.

I was born and raised in SB. Opera Santa Barbara was the first company to hire me professionally and I lovingly call it my home company.

KOURTNI DALE NOLL ‘18/’19 Season Production Stage Manager Hometown: Plano, TX Resides: Calabasas, CA OSB Debut: ASM, Falstaff, 2014 2018-19 marks Carpinteria-based stage manager Kourtni Dale Noll’s sixth season with Opera Santa Barbara. She began as an Assistant Stage Manager in 2014 and has been Production Stage Manager with the company since 2016. Her recent engagements include Carmen with Pacific Opera Project (SM); Così fan Tutte for Opera San Jose (ASM); and Carmen with Arizona Opera ASM. She is also a Stage Manager for the Santa Barbara Choral Society’s annual Hallelujah Project.

Stage management is like putting a puzzle together but your pieces are the music, costumes, lighting, props, sets, your cast, and many other aspects.

ROBERT NORMAN, tenor Reverend Samuel Parris, The Crucible Hometown: Concord, CA Resides: Long Beach, CA OSB Debut: Steve Hubbell, A Streetcar Named Desire, 2015 Robert Norman has performed with LA Opera, Opera San José, Opera San Luis Obispo, Union Avenue Opera, and Opera Las Vegas. He is an alumnus of the Opera Santa Barbara Young Artist Program (2010, 2015) and is a frequent performer with LA Opera’s outreach 2018-2019 SEASON

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ARTISTS programs. He recently performed the King of El Dorado in LA Opera’s Candide; Pang in Turandot with Dayton Opera; and Pedrillo in Abduction from the Seraglio with Opera Orlando. This season he is tenor soloist in The Messiah with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and he will appear in Three Tales with Long Beach Opera.

Important things about me: proud husband to Stephanie, father to Hazel and Violet, diehard Golden State Warriors fan, and aficionado of all things Star Wars and Marvel.

LUIS ALEJANDRO OROZCO, baritone Marcello, La bohème Hometown: Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MX Resides: New York, NY OSB DEBUT: Assan, The Consul, 2014 Mexican-American Baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco has been praised for his “voluminous baritone and beautiful legato.” After his 2014 company debut he returned to OSB as Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri (2015) and as Belcore in The Elixir of Love (2016).

Other recent roles include Hannah Before in As One with Anchorage Opera; Escamillo in Carmen with Mill City Opera; and Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas with San Diego Opera. Upcoming engagements include Watty Watkins in Lady be Good with Teatro di San Carlo Napoli; Marcello in La bohème with Anchorage Opera; and Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Cincinnati Opera.

I grew up a rock n’ roll kid and played drums since age 13. I majored in percussion in college and discovered opera when I took a class in singing for non-majors – it changed my life!

LEE POULIS, baritone Eugene Onegin, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Greenlawn, NY Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT: Ford, Falstaff, 2014 Lee Poulis has performed at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden of Berlin, Teatro Real of Madrid, the Opera of Bilbao, and the Teatro Municipal of Santiago. In the US, he has appeared as Zurga in The Pearl Fishers (Fort Worth and Sarasota); Valentin in Faust (Baltimore); Don Giovanni (Sarasota); and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (Minnesota). His recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with The Florida Orchestra, Carmina Burana with the Valley Symphony Orchestra, and Bach’s Cantata #82 Ich habe genug with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include Mozart’s Requiem with the Pasadena Symphony and Handel’s Messiah with Long Beach Camerata.

I’m a long-time Santa Barbara enthusiast who moved 40

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to the left coast to enjoy the good life: It’s great to have beaches, valleys, mountains, and hot springs all close by.

COLIN RAMSEY, bass Reverend John Hale, The Crucible Hometown: Greenwich, CT Resides: San Diego, CA OSB DEBUT: C ustoms Officer, La bohème, 2011 Since making his operatic debut as Sparafucile in Verdi’s Rigoletto, bass-baritone Colin Ramsey’s “majestic, orotund, ravishing bass” (Opera Today) has been heard in repertoire spanning continents and centuries. His recent engagements include Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata with Opera San Jose; Le Comte des Griuex in Manon with Opera Santa Barbara; the Sprecher in The Magic Flute with the Pacific Symphony; and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with the Norwalk Symphony. He was an OSB Studio Artist in 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was a 2018 Santa Fe Opera apprentice artist.

