Press Releases A Delightful Double-Bill Comes to the Academy of Music with Ravel’s L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES and Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHI 03-25-2009 For Immediate Release: March 25, 2009 Contact: Tracy C. Galligher 215-893-3600, ext. 204 galligher@operaphila.org A Delightful Double-Bill Comes to the Academy of Music with Ravel’s L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES and Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHIFeaturing the Company debut of Lauren McNeese and the return of Mark Stone, with Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello as Lauretta and Rinuccio Philadelphia, PA: This spring, the Opera Company of Philadelphia proves that it's not only youngsters who are prone to acting up with a new production of two short operas from the early 20th Century, running at the Academy of Music April 24th through May 3rd. First, in Ravel's classic L'enfant et les sortilèges, a spoiled and ill-behaved child meets a rude awakening when the inanimate objects in his nursery and garden come to life and turn on him. A rarely-performed work that demands a large, sweeping orchestra, adult and children's choruses and a host of strong principal voices, this is a gloriously tuneful, whimsical work which requires creative stagecraft to perform. Then, an aged relative passes away, leaving behind a family to quarrel over his fortune. Enter the title character in Gianni Schicchi, who has an artful plan that will distribute his riches with a more even (but perhaps morally dubious) hand -- all in the name of love. Featuring the beloved aria, "O mio babbino caro," Gianni Schicchi is a comic, melodic masterpiece. Making her Opera Company of Philadelphia debut in the title role of L’enfant is mezzo-soprano Lauren McNeese. An alumna of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center for American Artists, McNeese is a frequent leading lady with both Lyric Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Many of the featured performers in this double-bill sing multiple roles, and McNeese also performs the role of La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, which she recently sang with the Los Angeles Opera. Other recent performances include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Los Angeles Opera and Wellgunde in the San Francisco Opera’s production of Das Rheingold. After the intermission, Puccini’s beloved comedy Gianni Schicchi is led by baritone Mark Stone in the title role. Since his performance as Ford in OCP’s 2007 production of Falstaff, his roles have included Enrico in English National Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore with Welsh National Opera, and Guglielmo in Santa Fe Opera’s Così fan tutte. Mezzo-soprano Tammy Coil, who last appeared on the Academy of Music stage earlier this season as Zulma in the delightful Italian Girl in Algiers returns as The Sidechair, The White Cat, and The Squirrel in L’enfant after her performance as Margaret in Alban Berg’s stirring Wozzeck in a collaboration by Curtis Opera Theatre, Kimmel Center Presents, and Opera Company of Philadelphia. Romanian baritone Marian Pop, who pleased audiences with his heartfelt creation of the title role in the 2008 production of the new opera Cyrano both here in Philadelphia and with Michigan Opera Theatre, returns as The Grandfather Clock and The Black Cat in L’enfant and Marco in Gianni Schicchi. As Schicchi’s daughter Lauretta, soprano Ailyn Pérez makes her second appearance of the season – she made her OCP debut as Marzellina in the ground-breaking Jun Kaneko production of Fidelio this past fall – with real-life husband and fellow Academy of Vocal Arts alumni tenor Stephen Costello singing the role of Rinuccio. The pair just sang the leading roles in The Elixir of Love with Michigan Opera Theatre, and now return to Philadelphia, where they make their home. Costello, who made his OCP debut in the 2008 production of Cyrano, made his triumphant Metropolitan Opera debut in 2007, and recently performed the role of the Duke in Rigoletto at the Teatro delle Muse in Italy. Several additional Company debuts are in store. Mezzo-soprano Margaret Gawrysiak sings the roles of Mama, The Chinese Cup, A Shepherd, and The Dragonfly. Hailing from Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, Gawrysiak has performed the roles of Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and Zita in Gianni Schicchi there, which she also sings here in the second half of this double bill. After leaving Philadelphia, Gawrysiak joins the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program. Soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine makes her Opera Company debut as The Fire, The Princess, and The Nightingale in L’enfant, as well as Nella in Gianni Schicchi. Bass Jeremy Milner sings the roles of The Armchair and The Tree in L’enfant and Simone in Gianni Schicchi; tenor David Portillo appears as The Little Old Man, The Tree Frog, The Teapot in L’enfant and returns as Gherardo after intermission; and bass-baritone Stephanos Tsirakoglou makes his Opera Company debut as Betto. Other familiar faces returning to OCP include soprano Karen Rogers Blanchard as L’enfant’s Bat, Screech-owl, and Shepherdess; and in Schicchi, baritone Christopher Hodges (Cyrano, 2008) as Spinelloccio, bass-baritone Frank