2019 West Edge Opera Festival Brochure

THE 2019

WEST EDGE FESTIVAL AUGUST 3-18 BRIDGE YARD OAKLAND, CA

THE THREEPENNY OPERA WEILL / BRECHT

ORFEO & EURIDICE GLUCK

BREAKING THE WAVES MAZZOLI / VAVREK

Buy Series Tickets at WESTEDGEOPERA.ORG

Message from the General Director

THE THREEPENNY OPERA

WEILL / BRECHT

ORFE0 & EURIDICE GLUCK

BREAKING THE WAVES

MAZZOLI / VAVREK

For about a year, I’ve been crossing the Bay Bridge a few times a week and on the return each night, I’ve gazed at the brightly lit building marked Bridge Yard which is clearly recently renovated. I couldn’t help but wonder if it might be a possible site for our opera festival. It was long-time West Edge fans David and Marilyn Nasatir who sent me to the CalTrans website where I learned all about the award-winning renovation. Once again, I turned to Michael Colbruno, who knows how things work in the East Bay and was instrumental in our train station adventure. Michael knew the right person to talk to, and here we are.

I believe that the opera lineup for this year is one of the strongest we’ve ever had. As a fan of Bertolt Brecht, Elkhanah Pulitzer has long wanted to do The Threepenny Opera and we are excited to present her production. Since we had no early opera in last year’s festival, we wanted to make sure to do one this year, hence Orfeo & Euridice. When we realized that all three singers in the show would be women, we decided on a production led, designed and performed entirely by women. After hiring KJ Dahlaw as director/choreographer, we expanded the scope since KJ is gender non-binary. Finally, I will direct and Jonathan will conduct Breaking the Waves, regarded as one of the best new operas to come along in recent years. My friend Royce Vavrek is the librettist and he started talking to me about the piece long before its 2016 premiere in Philadelphia. He encouraged me to watch Lars von Trier’s film and I was blown away. The opera is at once beautiful, angry, joyous, haunting, controversial. Missy Mazzoli’s music is perfect for this story which upends common assumptions about goodness, faith, sacrifice and devotion.

Mark Streshinsky

Where the Bay Bridge shakes hands with the Oakland cranes.

About The Bridge Yard Next time you drive to the East Bay from San Francisco on the Bay Bridge, take a look to your right directly across from the toll plaza, and you can clearly see a building that has giant letters across the windows spelling out: BRIDGE YARD The Bridge Yard is a 24,000-square foot industrial building built in 1938 as a repair facility for rail cars that once traveled over the Bay Bridge. With renovations completed in January 2017, The Bridge Yard Seismic and Renovation Project has created a dramatic, seismically sound public event space preserving the building’s original finishes and characteristic 1930s craftsmanship. The restoration project has won several awards for preservation and outstanding engineering and is the anchor for what will be a new park stretching out into the water and the start of the hike and bike trail along the side of the new bridge.

The West Edge Festival at The Bridge Yard will utilize our more traditional proscenium arrangement, taking advantage of the length of the building. Our festival tent will return for outside dining and post-show receptions and we are thrilled to finally upgrade our silver seats. The site is easy to get to using the Grand Ave. exit and there is on-site parking. We will once again run our fully accessible shuttle from the West Oakland BART station.

3

THE THREEPENNY OPERA (1928) Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht

IN ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SURTITLES Translation by Jeremy Sams & Robert D. MacDonald The Threepenny Opera tells the story of MacHeath (aka Mackie, aka Mack the Knife), an amoral, unrepentant criminal who marries the naive, trusting Polly Peachum. The marriage incurs the displeasure of Polly’s father, who happens to hold sway over all the beggars of London. No one is safe in this biting critique of capitalism and classism that ushered in a new form of musical theater.

This opera is for mature audiences.

Viewer discretion advised.

David Möschler Conductor / Music Director Elkhanah Pulitzer Director Chad Owens Scenic Designer

Christine Crook Costume Designer

Derek Chester MacHeath

Maya Kherani Polly Peachum

Sarah Coit Jenny Diver

Robert Stafford Mr. Peachum

Catherine Cook Mrs. Peachum

Jonathan Spencer Tiger Brown

Erin O’Meally Lucy Brown

5

ORFEO & EURIDICE

(1762) Christoph Willibald Gluck IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SURTITLES West Edge fully commits to gender parity with this production of Orfeo & Euridice featuring a cast and creative team consisting entirely of women and non-binary artists. The Orfeo myth is one of the most ubiquitous stories in western culture and we are proud to tell it with voices that have been underrepresented for far too long.

