Vancouver Opera presents The Merry Widow

THE MERRY WIDOW Franz Lehรกr

“Julia Bullock combines a rare on stage aura with a style that is exacting but not fussy, with hardly an unturned phrase” — The New Yorker

JULIA BULLOCK SOPRANO JOHN ARIDA PIANO SUNDAY OCT 21 at 3pm VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE

SCHUBERT | BARBER | FAURÉ

A SELECTION OF AMERICAN SONGS

TWO GREAT SINGERS:

one a beloved, award-winning baritone celebrated for his stellar opera and lieder performances, the other a fast-rising star who’s generating quite a “buzz” at the moment.

Hear both singers up close in the intimacy of the Vancouver Playhouse.

Not to be missed!

TICKETS: 604 602 0363 I VANRECITAL.COM

“The greatest lyric baritone of our time, indeed one of the greatest of any time” — BBC Music Magazine

SIR SIMON KEENLYSIDE BARITONE

MALCOLM MARTINEAU PIANO

SUNDAY NOV 25 at 3pm VANCOUVER PL AYHOUSE

SCHUBERT | WOLF | POULENC FAURÉ | VAUGHAN WILLIAMS IRELAND | GRAINGER

SEASON & PEAK SERIES SPONSOR:

NEXT GENERATION SERIES SPONSOR:

The Late Edwina & Paul Heller

NEXT GENERATION SERIES SUPPORTED BY:

JULIA BULLOCK CONCERT SPONSOR:

SIMON KEENLYSIDE CONCERT SPONSOR:

Gaby & Yoram Minnes

Lynn Kagan

SUPPORTED BY:

LA BOHÈME Giacomo Puccini

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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5,000 YEARS OF CIVILIZATION REBORN

“Awe-Inspiring!”

—ABC

Presented by Name of Presenter

“A Must-See!” —Broadway World

MARCH 22–31 • QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE ENTIRELY NEW 2019 PRODUCTION WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA FROM NEW YORK Presented by Falun Dafa Association of Vancouver

Sold Out Last Season. A show you must see at least once in your life.

Don’t miss it - book your seats today! Promo code: VANOPERA

888.974.3698

ShenYun.com/Van

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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NOTES FROM THE CONDUCTOR |

Lehar’s The Merry Widow is a piece which always feels fresh and relevant. And why not? With scandal, political intrigue, financial crisis, relationship drama, international diplomatic tension - it could have been written today.

Then there is the magic of operetta. As with the Italian ‘verismo’ operas, this piece deals with real subjects and real, human characters. But unlike verismo, there is never an overwhelming sense of doom and gloom... drama?

Absolutely! Darkness? - never! Operetta employs style, wit, grace and effervescent energy to propel the action forward. Like a musical glass of champagne -with the intoxicating rhythm of Viennese Waltz at the heart of it all.

And if that isn’t enough - there is an endearing love story which, after many twists and turns, leaves the audience positively glowing at the end of the evening.

The Merry Widow was an instant sensation - both in Europe where it was originally produced and all over the world. A hundred years before we even began to use the term, this piece essentially ‘went viral’ with numerous productions being mounted simultaneously on multiple continents. In fact, the famous ‘Merry Widow

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VANCOUVER OPERA | #MerryWidowVO

WARD STARE

waltz’ originally had no words, but it was so loved by the public that they literally demanded that words be added so that it could be sung in the streets!

The Merry Widow is the perfect piece for a first-time opera goer and its subtleties will delight even the most sophisticated connoisseur. With its masterful plot, colorful characters and delicious melodies, this piece truly has something for everyone!

Ward Stare is Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently conducted The Merry Widow to critical acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR |

The Merry Widow is very likely the definitive Viennese romantic operetta, and remarkably, it continues to charm and please audiences around the world more than 110 years after its premiere. The work of writers and composers fascinates me, the strange alchemy that joins words to music that can deliver the sublime elevation of text into memorable song that lodges in our hearts.

The Merry Widow is full of those moments, and yet, it almost didn’t happen. Franz Lehár was not the first choice to compose the score. The original composer, Richard Heuberger had delivered a draft of the music that was so uninspired, the producers almost abandoned the project entirely. In desperation, the librettist Victor Léon sent lyrics for the Act 2 duet “Dummer, Dummer Reitersmann” to the young and relatively untested composer Franz Lehár as a test. A couple of hours later, the composer called Léon and played him the tune over the telephone. That moment sealed a creative contract that provided the alchemy for one of the most-produced musical theatre works of all time.

KELLY ROBINSON

The impact of the show is hard to imagine – productions sprang to life around the world. A 1906 popular song called “I’m looking for the Man that Wrote The Merry Widow Waltz” has lyrics that say: “That waltz starts you shaking, you hear it On waking, you hear it on going to bed.

You hum it out walking, you sing it when Talking, twill haunt you I’m sure ‘till You’re dead."

One of the first shows I performed in as a teenager, before I ever imagined I might spend my life in the theatre, was The Merry Widow. I remember vividly the gorgeous music, the romance, the joy, the heightened style, and the sense of a complete and cultivated world contained within the story. We would like to offer that back to you tonight, to prove that despite the huge historical, geographic and cultural differences between 1905 Vienna and 2018 Vancouver, there is human truth at work at the heart of the laughter and the fizz in the story, that can make us fall in love with it all over again We hope you do!

Kelly Robinson is a director, dramaturge and choreographer whose career spans theatre, opera, television and film.

PHOTO BY JOHN GRIGAITIS COURTESY OF UTAH OPERA

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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BIOGRAPHIES

WARD STARE CONDUCTOR Rochester, NY

KELLY ROBINSON DIRECTOR New York, NY

JOSHUA BEAMISH CHOREOGRAPHER Kelowna, BC

VO DÉBUT

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Director, Evita, 2016

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: The Merry Widow, Metropolitan Opera, New York City; Porgy and Bess, Die Fledermaus, Hansel und Gretel with Lyric Opera of Chicago; L’elisir d’amore with Washington National Opera, Washington D.C.; Il Tabarro & Pagliacci, Dialogue of the Carmelites with Opera Theatre of St. Louis UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Sarasota Orchestra with Christina and Michelle Naughton on piano; New Year’s Eve Celebration, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Madama Butterfly with Vienna Staatsoper Mr. Stare is the Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

RECENT APPEARANCES: Mavra and Iolantai, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London; Bittergirl (premiere) Charlottetown Festival, PEI; The Merry Widow, Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit; Die tote Stadt, Calgary Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Fly High for Junkyard Dog Productions, New York; Milena for Reade Street Productions, New York

RECENT APPEARANCES: Lollapalooza, MAD HOT BALLET/ National Ballet of Canada, Toronto; The Masque of the Red Death, Joyce Theater, New York; Butterfly Lovers, Lunarfest2018, Vancouver; Saudade, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Next Wave Festival, New York; The Magic Flute, Reimagining Giselle, The Royal Ballet/Royal Opera House, London www.joshuabeamish.com

JOHN CUDIA COUNT DANILO DANILOVITCH Bloomfield, NJ LAST VO APPEARANCE: Cassio, Otello, 2017 RECENT APPEARANCES: Edward Moncrief, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Irish Repertory Theater, New York; The Duke, Rigoletto, Lyric Opera of the North, Duluth, MN; Juan Perón, Evita, Vancouver Opera; Curly, OKLAHOMA!, Lyric Opera of Chicago; The Phantom, The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway www.johncudia.com

Director of Creative Development, Mirvish Productions, Toronto, & Member of SDC www.kellyfrobinson.com

www.wardstare.com

Ward Stare's appearance sponsored by Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt

LUCIA CESARONI HANNA GLAWARI Toronto, ON

RICHARD SUART BARON MIRKO ZETA Blackpool, Lancashire, UK

SASHA DJIHANIAN VALENCIENNE Montreal, QC

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Maria, West Side Story, 2011

Last VO Appearance: Ko-Ko, The Mikado, 1997

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: Mimi, La bohème, Pacific Opera Victoria; Eleonora, L’assedio di Calais, Opera Odyssey, Boston; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Teatro Alighieri, Ravenna, Italy; Musetta, La bohème, Opéra de Montréal

RECENT APPEARANCES: Pangloss, Candide, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl and Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Judge, Trial by Jury, English National Opera, London; Ko-Ko, The Merry Widow, English National Opera, London; Baron Mirko Zeta, The Merry Widow, Michigan Opera Theater, Detroit; Martin/Pangloss, Candide, Tanglewood Festival, Opera di Firenze, Florence and The Grange Festival, UK

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Violetta, La Traviata, Pacific Opera Victoria www.luciacesaroni.com

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Antonio, The Marriage of Figaro, The Grange Festival; Ko-Ko, The Mikado, English National Opera www.richardsuart.co.uk

RECENT APPEARANCES: Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro, Opera Lyra, Ottawa; Nannetta, Falstaff, Opera Hamilton; Michaëla, Carmen, Teatro Petruzzelli Bari, Italy; Fiordiligi, Opéra de Reims, Reims, France and Opéra de Massy, Essone, France; Nannetta, Falstaff, Manitoba Opera, Winnipeg www.sashadjihanian.com

Kelly Robinson's appearance sponsored by Martha Lou Henley Joshua Beamish's appearance sponsored by Michael and Inna O'Brian John Cudia's appearance sponsored by Brigitte & Henning Freybe Lucia Cesaroni's appearance sponsored by Mike & Kathy Gallagher

BIOGRAPHIES

JOHN TESSIER CAMILLE DE ROSILLON Edmonton, AB

SARAH AFFUL NJEGUS Vancouver, BC

MICHAEL NYBY VICOMTE CASCADA Hamilton, ON

SCOTT RUMBLE RAOUL DE ST. BRIOCHE Woodstock, ON

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Tamino, The Magic Flute, 2013

VO DÉBUT

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Fiorello, The Barber of Seville, 2012

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: Tonio, La fille du régiment, Vienna State Opera; Conte Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Calgary Opera; Werther, Werther, Manitoba Opera, Winnipeg; Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni, Edmonton Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Count Ory, The Misadventures of Count Ory, Edmonton Opera; Conte Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia, New Zealand Opera

