MEDIA RELEASE: June 3, 2011
Contact: Ashley Tongret, Communications Manager
(513) 768-5526 or atongret@cincinnatiopera.org
CINCINNATI OPERA ANNOUNCES UPDATED CASTING AND PRODUCTION DETAILS FOR 2011 SEASON
The 2011 Summer Festival opens June 16 with Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto , starring Sarah Coburn, Rodrick Dixon, and Stephen Powell in a production set in Mussolini-era Italy.
An innovative new production of John Adams’s A Flowering Tree reunites the original cast of Jessica Rivera, Eric Owens, and Russell Thomas.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn makes his role debut as the title character in Tchaikovsky’s wistful romance Eugene Onegin. The Russian opera also features Tatiana Monogarova, Edyta Kulczak, and William Burden.
Closing the season is Mozart’s perennial crowd-pleaser The Magic Flute, with Nicole Cabell, Audrey Luna, Shawn Mathey, Brett Polegato, and Oren Gradus.
CINCINNATI—Cincinnati Opera’s 91st season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto (June 16 & 18) and continues with John Adams’s love story A Flowering Tree (June 30 & July 2), Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Eugene Onegin (July 14 & 16), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s whimsical The Magic Flute (July 27, 29 & 31).
Please see below for season highlights, casting updates, and production details. For additional information, visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera 2011 Summer Festival
Rigoletto
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 16 & Saturday, June 18, 2011
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Singing the role of Gilda is the silver-voiced American soprano Sarah Coburn, whose performance in the title role of 2008’s Lucia di Lammermoor inspired the Cincinnati Enquirer to call her voice “so breathtaking…you feel lucky to witness it.” Her portrayal of Gilda was praised by the Portland Oregonian as “true of tone, pure of sound; she found the subtleties in Verdi's music with lovely phrasing and touching sincerity.” Baritone Stephen Powell, praised by the Wall Street Journal for his “rich, lyric baritone, commanding presence, and thoughtful musicianship,” stars in the title role in his company debut. Rodrick Dixon makes his Cincinnati Opera debut in the role of the Duke. His “fearless tenor” (Opera News) was most recently displayed as a featured soloist at the 2011 Cincinnati May Festival. The assassin Sparafucile is portrayed by Gustav Andreassen, who returns to the Music Hall stage after portraying the Commendatore in Don Giovanni (2004), and the seductive Maddalena is sung by Stacey Rishoi, who makes her Cincinnati Opera debut. Count Monterone is sung by Nathan Stark, who was last seen on the Music Hall stage as the unlucky Alcindoro in La Bohème (2010). Tyler Alessi is Marullo, and Wesley Lawrence portrays Matteo Borsa.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is led by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, music director of the Columbus Symphony and one of Canada’s brightest conductors, who last appeared with Cincinnati Opera for Lucia di Lammermoor (2008). Stage direction is by Linda Brovsky, who revisits her Rigoletto staging from Cincinnati Opera’s 2005 production. Scenic design is by Robert Dahlstrom, with costumes by Marie Anne Chiment. Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi. Joseph Nygren Cox will present choreography originally created by Victoria Morgan. Fight director for the production is Gina Cerimele-Mechley.
A Flowering Tree
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Sung in English and Spanish with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 30 & Saturday, July 2, 2011
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cincinnati Opera welcomes the trio of singers who created the roles at the 2006 world premiere in Vienna. Hailed by The New York Times as a “vocally luminous young soprano,” Jessica Rivera returns to Cincinnati Opera as Kumudha after her successful turn as Nuria in the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Tenor Russell Thomas, who wowed the audience with his performances at Cincinnati Opera’s 90th Anniversary Gala Concert and as Cassio in Otello (2010), brings his “strong, clarion-voiced tenor” (The New York Times) to the role of the Prince. Bass-baritone Eric Owens recently shot to stardom as Alberich in the Metropolitan Opera’s Das Rheingold. Commended by The New York Times for his “burnished and powerful voice,” Owens takes the role of the Storyteller following his most recent Cincinnati Opera appearance as Sparafucile in Rigoletto (2005).
