Yale Opera Fall Scenes, November 3 & 4, 2017

Robert Blocker, Dean

yale opera presents

OPERA SCENES Doris Yarick Cross, Artistic Director November 3 & 4, 2017 • 7:30 pm Morse Recital Hall

Yale Opera

OPERA SCENES friday, november 3 • 7:30 pm Die Zauberflöte, Dead Man Walking, Cendrillon, La Bohème saturday, november 4 • 7:30 pm Hänsel und Gretel, Lucrezia Borgia, Don Giovanni, Ariadne auf Naxos morse recital hall in sprague memorial hall

douglas dickson · timothy shaindlin music preparation & direction christopher murrah stage direction rebecca l. welles costume design doug harry lighting design wendall k. harrington projection design supervision Projections designed by students from the Yale School of Drama Projection Design program

Yale Opera

Die Zauberflรถte Excerpt from Act I Music by W. A. Mozart Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

Performed in German with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Jessie Chen

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Tamino First Lady Second Lady Third Lady Papageno The Queen of the Night

fidel angel romero, tenor lauren jean mcquistin, soprano rachel weishoff, mezzo-soprano alexandra urquiola, mezzo-soprano bryan murray, baritone leah brzyski, soprano

Die Zauberflรถte is a mythological adventure centered on the hero, Tamino, who is stranded in a foreign land away from his home, and challenged by the Star Shimmering Queen to find her missing daughter, Pamina. Aided along the way by spirits, magical ladies, and a sidekick, Papageno, Tamino journeys deep into the mysterious fortress of the villain Sarastro to find the princess and claim his prize.

Die Zauberflรถte is a feast for the eyes, ears, and mind that appeals to every generation. Whether one was raised on comic books, adventure movies, or video games, this opera reveals itself to be richer with each encounter.

Friday, November 3

Dead Man Walking Excerpt Music by Jake Heggie Libretto by Terrence McNally

Performed in English with projected English text Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by John Bondi

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Sister Helen Prejean Father Grenville Warden Joseph De Rocher

sarah saturnino, mezzo-soprano luis aguilar regalado, tenor brady muth, bass-baritone matthew cossack, baritone

One of the most frequently performed contemporary operas in recent years, Dead Man Walking is the story of a profound spiritual journey taken by Sister Helen Prejean and a convicted killer about to face the ultimate sentence. Through her conversations with this man, and her willingness to see through his eyes and with her own heart, she comes to understand the compassion and empathy to which she was called. Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, the opera delves into the conflict between the act of murder, society’s demand for retribution, redemption, and forgiveness.

intermission

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Cendrillon Act III Music by Jules Massenet Libretto by Henri CaĂŻn

Performed in French with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Brittany Bland

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Pandolfe Cendrillon The Fairy Prince Charming

andres benavides cascante, baritone anush avetisyan, soprano leah bryzski, soprano ricky feng nan, tenor

The tale of the girl who lives in the ashes is known the world over. In fact, our modern understanding of the tale is a melding of many different versions. What they evoke in all of us is the power of hope in the face of great sorrow and loss, and the sense that kindness and joy will always bring light into the darkness.

Pandolfe, Cendrillon’s father, tries to comfort his daughter as she bemoans the life she will never have at the hands of her less than kind stepmother and stepsisters. He decides that they will flee together. However, before he can return, she runs to the woods to die, too grief stricken to continue.

There, her Fairy Godmother brings Cendrillon and her Prince together and allows them to share their love in an enchanted sleep.

Friday, November 3

La Bohème Act I Music by Giacomo Puccini Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Nic Vincent

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Marcello Rodolfo Colline Schaunard Benoît Mimì

andres benavides cascante, baritone fidel angel romero, tenor stephen clark, bass bryan murray, baritone brady muth, bass-baritone sylvia d’eramo, soprano

Puccini’s poetic masterpiece La Bohème is reimagined against the electrifying backdrop of the brewing 1968 Paris student revolution. Three artists celebrate Christmas Eve by ignoring the pathos of their poverty and need, instead choosing to celebrate the joys that life has to offer. Their friend, Rodolfo, stays behind to work on his writing but is interrupted by his neighbor, the lovely Mimì. This meeting leads Rodolfo, and the audience, to the question that will guide his love affair with Mimì and her effect on him, “Chi son?”

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Hänsel und Gretel Act I Music by Engelbert Humperdinck Libretto by Adelheid Wette

Performed in German with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Gerardo Diaz

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Gretel Hänsel Mother Father

sylvia d’eramo, soprano alexandra urquiola, mezzo-soprano sarah saturnino, mezzo-soprano zachary johnson, baritone

Starving and left home alone, Hänsel and Gretel make do with the very little their parents can provide for them. In lieu of their chores, they dive into a world of make-believe and play — ­ that is, until Mother returns home and interrupts their frivolity with her practicality. Upset with them, and terrified at the prospect of no dinner on the table that evening, she sends the brother and sister into the woods to pick berries.