Reverend Hale is a dream role. It is so fascinating to portray a historical figure as interpreted by Arthur Miller and Robert Ward.

VALÉRY RYVKIN Conductor, Eugene Onegin Hometown: St. Petersburg, Russia Resides: Lafayette Hill, PA OSB Debut: La traviata, 1995 Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valéry Ryvkin has become one of most respected opera conductors in the United States. Maestro Ryvkin made his Opera Santa Barbara conducting debut in 1996. He served as OSB’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor from 1999-2008, conducting more than 20 operas including the 2009 world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s Séance on a Wet Afternoon. He has been a guest conductor at the Chicago Lyric and San Francisco Operas and has served on the conducting staff of the Metropolitan Opera. He has led productions throughout the United States and Europe and is on the faculty of Temple University’s Boyer School of Music & Dance.

JARED A. SAYEG Lighting Designer, The Crucible Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT

LA native Jared A. Sayeg’s work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in theaters throughout the US, in London’s West-End, and on many international touring productions. Jared was in residence with LA Opera for three seasons. Other work in

ARTISTS opera includes Queen of Spades (starring Plácido Domingo) at Madrid’s Teatro Real and Intimate Opera’s Amahl and the Night Visitors at the Pasadena Playhouse. He has lit performers including Betty Buckley, David Hyde Pierce, Audra McDonald, and Jason Alexander. Jared was the youngest member of the United Scenic Artists-Local 829 and serves as a trustee to the executive board.

During my career, I’ve created lighting design for a huge variety of people and events; I’ve lit the LA Lakers, Neil Diamond’s 08-09 World Tour, the LA Auto Show, and Pope Benedict XVI’s Papal Rally.

NANDANI MARIA SINHA, mezzo-soprano Filipievna, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Montauk, NY Resides: Pasadena, CA OSB DEBUT: The Mistress of the Novices, Suor Angelica, 2016 Mezzo-soprano Nandani Maria Sinha’s recent engagements include the role of Madame de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast for 5-Star Theatricals; Alto Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and the Old Lady in highlights from Bernstein’s Candide with the California Philharmonic at Disney Hall. She has also been featured on the LA Opera’s Recital and Concert Series. Upcoming engagements include Eboli in a concert version of Don Carlo for the Los Angeles Opera; Lily/Our Lady in the opera Golden at the International Padrewski Musical Competition; and The Witch in Hansel and Gretel at Theater Krefeld in Germany.

This year I began my hula journey! I’m the lead singer for my Halau band - you can catch me singing the best of Don Ho around LA. HALEY STAMATS Assistant Director, Eugene Onegin Hometown: Cedar Rapids, IA Resides: Cedar Rapids, IA OSB DEBUT

Opera director Haley Stamats’s recent engagements include La fanciulla del West with Virginia Opera (AD); Arabella with Pittsburgh Festival Opera (AD); and Fight for the Right: Between Constellations with Pittsburgh Festival Opera (Stage Director). This season she directs two new works, Between Constellations and Rain, as part of the Mosaic Opera Showcase with the Grimeborn Opera Festival in London.

She also returns to Virginia Opera to assistant direct Don Giovanni. She will direct Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s world premiere of The Grant Wood Operas: Strokes of Genius. She holds a B.A. in music with a theatre emphasis from Simpson College.

I grew up thinking I wanted to be a painter like my father, but fell in love with opera instead. Though I still doodle in my scores even now and then.

HEATHER STERLING ’18/’19 Season Hair & Makeup Designer Hometown: Salinas, CA Resides: San Jose, CA OSB DEBUT: Tosca, 2006 Heather Sterling is a San Jose-based hair and makeup artist.

She began designing for Opera Santa Barbara in 2006 with the company’s production of Tosca. Since her debut, she has designed more than twenty OSB productions; she also serves as the company’s Hair & Makeup Supervisor. Favorite OSB productions include Manon (2017), The Consul (2014), and the company’s 2011 double bill of Trouble in Tahiti and La serva padrona.

Opera provides endless creative possibilities ranging from the whimsical to the macabre: I find great satisfaction in completely transforming a performer to allow them to reach their character’s full potential.