The groundbreaking young maestra Joana Carneiro of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducts. Stage director Brian Robertson most recently charmed Cincinnati audiences with his direction of the touring productions Bohème Redux (2010) and Opera Redux: The Magic Flute (2011). Scenic designer David Centers’s work for the company was last seen at the 90th Anniversary Gala Concert. Costume designer Rebecca Senske will be remembered for her creations for the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and sound design is by Brian Mohr, whose most recent work with the company was heard in 2009’s Ainadamar. Video designers Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, and Patrick Buescher make their company debuts after acclaimed work in Crossroads Church’s Awaited: A Christmas Show. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi and choreography is by Cincinnati Ballet’s Devon Carney.
Eugene Onegin
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Sung in Russian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, July 14 & Saturday, July 16, 2011
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn, praised by The New York Times for his “musical intelligence, crisp rhythmic delivery…impressive acting skills, and daring physicality,” makes both his company and role debut as the aristocratic Onegin. Russian soprano Tatiana Monogarova will be featured in her signature role of Tatyana, a character she has portrayed at esteemed opera houses such as La Scala, Paris Opera, and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Hailed as a “soprano of great range and expressiveness” (Houston Chronicle), Monogarova’s appearance will mark her company debut.
William Burden, who the Cincinnati Enquirer declared a “terrific lyric tenor,” is the doomed poet Lensky. Burden last impressed Cincinnati audiences as Don José in the company’s wildly successful 2009 production of Carmen. Mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak contributes a “full and rich voice” (Opera) to the role of Olga in her first time with the company. Madame Larina is sung by Stacey Rishoi, and Mika Shigematsu is the servant Filippyevna, following her debut as Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (2008). Steven Cole, last seen as El Remendado in 2009’s Carmen, portrays the French tutor Monsieur Triquet. Returning to Music Hall after portraying Colline in La Bohème (2010), Denis Sedov is Prince Gremin.
Vasily Petrenko, the principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts. Stage director Mark Streshinsky returns to direct following his acclaimed work in Carmen (2009). Scenic design is by Robert O’Hearn, and lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi, and choreography is by Jay Goodlett, the associate artistic director of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.
The Magic Flute
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Sung in German with English dialogue and English supertitles
Performance Dates: Wednesday, July 27, Friday, July 29 & Sunday, July 31, 2011
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
American Nicole Cabell, who has been called “one of the most exciting lyric sopranos to grace the world’s concert halls” (Chicago Magazine), returns to Cincinnati Opera as the lovely princess Pamina following her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2009). In her Cincinnati Opera debut, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate Audrey Luna will display “power and a blazing coloratura facility that most lyric sopranos can only dream of" (Opera News) as the Queen of the Night. After his most recent appearance with the company as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte (2007), Shawn Mathey brings his “honeyed tenor” (Chicago Classical Review) to the role of Tamino. Canadian baritone Brett Polegato contributes his “big and brilliant” voice (Opera News) to the cast as Papageno in his company debut. Soprano Meghan Tarkington, a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, debuts on the Music Hall stage as Papagena. Bass Oren Gradus portrays the wise Sarastro, having recently performed the role with the Israeli Opera. Steven Cole is the duplicitous servant Monostatos, and Nathan Stark is the Speaker. The Queen of the Night’s Ladies will be portrayed by Jacqueline A. Echols, Audrey Walstrom, and Davia Bandy.
Conductor Bernard Labadie wields the baton following his “commendable” (The New York Times) presentation of the work at the Metropolitan Opera last season. Tomer Zvulun, who directed the premiere of this production at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Atlanta Opera, will make his company debut. The scenic and costume designer of this new-to-Cincinnati production is C. David Higgins. Lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi.