Christine Brandes Conductor / Music Director KJ Dahlaw Choreographer / Director Mikiko Uesugi Scenic Designer Kathleen Qiu Costume Designer Pamela Grey Lighting Designer

Nikola Printz Orfeo

Maria Valdes Euridice

Shawnette Sulker Amore

7

BREAKING THE WAVES

(2016) Missy Mazzoli & Royce Vavrek Based on the film by Lars von Trier IN ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SURTITLES Breaking the Waves tells the story of Bess McNeill, a young woman living in a small, austere Calvinist town. She is torn between her passion for her injured husband and the strict expectations of her community in this exploration of faith and agency.

Breaking the Waves is the winner of the 2017 Music Critics Association of North America award for Best New Opera and was nominated for Best World Premiere at the 2017 International Opera Awards.

Jonathan Khuner Conductor / Music Director Mark Streshinsky Director

BREAKING THE WAVES stands among the best twenty first century American operas yet.

David Shengold

Sara LeMesh Bess McNeill

Kindra Scharich Dodo McNeill

Robert Wesley Mason Jan Nyman

Alex Boyer Dr. Richardson

BREAKING THE WAVES is savage, heartbreaking, and thoroughly original.

Heidi Waleson

Kristin Clayton Mrs. McNeill

Brandon Bell Terry

The most startling and moving new American opera in recent memory.

Spencer Dodd Minister

9

MEET THE BRIDGE YARD COMING SOON FREE EVENT RSVP required Featuring special guests who will perform and test the accoustics of the venue.

Stay tuned for information about this event on our website and emails.

Followed by a reception with food and wine.

MEET THE FESTIVAL with performances by

WEST EDGE FESTIVAL ARTISTS

June 8 Saturday 2PM St. Clement’s Church

2837 Claremont Blvd. Berkeley TICKETS $250 Event Underwriter Included: Front row seats, pre-reception with artists $10 General Admission Mark and Jonathan will introduce the festival and talk about each of the three operas with performances by festival artists.

Followed by a reception with food and wine.

10

*

PICNIC AT THE FESTIVAL The festival tent returns just outside the doors to the venue.

We will run a free shuttle bus from the West Oakland BART Station every 20 minutes starting two hours before curtain. Food may be ordered in advance (until 3 days before your show) through our website or by calling (510) 841-1903. Mark gives informal talks at the nearby amphitheater 45 minutes before every performance. Meet the artists after every show at the tent. Wine will be served.

Your Food. Your Choice. $16 PER MEAL No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Kale Salad Roast Beef Sandwich with Potato Salad Seasonal Frittata with Side Salad and Roll (Vegetarian) Trio of Seasonal Salads

About Poulet Poulet was co-founded in 1979 by Marilyn Rinzler and Bruce Aidells.

Inspired by Marilyn who was a single parent of two, Poulet began as take-out only, designed for people who didn’t have the time to cook and wanted to take home fresh, healthy, gourmet food. Poulet has always had a simple philosophy: Food is very basic, let’s enjoy it.

11

2019 CALENDAR of EVENTS

TBA 6/8

Saturday

8/3

Saturday

8/4

Sunday

8/9

Friday

8/10

Saturday

8/11

Sunday

8/15

Thursday

MEET THE BRIDGE YARD MEET THE FESTIVAL 2PM THE THREEPENNY OPERA 8:30PM ORFEO & EURIDICE 3PM ORFEO & EURIDICE 8:30PM BREAKING THE WAVES 8:30PM THE THREEPENNY OPERA 3PM THE THREEPENNY OPERA 8:30PM

8/16

BREAKING THE WAVES 8:30PM

8/17

ORFEO & EURIDICE 8:30PM

8/18

BREAKING THE WAVES 3PM

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

12

August 3-18 The Bridge Yard 210 Burma Rd. Oakland, CA 94607

SAVE MONEY BUY A SERIES Series tickets are as much as 10% less than single tickets which will be available on June 1. Series tickets are on sale April 1.