WAYNE TIGGES, bass-baritone John Proctor, The Crucible Hometown: Dubuque, IA Resides: Milwaukee, WI OSB DEBUT

Wayne Tigges is quickly establishing himself as one of opera’s brightest young stars. He has appeared at great opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Paris Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera del Liceu, and the Teatro du Capitol Toulouse. He recently sang Wagner’s Flying Dutchman (Atlanta Opera); Basilio in The Barber of Seville (Michigan Opera Theater); and Sgt. Aaron Marcum in An American Soldier (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). Upcoming engagements include Owen Hart in Dead Man Walking (Atlanta); Mr. Flint in Billy Budd (San Francisco); and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd (Michigan Opera Theater).

I’m the youngest of ten kids, and I have without a doubt the worst voice in the family... picture an even better version of the von Trapp Family.

AUBREY TRUJILLO-SCARR, soprano Ann Putnam, The Crucible Hometown: Brush, Colorado Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT: A Voice, La rondine, 2017 Equally at home on stage and on camera, Aubrey Trujillo-Scarr’s theater credits include Peggy Day in The Women with Group Rep Theatre, Helen in Trojan Women 2018-2019 SEASON

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ARTISTS with the Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival, and Sharon Graham in Master Class at The Garry Marshall and The Jewel Theaters. This season, her operatic roles include Micaëla in Carmen and Musetta in La bohème, both with Pacific Opera Project, and she will be featured in the world premiere of Daniel Felsenfeld’s The Countess with Pasadena Opera.

She has appeared in shorts films including Reco’s Magic, Nightwalkers, and the web-series Superheroes in Therapy.

opera, Elle is a plus-size model and an Instagram influencer and blogger, promoting body positivity and diversity.

I am thrilled to be making my professional debut singing one of opera’s sassiest characters for OSB – which feels like a second home to me!

KARIN WOLVERTON, soprano Tatiana, Eugene Onegin

I also work behind the scenes as fight director, choreographer, and swashbuckler for several west coast companies.

ELLE VALERA, SOPRANO Musetta, La bohème Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Resides: Los Angeles, CA OSB DEBUT: Poussette, Manon, 2017 Soprano Elle Valera first joined Opera Santa Barbara’s Studio Artist Program in 2015, and returned for the 2017-2018 Season, making her mainstage debut as Poussette in Manon. She also performed Berta in Barber of Seville and covered the title role in Manon and both Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni for the company. Elle was a 2017 fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival and an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera. She holds a master’s degree from UCLA. Beyond

Hometown: Roseville, MN Resides: Richfield, MN OSB DEBUT: Magda, La rondine, 2017 Opera News praises Karin Wolverton’s “lovely warm tone, easy agility and winning musicality.” The soprano created the role of Anna Sørensen in the 2011 world premiere of Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning opera Silent Night with Minnesota Opera; she reprises the role with the company this season. She also recently sang the role of Jane Withersteen in the world premiere of Craig Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage for Arizona Opera. Other roles include Micäela in Carmen; Freia in Das Rheingold, and the title role in Salome. This season, she sings the Foreign Princess in Madison Opera’s Rusalka.

I grew up in a musical family but didn’t know you could make a living singing, so I pursued medicine. After seeing Turandot and nearly flunking organic chemistry, I had a change of heart – and major.

ADMINISTRATION ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTOR

Kostis Protopapas

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR & ORCHESTRA MANAGER

C O N S U L TA N T S

Susan Anderson

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

PRINCIPAL PIANIST & MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR

Timothy Accurso

David Bazemore Fred Golden Zachary Mendez

Laura Teague

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

AUDIO ENGINEERING

Joyce Familara

Opus 1 Mobile Recording

OPERATIONS MANAGER & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

EDUCATION & OUTREACH MANAGER

GRAPHIC DESIGN

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Marylove Thralls

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Zachary Mendez

Brian Hotchkin Sarah Wilkinson

Lex Benes

CHORUS* SOPRANO

Amanda Benjamin Natalia Ferreiro Elizabeth Kerstein Sydney Kovac Jennifer Lindsay* Megan Lindsey Naomi Merer Chelsea Obermeier

Adrien Roberts Emily Rosenberg Sarah Salazar Oxana Senina Angela Stanbury Lisa Sueyres Audrey Yoder

ALTO

Kate Amerikaner Ashley Kay Armstrong* Danielle Corella Jessica Gonzalez-Rodriguez Gaia Hubbard-Kabaretti Kelly Newberry Sarah Raines

TENOR

Guillermo Aguilar William Grundler David Harridge Gustavo Hernandez Joon Kang Michael Kollmorgen* Peter Otte Anthony Rivera