RECENT APPEARANCES: Orlando, Orlando, Soulpepper, Toronto; 3, hang, Obsidian Theatre Company, Toronto; Viola, Twelfth Night, Stratford Festival; Alais, The Lion in Winter, The Grand, London; Ann, All My Sons, Stratford Festival; Rosaline, Love's Labour's Lost, Stratford Festival; Boots/ Aaron, The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Buffonius, Rumble Theatre, Vancouver

RECENT APPEARANCES: Dandini, La Cenerentola, Edmonton Opera; Bummerli, The Chocolate Soldier, Toronto Operetta Theatre; Danilo, The Merry Widow, Edmonton Opera; Schaunard, La bohème, Windsor Symphony UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Danilo, The Merry Widow, Toronto Operetta Theatre; Guest Baritone, Carmina Burana, Kamloops Symphony www.michaelnyby.com

www.johnptessier.com

RECENT APPEARANCES: Luigi, Il Tabarro, University of British Columbia; Rodolfo, La bohème, University of British Columbia; Bacchus, Araidne auf Naxos, University of British Columbia; Lensky, Eugene Onegin, University of British Columbia; Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi, La Musica Lirica, Novafeltria, Italy; Pinkerston, Madama Butterfly, La Musica Lirica, Novafeltria, Italy Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www.scottrumbletenor.com

Lucia Cesaroni's Richard Suart's appearance sponsored appearance

by Mike & Kathy sponsored by an Gallagher anonymous donor John Cudia's appearance

PETER MONAGHAN KROMOW Vancouver, BC

DIONNE SELLINGER OLGA Swift Current, SK

GENA VAN OOSTEN PRASKOWIA Stouffville, ON

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Zaretsky, Eugene Onegin, 2018

Last VO Appearance: Mother, Dead Man Walking, 2017

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: The Mandarin, Turandot, Vancouver Opera; Zuniga, Carmen, Opera Kelowna; Polyphemus, Acis and Galatea, Renaissance Opera, Vancouver; Antonio, Le nozze di Figaro, Vancouver Opera; The Father, Hansel and Gretel, Vancouver Opera; Beast, Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Under the Stars, Vancouver

RECENT APPEARANCES: Ciesca, Gianni Schicci, Calgary Opera; Peep-Bo, Mikado, Edmonton Opera; Alisa, Lucia di Lammermoor, Vancouver Opera; Nancy, Albert Herring, Opera on the Avalon, St. John's;

Alumni of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: La Bohème/ Faust, Vancouver Opera Chorus

RECENT APPEARANCES: Eduige, Rodelinda, Opera in Concert, Toronto; Witch, Dido and Aeneas, Theatre of Early Music, Ottawa; Hansel, Hansel and Gretel, Toronto Opera Initiative; Soloist, Bach Cantatas, Toronto Early Music, Ottawa; Soloist, Mississauga Symphony Orchestra UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Soloist, University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program

Sasha Djihanian's sponsored

by Brigitte & appearance Henning Freybe sponsored by Mohammed A. Faris & Family John Tessier's appearance sponsored by Mrs. Barbara Lowy Scott Rumble's appearance sponsored by Patricia Charles

Gena van Oosten's appearance sponsored by Wayne Wiens, in memory of Mary Wiens

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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BIOGRAPHIES

NICOLE JOANNE BROOKS SYLVAINE Wetaskiwin, AB

DANIEL THIELMANN PRITCHITCH Toronto, ON

JASON KLIPPENSTEIN BOGDANOVITCH Vancouver, BC

JESSICA SEVERIN STAGE MANAGER Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Bridesmaid, Le nozze di Figaro, 2017

VO DÉBUT

VO DÉBUT

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, University of Toronto; Bacchus, Orphée aux enfers, University of Toronto; Dandini, La Cenerentola, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; Leporello, Don Giovanni, Saskatoon Opera; Le Danicaïre, Carmen, Opera NUOVA, Edmonton

RECENT APPEARANCES: Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, Manitoba Underground Opera, Winnipeg; Ned Keane, Peter Grimes, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Michele, Il tabarro, University of British Columbia; Schicchi, Gianni Schicchi, University of British Columbia; Marcello, La bohème, European Music Academy in Teplice; Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, European Music Academy in Teplice

RECENT APPEARANCES: Stage Manager, Midsummer,1000 Islands Playhouse, Gananoque; Production Stage Manager, Le Grand Continental, Luminato, Toronto; Assistant Stage Manager, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto; Assistant Stage Manager, Medée, Opera Atelier/The Royal Opera Versailles, Toronto/Versailles; Assistant Stage Manager, Once, Mirvish Productions, Toronto

RECENT APPEARANCES: Tatyana, Eugene Onegin, University of British Columbia; Pamina, Die Zauberflöte, Bard on the Beach/ University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Annina, Eine Nacht in Venedig, University of British Columbia; Violetta, La traviata, Bard on the Beach/University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program

Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Assistant Stage Manager, The Wizard of Oz, Ross Petty Productions, Toronto Jessica is a graduate of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto.

Nicole Joanne Brooks's appearance sponsored by Mike & Kathy Gallagher

MICHAEL YEARGAN SCENIC DESIGNER Milford, CT

GERALD KING LIGHTING DESIGNER Vancouver, BC

SUSAN MEMMOTT ALLRED COSTUME DESIGNER Salt Lake City, UT

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Stage Designer, I Puritani, 1985

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Lighting Designer, Otello, 2017, Dead Man Walking, 2017

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: Der Ring des Nibelungen, San Francisco Opera; My Fair Lady (Revival), Lincoln Center Theatre, Broadway; The King and I (Tour), Ambassador Theatre Group; Oslo, Lincoln Center Theatre, Broadway UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Porgy & Bess, English National Opera, Netherlands Opera; Rigoletto, Berlin State Opera Mr. Yeargan is a Professor in the Practice of Design and Co-Chair of Design Department at the Yale School of Drama.

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RECENT APPEARANCES: As You Like It, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver; Macbeth, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver; carried away on the crest of a wave, National Arts Centre, Ottawa; Beauty and the Beast, Arts Club Theatre UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: The Ones We Leave Behind, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre; Matilda, The Musical, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre, Arts Club Theatre

VANCOUVER OPERA | #MerryWidowVO

RECENT APPEARANCES: Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Salt Lake City; The Barber of Seville, Austin Opera; Little Women, Pittsburgh Opera; Of Mice and Men, Austin Opera

Daniel Thielmann's appearance sponsored

by Ms. Jane McLennan Sarah Jane Pelzer's appearance sponsored

by Mrs. Irene McEwen Perri Lo's appearance

by The Edwina and Paul Heller Memorial Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Interested in becoming an artist sponsor?

For more information please contact: Paul Forrest Director of Development 604 331 4838

BIOGRAPHIES

SUSAN MANNING WIG DESIGNER White Rock, BC

CARMEN GARCIA MAKE-UP DESIGNER Valencia, Spain

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Eugene Onegin, 2018

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Eugene Onegin, 2018

RECENT APPEARANCES: L’elisir d’amore, Vancouver Opera; Turandot, Vancouver Opera; Hansel and Gretel, Vancouver Opera; Evita, Vancouver Opera

RECENT APPEARANCES: L’elisir d’amore, Vancouver Opera; La Cenerentola, UBC Opera; Orfeo ed Euridice, UBC Opera; Ariadne auf Naxos, UBC Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Silent Night, UBC Opera; Die Zauberflöte, UBC Opera Head of Make-up with Vancouver Opera, 1997-present

ANGUS KELLETT RÉPÉTITEUR Vancouver, BC

PERRI LO RÉPÉTITEUR Calgary, AB

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Celesta, Turandot, 2017

VO DÉBUT

RECENT APPEARANCES: Music Director, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Burnaby Lyric Opera; Music Director, Elektra, Heroic Opera; Keyboard, Mamma Mia!, The Arts Club Theatre Company; Keyboard, The Book of Mormon, Broadway Across Canada UPCOMING APPEARANCES: Music Director, It's a Wonderful Life, Gateway Theatre; Music Director, L'elisir d'amore, Burnaby Lyric Opera

RECENT APPEARANCES: Guest Artist, Centric Musicfest, Lethbridge; Musical Staff, International Vocal Arts Institute, Montreal; Musical Staff, Opera Atelier, Toronto; Musical Staff, Long Reach Opera Workshop, Toronto Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program

KINZA TYRRELL CHORUS DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Victoria, BC LAST VO APPEARANCE: Eugene Onegin, 2018 RECENT APPEARANCES: Répétiteur and Chorus Master, Carmen, Opera Kelowna; Conductor, City Workers in Love, Opera Nuova, Edmonton UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Assistant Conductor and Chorus Director, Faust, Vancouver Dr. Tyrrell is the Head Coach of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program and the Principal Répétiteur and Assistant Chorus Director at Vancouver Opera. She is also guest faculty at the Canadian Opera Company, Calgary Opera, Opera Nuova and Opera Kelowna.

SARAH JANE PELZER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Vancouver, BC LAST VO APPEARANCE: English Surtitle™ Translations, The Overcoat 2018 RECENT APPEARANCES: Director, Where the Wild Things Are, Vancouver Opera Festival; Director and Designer, Dido and Aeneas, Opera Studio of the Victoria Conservatory of Music; Director and Designer, The Fairy Queen, Opera Studio of the Victoria Conservatory of Music; Director and Designer, Cendrillon, Yulanda M. Faris program at Vancouver Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Assistant Director, Faust, Vancouver Opera Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www.sarahjanepelzer.com

COLLETTE BERG ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER West Vancouver, BC

EMMA HAMMOND ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Richmond, BC

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Eugene Onegin, 2018

LAST VO APPEARANCE: Stage Manager, Requiem for a Lost Girl, 2018

RECENT APPEARANCES: Stage Manager, Nigredo Hotel, City Opera Vancouver; Stage Manager, 42nd Street, Theatre Under the Stars, Vancouver; Stage Manager, Jesus Christ Superstar, URP Event Production, Vancouver; Assistant Stage Manager, The Marriage of Figaro, Vancouver Opera UPCOMING APPEARANCES: Assistant Stage Manager, Faust, Vancouver Opera; American Idiot, URP Event Production, Vancouver

RECENT APPEARANCES: Stage Manager, Chelsea Hotel, the Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver; Assistant Stage Manager, La bohème, Pacific Opera, Victoria; Assistant Stage Manager, Turandot, Vancouver Opera; Assistant Stage Manager, Dead Man Walking, Vancouver Opera UPCOMING APPEARANCES: Assistant Stage Manager, La Traviata, Pacific Opera, Victoria; Assistant Stage Manager, Faust, Vancouver Opera

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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PRINCIPAL ROLE DÉBUTS BECOMING THE WIDOW

LUCIA CESARONI AS HANNA GLAWARI

In this Vancouver Opera production of The Merry Widow, Lucia Cesaroni and John Cudia will be debuting their roles of the wealthy widow Hanna Glawari and the eligible Count Danilo Danilovitch respectively. VO caught up with them to learn what inspires them and how they each approach their new roles.

