MASTER PETER'S PUPPET SHOW

OCT. 7 & 8, 2021 | 7:30 PM | BLACK BOX THEATRE

Master Peter's Puppet Show

by manuel de falla

DIRECTED BY JOSÉ MIGUEL

PRODUCED BY DAVID SCHMIDT

THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

PROGRAM Manuel de Falla's Master Peter's Puppet Show (in Spanish: El retablo de Maese Pedro) is an opera in one act intended for small theatres and audiences.

Based on a chapter from Manuel de Cervantes' The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha, this opera tells the story of the knight-errant and his encounter with Master Peter, a puppeteer that travels across Spain.

Due to the challenges it presents, De Falla's masterpiece is not part of the standard operatic repertoire. Thus, it is our pleasure to bring it to life tonight.

FROM THE DIRECTOR It feels great to be back at what we love doing the most. It is my hope that for the next thirty minutes you will immerse yourself in this minimalist, yet intimate take of De Falla's opera. My invitation is for all of us to take a moment to appreciate the present and let our minds wonder as if we were children again. Thank you all for being here tonight.

SYNOPSIS Don Quixote is asleep. The entirety of the plot happens in his dreams, which makes our version atemporal and mysterious. The knight-errant is invited, by Master Peter, to watch his puppet show. Suddenly, dancers enter the stage from all places causing confusion in Don Quixote's mind. He has not and will not realize that this is all a creation of his unconscious mind.

The boy begins to tell a well-known Spanish tale. Don Gayferos and Don Roldán are playing a challenging game of chess. Suddenly, Charlemagne arrives and interrupts the two noblemen. He is mad at Don Gayferos, as the latest is doing no attempt to rescue his beloved Melisendra. He slaps Don Gayferos and brings him back to his senses. In the meanwhile, Melisendra is shown captive by King Marsilius, and the enamoured Moor takes advantage of her loneliness. Melisendra calls for help and the Moor is captured and tortured in public. Don Quixote gets upset as his feelings for Melisendra become stronger.

Don Gayferos rides through the desert until he finds his beloved. He gets close to Melisendra and uncovers his face. The lovers escape, which makes the boy extremely happy, but Don Quixote not so much. In fact, he cannot tolerate the changes the boy is making to the story, and so decides to destroy the puppet show (represented by dancers). Master Peter falls into despair and starts praying, while the boy hides from the crazy hidalgo. Towards the end of the show, Don Quixote is so lost in his anger that he ends up destroying the most precious thing in his life... or, at least, he does so in his dreams.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

BIOGRAPHIES

WILLIAM TEPNER MASTER PETER Will is a student at the U, double majoring in Theatre (BA) and Vocal Performance (BMus).

He was born and raised in New York City.

Will is so grateful for the love and support of his family and friends! He is thrilled to be in this fantastic production!

BENNETT CHEW DON QUIXOTE Bennett Chew is a senior baritone receiving his Bachelors of Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance. This will be the second lead opera role which he has performed in his young career. He is grateful for this opportunity to be able to share his voice and his talents with you tonight.

LETICIA ARMAS COETO BOY Leticia Armas Coeto, soprano, is an exchange student from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla. Originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico, Leticia is excited to be part of this opera and debut in her first big role. She would like to thank her family, teachers and the creative team for being so supportive.

AZALEA TEUTON MELISENDRA | EXECUTIONER Azalea Teuton is a freshman in the musical theatre program at the U. She loves to sing, dance, and tell stories collaboratively through art! She is very grateful for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful creative team and is excited to be performing with the University for the very first time. Azalea would like to thank her friends and family for all of their love and support.

ZYENA TOLHURST DON GAYFEROS | EXECUTIONER Zyena Tolhurst is a junior in the Musical Theatre Program at the University of Utah, and she is also pursuing a Modern Dance Minor. She is excited to be dancing in this opera and is so thankful to have worked with such an inspiring cast and crew. Please enjoy!

SOPHIA CAMPAGNA THE ENAMOURED MOOR Sophia Campagna is a sophomore in the MT program. Some of her favorite shows that she has done in the past are Newsies (Katherine), Singing in the Rain (Kathy), and Beauty and the Beast (Belle). Sophia has been performing since the age of 5 and absolutely loves it. She is so excited to be studying what she loves in college.