Mitchell (Turandot, 2009) as Pinellino, and baritone Robert Phillips (Porgy and Bess, 2007) as Guccio. Curtis Institute of Music student Thomas Shivone makes his Opera Company debut as Amantio di Nicolao. Director Robert B. Driver marries these two productions about family behaving badly through an early 1930s European setting created with celebrated Italian Designer Guia Buzzi in her Opera Company debut, with video design from Lorenzo Curone and original costumes by OCP Costume Designer Richard St. Clair. While L’enfant tends towards the colorful, employing a mix of projection, staging, choreography and clever costuming to bring its surreal world to live, Schicchi is a black and white world with a more contemporary edge, juxtaposed against a backdrop of old Florence. Music Director Corrado Rovaris leads the performance, which features choreography by Amanda Miller. The Company Premiere of L'enfant et les sortilègesin a Double-Bill with Gianni SchicchiMaurice Ravel & Giacomo PucciniApril 24, 26m, 29, May 1 & 3m, 2009 A NEW PRODUCTIONSung in French and Italian with English translations L’ENFANT CASTThe Child Lauren McNeese*Mama/The Chinese Cup/ A Shepherd/The Dragonfly Margaret Gawrysiak*The Armchair/The Tree Jeremy Milner*The Sidechair/The White Cat/The Squirrel Tammy CoilThe Grandfather Clock/The Black Cat Marian PopThe Teapot/ The Little Old Man/The Tree Frog David Portillo*The Fire/The Princess/The Nightingale Jamie-Rose Guarrine*A Shepherdess/The Bat/The Screech-owl Karen Rogers Blanchard GIANNI SCHICCHI CASTGianni Schicchi Mark StoneLauretta Ailyn PérezRinuccio Stephen CostelloZita Margaret Gawrysiak*Gherardo David Portillo*Nella Jamie-Rose Guarrine*Betto Stephanos Tsirakoglou*Simone Jeremy Milner*Marco Marian PopCiesca Lauren McNeese*Spinelloccio Christopher HodgesAmantio Di Nicolao Thomas Shivone* Pinellino Frank MitchellGuccio Robert PhillipsGherardino Adam Butz-Weidner* CREATIVE TEAMConductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet Design Guia Buzzi*Video Design Lorenzo Curone*Costume Design Richard St. ClairLighting Design Drew BilliauChorus Master Elizabeth BradenChoreographer Amanda Miller*Wig & Make-up Design Tom Watson *Opera Company of Philadelphia debut Featuring the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and Orchestra with members of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, a member of Commonwealth Youthchoirs, Inc ADDITIONAL OPERA COMPANY INFORMATION:This double-bill of L’enfant et les sortilèges and Gianni Schicchi takes place at The Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets. OCP’s The Rape of Lucretia (June) takes place at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center. Performance times: Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Fridays at 8:00pm; Sunday matinees at 2:30pm. Ticket prices range from $7 - $205. Call Ticket Philadelphia at 215-893-1018 or visiting www.operaphila.org. ADVANTA is proud to be the Season Sponsor of the Opera Company of Philadelphia since 1993. US Airways is the official airline of the Opera Company. Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue is the official hotel of the Opera Company. YAMAHA is the official piano of the Opera Company. Burdumy Motors Incorporated is the official automotive dealership of the Opera Company. The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supported by major grants from The William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Lenfest Foundation, and the Connelly Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Independence Foundation and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. The Wallace Foundation provides support for the Opera Company’s audience development initiatives. The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, plus the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. -##-
Press Releases
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2009
Contact: Tracy C. Galligher 215-893-3600, ext. 204 galligher@operaphila.org
A Delightful Double-Bill Comes to the Academy of Music with Ravel’s L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES and Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHIFeaturing the Company debut of Lauren McNeese and the return of Mark Stone, with Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello as Lauretta and Rinuccio
Philadelphia, PA: This spring, the Opera Company of Philadelphia proves that it's not only youngsters who are prone to acting up with a new production of two short operas from the early 20th Century, running at the Academy of Music April 24th through May 3rd. First, in Ravel's classic L'enfant et les sortilèges, a spoiled and ill-behaved child meets a rude awakening when the inanimate objects in his nursery and garden come to life and turn on him. A rarely-performed work that demands a large, sweeping orchestra, adult and children's choruses and a host of strong principal voices, this is a gloriously tuneful, whimsical work which requires creative stagecraft to perform. Then, an aged relative passes away, leaving behind a family to quarrel over his fortune. Enter the title character in Gianni Schicchi, who has an artful plan that will distribute his riches with a more even (but perhaps morally dubious) hand -- all in the name of love. Featuring the beloved aria, "O mio babbino caro," Gianni Schicchi is a comic, melodic masterpiece.