BASS

David Carriaga-Hobbs Yazid Gray* Simon Lea Byron Mayes David McKee Arthur Swalley William Vallandingham * as of 10/1/2018

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PRODUCTION SPONSORS

ARTISTS Addenda to full program listings

Addenda to listings on p. 44

Kate Amerikaner (Mercy Lewis) is thrilled to be singing in her 16th production with Opera Santa Barbara since 2011. Her other favorite OSB roles have included a Hen in The Cunning Little Vixen and the crazed costume/make-up/props mistress in Gallantry. Kate, a Santa Barbara native, has maintained a private voice studio for nearly two decades and loves sharing her passion for music with others.

Molly Clementz (Susanna Walcott) has been praised for her strong singing and acting skills, further described as a “mezzo to be reckoned with” (Schmopera). This summer she made her debut with Pacific Opera Project in the LA Times’ acclaimed La Gazzetta as Doralice. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Molly was one of Opera SB’s featured Mosher Studio Artists and roles such as Mercédès in Carmen and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi. Molly is a student of Dr. Linda Di Fiore at UCSB. Kelly Guerra (Betty Paris) joined Opera Santa Barbara this season while pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in voice at UCSB. Recent roles include Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mrs. Doc (A Quiet Place), Jennie (Higglety Pigglety Pop!), Amastre (Serse), and Jo March (Little Women). As a concert artist, Kelly has been featured at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Bard Music Festival, and the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and will premiere a work with the California Symphony in 2020.

Oxana Hughes-Senina (Martha Sheldon) is delighted to appear in her fourth production with Opera Santa Barbara, following appearances in Eugene Onegin, La Boheme, and Manon. She also performed in this year’s Open House Concert to kick off the season.

Oxana is also an accomplished cellist who hails from Russia but now calls Los Angeles home.

Naomi Merer (Sarah Good) has sung with Opera Santa Barbara since 2015 in productions including La rondine, The Cunning Little Vixen, Suor Angelica, Manon, Carmen, and Don Giovanni. Naomi is currently a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate in voice performance at UCSB, where she studies with Dr. Linda Di Fiore on a full tuition scholarship with a teaching assistantship stipend.

Lisa Sueyres (Bridget Booth) has sung with Opera Santa Barbara since 2016 in productions including La rondine, The Cunning Little Vixen, Eugene Onegin, La Boheme, Manon, and Carmen. Lisa has also directed several children’s ensembles, including the Santa Barbara Youth Opera and the San Francisco Girls Prep Chorus, and she currently works full time as the lower school music director at Garden Street Academy.

William Nathan Vallandigham (Francis Nurse) is delighted to be singing once again with Opera Santa Barbara in the role of Francis Nurse. Previous OSB productions in which William has been involved include Manon, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème and Eugene Onegin. William lives in Los Angeles with his wife and regularly sings across Southern California.

Audrey Yoder (Ruth Putnam) performed in Opera Santa Barbara's spring production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and in OSB’s 2017 production of Massenet's Manon. Recent roles include Juliette in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Gretel in E. Humperdink's Hänsel und Gretel, Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice and Miss Jessel in Britten's The Turn of the Screw. Equally at home on the concert stage, several highlights include the soprano soloist in Poulenc's Gloria, Handel's Messiah and Vivaldi's Gloria.

Opera Santa Barbara is a proud member of

facebook.com/operasantabarbara instagram.com/operasantabarbara twitter.com/operasb

IMPRESARIO CIRCLE

MR. PROTOPAPAS is sponsored by Rick & Regina Roney, Ms. Julian Smith, & Dr. & Mrs. Robert Urquhart MRS. HAVEY is sponsored by Nancy & Fred Golden MRS. MATANOVIC is sponsored by Ms. Mary Tonetti Dorra & Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Hone MS. BABCOCK is sponsored by Joan & Geoffrey Rutkowski & Dr. Robert Weinman MR. TIGGES is sponsored by Dr. Robert Weinman MR. BIX is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Holland & Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Reicker MR. RAMSEY is sponsored by Toni Ann Haselton “In memory of my beloved husband, Stephen Haselton.”

MRS. YOSHIDA NELSEN is sponsored by Ms. Mary Penny MR. NORMAN is sponsored by Ms. Mary Penny MR. BRECHER is sponsored by Dr. Gerhart Hoffmeister MR. KOLLMORGEN is sponsored by Ms. Barbara Burger *as of April 19, 2019

The Student Matinee Performance is sponsored in part by Montecito Bank & Trust & The Music Performance Trust Fund.