VO

In operetta generally the performers must give special attention to portraying especially subtle nuances in the dialogue in addition to singing. Do you find it more difficult to prepare an operetta role for this reason?

LC

Preparing for The Merry Widow has been a pleasure, because operetta doesn’t take itself seriously! How refreshing to learn dialogue and music that has irony and a wink baked in. Spoken dialogue adds a certain zing to the “sacher torte”, allowing a freedom in pacing, volume and delivery not always possible with operatic arias and scenes.

VO

What do you think about the character of Hanna Glawari? Does she appeal to you? What about the methods she uses to “get her man”?

LC

I had a great chat with Kim Gaynor about Hanna a few months ago, and we agree: Despite the 19th Century Viennese norms and gender roles, Hanna is a modern woman! It’s great fun to play someone so confident and unapologetic for her rise in social status and her place in the world. I would re-frame the question thusly: Does Hanna get what she wants?

She glides into Paris high society and her first words manage to tease, flirt and yet expose the hypocrisy and empty flattery of the fortune hunting gentry. A criticism levelled almost exclusively at women is immediately turned on its head! She knows who she is and what she wants and enjoys herself in Paris.

VO

How would you rank the role of Hanna amongst the roles in your repertoire?

LC

The majority of my repertoire is Italian, so singing such an iconic German part is a departure and a treat. Hanna is unapologetic about style and substance in EQUAL measure, giving us a knowing, fun-loving and fleshed out character. From my repertoire, in her wit and intelligence she is reminiscent of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. In her ability to command a room and throw a great party, of Violetta.

VO

One of the most famous and most difficult songs in the operetta is sung by Hanna, the Vilja song, about a forest fairy who enchants hunters. What do you have to say about it and your interpretation?

LC

Vilja is such a good tune. It holds in perfect balance the folk song and the lyric line—the simple and the showy! And all singers like showing off a little.

VO

Do you listen to other interpretations of the role when preparing your interpretation?

LC

Absolutely! For her German, Schwarzkopf, for her perfectly sung Vilja, Beverly Sills, and for the production as a whole, the 2004 Witwe from Zürich with Dagmar Schellenberger and Rodney Gilfrey.

VO

Who is your favorite Hanna (living or dead)? Are there any previous interpretations that have inspired or informed what you bring to the role?

LC

Schellenberger is an excellent actor, subtle yet absolutely graceful and fun. Though I’m not generally an old-movie devotee, I rather enjoyed Jeanne MacDonald in the 1934 film version. Charm for days, great chemistry with Chevalier and a twinkle in the eye all the while.

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BECOMING THE COUNT

JOHN CUDIA AS COUNT DANILO DANILOVITCH

VO

Are there any character traits that you share with Danilo?

JC

Well I think we all have something in common with Danilo. He feels unlucky in love at the very least. At worst, the victim of a romance gone wrong. Heck, we’ve all been there. He seems to me to be taking shelter in his role in Paris; he needs a break for a bit and I know we all understand that too!

VO

It is often said that “operetta” is light opera music. Does that mean it is easier to sing an operetta role compared to an opera role?

JC

Singing is singing is singing. I think perhaps the thought that the style of music may be described as more “popular” or perhaps “accessible” to a wide swath of the public would mean a different kind of singing but it does not. A difficult role to sing would be a difficult role to sing whether it be opera, operetta or “legit” musical theatre.

VO

Count Danilo is a foil to the widow Hanna and also the subject of much conspiring in this opera. What are your favourite moments of this role?

JC

Anytime that Danilo must confront his jealousy or his love for Hanna are the moments that appeal to me most so far. That is actually the crux of the whole role. How can I contain my love? How can I contain my jealousy? How long can I resist what seems to be the inevitable reunion?

VO

How would you rank the role of Count Danilo Danilovitch amongst the roles in your repertoire?

JC

That would be difficult to say until I have some experience in the role on stage and in front of an audience. I think that because it reads to me as a character that will rely on the interactions with Hanna and the rest of the company. The relationships that we establish and our stage play will tell me a lot about what the role will feel like versus other roles that may be more “solitary”.

VO

Are there any particularly difficult challenges to singing the Count?

JC

The Count can be cast as either a baritone or tenor. As a tenor myself, it is important not to push in the lower range in the role and maintain my individual tenor-y sound. I imagine the reverse would be true for a true baritone in the upper range of the role.

VO

Do you listen to other interpretations of the role when preparing your interpretation?

JC

I always listen to as many versions of the role as I can get my hands on. For this role that includes performances by both baritone and tenor. Also I have listened to a performance of the role that was almost spoken. Listening for me is more important for learning purposes than for interpretation. It is always interesting to hear other different versions of pronunciation and phrasing and try to determine why those choices were made. Ultimately for me those kind of interpretive decisions are made with the conductor and director during the rehearsal process.

VO

Who is your favorite Count Danilo Danilovitch (living or dead)? Are there any previous interpretations that have inspired or informed what you bring to the role?

JC

I don’t have a favourite. Not yet anyway. I did enjoy watching Rodney Gilfry’s interpretation with Oper Zürich on YouTube. I thought his presence was strong and charming. He had a great sense of humor for the role and he and Hanna had great chemistry. I think the key to the Opera is whether or not you enjoy the idea of Hanna and Danilo together and are willing to go on the journey with them to see if they will end up back together. My relationship with Hanna will be the most important thing in my effort to interpret this new role.

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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PRODUCTION INSIGHTS |

AUTUMN COPPAWAY

Franz Lehár's operetta The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) is set in the Belle Époque period. Originally, this production was designed and built for San Francisco Opera in the early 2000s. Utah Opera and Symphony was able to revive the piece in 2016 into the production you see today.

The larger-than-life characters are personified in Susan Memmott-Allred’s vibrantly-coloured costumes, complete with tails, bustles and plumes. These beautiful and numerous costumes are set against Michael Yeargan’s lavish scenes of whites, blues and reds. The team is also joined by Canadian Director, Kelly Robinson, who will be adding his own golden flare to the finale.

Unlike grand opera, operettas include a lot of spoken dialogue in addition to the beloved arias, waltzes and ballads. These create unique challenges for performers, musicians and production staff. While dancing in numerous

art-nouveau costumes and projecting their operatic vocals, performers must also have their verbal dialogue heard at the back row of a 2,000-seat house.

Extra hours of choreography, staging and personal development add to the intense rehearsal process. The costume shop becomes a hive of fittings, repairs, alterations and new builds to support the ever-evolving creation.

Small, strategically placed area microphones provide light amplification for the spoken dialogue. This amplification is subtle and provides clarity to the orchestra pit musicians as well as to the audience, during quiet intimate moments.

In opera, these added rehearsal hours, costume builds, and extra equipment are merely the tools we use to explore the human condition of love, passion and comedy. Enjoy!

Autumn Coppaway is the new Technical Director for Vancouver Opera.

WE DEDICATE THIS PRODUCTION TO GEORGE LESLIE ROSS (1945 – 2018) Early in his career George worked on several productions at Vancouver Opera before beginning his long career at the Banff School of Fine Arts. I first met George in 1983, in Banff, at the beginning of my theatre training.

George grew up in Courtney, B.C. and attended UBC on an opera scholarship. He graduated with a master’s degree in vocal performance. He was a passionate performer, but it was his work “backstage” as an arts administrator, for which he will be remembered. He began his career at The Banff Centre in 1978 as the Manager of Theatre Arts and retired in 2004 as Associate Director, Operations, Theatre Arts.

After his retirement, George continued as a performer and was a member of the Calgary Opera chorus. When I saw him last, the afternoon before he passed, the gleam in his eyes was still there as he was about to perform in the final chorus of Candide, “Make our Garden Grow”.

In his long career, George touched the lives of many. At a recent memorial in Banff, the outpouring of love for him and his unbridled commitment to the Arts & Culture was overwhelming. He will be dearly missed.

Tom Wright – Director of Artistic Planning

FIVE MINUTES OF FAME FOR ROBERT BANCROFT A FLYMAN WHO COULDN’T FLY OFF THE STAGE FAST ENOUGH

JOAN SUTHERLAND IN VO’S 1976 PRODUCTION OF THE MERRY WIDOW

No, a flyman is not a superhero or a Spiderman. A flyman in the theatre world is a professional whose job involves working in a fly gallery some six meters above the stage, using ropes and pulleys to control the movement on cue of scenery and backdrops that are suspended above the stage. Robert Bancroft has been happily working as a flyman in the Queen Elizabeth and Playhouse theatres for the past 40 years! A trained marine engineer, he went to Australia on vacation and stayed there for five years, stumbling into rock-androll promotion. He ended up working ‘behind the scenes’ for the biggest rock promoter of the time. Black Sabbath and Rod Stewart were just a few of the stars with whom he worked. It was fun and rewarding but exhausting too.

After five years of being a rolling stone, Robert came back to Vancouver, and found a job working for Vancouver Opera. “Entertainment is entertainment”, says Robert. “The audience is your focus and the reason you are there.”

Robert recalls his very first job with the Vancouver

Opera. It was VO’s 1975/1976 season production of The Merry Widow. None other than Dame Joan Sutherland—‘the incomparable’ —was singing the lead role of Hanna, the merry widow.