When Father comes home inebriated, he surprises his wife with food from the market. Eager to share the unexpected yet meager feast with his family, he asks after the children. Alarmed that Mother has sent Hänsel and Gretel into the woods alone, Father tells Mother of the horrible witch who lives in the woods. Concerned for the welfare of the children, they go off into the woods to look for them.

Saturday, November 4

Lucrezia Borgia Excerpt Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Felice Romani

Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Samuel Chan

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Don Alfonso Lucrezia Borgia Gennaro Liverotto Vitellozzo Gazella Orsini Gubetta

stephen clark, bass lauren mcquistin, soprano luis aguilar regalado, tenor ricky feng nan, tenor fidel angel romero, tenor andres benavides cascante, baritone rachel weishoff, mezzo-soprano brady muth, bass-baritone

A tale of revenge and blood lust, Lucrezia Borgia is an operatic manifestation of a fury to which hell cannot aspire. Borgia is driven by her pride to exact a murder on a group of young men who had dishonored her name in front a young dashing gentleman, Gennaro. Suspicious of the relationship between the young man and his wife, the duke has Gennaro arrested for a petty crime and attempts to poison him. Lucrezia saves the young man and urges him to flee. Gennaro ignores her plea and attends a party with the young men Lucrezia is after. He, along with the others, drinks a bottle of poisoned wine but this time refuses the aid of Lucrezia, choosing instead to die beside his friends.

intermission

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Don Giovanni Excerpt from Act I Music by W. A. Mozart Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Performed in Italian with projected English translation Musical direction by Douglas Dickson Projection design by Riw Rakkulchon

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Leporello Donna Anna Don Giovanni Commendatore Don Ottavio Donna Elvira

brady muth, bass-baritone sylvia d’eramo, soprano zachary johnson, baritone stephen clark, bass ricky feng nan, tenor anush avetisyan, soprano

The quintessential libertine, Don Giovanni is known the world over as a womanizer and scoundrel. The opera tells us the story of an unusual day for the Don, a day that involves a foiled conquest, a murder, and indeed his very demise.

In looking back at the 14th century nobleman, modern audiences need not reach far for parallels of his behavior in our own tabloids and newspapers.

Perhaps there is more than a little joy in watching the women he has wronged seek and exact a great revenge upon the man who wreaked havoc wherever he went.

Warning: This scene depicts violence against women.

Saturday, November 4

Ariadne auf Naxos Prologue Music by Richard Strauss Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Performed in German with projected English translation Musical direction by Timothy Shaindlin Projection design by Steph Cohen

cast (in order of vocal appearance) Musiklehrer Haushofmeister Komponist Prima Donna Zerbinetta Tanzmeister Lakai Tenor

matthew cossack, baritone stephen clark, bass sarah saturnino, mezzo-soprano lauren mcquistin, soprano leah brzyski, soprano luis aguilar regalado, tenor bryan murray, baritone fidel angel romero, tenor

A troupe of serious operatic musicians and a low-brow drama troupe arrive at a grand fête being thrown by a wealthy patron to provide entertainment.

In the midst of classic backstage chaos, the two troupes get some odd news: everything’s behind schedule so, to save time, both shows must be performed simultaneously. Though the idealistic young composer of the tragedy is devastated, the show(s) must go on.

At the core of the comedy is a thought-provoking dialogue about the conversation between “high” and “low” art and indeed the very place of art in society.

artist profiles

Christopher Murrah stage direction

Douglas Dickson musical direction and accompaniment

Christopher Murrah is a New York Citybased director. In 2016 he joined the faculty of Yale School of Music where he directs and teaches acting and movement for the Yale Opera. In 2014 he was the recipient of the honored Princess Grace Theater Award and previously was honored by the Shubert Foundation through Columbia University.

Douglas Dickson received his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University and his master of musical arts degree from the Yale School of Music. On various occasions, The Washington Post has called him an “intelligent, sensitive” pianist with “super technique” and a “skillful pianist” and has praised him for the “finely integrated oneness” he achieves as an accompanist. Mr. Dickson has performed in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America, in venues ranging from Japan’s Expo Hall to the Cincinnati Coliseum.

His work in theater and opera has been seen around the world, including the renowned Mariinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he was the movement director for a wild new mounting of La traviata. He served as the choreographer of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the fight choreographer for Don Quichotte, both with the Yale Opera. He was also the director for the Yale Opera’s 2016 Fall Opera Scenes programs. Other directing credits include Man of La Mancha (Wasserman/Darion/ Leigh), The Crucible (Miller), Pericles and Hamlet (Shakespeare), Into the Woods (Sondheim/Lapine), Children of Eden (Schwartz/Caird), and The Three Sisters (Chekhov). New plays and collaborations have included Peter Pan or the Boy Who Hated Mothers (Michael Lluberes), Alphabetical (Tingying Ma), The Sounds of My People (Tabia Lau), and development of works by Matthew Minnicino, Daaimah Mubashshir, and David Kimple. He is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and the Actor’s Equity Association.