GRAND IMPRESARIO ($25,000 and above) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Holland Ms. Sarah Jane Lind Ms. Sara Miller McCune PLATINUM IMPRESARIO ($10,000 - $24,999) Cheryl & Michael Goldberg Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Hone The Lehrer Family Foundation

(PLATINUM CONTINUED)

Performing Arts Scholarship Fdn. Toni Ann Haselton Rick & Regina Roney GOLD IMPRESARIO ($5,000 - $9,999) Ms. Eve Bernstein Jon & Melody DuPrau Ms. Janet Garufis Dr. Peter Morris Jack & Anitra Sheen Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Pulitzer

PATRONS OF THE OPERA Addenda to listings on p. 45

AFICIONADO ($500 - $1,499) Mrs. Howard Arvey Mrs. Nancy Bell Coe & Mr. William Burke Ms. Patricia Carver Mr. Jim Craviotto Dolores & Fred Gillmore Michael Gray Mr. & Mrs. Richard Janssen David Lea & Stacie Richards Mr. David Levinson Mr. J. Hans Meissner Dean & Kim Pananides Kathleen Robinson Mrs. Halina W. Silverman Mr. & Mrs. Robert Van Buren SUSTAINER ($250 - $499) Larry & Sue Browne Marvin & Ria Carlis Ms. Barbara Cleary Dr. David & Elise McKee Sheila Lodge Dean & Kim Pananides Kostis Protopapas Dale & Judy Seborg

SPECIAL THANKS Addenda to listings on p. 47

CAMA Ensemble Theater Company The Lobero Theatre MAC Cosmetics The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara Public Library

(GOLD CONTINUED)

Mrs. Julian Smith Dr. & Mrs. Simon Williams SILVER IMPRESARIO ($2,500 - $4,999) Deborah & Peter Bertling Ms. Josepha DiRado Ms. Patricia Bivans Dixon & Mr. Howard Jay Smith Ms. Virginia L.T. Gardner Dr. Gerhart Hoffmeister Ron & Beverlie Latimer Maryan Schall Carol Vernon & Robert Turbin

(SUSTAINER CONTINUED)

Mr. David Stiteler Marylove Thralls

CONTRIBUTOR ($100 - $249) Anonymous Dr. & Mrs. Mounir R. Ashamalla Mrs. Celia Book Larry & Sue Browne Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Casamassima Mr. & Mrs. Joseph H. Connell Patricia Coppejans Linda Di Fiore Peter C. Ford & Mary Howe-Grant Jonathan Fox Blas & Mary Garza Ms. Catherine Genender Raymond & Sherry Huerta Sherry Hutson Mr. & Mrs. John Jamieson Ms. Patricia Kinnahan Anna Lopez Edward E. & Nell McCombs Janine & Angelo Mendez Ms. Pauline Paulin Dr. Daniel Rimkus Anne Santorelli Sandy & Eric Seale

*as of April 19, 2019

(CONTRIBUTOR CONTINUED)

Mr. Richard Slater Ms. Devora Sprecher Ms. Carol Spungen Dr. & Mrs. Richard Steckel Ms. Debra Stewart Ms. Marion Stewart Robert & Irene Stone Thuy Ta Mr. & Mrs. Robert Temkin FRIEND ($50 - $99) Mrs. Joan Agress Cassie Benoza Peter Bonner Mr. Lance Crawford Ms. Telma Dawallo Sharon & John Dobson Nina Dunbar Jamie Familara Yvonne Familara John Garcia Mr. Philip C. Laris Cheryl Mac Clellan-Long Ms. Joan Mitchell Rachel Molano Karen Skowrup Andrea Spanos Elvira Tafoya

CRUCIBLE ARTIST HOSTS Rodney Baker & Robert Ooley Linda Di Fiore Marilyn Gilbert Mary Hampson Colleen Kelly Sharon Landecker Janice Laney Elaine LeVasseur & Cameron Carr E. Bonnie Lewis

IMPRESARIO ($1,500 - $2,499) Mr. Leonard Himelsein Ms. Lori K. Meschler

*as of April 19, 2019

Joanne Neubauer David Nygren Sandy & Eric Seale Michael & Beverly Steinfeld Rachel Tierney The Upham Hotel Marilyn Zellet Ms. Janice Blair Yoshida

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

ARTISTS Addenda to full program listings

Addenda to listings on p. 44

Kate Amerikaner (Mercy Lewis) is thrilled to be singing in her 16th production with Opera Santa Barbara since 2011. Her other favorite OSB roles have included a Hen in The Cunning Little Vixen and the crazed costume/make-up/props mistress in Gallantry. Kate, a Santa Barbara native, has maintained a private voice studio for nearly two decades and loves sharing her passion for music with others.