Says Robert: “During rehearsals, the cast didn’t rehearse the curtain calls (the bows at the end of a performance when individuals return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for their performance) so at the end of each rehearsal on stage the curtain stayed down. I was used to that from my rock and roll days and didn’t think anything of it. On opening night, during the performance, while the cast was taking a bow in front of the curtain, I went to change a bulb. Suddenly, the curtain went up while I was standing on the ladder, in my regular clothes, the light bulb in my hand. I slowly came down and crept off the stage…I don’t think the audience saw me.” So tonight, while you are watching The Merry Widow curtain calls, pay extra attention – you never know who or what you might see when the curtain rises!

Robert Bancroft has been working as a flyman in the Queen Elizabeth and Playhouse theatres for the past 40 years.

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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MAKE A DONATION TODAY AND

RECEIVE YOUR OWN RARE VINTAGE POSTER* Designed by celebrated designer Jose Varona, these limited edition posters were created for VO’s production of The Merry Widow over 40 years ago featuring Dame Joan Sutherland in the title role.

Born in Argentina and self-taught in painting and design, Jose Varona began his career as a designer during the 1950’s. In 1962 he moved to the United States where he designed ballets for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev and painted the world of Donizetti, Handel and Offenbach for Beverly Sills and Dame Joan Sutherland.

Generously donated by an anonymous patron to VO, you can take home one of these posters for a suggested minimum donation of $150. Please visit the Development table in the lobby to get your poster today.

Year: 1976 | Size: 82 x 61 cm | 32.3 x 24 in | Edition Size: 350 + 10 artist’s proofs | Technique: Giclée Paper: Hahnemuhle-William Turner, 310 gsm | Ink: Ultrachrome HDR Pigment Ink | Publisher: Works on Paper

*While quantities last. Partial tax receipts available for donations of above $175.

THE MERRY WIDOW IN 2018 | The last quarter of 2018 is an interesting vantage point from which to assess the cultural climate of the early 21st century and the contemporary relevance of works such as Lehár’s The Merry Widow.

We are faced with a news cycle of culturally-endemic misogyny, xenophobia, and a spreading preference for populist assertion over scientific evidence. Despite these broad reactionary strokes, we’re told that Time’s Up, and that no one is beyond the reckoning of the #MeToo movement. Within this social paradox we confront longcherished works of art to ask difficult questions of cultural relevance and sensitivity. Accountability is demanded for programming that reminds us of social constructs we’d sooner relegate to the annals of history than admit sympathy for today. This leaves us with the question: is there still room for a story like that of The Merry Widow in 2018?

In their youth, Hanna and Danilo were seen as an unsuitable match due to their disparity of social status.

However, with Hannah’s changed financial circumstances and the financial solvency of Pontevedro at stake, the reunion is deemed nationally advantageous. For the men who surround her this is a business transaction with an accompaniment of acceptable social politics. Behind this

LEAH GISELLE FIELD

nationalist concern is evidence of gender inequality: the state must see its wealthy daughter marry a Pontevedrian to avoid foreign diversion of Hanna’s capital. Does this mean that impressions of Hanna’s agency are merely illusions? While it is undeniable that the financial freedom Hanna experiences as a widow will not extend through a second union, she is unfettered by a financial need to remarry, and therefore free to follow her heart. Her understanding of her late husband’s will gives her the opportunity to choose love while ensuring her financial footing. Though coloured with a dash of pragmatism, at last there is room for love in this love story.

As much as contemporary society claims to aspire to a post-status, post-racial, post-sexist reality, these themes remain as relevant today as at the 1905 premiere of the operetta, or the 1861 premiere of the play by which it was inspired. At its heart, The Merry Widow tells a tale of overcoming the strictures of social status and freedom to assert female agency. Our heroine may inhabit a man’s world, but it is her freedom of choice that determines how that man’s world runs.

Mezzo soprano Leah Giselle Field is an alumna of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program and holds a DMA in Voice and Opera.

PHOTO BY JOHN GRIGAITIS COURTESY OF UTAH OPERA

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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YULANDA M. FARIS YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM We are proud to announce this year's participants in the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program.

These talented young artists have started their training with us in our production of The Merry Widow.

NICOLE JOANNE BROOKS, SOPRANO PERRI LO, PIANIST SARAH JANE PELZER, STAGE DIRECTOR SCOTT RUMBLE, TENOR DANIEL THIELMANN, BARITONE GENA VAN OOSTEN, MEZZO-SOPRANO

sponsored by Mike & Kathy Gallagher sponsored by The Edwina and Paul Heller Memorial Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation sponsored by Mrs. Irene McEwen sponsored by Patricia Charles sponsored by Ms. Jane McLennan sponsored by Wayne Wiens, in memory of Mary Wiens BACK ROW: SCOTT RUMBLE, GENA VAN OOSTEN, NICOLE JOANNE BROOKS, SARAH JANE PELZER | FRONT ROW: PERRI LO, DANIEL THIELMANN

For more information contact Carmen Murphy, Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving cmurphy@vancouveropera.ca | 604 682 2871 ext. 4832

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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Opera Allsorts THE MERRY WIDOW (DIE LUSTIGE WITWE)

A mix of tidbits and tales about Lehár’s comedic operetta

Whistle-stop tour The Merry Widow’s short opening music is a whistle-stop tour of all the best tunes in the operetta and is very popular as a standalone concert piece. However, Lehár wrote a proper ouverture for the 400th performance. It is rarely used in productions today, as the original short introduction is preferred.

Costume History

The Rising Success

The first singers to perform the principal roles of Hanna and Danilo in 1905 were operetta stars Mizzi Günther and Louis Treumann. They were both so enthusiastic about the piece that they supplemented the theatre’s relatively low-budget production by paying for their own lavish costumes.

The Merry Widow is known for its catchy music, and became so popular so quickly that in 1908, a chart-topping comedic song was written

by Seymour Furth called “I’m looking for the man that wrote ‘The Merry Widow Waltz’ ”.

MIZZI GÜNTHER AND LOUIS TREUMANN, THE ORIGINAL VIENNESE STARS OF 'DIE LUSTIGE WITWE.' (OPERETTA RESEARCH CENTER)

PHOTO BY JOHN GRIGAITIS

28

VANCOUVER OPERA | #MerryWidowVO

The Merry Widow Hat In 1907 The Merry Widow was a “smash hit” for the New Amsterdam stage in New York, performed 416 times. To commemorate the 275th performance of the production, the producer offered a free “Merry Widow hat” to each woman who attended, but he was caught unprepared when 1,300 women arrived for the June 13 matinee resulting in what was described as a “hot skirmish”.

LILY ELSIE IN THE THIRD ACT OF THE MERRY WIDOW IN LONDON, 1907

The Stamp of Approval In 1908 a well-known New York architect, Whitney Warren, presented his idea for a new stamp design to U.S. Postmaster General George von L. Meyer. The result was a green special delivery stamp issued on December 12, 1908 featuring a drawing of the helmet of Mercury--messenger of the gods--as a central feature. But, because of the Merry Widow hat craze raging at the time, the philatelic press dubbed the stamp the “Merry Widow” and to this day, it is so called to this day amongst stamp collectors.

A Dog Named Danilo

10¢ GREEN HELMET OF MERCURY SPECIAL DELIVERY STAMP PHOTO CREDIT TO MATCHAND MEDICINE

General Director Kim Gaynor’s previous dog was named after Count Danilo Danilovitch in The Merry Widow. “Count Danilo”, a charming golden retriever Labrador cross was born in Vienna in 2003 and lived until 2015. He attended lots of rehearsals in the opera house but never learned to sing.

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE YVR is proud to support the Vancouver Opera.

As a community-focused and financially independent company, the way in which YVR operates and governs allows us to support and reinvest in our communities. YVR donates more than $1,000,000 annually to local organizations and charities.

Celebrating Flight by Don Yeomans

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6 WAYS TO BUY VISIT US IN THE LOBBY:

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LA BOHÈME Giacomo Puccini

PRESENTED BY

FAIRYTALES & FABLES April 27—May 5, 2019

FESTIVAL & SPECIAL PROJECT SUPPORT

Vancouver Opera thanks the very special donors who have chosen to support the Festival Campaign. Included are gifts and pledges in support of the Festival itself and a variety of extraordinary initiatives. We salute the remarkable generosity of these core supporters!

VANCOUVER OPERA FESTIVAL PATRON

FESTIVAL CHAMPIONS

Martha Lou Henley, C.M.

Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Michael & Inna O’Brian

Yoshi Karasawa &

Michael Audain

FESTIVAL FOUNDERS Jill Bodkin Anthem Properties Divyesh & Charu Gadhia Julia & Demas Kim Bill & Risa Levine George & Jessica MacIntosh

Jana & Bill Maclagan Mary & Rod McNeil John & Dana Montalbano Andrew Mahon Foundation Ms. Bev Park &

Mr. Jim Logan

SpencerCreo Foundation Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Dr. Heather Clarke The Bruendl Foundation Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver

FESTIVAL VISIONARIES The Aquilini Group The Paul & Edwina Heller Memorial Fund Ms. Jane McLennan Mrs. Irene McEwen

Dr. George Luciuk & Lidia Schuster Mrs. Patricia Charles Roberta Lando Beiser Moh Faris & Family

Ms. Mary Jordan Paul McEwen & Gwynneth Jones Wayne Wiens

FESTIVAL LEADERS & SUPPORTERS The Grayross Foundation Arlene Gladstone &

Hamish Cameron Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Sherry Killam Michael Stevnson & Jan Whitford

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce & Lis Welch James W. Wright Tom & Diana Herbst Ms. Shirley Barnett Deborah E. Graystone Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert

Nika Collison &

Daniel Robertson Maestro Jonathan Darlington David & Janice Podmore Mo Dhaliwal Mrs. Aurora R. Hernandez

Blaize & Allan Reich Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Mike & Kathy Gallagher Dr. Andrei Krassioukov Anne Morley

VO DEVELOPMENT:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFTS

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself as the new Director of Development at Vancouver Opera. I am excited to take on this role. I look forward to meeting you in person.