Performance and Ticket Information
All performances take place at Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati. Tickets are $26-$165 and are now on sale. For tickets and additional information, contact the Cincinnati Opera Box Office at (513) 241-2742 or visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera
2011 SUMMER FESTIVAL
Calendar of Events
RIGOLETTO
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Cast:
Gilda … Sarah Coburn
Duke of Mantua … Rodrick Dixon
Rigoletto … Stephen Powell
Maddalena … Stacey Rishoi
Sparafucile … Gustav Andreassen
Count Monterone … Nathan Stark
Marullo … Tyler Alessi
Matteo Borsa … Wesley Lawrence
Count Ceprano … Timothy J. Bruno
Countess Ceprano … Jacqueline A. Echols
Giovanna … Davia Bandy
Page … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Usher … Noel Bouley
Creative Team:
Conductor … Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Stage Director … Linda Brovsky
Scenic Designer … Robert Dahlstrom
Costume Designer … Marie Anne Chiment
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
A FLOWERING TREE
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cast:
Kumudha … Jessica Rivera
Prince … Russell Thomas
Storyteller … Eric Owens
Creative Team:
Conductor … Joana Carneiro
Stage Director … Brian Robertson
Scenic Designer … David Centers
Costume Designer … Rebecca Senske
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Video Designers … Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, Patrick Buescher
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Choreographer … Devon Carney
EUGENE ONEGIN
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Dates & Times:
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Cast:
Tatyana … Tatiana Monogarova
Olga … Edyta Kulczak
Eugene Onegin … Nathan Gunn
Lensky … William Burden
Madame Larina … Stacey Rishoi
Filippyevna … Mika Shigematsu
Prince Gremin … Denis Sedov
Monsieur Triquet … Steven Cole
Zaretsky … Thomas Dreeze
Peasant … Wesley Lawrence
Captain … Tyler Alessi
Creative Team:
Conductor … Vasily Petrenko
Stage Director … Mark Streshinsky
Scenic Designer … Robert O’Hearn
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
THE MAGIC FLUTE
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Dates & Times:
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
Cast:
Pamina … Nicole Cabell
The Queen of the Night … Audrey Luna
Tamino … Shawn Mathey
Papageno … Brett Polegato
Sarastro … Oren Gradus
Monostatos … Steven Cole
Papagena … Meghan Tarkington
First Lady … Jacqueline A. Echols
Second Lady … Audrey Walstrom
Third Lady … Davia Bandy
First Spirit … Melissa Harvey
Second Spirit … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Third Spirit … Hilary Ginther
The Speaker … Nathan Stark
Priests … Anthony Beck, Tyler Alessi
First Man in Armor … Wesley Lawrence
Second Man in Armor … Timothy J. Bruno
Creative Team:
Conductor … Bernard Labadie
Stage Director … Tomer Zvulun
Scenic & Costume Designer … C. David Higgins
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Season Presenting Sponsor is PNC. The 2011 season is also made possible with support from ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Summer Festival runs June 16 through July 31 and features Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, John Adams’s A Flowering Tree, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
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Click here to view a PDF of the press release.
The 2011 Summer Festival opens June 16 with Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto, starring Sarah Coburn, Rodrick Dixon, and Stephen Powell in a production set in Mussolini-era Italy.
An innovative new production of John Adams’s A Flowering Tree reunites the original cast of Jessica Rivera, Eric Owens, and Russell Thomas.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn makes his role debut as the title character in Tchaikovsky’s wistful romance Eugene Onegin. The Russian opera also features Tatiana Monogarova, Edyta Kulczak, and William Burden.
Closing the season is Mozart’s perennial crowd-pleaser The Magic Flute, with Nicole Cabell, Audrey Luna, Shawn Mathey, Brett Polegato, and Oren Gradus.
CINCINNATI—Cincinnati Opera’s 91st season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto (June 16 & 18) and continues with John Adams’s love story A Flowering Tree (June 30 & July 2), Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Eugene Onegin (July 14 & 16), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s whimsical The Magic Flute (July 27, 29 & 31).