Molly Clementz (Susanna Walcott) has been praised for her strong singing and acting skills, further described as a “mezzo to be reckoned with” (Schmopera). This summer she made her debut with Pacific Opera Project in the LA Times’ acclaimed La Gazzetta as Doralice. During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Molly was one of Opera SB’s featured Mosher Studio Artists and roles such as Mercédès in Carmen and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi. Molly is a student of Dr. Linda Di Fiore at UCSB. Kelly Guerra (Betty Paris) joined Opera Santa Barbara this season while pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in voice at UCSB. Recent roles include Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mrs. Doc (A Quiet Place), Jennie (Higglety Pigglety Pop!), Amastre (Serse), and Jo March (Little Women). As a concert artist, Kelly has been featured at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Bard Music Festival, and the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and will premiere a work with the California Symphony in 2020.

Oxana Hughes-Senina (Martha Sheldon) is delighted to appear in her fourth production with Opera Santa Barbara, following appearances in Eugene Onegin, La Boheme, and Manon. She also performed in this year’s Open House Concert to kick off the season.

Oxana is also an accomplished cellist who hails from Russia but now calls Los Angeles home.

Naomi Merer (Sarah Good) has sung with Opera Santa Barbara since 2015 in productions including La rondine, The Cunning Little Vixen, Suor Angelica, Manon, Carmen, and Don Giovanni. Naomi is currently a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate in voice performance at UCSB, where she studies with Dr. Linda Di Fiore on a full tuition scholarship with a teaching assistantship stipend.

Lisa Sueyres (Bridget Booth) has sung with Opera Santa Barbara since 2016 in productions including La rondine, The Cunning Little Vixen, Eugene Onegin, La Boheme, Manon, and Carmen. Lisa has also directed several children’s ensembles, including the Santa Barbara Youth Opera and the San Francisco Girls Prep Chorus, and she currently works full time as the lower school music director at Garden Street Academy.

William Nathan Vallandigham (Francis Nurse) is delighted to be singing once again with Opera Santa Barbara in the role of Francis Nurse. Previous OSB productions in which William has been involved include Manon, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Bohème and Eugene Onegin. William lives in Los Angeles with his wife and regularly sings across Southern California.

Audrey Yoder (Ruth Putnam) performed in Opera Santa Barbara's spring production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and in OSB’s 2017 production of Massenet's Manon. Recent roles include Juliette in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Gretel in E. Humperdink's Hänsel und Gretel, Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice and Miss Jessel in Britten's The Turn of the Screw. Equally at home on the concert stage, several highlights include the soprano soloist in Poulenc's Gloria, Handel's Messiah and Vivaldi's Gloria.

Opera Santa Barbara is a proud member of

facebook.com/operasantabarbara instagram.com/operasantabarbara twitter.com/operasb

IMPRESARIO CIRCLE

MR. PROTOPAPAS is sponsored by Rick & Regina Roney, Ms. Julian Smith, & Dr. & Mrs. Robert Urquhart MRS. HAVEY is sponsored by Nancy & Fred Golden MRS. MATANOVIC is sponsored by Ms. Mary Tonetti Dorra & Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Hone MS. BABCOCK is sponsored by Joan & Geoffrey Rutkowski & Dr. Robert Weinman MR. TIGGES is sponsored by Dr. Robert Weinman MR. BIX is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Holland & Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Reicker MR. RAMSEY is sponsored by Toni Ann Haselton “In memory of my beloved husband, Stephen Haselton.”

MRS. YOSHIDA NELSEN is sponsored by Ms. Mary Penny MR. NORMAN is sponsored by Ms. Mary Penny MR. BRECHER is sponsored by Dr. Gerhart Hoffmeister MR. KOLLMORGEN is sponsored by Ms. Barbara Burger *as of April 19, 2019

The Student Matinee Performance is sponsored in part by Montecito Bank & Trust & The Music Performance Trust Fund.