While still in college, he was the accompanist for the American Boychoir. As part of Duodecaphonia, a prize-winning piano duo, he has performed at the Kennedy Center and elsewhere. Mr. Dickson has been the music director for productions at Quinnipiac University, the Yale School of Drama, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Connecticut Experimental Theater. He was music director and conductor for the Yale Opera’s production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and conducted a concert featuring the Yale Opera with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan. He has taught at Quinnipiac University since 1993 and joined the Yale faculty in 1998. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in an all-Ives concert at Weill Recital Hall. For Naxos, he has recorded more than eighty songs by Charles Ives.

artist profiles

Timothy Shaindlin musical direction and accompaniment

Rebecca L. Welles costume design

A native of New York City, Timothy Shaindlin joined the Yale School of Music faculty in 2008. After studies at The Juilliard School and Indiana University, he worked for the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera. He has also coached for the Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theatre. In Europe, he worked for Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and played master classes for Tito Gobbi. He has also played classes and coachings for such artists as Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Natalie Dessay, Ben Heppner, Luciano Pavarotti, Eleanor Steber, Samuel Ramey, Régine Crespin, Thomas Hampson, Frederica von Stade, Renee Fleming, and Carlo Bergonzi.

Rebecca L. Welles, YSD ‘12, has been designing for Yale Opera since 2013. Credits include Le pauvre matelot, The Bear, Don Quichotte, La cenerentola, Le nozze di Figaro, Gianni Schicchi, Riders to the Sea, Bon Appetit, and Iolanta. Rebecca is also an adjunct professor of performing arts at Eastern Connecticut State University, the costume shop manager for the Aspen Opera Center at the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and the resident costume designer for the Educational Center for the Arts. Other recent Connecticut design credits include Million Dollar Quartet and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story at Ivoryton Playhouse.

Mr. Shaindlin’s work on the podium includes conducting engagements with the Wolf Trap Opera Festival, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago Light Opera Works, and Eugene Opera. He has assisted such renowned conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Andrew Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Richard Bonynge, Bruno Bartoletti, Donato Renzetti, Louis Langrée, Edoardo Müller, Yves Abel, Daniele Gatti, Antonio Pappano, and Paul Gemignani.

Doug hails from the UK and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama way back in the crazy eighties! He has travelled the world as a lighting designer for theater, opera, and corporate events. Currently, he splits his time between production management and design and is currently the production manager for the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. He is very happy to be designing for the Yale Opera program.

Doug Harry lighting design

artist profiles

Wendall K. Harrington projection design supervision Wendall K. Harrington’s career has embraced diverse disciplines including projection design for theater, publishing, and video production.

Broadway designs include Driving Miss Daisy, Grey Gardens, They’re Playing Our Song, The Elephant Man, My One and Only, The Heidi Chronicles, The Will Rogers Follies, Having Our Say, Company, Racing Demon, Ragtime, John Leguizamo’s Freak, The Capeman, Putting It Together, and The Who’s Tommy. Off-Broadway work includes Angels in America, Hapgood, A Christmas Carol at the Paramount; Merrily We Roll Along (three times!), and the ill-fated Whistle Down the Wind. Opera designs include Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute in Florence, Italy; A View from the Bridge at Chicago Lyric Opera and the Metropolitan Opera; Die Gezeichneten at LA Opera; The Photographer at BAM; and Transatlantic, Grapes of Wrath, Rusalka, and Wuthering Heights for Minnesota Opera.

Ms. Harrington is the recipient of the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the American Theatre Wing Award, the TCI Award for Technical Achievement, and the Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Projections. Ms. Harrington has been lecturing on projection design for the Yale School of Drama since the early ’90s.

Student Profiles

Luis Aguilar Regalado tenor B.M. The Hartt School of Music; Young Artist Programs: Oberlin in Italy, Opera de Nuevo Leon Anush Avetisyan soprano B.A. University of California, Los Angeles; Young Artist Programs: Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Mediterraneo Opera Studio, Wolf Trap Opera, Oberlin in Italy Leah Brzyski soprano B.M. in Vocal Performance and Music Education, Michigan State University; Young Artist Program: Charlottesville Opera Andres Benavides Cascante baritone B.A. in Music, Loyola University New Orleans Matthew Cossack baritone B.M. SUNY Purchase; M.M. Mannes College; Young Artist Programs: Si Parla Si Canta, Princeton Festival Stephen Clark bass B.A. Northeastern State University Oklahoma, M.M. Oklahoma City University; Young Artist Programs: Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Fort Worth Opera Festival, Seagle Music Colony Sylvia D’Eramo soprano B.A. SUNY Purchase Zachary Johnson baritone B.M. New England Conservatory; M.M. Yale School of Music