Together we will bring to life the wonder of opera.

Paul Forrest, Director of Development pforrest@vancouveropera.ca | 604 331 4838

Paul Forrest Director of Development

Jake Ryan Lindsey, Major Gifts Officer jrlindsey@vancouveropera.ca | 604 331 4963

To learn more about how you can give please visit vancouveropera.ca/support Or contact one of us directly. We'd be pleased to hear from you!

Carmen Murphy, Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving cmurphy@vancouveropera.ca | 604 331 4832

Lyndsay MacAulay, Manager Annual Campaign & Lotteries lmacaulay@vancouveropera.ca | 604 331 4836 Azfir Balenciaga, Manager Grants & Proposals abalenciaga@vancouveropera.ca | 604 331 4829

IN MEMORY OF AUDREY SKALBANIA (1938 – 2018) We dedicate our opening night performance of The Merry Widow to the memory of Audrey Skalbania. Audrey was a teacher, mentor, knowledge keeper, counsellor, and a woman of influence.

She gave tirelessly of her time and expertise to the Vancouver Opera Guild for many years, and will be missed by all of us.

GIFTS MADE TO VANCOUVER OPERA / VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD IN MEMORY OF AUDREY SKALBANIA Regina Boxer

Martha Lou Henley

Rozanda Skalbania

Richard & Irena Skalbania

Taryn Taylor

Robert Michael Taylor

Nina Dobrianskaia

Anne Tweedy

Michael Gobuty

Lyubov Mykhayli Vdovenko

Elaine Godwin

Wayne Wiens

VO DEVELOPMENT

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VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION The Vancouver Opera Foundation is committed to financially supporting the operations and special projects of Vancouver Opera through its attainment, establishment and management of permanently endowed funds. The funds invested in the Vancouver Opera Foundation are presently valued at more than $14 million.

The Vancouver Opera Association wishes to extend a special thanks to the Vancouver Opera Foundation for its extraordinary support and generosity.

Contributions from the Vancouver Opera Foundation continue to be fundamental to ensuring the fiscal health of the Association and for this we are truly grateful. This thanks is extended to the many, many generous donors that have chosen to build the Foundation’s endowed funds and take an interest in the long-term future of opera in our community!

GIFTS OF $1,000,000 OR MORE

Moh and Yulanda Faris

Martha Lou Henley, C.M.

GIFTS OF $100,000 OR MORE B.C. Arts Renaissance Fund Jake Boxer and Family Canada Cultural Investment Fund Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Christopher The David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

GIFTS OF $50,000 OR MORE

Jamie & Cindy Bruce Cartier Investments

GIFTS OF $20,000 OR MORE

Andrew Mahon Foundation Russell & Lee Anthony Estate of Dorothy Boyce Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl The Toni Cavelti Fund

Estate of Steve Floris Mr. Ken & Mrs. Ellen Mahon Estate of Winifred Denise Mara McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund Bill & Irene McEwen Fund

Rix Family Foundation David E. Scott & Katerina Tieman Estate of Jean M. Southam, C.M. Vancouver Foundation Estate of Alan Wolrige

Estate of Katherine J. Heller Lagniappe Foundation

Dr. Earl & Mrs. Anne Shepherd

Leslie Cliff Barrie and Ann Gillmore Dr. David & Mrs. Margaret Hardwick Mr. & Mrs. Bjorn Hareid Mr. & Mrs. Gerald A.B. McGavin

Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Rix Clinical Labs Estate of Anne Ethel Stevens Bruno Wall & Jane MacDonald Estate of Maureen Woodman

Hugh & Judy Lindsay Michael & Micki Partridge Dr. Beverley Tamboline

Vancouver Opera Orchestra

John & Marietta Hurst S.A. Jarislowsky Investments Mary Jordan Diane Kennedy Victor & Anna Kern Foundation Killy Foundation Diana Lam Dawne Lacterman in memory of Sophie Turko Richard Loney Manulife Financial Joseph E. & Arlene McHugh Mathisen Private Foundation Katherine Mirhady Sharon Morrow Allyn & Kathleen Murison in memory of Patrick & Aileen Murison Estate of Ronald David Pearson

Estate of Marilyn Reid Mr. Peter & Mrs. Barbara Richards Mr. David E. Ritchie & Ms. Gloria Beauchamp RTDS Technologies Estate of Freda Rush Mr. Leo & Mrs. Maureen Sauve J E Smith Andrew Steele in memory of Richard Lester Marlene Trussell Vancouver Opera Guild Mr. & Mrs. Max Wieczorek June Wilson Carla Weiner Mary White The Wolridge Foundation

GIFTS OF $10,000 OR MORE Mr. George and Mrs. Anne Cross The Illahie Foundation Arlene Gladstone

GIFTS OF $1,000 OR MORE Anonymous (1) Christine Anton Estate of Marjory Bankes Mrs. Donna Battye Ms. Lois M. Bewley Marnie Carter Dr. Heather Clarke Ms. Rosemary Cunningham James Dehoney Lisa Ethans Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Deux Mille Foundation Mr. Allen & Mrs. Ruth Fowlis Estate of Meri Ingebord Cecilia Gill Dr. Irving Guttman C.M., O.B.C. Mr. Paul Heller Diana and Tom Herbst

IRVING GUTTMAN LEGACY FUND Honouring the achievements of Vancouver Opera’s founding Artistic Director, with funds used to encourage the most promising young Canadian singers at Vancouver Opera.

Anonymous (6) Laura Arpiainen Ms. Elizabeth Atmore Mr. Walter Ball Mr. & Mrs. Harry Bell-Irving Mrs. Phyllis W. Berry Ms. Lois M. Bewley Mr. David Boothroyd Donna Brendon

Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl Mrs. Joan Buckham Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Burr Marnie Carter Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Christopher Dr. Philip Clement David & Donna Cook Bette Cosar E. Patricia Crehan

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Culos Ms. Rosemary Cunningham Mr. C.A. De Roode Ms. Judith Deavy Sheila DeJong Ms. Marisa Demare Richard DeVillier Mrs. Katherine Dickinson

VO DEVELOPMENT

39

"The crystal clear sound on Fazioli pianos create

endless possibilities for all musical collaborations."

Lisa Tahara, pianist & Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh, violinist

W W W . S H O W C A S E P I A N O S . C O M

VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION (CONT.) IRVING GUTTMAN LEGACY FUND (CONT.) Valerie Dunsterville & Richard Dunsterville Mr. Harry Edinger Moh & Yulanda Faris Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Leslie Finlay Nancy Flexman Judith Forst Ms. Mary Fraser Mrs. John Friesen Suzanne Gaston-Voute Genus Capital Management Inc. Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin Harry & Effie Gordon Dr. Sherrill Grace Kenneth Owen Gracie Mrs. Vera G. Grant Christopher Grauer Mrs. Shirley Gray Charlotte Guttman Frank Guttman Mr. & Mrs. John Hagen Mr. James Harris Kenneth Hegler Mr. Paul Heller Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Diana and Tom Herbst Ms. Annie Hess

Lore Hoffmann Mr. Ralph Hoffman Mr. John F. Howes Hughes Condon Marler Architects Mr. John & Mrs. Marietta Hurst Noriko & Naotaka Ike Mr. Robert Kemeny & Dr. Susan Jung-Kemeny Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert Susan Kessler Dr. & Mrs. Robert Krell Ms. Dorothy Kuva Mr. Bruce Lang Dr. Donald and Ms. Carol Lyster Mr. Alex & Mrs. Barbara Mahood Anne Mathisen T. Mawson Alex McLeod Ms. Sharon & Dr. John McNeill Dr. Katherine Mirhady Ms. Maureen Molaro Ms. Sharon Morrow Kathleen Murison Sharon Newman Micki & Michael Partridge Ms. Sheila Pratt Mrs. Jane Regier Mr. Peter & Mrs. Barbara Richards Mrs. Leila Robertson

Mr. William Robertson Kelly Robinson Mr. Leo & Mrs. Maureen Sauve Schloss Enterprises Ltd. Mr. W. K. Schmidt David Shefsiek & Blaine Hendsbee Ms. Agnes Shin Arianna Sovernigo Ms. Jane Srivastava Mr. A.R. Steele Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Ronald Sutherland Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Ms. Sheila Vaney Ms. Joan Voisine Dr. Robert Wakefield Carla Weiner Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Mrs. Mary White Mr. Christopher Whitney Mr. Ian Whitaker John Wiebe Mr. & Mrs. Roy E. Williams Miss Eva Williamson Bruce Munro Wright Mr. Harold and Mrs. Erna Zinn

JAMES W. WRIGHT CREATIVITY FUND Vancouver Opera is deeply grateful to all those who made special gifts to the James W. Wright Creativity Fund in honour of his many years of service and on the occasion of his retirement in June 2016.

Ms. Shirley Barnett Roberta Lando Beiser Mr. Jeremy Berkman Dan and Ursula Bowditch Carol Brauner Kenneth Broadway Jamie & Cindy Bruce The Bruendl Foundation Neil Carnell Patricia Charles Dr. Heather Clarke Cindy Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Cruickshank Robert Dales in memory of Dr. Irving Guttman, C.M., O.B.C. Ms. Elisabeth Dawson David De Corlieu Ms. Audrey Dewan Roslyn Eisenberg Mohammed A. Faris & Family Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Shirley Fitterman Divyesh and Charu Gadhia Ken Spencer & Judy Gale Mike & Kathy Gallagher Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin Mr. Earl Drake & Ms. Monica Gruder Drake

Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Jens & Linda Lee Henriksen Diana and Tom Herbst Mrs. Marian M Hingston Lore Hoffmann Mr. Howard R. Jang Linda M Johnston Ms. Lynn Kagan In memory of Tom Blom Sherry Killam Julia and Demas Kim Susan Knott Paul Larocque Bill & Risa Levine Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Lindsay Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Jenny Locke Mrs. Barbara Lowy Jana and Bill Maclagan Mr. Charles & Mrs. Phyllis Maclean Genny MacLean Paul McEwen and Gwynneth Jones John & Peggy McLernon Mr. & Mrs. D. Murray Michael and Inna O’Brian Valerie and Brian Owen Mr. David Parkes Micki & Michael Partridge

Mr. Hein Poulus & Ms. Mollie Massie-Poulus Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Blaize & Allan Reich Mr. John Robinson Diane Roscoe Dr. Cecil Sigal Gillian and Russell Smith Ms. Karen Smith Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Ms. Jane Srivastava Michael Stevenson and Jan Whitford Robert Swansborough Mary Tait & Bill Sirett Dr. Beverley Tamboline Dr. Barry & Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Gina Thorstenson & Bob Bartholomew Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Eugene Vigil Ms. Alexandra Volkoff Lis & Bruce Welch Dr. Roy and Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Mr. Bruce Munro Wright Ms. Nancy Wu Anonymous donors (2)

VOCE Established in memory of Chorus past, in support of Chorus present, in preparation for Chorus future.