Please see below for season highlights, casting updates, and production details. For additional information, visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera 2011 Summer Festival
Rigoletto
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 16 & Saturday, June 18, 2011
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Singing the role of Gilda is the silver-voiced American soprano Sarah Coburn, whose performance in the title role of 2008’s Lucia di Lammermoor inspired the Cincinnati Enquirer to call her voice “so breathtaking…you feel lucky to witness it.” Her portrayal of Gilda was praised by the Portland Oregonian as “true of tone, pure of sound; she found the subtleties in Verdi's music with lovely phrasing and touching sincerity.” Baritone Stephen Powell, praised by the Wall Street Journal for his “rich, lyric baritone, commanding presence, and thoughtful musicianship,” stars in the title role in his company debut. Rodrick Dixon makes his Cincinnati Opera debut in the role of the Duke. His “fearless tenor” (Opera News) was most recently displayed as a featured soloist at the 2011 Cincinnati May Festival. The assassin Sparafucile is portrayed by Gustav Andreassen, who returns to the Music Hall stage after portraying the Commendatore in Don Giovanni (2004), and the seductive Maddalena is sung by Stacey Rishoi, who makes her Cincinnati Opera debut. Count Monterone is sung by Nathan Stark, who was last seen on the Music Hall stage as the unlucky Alcindoro in La Bohème (2010). Tyler Alessi is Marullo, and Wesley Lawrence portrays Matteo Borsa.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is led by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, music director of the Columbus Symphony and one of Canada’s brightest conductors, who last appeared with Cincinnati Opera for Lucia di Lammermoor (2008). Stage direction is by Linda Brovsky, who revisits her Rigoletto staging from Cincinnati Opera’s 2005 production. Scenic design is by Robert Dahlstrom, with costumes by Marie Anne Chiment. Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi. Joseph Nygren Cox will present choreography originally created by Victoria Morgan. Fight director for the production is Gina Cerimele-Mechley.
A Flowering Tree
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Sung in English and Spanish with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 30 & Saturday, July 2, 2011
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cincinnati Opera welcomes the trio of singers who created the roles at the 2006 world premiere in Vienna. Hailed by The New York Times as a “vocally luminous young soprano,” Jessica Rivera returns to Cincinnati Opera as Kumudha after her successful turn as Nuria in the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Tenor Russell Thomas, who wowed the audience with his performances at Cincinnati Opera’s 90th Anniversary Gala Concert and as Cassio in Otello (2010), brings his “strong, clarion-voiced tenor” (The New York Times) to the role of the Prince. Bass-baritone Eric Owens recently shot to stardom as Alberich in the Metropolitan Opera’s Das Rheingold. Commended by The New York Times for his “burnished and powerful voice,” Owens takes the role of the Storyteller following his most recent Cincinnati Opera appearance as Sparafucile in Rigoletto (2005).
The groundbreaking young maestra Joana Carneiro of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducts. Stage director Brian Robertson most recently charmed Cincinnati audiences with his direction of the touring productions Bohème Redux (2010) and Opera Redux: The Magic Flute (2011). Scenic designer David Centers’s work for the company was last seen at the 90th Anniversary Gala Concert. Costume designer Rebecca Senske will be remembered for her creations for the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and sound design is by Brian Mohr, whose most recent work with the company was heard in 2009’s Ainadamar. Video designers Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, and Patrick Buescher make their company debuts after acclaimed work in Crossroads Church’s Awaited: A Christmas Show. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi and choreography is by Cincinnati Ballet’s Devon Carney.
Eugene Onegin
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Sung in Russian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, July 14 & Saturday, July 16, 2011
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn, praised by The New York Times for his “musical intelligence, crisp rhythmic delivery…impressive acting skills, and daring physicality,” makes both his company and role debut as the aristocratic Onegin. Russian soprano Tatiana Monogarova will be featured in her signature role of Tatyana, a character she has portrayed at esteemed opera houses such as La Scala, Paris Opera, and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Hailed as a “soprano of great range and expressiveness” (Houston Chronicle), Monogarova’s appearance will mark her company debut.
William Burden, who the Cincinnati Enquirer declared a “terrific lyric tenor,” is the doomed poet Lensky. Burden last impressed Cincinnati audiences as Don José in the company’s wildly successful 2009 production of Carmen. Mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak contributes a “full and rich voice” (Opera) to the role of Olga in her first time with the company. Madame Larina is sung by Stacey Rishoi, and Mika Shigematsu is the servant Filippyevna, following her debut as Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (2008). Steven Cole, last seen as El Remendado in 2009’s Carmen, portrays the French tutor Monsieur Triquet. Returning to Music Hall after portraying Colline in La Bohème (2010), Denis Sedov is Prince Gremin.
Vasily Petrenko, the principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts. Stage director Mark Streshinsky returns to direct following his acclaimed work in Carmen (2009). Scenic design is by Robert O’Hearn, and lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi, and choreography is by Jay Goodlett, the associate artistic director of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.