BRYNOCH RAMMELL CHARLEMAGNE Brynoch is a junior in the Musical theater program at the U with a minor in Entrepreneurship, a word that autocorrects for him every time. He is from Idaho where potatoes run as wild as dreams. He can't wait to show you how fun the opera has been, and he hopes you have a great time watching. xoxo- Santa Maria.

CARMIN FISK DON ROLDÁN | KING MARSILIUS Carmin Fisk is a freshman in the musical theatre program here at the U. Originally from California, Carmin is very excited to be dancing in this show. She would like to thank her Parents, and the cast for making this a fun experience. Enjoy the show!

HANNAH SALAS ROYAL GUARD Hannah Salas is a 1st year transfer student in the Musical Theatre Program at The University of Utah! She is so excited to be dancing in her first opera, and thrilled to be performing in her first show here at The U! She would like to thank the creative team for this wonderful opportunity, and her family for their love and support.

ISA SIMMONS ROYAL GUARD Isa Simmons is an Orlando, FL native and a freshman in the musical theatre program. She has had the best time working on this opera and getting to perform with her new family! Isa would like to thank her parents, friends, Munchie the cat, and the rest of the creative team for making this such an amazing experience.

JACOB LOBROT MUSIC DIRECTOR | PIANIST Jacob Lobrot (they/them) is a concert pianist, teacher, and collaborative musician, currently in the first semester of their MM in piano performance here at the U. This is the first opera production they have been officially involved in, so go easy on them, if you wouldn’t mind.

ELLEDA SPITZER STAGE MANAGER Elleda Spitzer is a freshman in the musical theatre program here at the U. Originally from California, Elleda is ecstatic to be working on this opera, stage managing for the first time! She would like to thank her family, friends, and the rest of the creative team for being so supportive. Enjoy the show!

MICHAEL SHOAF VIDEOGRAPHER Michael Shoaf (countertenor) is a second year doctoral vocal performance student at the University of Utah. During the pandemic, he took up photography and videography as a way to enhance his career path and those around him looking to express themselves in a virtual world. All photos from the rehearsal process included in this program were taken by Michael.

ROBERT BREAULT VIDEOGRAPHER Tenor Robert Breault enjoys an international career that features an extraordinary breadth of repertoire. He has over 20 years of experience in the field of videography.

Robert is the official photographer for the National Opera Association and has presented at the NOA convention.

DAVID SCHMIDT PRODUCER David Schmidt, Associate Professor and Head of the Musical Theatre Program at the University of Utah, has been a key component to make tonight's production possible. The creative team and cast would like to thank him for his support and dedication throughout this wonderful process.

ALEXIS LILLEY CHOREOGRAPHER Alexis is a senior in the musical theatre program at The University of Utah. She is thrilled to have choreographed this production of Master Peters Puppet Show Previous choreography credits include assistant choreographing West Side Story and Curtains at The Grand Theatre. She also choreographs for a children’s theatre camp in the summer at her former high school in Austin,TX. Alexis was last seen on stage in the university’s production of Dracula, and will soon be seen in the university’s production of The Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience. She would like to thank her family and friends for all of their love and support!

JOSÉ MIGUEL DIRECTOR | CO-PRODUCER José Miguel is a native of Santa Cruz, Chile and currently resides in Salt Lake City, UT where he is pursuing his doctorate in Vocal Performance. Absorbed by the aesthetics of music since an early age, the tenor finds purpose by connecting to his audience through meaningful and transforming performances. He heartily believes in the power of music to uplift souls and make a positive impact in people’s lives.With de Falla's Master Peter's Puppet Show, he makes his official directorial debut. Last Spring, he played the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto.

Previous operatic credits include King Kaspar in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Mr. Cratchit in Leavitt's A Christmas Carol. José Miguel studies with tenor Robert Breault and coaches with pianist Jeffrey Price. He is a recipient of a full-assistantship from the University of Utah, where he teaches private voice lessons and performs with the Graduate Vocal Quartet.

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to undertake an action: I would like to thank the entire cast and creative team for making this production possible. There is an entire team of great humans behind "Master Peter's Puppet Show" and I will always be grateful for your help. I would also like to thank the Department of Theatre and the School of Music for supporting us. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, our dog, and my parents for their unconditional love. My hope is that this project becomes an incentive for future collaborations across the arts.

- José Miguel

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT!