The Rape of Lucretia: week 2 - week 1
L'enfant et les sortilèges & Gianni Schicchi: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1
Turandot: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1
The Italian Girl in Algiers: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1
Fidelio: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1

L'enfant et les sortilèges/Gianni Schicchi - Week Two

 

Baritone Mark Stone, who last appeared as Ford in 2007’s Falstaff, returns to the Academy of Music stage as the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.  Here, he attempts to protect himself from Buoso Donati’s family after he has pulled the wool over their eyes.

When Gianni Schicchi, baritone Mark Stone, come up with a plan to impersonate Buoso Donati and rewrite his will, each member of the family attempts to persuade Schicchi to leave them a good piece of land, including Zita, sung by soprano Maragret Gawrysiak in her Opera Company debut.

Sometimes the life of an assistant stage manager requires more than the usual duties.  Here ASM Valerie Clatworthy stands in as the role of the Notary, who listens as Buoso Donati amends his will.  His cousin’s son Marco, sung by baritone Marian Pop (center), and his nephew Gherardo, sung by tenor David Portillo (right), look on intently to learn their share of the inheritance.

Baritone Marian Pop, who last amazed Philadelphia audiences with his creation of the title role in Cyrano, returns in the role of Marco.  He shares a playful moment with mezzo-soprano Lauren McNeese, who makes her Opera Company debut in the role of Schicchi’s Ciesca, as well as the title role in L’enfant.

When Gianni Schicchi fools Buoso Donati’s entire family and bequeaths the majority of the deceased’s fortune to himself, the family does not take it lightly!  First they attempt to tie him up – from left to right, baritone Marian Pop as Marco, baritone Mark Stone as Schicchi, and tenor David Portillo as Gherardo – and then get even more violent and try to hit him with a tray – baritone Marian Pop (left) and baritone Mark Stone (right).