The Magic Flute
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Sung in German with English dialogue and English supertitles
Performance Dates: Wednesday, July 27, Friday, July 29 & Sunday, July 31, 2011
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
American Nicole Cabell, who has been called “one of the most exciting lyric sopranos to grace the world’s concert halls” (Chicago Magazine), returns to Cincinnati Opera as the lovely princess Pamina following her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2009). In her Cincinnati Opera debut, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate Audrey Luna will display “power and a blazing coloratura facility that most lyric sopranos can only dream of" (Opera News) as the Queen of the Night. After his most recent appearance with the company as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte (2007), Shawn Mathey brings his “honeyed tenor” (Chicago Classical Review) to the role of Tamino. Canadian baritone Brett Polegato contributes his “big and brilliant” voice (Opera News) to the cast as Papageno in his company debut. Soprano Meghan Tarkington, a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, debuts on the Music Hall stage as Papagena. Bass Oren Gradus portrays the wise Sarastro, having recently performed the role with the Israeli Opera. Steven Cole is the duplicitous servant Monostatos, and Nathan Stark is the Speaker. The Queen of the Night’s Ladies will be portrayed by Jacqueline A. Echols, Audrey Walstrom, and Davia Bandy.
Conductor Bernard Labadie wields the baton following his “commendable” (The New York Times) presentation of the work at the Metropolitan Opera last season. Tomer Zvulun, who directed the premiere of this production at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Atlanta Opera, will make his company debut. The scenic and costume designer of this new-to-Cincinnati production is C. David Higgins. Lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi.
Performance and Ticket Information
All performances take place at Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati. Tickets are $26-$165 and are now on sale. For tickets and additional information, contact the Cincinnati Opera Box Office at (513) 241-2742 or visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera
2011 SUMMER FESTIVAL
Calendar of Events
RIGOLETTO
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Cast:
Gilda … Sarah Coburn
Duke of Mantua … Rodrick Dixon
Rigoletto … Stephen Powell
Maddalena … Stacey Rishoi
Sparafucile … Gustav Andreassen
Count Monterone … Nathan Stark
Marullo … Tyler Alessi
Matteo Borsa … Wesley Lawrence
Count Ceprano … Timothy J. Bruno
Countess Ceprano … Jacqueline A. Echols
Giovanna … Davia Bandy
Page … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Usher … Noel Bouley
Creative Team:
Conductor … Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Stage Director … Linda Brovsky
Scenic Designer … Robert Dahlstrom
Costume Designer … Marie Anne Chiment
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
A FLOWERING TREE
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cast:
Kumudha … Jessica Rivera
Prince … Russell Thomas
Storyteller … Eric Owens
Creative Team:
Conductor … Joana Carneiro
Stage Director … Brian Robertson
Scenic Designer … David Centers
Costume Designer … Rebecca Senske
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Video Designers … Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, Patrick Buescher
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Choreographer … Devon Carney
EUGENE ONEGIN
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Dates & Times:
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Cast:
Tatyana … Tatiana Monogarova
Olga … Edyta Kulczak
Eugene Onegin … Nathan Gunn
Lensky … William Burden
Madame Larina … Stacey Rishoi
Filippyevna … Mika Shigematsu
Prince Gremin … Denis Sedov
Monsieur Triquet … Steven Cole
Zaretsky … Thomas Dreeze
Peasant … Wesley Lawrence
Captain … Tyler Alessi
Creative Team:
Conductor … Vasily Petrenko
Stage Director … Mark Streshinsky
Scenic Designer … Robert O’Hearn
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
THE MAGIC FLUTE
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Dates & Times:
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
Cast:
Pamina … Nicole Cabell
The Queen of the Night … Audrey Luna
Tamino … Shawn Mathey
Papageno … Brett Polegato
Sarastro … Oren Gradus
Monostatos … Steven Cole
Papagena … Meghan Tarkington
First Lady … Jacqueline A. Echols
Second Lady … Audrey Walstrom
Third Lady … Davia Bandy
First Spirit … Melissa Harvey
Second Spirit … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Third Spirit … Hilary Ginther
The Speaker … Nathan Stark
Priests … Anthony Beck, Tyler Alessi
First Man in Armor … Wesley Lawrence
Second Man in Armor … Timothy J. Bruno
Creative Team:
Conductor … Bernard Labadie
Stage Director … Tomer Zvulun
Scenic & Costume Designer … C. David Higgins
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Season Presenting Spon
The 2011 Summer Festival opens June 16 with Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto, starring Sarah Coburn, Rodrick Dixon, and Stephen Powell in a production set in Mussolini-era Italy.