Lauren McQuistin soprano B.M. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; M.M. Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Young Artist Programs: Center for Opera Studies in Italy Bryan Murray baritone B.M. Stony Brook University, M.M. SUNY Purchase; Young Artist Programs: Si Parla Si Canta; Brooklyn Opera Institute Brady Muth bass-baritone B.M. University of Northern Colorado; Young Artist Programs: Opera Classica Europa, Opera Fort Collins Ricky Feng Nan tenor B.M. SUNY Binghamton; M.M. Northwestern University; Young Artist Programs: Miami Music Festival, Central City Opera Fidel Angel Romero tenor B.A. Houston Baptist University; Young Artist Program: German Vocal Arts Institute Sarah Saturnino mezzo-soprano B.A. University of California, Los Angeles; Young Artist Program: Bel Canto in Tuscany Alexandra Urquiola mezzo-soprano B.M. Northwestern University; Young Artist Program: Aspen Music Festival Rachel Weishoff mezzo-soprano B.M. & M.M. SUNY Purchase; Young Artist Programs: Princeton Music Festival, Central City Opera, Chelsea Opera

Yale Opera Production Staff

christopher murrah Stage Director

erika niemi heltzel Yale Opera Manager

rebecca l. welles Costume Designer

nikki blue Production Stage Manager

doug harry Lighting Designer & Master Electrician

rebekah heusel Assistant Stage Manager

brittany bland christopher evans Projection Programmer & Operator

cailey harwood-smith Properties Master carol koumbaros Wardrobe Manager

jill brunelle Surtitle Operator sylvia d’eramo zachary johnson Student Assistants

Special Thanks

Shawn Boyle Jacob Reed Richard Cross Robert Heltzel Jen McClure Rick Sordelet John Sullivan Kyle Swann Yale School of Drama Long Wharf Theatre Southern Connecticut State University Wendall K. Harrington and her projection design students

Yale Opera 2017–2018 season Master Class with Alan Held december 15, 2017 Morse Recital Hall The renowned bass-baritone from the Metropolitan Opera works with students in the Yale Opera program.

Friday | 7 pm free admission The Magic Flute february 16–18, 2018 Shubert Theater Yale Opera presents a new production with stage direction by Dustin Wills and music direction by Israel Gursky.

Friday & Saturday, 8 pm | Sunday, 2 pm Tickets start at $19 Available at shubert.com or 203-562-5666 Hansel and Gretel may 4–5, 2018 Morse Recital Hall Yale Opera presents a new production in Sprague Hall with music direction by Doug Dickson.

Friday & Saturday | 7:30 pm Tickets start at $10, Students $5

Next at Yale Opera

The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

February 16–18, 2018 Shubert Theatre Friday & Saturday, 8 pm | Sunday, 2 pm Dustin Wills, director Israel Gursky, conductor With the Yale Philharmonia Tickets start at $19, available at shubert.com or 203 562-5666

Robert Blocker, Dean

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Upcoming Events Lunchtime Chamber Music november 8 YSM Ensembles YSM students perform a midday chamber music program at the Yale Center for British Art 1080 Chapel St. | Wednesday | 12:30 pm free admission Peter Frankl, with Janna Baty and Randall Scarlata november 8 Horowitz Piano Series Faculty pianist Peter Frankl is joined by faculty mezzo-soprano Janna Baty and baritone Randall Scarlata for an all-Schumann program Morse Recital Hall | Wednesday | 7:30 pm Tickets start at $13, Students $7 David Lang and Hannah Lash november 9 New Music New Haven Works by YSM faculty composers Hannah Lash and David Lang, including Lash’s How to Remember Seeds, performed by the Rolston String Quartet, and Lang’s just (after song of songs), and music by the School’s graduate-student composers Morse Recital Hall | Thursday | 7:30 pm free admission

Yale Percussion Group november 12 YSM Ensembles The Yale Percussion Group, under the direction of Robert van Sice, has been described by pioneering composer Steve Reich as a “truly extraordinary” ensemble Morse Recital Hall | Sunday | 7:30 pm Tickets start at $10, Students $5 Trombone Studio Recital november 13 YSM Ensembles Performances by students from Scott Hartman’s trombone studio Sudler Recital Hall | Monday | 7:30 pm free admission Vista: Chamber Music november 14 YSM Ensembles Student chamber ensembles perform and provide insight into the repertoire Wendy Sharp, director Morse Recital Hall | Tuesday | 7:30 pm free admission

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Robert Blocker, Dean