Purchase ASAP for best seating options.

SERIES A

Openings

August 3: The Threepenny Opera August 4: Orfeo & Euridice August 10: Breaking the Waves

SERIES B

Saturday Nights

August 3: The Threepenny Opera August 10: Breaking the Waves August 17: Orfeo & Euridice

SERIES C

Sunday Matinees

August 4: Orfeo & Euridice August 11: The Threepenny Opera August 18: Breaking the Waves

SERIES D

Second Weekend

August 9: Orfeo & Euridice August 10: Breaking the Waves August 11: The Threepenny Opera

SERIES E

Third Weekend

August 15: The Threepenny Opera August 16: Breaking the Waves August 17: Orfeo & Euridice

SERIES F

Weeknights 50% OFF for New Subscribers

By phone only.

August 9: Orfeo & Euridice August 15: The Threepenny Opera August 16: Breaking the Waves

SERIES G

Make Your Own

Choose any date for each of the three operas.

13

PRICING Platinum Reserved Seats Gold Reserved Seats Silver General Admission

3 Operas for $339 3 Operas for $258 3 Operas for $129

BIG SAVINGS EXCLUSIVELY FOR NEW SERIES TICKET BUYERS Weeknights. This series is available only to first-time series ticket buyers by phone.

Series F Platinum 3 Operas for $189 $63 per opera Series F Gold 3 Operas for $144 $48 per opera Series F Silver 3 Operas for $72 $24 per opera PLATINUM SERIES PERKS Aisle and front rows. Comfortable padded chairs. Ability to choose your own seats if you order online. Easy ticket exchange via phone.

GOLD SERIES PERKS Front section. Comfortable padded chairs. Ability to choose your own seats if you order online. Easy ticket exchange via phone.

SILVER SERIES PERKS New and more comfortable chairs. Easy ticket exchange via phone.

THREE WAYS TO ORDER ONLINE

WestEdgeOpera.org

PHONE

(510) 841-1903

MAIL

1700 Shattuck Avenue #312 Berkeley, CA 94709 Please fill out the form on the right.

Fees waived for mail orders.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM THE SF BAY BRIDGE Stay to the extreme right side of the bridge.

Take the first exit: Grand Ave. Turn right on Maritime and then right on Burma.

Follow the signs.

FROM 80 BERKELEY Head toward 880 South, take the first exit for West Grand. Make a right on West Grand and then a left on Maritime.

Right on Burma road and follow the signs.

14

Thank you for being part of the West Edge family.

Ticket sales account for only about 40% of the cost to mount these productions.

Please consider a tax-deductible donation to West Edge Opera with your ticket order.

Season Tickets Platinum

Series Letter ____________

Quantity

x

____________

$ Amount x

$339

=

$ ____________

O Best available in section O Call me for my seating preference

Gold

____________

x

____________

x

$258

=

$ ____________

O Best available in section O Call me for my seating preference

Silver

____________

x

$129

=

$ ____________

General Admission

____________

x

$10

=

$ ____________

Event Underwriter

____________

x

$250

=

$ ____________

____________

x

$16

=

$ ____________

=

$ ____________

____________

x

Meet the Festival Event

Total Poulet Meals

We will contact you for meal selections.

Tax Deductible Gift (Thank you!)

= $ ____________ TOTAL For Series G patrons, please select dates: The Threepenny Opera O Saturday 8/3 Orfeo & Euridice O Sunday 8/4 Breaking the Waves O Saturday 8/10

O Sunday 8/11 O Friday 8/9 O Friday 8/16

O Thursday 8/15 O Saturday 8/17 O Sunday 8/18

Series F Tickets available by phone only.

Payment Information O Check Enclosed

Payable to West Edge Opera

O Visa O Mastercard O Discover Please write card information below.

Name Address

Phone

City

State

Card No.

Exp

Email I hereby authorize West Edge Opera to charge my card accordingly.

Zip

Signature

Mark Streshinsky General Director

Jonathan Khuner Music Director

ORDER NOW AND GET THE BEST SEATS WESTEDGEOPERA.ORG

© 2019 West Edge Opera • Official photos by Cory Weaver Designed by MXDmagazine.com

1700 Shattuck Avenue, #312 Berkeley, CA 94709

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

US POSTAGE PAID DIRECT MAIL CENTER