Brenda Alexander Christine Anton Claudio Arato Angus Bell Dawne Dye

Irving Guttman Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Richard Loney In memory of Richard Loney, from his family

Neil MacKenzie Kathleen Murison Allyn & Kathleen Murison, in memory of Patrick and Aileen Murison

Lorna Olson Micki Partridge Ms. Diane Speirs

RTDS Technologies Marlene Trussell Karen Wilson VO DEVELOPMENT

41

VANCOUVER OPERA ROUND TABLE A special group of community leaders whose outstanding generosity and commitment enable the company to maintain the highest level of artistic excellence. Vancouver Opera is proud to salute their continued loyalty and dedication.

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE | $50,000+ Mike & Kathy Gallagher Martha Lou Henley, C.M.*

Yoshiko Karasawa Michael and Inna O'Brian

Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt

MAESTRO'S CIRCLE | $20,000 - $34,999 Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl Brigitte & Henning Freybe

The Illahie Foundation Signe Jurcic Mary Tait & Bill Sirett

The Estate of David Watmough and Floyd St. Clair

DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE | $10,000 - $19,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous ( 1 ) Val & Dick Bradshaw Mrs. Alix Brown Patricia Charles The Mary & Gordon Christopher Foundation Dr. Heather Clarke Mohammed A. Faris & Family

Mr. & Mrs. Allen Fowlis Divyesh and Charu Gadhia Mrs. Barbara Lowy Mrs. Irene McEwen Paul McEwen and Gwynneth Jones Ms. Jane McLennan Dr. Earl & Mrs. Anne Shepherd*

Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Dr. Beverley Tamboline Jane Macdonald Mr. Bruce Munro Wright

Mrs. Marietta Hurst Ms. Lynn Kagan Reet Kana Julia and Demas Kim Andrew Mahon Foundation Miriam Maisonville and David Sauder Mr. & Mrs. David McDonald Mr. & Mrs. Gerald A. B. McGavin John & Peggy McLernon Anne Miloni & Darlene Miloni Graham

Mirhady Family Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Ms. Bev Park & Mr. Jim Logan Abe & Leyla Sacks Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Wayne Wiens, in memory of Andrea Pinto Lebowitz Dr. Rosemary Vernon Wilkinson

Ms. Mary Jordan Mrs. Evelyn Kahn In Memory of Tom Blom Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert Mr. Hank & Mrs. Janice Ketcham Dr. Marla Kiess Sherry Killam Dr. Andrei Krassioukov Robert Laing & Edward Wilson Mr. & Mrs. R. Michael LePage Bill & Risa Levine Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Lindsay* Patrick & Ju Lo Dr. George Luciuk Doris Luking in memory of Hans Luking Jerry and Lilli Luking George & Jessica Macintosh Jana and Bill Maclagan Marilyn & Hart Mauritz Mr. Stuart & Mrs. Della McLaughlin Mathisen Family Foundation Dr. & Mrs. T. Warner Mr. Ian Michaud Mrs. Lorna Mochinski

Simon & Carmen Murphy in memory of Brian Joe Dr. & Mrs. David R. Neima Micki & Michael Partridge* George and Santi Pick Louise Pronovost Richard and Elise Rees Donald & Dorothy Ritchie Mr. Anthony Roper Bob Sewell and Susan Van der Flier Celeste W. Shannte Mr. Ross & Ms. Ursula Southam Michael Stevenson and Jan Whitford Dr. Larry Stonesifer and Mr. Ronald Angress John & Judy Taylor Mrs. Neri Tischler and Dr. Aron Tischler Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Dr. Sandra Vestvik Judy & Neil Watson Mervyn Lindsay Weir Mr. & Mrs. Bruce & Lis Welch Fei Wong Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Andrea Wood & Peter Cavanagh

INNER CIRCLE | $5,000 - $9,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous ( 2 ) Mr. Hans Alwart Ms. Shirley Barnett Ms. Meera Bawa Stephanie A. Carlson Dr. David Hardwick* Lori Hareid in memory of Bjorn Hareid Mrs. Judith Helliwell & Dr. John Helliwell Diana and Tom Herbst

PATRON | $2,500 - $4,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous ( 1 ) Joanie Anderson Mr. Russ & Mrs. Lee Anthony* Jim & Sarah Armstrong Mr. Michael & Mrs. Eunice Chan Mr. Edward & Mrs. Dorothy Chiasson Nika Collison and Daniel Robertson Ms. Elisabeth Dawson In memory of Barbara Roy Lisa Ethans & Paul Del Rossi Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Shirley Fitterman Senator Jack Austin & Ms. Natalie V. Freeman Mr. Sven & Mrs. Juliette Freybe Ms. Judy Garner Ms. Kim Gaynor Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin Mr. Ronald Hagler Jens & Linda Lee Henriksen Mrs. Aurora R. Hernandez Mrs. Marian M Hingston Dr. Martin Hosking Mr. Bob Houston

42

VO DEVELOPMENT

BENEFACTOR | $1,500 - $2,499 Donors who wish to remain anonymous ( 5 ) Amrita Ahuja Mamie Angus Gordon & Minke Armstrong William & Barbara Armstrong Ms. Wendy G. Baker Roberta Lando Beiser Mr. & Mrs. Luis and Carole Bernhardt Ms. Lois M. Bewley Mr. Alex Bjornson Jill Bodkin Dan and Ursula Bowditch Ms. Regina Boxer John and Veronica Braico John & Ruth Brock Vivienne and James Brosnan Jamie & Cindy Bruce Miss Irene Caudwell Joe and Gertie Chan Ms. Gillian E. Chetty Mr. Michael J. Chutter Dr. Peter & Jean Cooperberg Robin & Parviz Cordwell Ms. Pat Dairon William and Emmanuelle Davis Dr. Joseph De Wet Mo Dhaliwal Susan Drury & Dennis Perry Valerie Dunsterville & Richard Dunsterville Drs. Allen and Connie Eaves Mr. Harry Edinger Ms. Vivian Eliopoulos Mr. Mark William Emanuel Dr. Virginia Evans Paul Forrest Frank and Joan Lew Charitable Trust Mrs. Pamela Friedrich Dr. K. Alison Fulmer Barrie & Ann Gilmore*

Mrs. San Given Mr. Earl Drake & Ms. Monica Gruder Drake Mr. Roland Haebler & Mrs. Catherine Haebler Judith and Poul Hansen Ms. Nancy Hermiston John Horning and Lorraine Larkin Mr. Paul Janke Horatio & Jackie Kemeny Mr. Sharman King Susan Knott Dr. Sharon Grimes Knox Peter Ko Jon & Eva LaFollette Tom and Karen Lane Pierre & Betty Lebel Chuck Lew In memory of Mary Helen Lew Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Jenny Locke Dr. Jan Lyons Dr. John S. & Mrs. Alfredette MacDonald Mrs. Nancy Macdonald Dr. Alistair MacKay Marlene Mackenzie Mr. Charles & Mrs. Phyllis Maclean Genny MacLean Mr. & Mrs. John and Sidney Madden Ms. Elaine Mah Mrs. Rosemary Mallory Dr. Paul Mitchell-Banks Dr. Peter & Mrs. Eve Munns Mr. & Mrs. D. Murray Mrs. Mary Orr Valerie and Brian Owen Joyce Pearkes Ms. Lorraine Portier Mr. Hein Poulus & Ms. Mollie Massie-Poulus

James & Mona Radelet David & Rona Radler Blaize & Allan Reich Mrs. Margot & Mr. Klaus Richter Kitten Roberts Mr. Ian Robertson & Mrs. Sian Pitman Mr. John Robinson Ms. Carol U. Ross Ruth E. and Dr. William Hy Ross Foundation Dr. Wes Schreiber David & Cathy Scott Miss Dorothy Shields Dr. Cecil Sigal Curtis Smecher Gillian and Russell Smith Dr. Hilda Stanger Elaine and Fred Stearman Dr. and Mrs. Peter Stevenson-Moore Dr. Barry & Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Mrs. Anne Tweedy Ms. Susan Van der Flier Ms. Alexandra Volkoff Dr. Eugene Wang James & Veronica Weinkam Dr. Roy and Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Mr. Paul Westwick Ms. Terry Wilkinson Eric and Shirley Wilson Ms. Kathleen Winton John and Mia Wong Drs. Leo and Flora Wong James W. Wright Ms. Nancy Wu Mr. Joe D. Wurz & Mrs. Kathleen M. Wurz Dr. Edwin & Mrs. Patricia Yen Susan Warren & George Youssef Mr. Harold and Mrs. Erna Zinn

The contributions listed reflect gifts made to Vancouver Opera as of September 17, 2018. Every effort is made to ensure our lists are accurate at the time of printing. We sincerely apologize for any errors or omissions. *Lifetime Opera Round Table

OPERA ROUND TABLE

For more information, please contact

Members of the Opera Round Table enjoy many exclusive benefits, including guided backstage tours, invitations to Prelude Dinners, reserved theatre parking and access to the members’ lounge at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, plus personalized subscription and ticket service. Priority in requests for tickets, subscription changes and seat improvements increase according to overall giving at all levels of the Opera Round Table.