An innovative new production of John Adams’s A Flowering Tree reunites the original cast of Jessica Rivera, Eric Owens, and Russell Thomas.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn makes his role debut as the title character in Tchaikovsky’s wistful romance Eugene Onegin. The Russian opera also features Tatiana Monogarova, Edyta Kulczak, and William Burden.
Closing the season is Mozart’s perennial crowd-pleaser The Magic Flute, with Nicole Cabell, Audrey Luna, Shawn Mathey, Brett Polegato, and Oren Gradus.
CINCINNATI—Cincinnati Opera’s 91st season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s tuneful Rigoletto (June 16 & 18) and continues with John Adams’s love story A Flowering Tree (June 30 & July 2), Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Eugene Onegin (July 14 & 16), and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s whimsical The Magic Flute (July 27, 29 & 31).
Please see below for season highlights, casting updates, and production details. For additional information, visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera 2011 Summer Festival
Rigoletto
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 16 & Saturday, June 18, 2011
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Singing the role of Gilda is the silver-voiced American soprano Sarah Coburn, whose performance in the title role of 2008’s Lucia di Lammermoor inspired the Cincinnati Enquirer to call her voice “so breathtaking…you feel lucky to witness it.” Her portrayal of Gilda was praised by the Portland Oregonian as “true of tone, pure of sound; she found the subtleties in Verdi's music with lovely phrasing and touching sincerity.” Baritone Stephen Powell, praised by the Wall Street Journal for his “rich, lyric baritone, commanding presence, and thoughtful musicianship,” stars in the title role in his company debut. Rodrick Dixon makes his Cincinnati Opera debut in the role of the Duke. His “fearless tenor” (Opera News) was most recently displayed as a featured soloist at the 2011 Cincinnati May Festival. The assassin Sparafucile is portrayed by Gustav Andreassen, who returns to the Music Hall stage after portraying the Commendatore in Don Giovanni (2004), and the seductive Maddalena is sung by Stacey Rishoi, who makes her Cincinnati Opera debut. Count Monterone is sung by Nathan Stark, who was last seen on the Music Hall stage as the unlucky Alcindoro in La Bohème (2010). Tyler Alessi is Marullo, and Wesley Lawrence portrays Matteo Borsa.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is led by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, music director of the Columbus Symphony and one of Canada’s brightest conductors, who last appeared with Cincinnati Opera for Lucia di Lammermoor (2008). Stage direction is by Linda Brovsky, who revisits her Rigoletto staging from Cincinnati Opera’s 2005 production. Scenic design is by Robert Dahlstrom, with costumes by Marie Anne Chiment. Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi. Joseph Nygren Cox will present choreography originally created by Victoria Morgan. Fight director for the production is Gina Cerimele-Mechley.
A Flowering Tree
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Sung in English and Spanish with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, June 30 & Saturday, July 2, 2011
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cincinnati Opera welcomes the trio of singers who created the roles at the 2006 world premiere in Vienna. Hailed by The New York Times as a “vocally luminous young soprano,” Jessica Rivera returns to Cincinnati Opera as Kumudha after her successful turn as Nuria in the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Tenor Russell Thomas, who wowed the audience with his performances at Cincinnati Opera’s 90th Anniversary Gala Concert and as Cassio in Otello (2010), brings his “strong, clarion-voiced tenor” (The New York Times) to the role of the Prince. Bass-baritone Eric Owens recently shot to stardom as Alberich in the Metropolitan Opera’s Das Rheingold. Commended by The New York Times for his “burnished and powerful voice,” Owens takes the role of the Storyteller following his most recent Cincinnati Opera appearance as Sparafucile in Rigoletto (2005).
The groundbreaking young maestra Joana Carneiro of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducts. Stage director Brian Robertson most recently charmed Cincinnati audiences with his direction of the touring productions Bohème Redux (2010) and Opera Redux: The Magic Flute (2011). Scenic designer David Centers’s work for the company was last seen at the 90th Anniversary Gala Concert. Costume designer Rebecca Senske will be remembered for her creations for the company’s production of Ainadamar (2009). Lighting design is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and sound design is by Brian Mohr, whose most recent work with the company was heard in 2009’s Ainadamar. Video designers Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, and Patrick Buescher make their company debuts after acclaimed work in Crossroads Church’s Awaited: A Christmas Show. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi and choreography is by Cincinnati Ballet’s Devon Carney.