GRAND IMPRESARIO ($25,000 and above) Mr. & Mrs. Michael Holland Ms. Sarah Jane Lind Ms. Sara Miller McCune PLATINUM IMPRESARIO ($10,000 - $24,999) Cheryl & Michael Goldberg Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Hone The Lehrer Family Foundation

(PLATINUM CONTINUED)

Performing Arts Scholarship Fdn. Toni Ann Haselton Rick & Regina Roney GOLD IMPRESARIO ($5,000 - $9,999) Ms. Eve Bernstein Jon & Melody DuPrau Ms. Janet Garufis Dr. Peter Morris Jack & Anitra Sheen Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Pulitzer

PATRONS OF THE OPERA Addenda to listings on p. 45

AFICIONADO ($500 - $1,499) Mrs. Howard Arvey Mrs. Nancy Bell Coe & Mr. William Burke Ms. Patricia Carver Mr. Jim Craviotto Dolores & Fred Gillmore Michael Gray Mr. & Mrs. Richard Janssen David Lea & Stacie Richards Mr. David Levinson Mr. J. Hans Meissner Dean & Kim Pananides Kathleen Robinson Mrs. Halina W. Silverman Mr. & Mrs. Robert Van Buren SUSTAINER ($250 - $499) Larry & Sue Browne Marvin & Ria Carlis Ms. Barbara Cleary Dr. David & Elise McKee Sheila Lodge Dean & Kim Pananides Kostis Protopapas Dale & Judy Seborg

SPECIAL THANKS Addenda to listings on p. 47

CAMA Ensemble Theater Company The Lobero Theatre MAC Cosmetics The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara Public Library

(GOLD CONTINUED)

Mrs. Julian Smith Dr. & Mrs. Simon Williams SILVER IMPRESARIO ($2,500 - $4,999) Deborah & Peter Bertling Ms. Josepha DiRado Ms. Patricia Bivans Dixon & Mr. Howard Jay Smith Ms. Virginia L.T. Gardner Dr. Gerhart Hoffmeister Ron & Beverlie Latimer Maryan Schall Carol Vernon & Robert Turbin

(SUSTAINER CONTINUED)

Mr. David Stiteler Marylove Thralls

CONTRIBUTOR ($100 - $249) Anonymous Dr. & Mrs. Mounir R. Ashamalla Mrs. Celia Book Larry & Sue Browne Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Casamassima Mr. & Mrs. Joseph H. Connell Patricia Coppejans Linda Di Fiore Peter C. Ford & Mary Howe-Grant Jonathan Fox Blas & Mary Garza Ms. Catherine Genender Raymond & Sherry Huerta Sherry Hutson Mr. & Mrs. John Jamieson Ms. Patricia Kinnahan Anna Lopez Edward E. & Nell McCombs Janine & Angelo Mendez Ms. Pauline Paulin Dr. Daniel Rimkus Anne Santorelli Sandy & Eric Seale

*as of April 19, 2019

(CONTRIBUTOR CONTINUED)

Mr. Richard Slater Ms. Devora Sprecher Ms. Carol Spungen Dr. & Mrs. Richard Steckel Ms. Debra Stewart Ms. Marion Stewart Robert & Irene Stone Thuy Ta Mr. & Mrs. Robert Temkin FRIEND ($50 - $99) Mrs. Joan Agress Cassie Benoza Peter Bonner Mr. Lance Crawford Ms. Telma Dawallo Sharon & John Dobson Nina Dunbar Jamie Familara Yvonne Familara John Garcia Mr. Philip C. Laris Cheryl Mac Clellan-Long Ms. Joan Mitchell Rachel Molano Karen Skowrup Andrea Spanos Elvira Tafoya

CRUCIBLE ARTIST HOSTS Rodney Baker & Robert Ooley Linda Di Fiore Marilyn Gilbert Mary Hampson Colleen Kelly Sharon Landecker Janice Laney Elaine LeVasseur & Cameron Carr E. Bonnie Lewis

IMPRESARIO ($1,500 - $2,499) Mr. Leonard Himelsein Ms. Lori K. Meschler

*as of April 19, 2019

Joanne Neubauer David Nygren Sandy & Eric Seale Michael & Beverly Steinfeld Rachel Tierney The Upham Hotel Marilyn Zellet Ms. Janice Blair Yoshida