Carmen Murphy Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving 604 331 4832

Jake Ryan Lindsey Major Gifts Officer 604 331 4963

vancouveropera.ca/support

FRIENDS Vancouver Opera is extremely grateful to have so many Friends in its donor family, whose ongoing annual support greatly contributes to the company’s well-being and development. Individual gifts play a major role in our ability to maintain the highest artistic standards of performance, and to help finance our Young Artists Program and educational outreach activities.

ADVOCATE | $1,000 - $1,499 Anonymous (2) Rick Feldman and Rick Archbold Dr. Virginia Baldwin Anonymous donors in honour of Mike and Kathy Gallagher Robert Goldstein and Christine Kerr Dr. Peter Harnetty Penelope B.M. Hedges Elisabeth Grant Hoole

Dr. Judith Kalla Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkwood Dr. Andrew Louie Dr. Alan & Mrs. Helen Maberley Dr. Ian L. Macdonald In memory of Dr. Helen Macdonald Dr. J W MacDonald E.J. Makortoff Vladimir Marquez

Linda & Larry Marshik June Nicolay Edward & Patricia Powers Robert E. Radke Vi Roden Ken & Patricia Shields Rozanda Skalbania Ms. Taryn Taylor Dr. & Mrs. Edward Yeung

Mrs. Susan Fiddick Mrs. Fay Forrester Brian & Mary Forster Mr. Donald Francis Nancy Garrett Barry Gilson Mr. J. Lorne Ginther Richard Griffin Mr. Vitalius Gudaitis Robert Dales in memory of Dr. Irving Guttman C.M., O.B.C. Mrs. Shirley Hammond Dr. Evelyn J. Harden in memory of Marcia Jasiulko & Dr. Edgar F.Harden Ms. Ainslie Harvey In Memory of Ronald Hawkes Ms. Nancy Heckman John N. Hilton Lore Hoffmann Mrs. Maureen Hollins John Hooge Mrs. Ann Howe Mr. & Mrs. Donald J Hudson In honour of Sharman King Valerie Jones Mr. John Kamrar Mr. Robert Kendrick Cameron and Wendy Killick Ms. Diana King Teresa Kirschner Marguerite Ko Dr. Jack Kooy Mike & Jean Kovich John & Ann Kowalchuk Ron Kruschen and Louise Akuzawa Ms. Virginia Kwong Mr. Donald Kydd Dennis Laing Diana Lam Ms. Irene Larochelle Ms. M Lau and Ms. Jo Lau Mr. & Mrs. Trevor Lautens Ms. Shannon Lavender Dr. & Mrs. Richard and Susan Lee Mr. John C Leighton Mr. Bruce Lemer Mr. Fred Leonard

Mr. W Bill Leung Ms. Laara Lindo Andrea Luck Mrs. Doris A. Lunn Dr. & Mrs. John K MacFarlane Ms. Lorna Court & Mr. John Mancini Lawrence Matrick Ms. Joan L. Maurer Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Mary McIlwaine Mr. & Mrs. D. McIntosh Mr. David W. McMurty Inkeri Meharg Ms. Allison Miller Mrs. Doreen M'Lot Ms. Rowena Moffett Gloria Murphy Ms. Judith Nadon Dr. Brian Norford Mr. Bernard Olfman Mr. & Mrs. Jack Olsen John & Troy Ormiston Mrs. Pamela Ottridge Richard and Vanessa Paton R. H. Pearce & J. M. Mathieson Dawn Peck Jaime A. Peschiera Mr. Frederic Pio Mrs. Janet and Mr. Clifton Prowse Thomas Przywara Dr. Kimit Rai and Mrs. Linda Rai Drs. P. Ratner & J. Johnson Ms. Eleanor Reemeyer Ms. Evelyn Riley Mr. William Robertson Ms. Sharon L. Robinson Ms. Merrilee Robson Ms. Anne Rowles & Mr. Afton Cayford Mr. Ralfe Sanchez Al Schultz & Leona Kolla Manrico and Liz Scremin Dr. Sam & Mrs. Jo Ann Sheps Ms. Claudia Lane Sjoberg Dr. Kathryn Skau Dr. Paul & Mrs. Dorothy Stanwood Ms. Margaret Stearn

SUSTAINER | $300 - $999 Anonymous (10) Mr. Thomas Adair Sara Ahmadian Mr. W. Graham Allen Ted and Jean Andrew Mr. & Mrs. Stuart & Anne Appenheimer Kaity Arsoniadis Mrs. Kathleen Jane Baker Mrs. Jennifer Ballantyne Ms. Valencia Bankes Ms. V. Barrett Ms. Elizabeth Bell Drs. Mairi & Peter Blair Mr. Joost Blom Doru G. Botez Nic Boyde Mr. Bob Brawn and Ms. Beverly Unsworth Mrs. Marianne Brockmann Victor Bud Mr. Glenn Bullard Ms. Ann Cameron Sandra M. Campbell Mr. Robert Cannon Mrs. Cynthia Cependa Ms. Johanne Vincent & Dr. David Chercover Shel & Jane Cherry Nick & Ying Cheng Mr. Charles Clapham Mr. & Mrs. J Stuart Clyne Ms. Hilde & Mr. Peter Colenbrander Ms. Joan Cosar Mr. Marc Crimeni Leslie Dala Mrs. Carolynn Dallaire Mr. & Mrs. Julian Davies Mr. William Day Nancy Deshaw Ms. Glee Devereaux Ms. Audrey Dewan Ms. Shirley Dreja Mrs. Elizabeth Dropko In memory of Barb Brown Mr. Mark Dumont Ms. Reema Faris Mr. Martin Ferera

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VO DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINER (CONT.) | $300 - $999 Ms. Doreen Stephens The Strang Family Dr. Peter Suedfeld & Dr. Phyllis J. Johnson Tom and Margaret Taylor Gina Thorstenson & Bob Bartholomew Ms. Annabel M Valentine

Willem Van Oers Mr. & Mrs. Peter Walcott Godfrey Walton Mrs. Carolyn Webster Mr. Vincent Wheeler and Mr. Peter Cheng Galt Wilson Miss June Witty

Mr. Y.W. Wong Lois and Peter Woolley Mr. Daniel R. Worsley Don & Eileen Wright Katherine Yacht Ms. Elizabeth Yip Mr. Gary Young Dorothy & Vincente Yung

We value all our donors! A complete list will be published in our 2019 Festival programme.

ORGANIZATIONAL DONORS, PARTNERS AND SPONSORS We proudly present our organizational and institutional partners. Your support for our mainstage, training and community outreach programs, special events, and even our operational funding helps us build our community together.

2019 FESTIVAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS

Official Winery

Official Hospitality Partner

Student Dress Rehearsal Sponsor

Official Piano Partner

Emerging Artists Sponsor

Youth and Family Engagement Partner

V A N C O U V E R

OPERA

The Haebler Group

MEDIA SPONSORS

Primary Print Sponsor 46

VO DEVELOPMENT

GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO

Vancouver Opera Foundation

The David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

LOTTERIES

FOUNDATION SUPPORT Beech Foundation Diamond Foundation Fred and Minnie Toft Foundation George W. Norgan Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Greygates Foundation Joan C. McCarter Foundation

Lightburn Family Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Mathisen Family Private Foundation Minovitz Family Foundation Private Giving Foundation RBC Foundation The Arthur Toft Foundation The Bruendl Foundation

The Hamber Foundation The Hannah Woodnutt Smith Memorial Fund The McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Vancouver Foundation Vancouver Opera Association Endowment Fund

VANCOUVER OPERA IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

VO DEVELOPMENT

47

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE VANCOUVER OPERA ARTS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.

vancouversun.com

Chris Gailus and Sophie Lui

Global News Hour at 6 Weeknights

Proud sponsor of the Vancouver Opera - The Merry Widow 48

VANCOUVER OPERA | #MerryWidowVO

Globalnews.ca

VOLUNTEERS MAKE OUR SEASON A huge thank you to all our volunteers who contribute to our productions. Special commendation goes to members of the Vancouver Opera Board of Directors, Information Services, the Amatori Committee and of course to many members of the Vancouver Opera Guild.

JOIN THE VOLUNTEER TEAM Vancouver Opera runs on the generous contributions of a large team of volunteers. Volunteers participate in a wide variety of areas of production from costume assistance, tech support, box office, special events, and front of house support. If you would like to join us, please apply via our website.

For more information, please contact volunteer@vancouveropera.ca vancouveropera.ca/support/volunteer

TAKING THE NEXT STEP… Since 2004, the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund has been investing in emerging artists at Vancouver Opera. This assistance has permitted many artists a boost as they become professional performers and complements our other young artist development programming.

In this production of The Merry Widow we are proud to feature an alumnus of our Young Artists Program, Peter Monaghan as the David Spencer Artist. Peter appears as Kromow in our production.

WE THANK THE DAVID SPENCER ENDOWMENT ENCOURAGEMENT FUND TRUSTEES AND EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THEIR ROLE IN HELPING VO BECOME A FOCAL POINT FOR YOUNG ARTIST TRAINING IN CANADA.

UBC OPERA 2018/19 SEASON SILENT NIGHT Opera in Two Acts | Sung in English, French, German, Italian and Latin, with English surtitles Music by Kevin Puts Libretto by Mark Campbell November 3, 8, 9, 2018 – 7:30 pm November 4, 2018 – 2:00 pm Old Auditorium, UBC Campus Conducted by Robert Wood Directed by Nancy Hermiston Vancouver Opera Orchestra

ILLUSTRATION BY ROAN SHANKARUK

Additional Special Event information at

www.ubcopera.com

Box Office: 604.822.6725

Tickets online: ubcoperatickets.com

A HEARTWARMING HOLIDAY MUSICAL FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE December 6 – 31, 2018

A New Musical Adaptation by Peter Jorgensen Arrangements & Orchestrations by Nico Rhodes

Tickets from $29!

GATEWAYTHEATRE.COM 604.270.1812   GatewayThtr

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VO EDUCATION

Nick Fontaine. Photo: David Cooper.