Eugene Onegin
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Sung in Russian with English supertitles
Performance Dates: Thursday, July 14 & Saturday, July 16, 2011
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Superstar baritone Nathan Gunn, praised by The New York Times for his “musical intelligence, crisp rhythmic delivery…impressive acting skills, and daring physicality,” makes both his company and role debut as the aristocratic Onegin. Russian soprano Tatiana Monogarova will be featured in her signature role of Tatyana, a character she has portrayed at esteemed opera houses such as La Scala, Paris Opera, and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Hailed as a “soprano of great range and expressiveness” (Houston Chronicle), Monogarova’s appearance will mark her company debut.
William Burden, who the Cincinnati Enquirer declared a “terrific lyric tenor,” is the doomed poet Lensky. Burden last impressed Cincinnati audiences as Don José in the company’s wildly successful 2009 production of Carmen. Mezzo-soprano Edyta Kulczak contributes a “full and rich voice” (Opera) to the role of Olga in her first time with the company. Madame Larina is sung by Stacey Rishoi, and Mika Shigematsu is the servant Filippyevna, following her debut as Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (2008). Steven Cole, last seen as El Remendado in 2009’s Carmen, portrays the French tutor Monsieur Triquet. Returning to Music Hall after portraying Colline in La Bohème (2010), Denis Sedov is Prince Gremin.
Vasily Petrenko, the principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducts. Stage director Mark Streshinsky returns to direct following his acclaimed work in Carmen (2009). Scenic design is by Robert O’Hearn, and lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase. Chorus master is Henri Venanzi, and choreography is by Jay Goodlett, the associate artistic director of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.
The Magic Flute
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Sung in German with English dialogue and English supertitles
Performance Dates: Wednesday, July 27, Friday, July 29 & Sunday, July 31, 2011
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
American Nicole Cabell, who has been called “one of the most exciting lyric sopranos to grace the world’s concert halls” (Chicago Magazine), returns to Cincinnati Opera as the lovely princess Pamina following her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2009). In her Cincinnati Opera debut, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate Audrey Luna will display “power and a blazing coloratura facility that most lyric sopranos can only dream of" (Opera News) as the Queen of the Night. After his most recent appearance with the company as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte (2007), Shawn Mathey brings his “honeyed tenor” (Chicago Classical Review) to the role of Tamino. Canadian baritone Brett Polegato contributes his “big and brilliant” voice (Opera News) to the cast as Papageno in his company debut. Soprano Meghan Tarkington, a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, debuts on the Music Hall stage as Papagena. Bass Oren Gradus portrays the wise Sarastro, having recently performed the role with the Israeli Opera. Steven Cole is the duplicitous servant Monostatos, and Nathan Stark is the Speaker. The Queen of the Night’s Ladies will be portrayed by Jacqueline A. Echols, Audrey Walstrom, and Davia Bandy.
Conductor Bernard Labadie wields the baton following his “commendable” (The New York Times) presentation of the work at the Metropolitan Opera last season. Tomer Zvulun, who directed the premiere of this production at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and Atlanta Opera, will make his company debut. The scenic and costume designer of this new-to-Cincinnati production is C. David Higgins. Lighting is by resident lighting designer Thomas C. Hase, and chorus master is Henri Venanzi.
Performance and Ticket Information
All performances take place at Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati. Tickets are $26-$165 and are now on sale. For tickets and additional information, contact the Cincinnati Opera Box Office at (513) 241-2742 or visit www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Opera
2011 SUMMER FESTIVAL
Calendar of Events
RIGOLETTO
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A man becomes rough and jaded in the employ of villains, but he secretly strives to protect the one purely beautiful thing in his life—his daughter. She lives happily unaware of the cruelty and perversion of the world in her enforced solitude, until a dangerous suitor arrives to tear their precious world apart. Cincinnati Opera’s production transports Verdi’s tragic and tune-filled Rigoletto to Mussolini-era Italy.