Based on the Frank Capra film and the original story by Philip Van Doren Stern With the support of Patrick Street Productions Directed by Peter Jorgensen

VO EDUCATION:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS Vancouver Opera’s Education department works closely with teachers and arts educators to ensure our programs are relevant to the students in our community. The focus of the new curriculum on intellectual, social and emotional proficiencies aligns with collaborative and creative processes that are at the foundation of the art form of opera. Attending a performance provides a unique pathway into learning about the experiences of others in relation to ourselves.

In response to feedback from teachers, Vancouver Opera has created a professional development program that explores how opera can work within the new curriculum. Each workshop will focus on a topic that was suggested by teachers. The sessions will be led by experts in the field of arts education and will reflect the role the arts play in the lives of children and youth.

Here are the rich learning opportunities that are made possible through opera!

VO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Designed to align with the new BC curriculum, each workshop will include strategies and content links that will meet VO's mandate of nurturing hearts, opening minds and broadening creativity through opera.

Workshops will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre before a performance and will be approximately 75 minutes in length.

THE MERRY WIDOW – OPERA AND THE NEW CURRICULUM Thursday, October 25th, 2018 | 5:00pm LA BOHÈME – IMPROVING PERFORMANCE PRACTICE FOR YOUNG SINGERS Thursday, February 21st, 2019 | 5:00pm FAUST – BUILDING LINKS BETWEEN INDIGENOUS MUSIC AND THE WESTERN ART TRADITION Thursday, May 2nd, 2019 | 5:00pm The fee for the workshop only is $25; to attend the workshop and the following performance the fee will be $35. A second ticket can also be purchased for $35 to attend the performance.

A light meal will be provided to workshop participants.

Each workshop is limited to 10 people.

For more information and to register visit vancouveropera.ca or call the Ticket Center at 604 683-0222

Program 1 Nov 1 2 3 Choreography Medhi Walerski Petite Cérémonie Emily Molnar New Work William Forsythe Enemy in the Figure

Queen Elizabeth Theatre balletbc.com Platinum season sPonsor

Performance SPonSor

Community BalCony sponsor

Hotel SponSor

Support for Ballet BC haS Been generouSly provided By

media sponsors dancer emily chessa. photo michael slobodian.

STAY CONNECTED AT STRAIGHT.COM

Proud Media Sponsor

Vancouver Opera 2018-19 Season and Festival

Vancouver's leading arts source.

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VO EDUCATION

VANCOUVER OPERA IN SCHOOLS AND PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE A NEW OPERA FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES!

THE FLIGHT OF THE

Hummingbird Music by Maxime Goulet Libretto and Creative Design by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas and Barry Gilson Directed by Glynis Leyshon “HERE IS THE STORY OF THE GREAT FOREST THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE”

In this inspiring story, the determined hummingbird does everything she can to put out a raging fire that threatens her forest home. The parable of The Hummingbird eloquently expresses the power of taking small steps to achieve a big goal. With origins among the Quechan people of South America and the Haida of the North Pacific, this story inspires us all to act on behalf of the world and its precious resources.

The Flight Of The Hummingbird will be touring schools and communities throughout British Columbia in early 2020.

Co-Produced By

Commissioning Partner

Supported by

Visit vancouveropera.ca/learn/the-flight-of-the-hummingbird to register for updates including public presentations, professional development opportunities and tour dates.

The Vancouver Opera Guild cordially welcomes new members.

No qualifications other than an interest in opera are required.

For information on the benefits of membership and for membership forms, please check our website at

vancouveroperaguild.com

VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD ESCORTED OPERA TOURS NEW YORK METROPOLITAN OPERA March 30 – April 6, 2019 Spend a week in New York and see four sensational operas as well as the Met’s National Council Grand Finals Concert.

•

La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) with Joyce DiDonato and Matthew Polenzani

•

Don Giovanni (Mozart) with Peter Mattei and Susanna Phillips

•

Tosca (Puccini) with Joseph Calleja and Wolfgang Koch

•

La Traviata (Verdi) with Anita Hartig and Stephen Costello

BRITAIN PLUS PARIS Paris – Brighton – Buxton – London July 6 – 18, 2019 •

Paris with Don Giovanni (Mozart) and La Forza del Destino (Verdi) and ballet at the Palais Garnier

•

Glyndebourne Opera

•

Buxton International Festival in the beautiful Peak District with Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) and Georgiana, a newly commissioned 40th Anniversary opera pasticcio

•

Royal Opera, Covent Garden with The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)

AD - ARCHWAY

OPERA IN SANTA FE July 29 – August 4, 2019 Spend six nights at the popular Inn of the Governors in Santa Fe and enjoy four great opera performances.

• The Pearl Fishers (Bizet) • Cosi fan tutte (Mozart)

• Jenufa (Janacek) • La Boheme (Puccini)

Check for brochures at the Guild Centre at the QE Theatre or call Lis Dawson at 604-922-8008 or Genny MacLean (Great Expeditions) at 604-738-5535 for more information.

VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD EXECUTIVE Massoud Abedi – President Jennifer Cote – Vice-President

Diana Herbst – Treasurer Nancy Wu – Secretary

The Vancouver Opera Guild provides volunteer and financial support to Vancouver Opera.

For membership information, please contact Vancouver Opera at 604 682 2871 or visit vancouveroperaguild.com

VO EDUCATION:

WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS Open to Grade 11 and 12 students in Metro Vancouver, this program is designed for students considering a professional or amateur career in the arts. Students are invited to watch rehearsals, interview cast and production staff and are given full backstage access during the two weeks prior to opening night.

Alumni of the program have gone on to study music, theatre and production at post-secondary institutions across North American and the United Kingdom. For those that have not chosen to pursue a career in the arts, the experience has enriched their understanding of the performing arts and its role in a thriving society.

This popular program is offered throughout the season with priority given to Grade 11 students with a proven dedication to the performing and visual arts.

TESTIMONIALS I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to talk to people with key roles in the production. They each gave their own insight and perspective on what their job was like, and from their stories I could tell that although having a job within the fine arts was not a simple task, they all adored their work nonetheless. —Patrick, Grade 11 Burnaby

One of my favourite things about this experience has been how welcoming every person and every space has been, which creates a very open and comfortable environment. —Marlo, Grade 12 Coquitlam

For registration information visit our website at vancouveropera.ca or contact cdugan@vancouveropera.ca

THE JUICE TRUCK

www.thejuicetruck.ca | 604.719.8861

VANCOUVER OPERA | THE MERRY WIDOW

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ADMINISTRATION

DISTINGUISHED HONORARY PATRON Martha Lou Henley, C.M.

VANCOUVER OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2018 – 2019 SEASON Chair: Bill Maclagan

Treasurer & Secretary: Richard Rees

Alex Bjornson Andrea Wood Catherine Dangerfield

Heather Clarke Judy Halbert Julia Kim

Past Chair: Jill Bodkin

Kirk LaPointe Mass Abedi Meera Bawa

Pascal Spothelfer Roberta Lando Beiser Sherry Killam

VANCOUVER OPERA STAFF Kim Gaynor, General Director Director of Artistic Planning Tom Wright

Director, Education & Community Engagement Colleen Maybin

ARTISTIC PLANNING Associate Director, Artistic Planning: Adrianne Wurz Artistic Coordinator: Caitlin Fysh Music Associate Conductor / Chorus Director: Leslie Dala Principal Répétiteur / Assistant Conductor / Assistant Chorus Director: Kinza Tyrrell Répétiteur: Tina Chang, Angus Kellett, Perri Lo Orchestra Manager: Jim Littleford Music Librarian: Tom Shorthouse Orchestra Stage Manager: Jim Tranquilla Production Technical Director: Autumn Coppaway Building Manager and Assistant Technical Director: Kevin MacLeod Head of Wardrobe: Parvin Mirhady Head of Properties: Heidi Wilkinson EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Education & Community Projects Coordinator: Courtney Dugan Volunteer Coordinator: Rachelle Smalldon

Jonathan Darlington, Music Director Emeritus Director of Development Paul Forrest

Director of Marketing Mirjana Galovich

DEVELOPMENT Director, Major Gifts & Planned Giving: Carmen Murphy Development Manager, Annual Campaigns and Lotteries: Lyndsay MacAulay Development Manager, Grants & Proposals: Azfir Balenciaga Major Gifts Officer: Jake Ryan Lindsey MARKETING Creative Director: Annie Mack Marketing and Sales Manager: Vincent Wong Digital Communications Manager: Michael Mann Graphic Designer: Yvonne Olivotto Manager, Database Applications: Tracey Flattes Ticket Centre Supervisor: Gavriel Beigel Ticket Centre Associate: Charlene Hibbard Patron Services Manager: Tamerin Elliott Publicist: Jodi Smith, JLS Entertainment FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Director of Information Technology: Hali Autio Office Manager and Junior Accountant: William Murgatroyd Accountant and Payroll Administrator: Firan Tse

YULANDA M. FARIS YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM

Program Head: Leslie Dala

Nicole Joanne Brooks Gena van Oosten

Perri Lo Sarah Jane Pelzer

Scott Rumble Daniel Thielmann

Chief Financial Officer Catriona Cheng

Head Coach: Kinza Tyrrell

VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018 – 2019 SEASON Chair: Michael Gallagher

Treasurer and Secretary: Paul McEwen

Jake Boxer Jill Bodkin

Neil Carnell Heather Clarke

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VANCOUVER OPERA | #MerryWidowVO

Julia Kim Terry Pask

Lynn Smith Russell Smith Pascal Spothelfer

18/19

Opera Season

Verdi

LA TRAVIATA

February 14, 16, 20, 22, 24 / 2019

Kรกlmรกn

COUNTESS MARITZA April 25, 27, May 3, 5 / 2019 All performances at the Royal Theatre 805 Broughton St., Victoria, BC

Coming from out of town?

We recommend our host hotel.

Ask for the Opera rate!

1-800-663-5891

Plus! AYRE, a song cycle by

Osvaldo Golijov featuring Miriam Khalil October 25, 26, 28 at the Baumann Centre

Call today!

250.385.0222 / 250.386.6121 / www.pov.bc.ca SEASON SPONSOR:

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PUBLIC FUNDING:

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