Cast:
Gilda … Sarah Coburn
Duke of Mantua … Rodrick Dixon
Rigoletto … Stephen Powell
Maddalena … Stacey Rishoi
Sparafucile … Gustav Andreassen
Count Monterone … Nathan Stark
Marullo … Tyler Alessi
Matteo Borsa … Wesley Lawrence
Count Ceprano … Timothy J. Bruno
Countess Ceprano … Jacqueline A. Echols
Giovanna … Davia Bandy
Page … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Usher … Noel Bouley
Creative Team:
Conductor … Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Stage Director … Linda Brovsky
Scenic Designer … Robert Dahlstrom
Costume Designer … Marie Anne Chiment
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
A FLOWERING TREE
Composed by John Adams
Libretto by the composer and Peter Sellars
Dates & Times:
Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
To rescue her family from poverty, a young girl transforms herself into a flowering tree whose blossoms can be sold in the market. A prince uncovers her secret talent and is enchanted by her beauty. Based on a folk tale from southern India, celebrated American composer John Adams’s latest opera is “alive with innocence and magic” (The New York Times). Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, A Flowering Tree explores a delicate love story which prevails through destruction and betrayal.
Cast:
Kumudha … Jessica Rivera
Prince … Russell Thomas
Storyteller … Eric Owens
Creative Team:
Conductor … Joana Carneiro
Stage Director … Brian Robertson
Scenic Designer … David Centers
Costume Designer … Rebecca Senske
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Video Designers … Jennie Chacon, Paula Rakestraw, Patrick Buescher
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Choreographer … Devon Carney
EUGENE ONEGIN
Composed by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky
Dates & Times:
Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
A quiet, bookish girl with romantic ideals, Tatyana immediately falls in love with the refined and discriminating Eugene Onegin. Casting modesty aside, she writes him an impassioned letter. He dismisses her entirely, and advises that she show more restraint. When they meet years later, however, their roles are reversed to heartbreaking effect. Tchaikovsky’s wistful 1879 masterpiece Eugene Onegin returns to the Music Hall stage after a 27-year absence.
Cast:
Tatyana … Tatiana Monogarova
Olga … Edyta Kulczak
Eugene Onegin … Nathan Gunn
Lensky … William Burden
Madame Larina … Stacey Rishoi
Filippyevna … Mika Shigematsu
Prince Gremin … Denis Sedov
Monsieur Triquet … Steven Cole
Zaretsky … Thomas Dreeze
Peasant … Wesley Lawrence
Captain … Tyler Alessi
Creative Team:
Conductor … Vasily Petrenko
Stage Director … Mark Streshinsky
Scenic Designer … Robert O’Hearn
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
THE MAGIC FLUTE
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Dates & Times:
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Location:
Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Tickets & Ordering:
$26-$165 | (513) 241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org
Description:
Steeped in mysticism and magic, Mozart’s majestic and playful The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on a quest to rescue his beloved, the beautiful princess Pamina. With the wily birdcatcher Papageno by his side, Tamino endures trials of heart and mind to prove his worth and win her hand. This cherished fairy tale continues to charm with sparkling music, timeless comedy, and the joy of a happy ending after many twists and turns.
Cast:
Pamina … Nicole Cabell
The Queen of the Night … Audrey Luna
Tamino … Shawn Mathey
Papageno … Brett Polegato
Sarastro … Oren Gradus
Monostatos … Steven Cole
Papagena … Meghan Tarkington
First Lady … Jacqueline A. Echols
Second Lady … Audrey Walstrom
Third Lady … Davia Bandy
First Spirit … Melissa Harvey
Second Spirit … Alisa Suzanne Jordheim
Third Spirit … Hilary Ginther
The Speaker … Nathan Stark
Priests … Anthony Beck, Tyler Alessi
First Man in Armor … Wesley Lawrence
Second Man in Armor … Timothy J. Bruno
Creative Team:
Conductor … Bernard Labadie
Stage Director … Tomer Zvulun
Scenic & Costume Designer … C. David Higgins
Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Season Presenting Sponsor is PNC. The 2011 season is also made possible with support from ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Summer Festival runs June 16 through July 31 and features Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, John Adams’s A Flowering Tree, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
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sor is PNC. The 2011 season is also made possible with support from ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera’s 2011 Summer Festival runs June 16 through July 31 and features Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, John Adams’s A Flowering Tree, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
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