Making her Opera Company of Philadelphia debut in the title role of L’enfant is mezzo-soprano Lauren McNeese. An alumna of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center for American Artists, McNeese is a frequent leading lady with both Lyric Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Many of the featured performers in this double-bill sing multiple roles, and McNeese also performs the role of La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, which she recently sang with the Los Angeles Opera. Other recent performances include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Los Angeles Opera and Wellgunde in the San Francisco Opera’s production of Das Rheingold.
After the intermission, Puccini’s beloved comedy Gianni Schicchi is led by baritone Mark Stone in the title role. Since his performance as Ford in OCP’s 2007 production of Falstaff, his roles have included Enrico in English National Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore with Welsh National Opera, and Guglielmo in Santa Fe Opera’s Così fan tutte.
Mezzo-soprano Tammy Coil, who last appeared on the Academy of Music stage earlier this season as Zulma in the delightful Italian Girl in Algiers returns as The Sidechair, The White Cat, and The Squirrel in L’enfant after her performance as Margaret in Alban Berg’s stirring Wozzeck in a collaboration by Curtis Opera Theatre, Kimmel Center Presents, and Opera Company of Philadelphia. Romanian baritone Marian Pop, who pleased audiences with his heartfelt creation of the title role in the 2008 production of the new opera Cyrano both here in Philadelphia and with Michigan Opera Theatre, returns as The Grandfather Clock and The Black Cat in L’enfant and Marco in Gianni Schicchi.
As Schicchi’s daughter Lauretta, soprano Ailyn Pérez makes her second appearance of the season – she made her OCP debut as Marzellina in the ground-breaking Jun Kaneko production of Fidelio this past fall – with real-life husband and fellow Academy of Vocal Arts alumni tenor Stephen Costello singing the role of Rinuccio. The pair just sang the leading roles in The Elixir of Love with Michigan Opera Theatre, and now return to Philadelphia, where they make their home. Costello, who made his OCP debut in the 2008 production of Cyrano, made his triumphant Metropolitan Opera debut in 2007, and recently performed the role of the Duke in Rigoletto at the Teatro delle Muse in Italy.
Several additional Company debuts are in store. Mezzo-soprano Margaret Gawrysiak sings the roles of Mama, The Chinese Cup, A Shepherd, and The Dragonfly. Hailing from Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, Gawrysiak has performed the roles of Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and Zita in Gianni Schicchi there, which she also sings here in the second half of this double bill. After leaving Philadelphia, Gawrysiak joins the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program. Soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine makes her Opera Company debut as The Fire, The Princess, and The Nightingale in L’enfant, as well as Nella in Gianni Schicchi. Bass Jeremy Milner sings the roles of The Armchair and The Tree in L’enfant and Simone in Gianni Schicchi; tenor David Portillo appears as The Little Old Man, The Tree Frog, The Teapot in L’enfant and returns as Gherardo after intermission; and bass-baritone Stephanos Tsirakoglou makes his Opera Company debut as Betto.
Other familiar faces returning to OCP include soprano Karen Rogers Blanchard as L’enfant’s Bat, Screech-owl, and Shepherdess; and in Schicchi, baritone Christopher Hodges (Cyrano, 2008) as Spinelloccio, bass-baritone Frank Mitchell (Turandot, 2009) as Pinellino, and baritone Robert Phillips (Porgy and Bess, 2007) as Guccio. Curtis Institute of Music student Thomas Shivone makes his Opera Company debut as Amantio di Nicolao.
Director Robert B. Driver marries these two productions about family behaving badly through an early 1930s European setting created with celebrated Italian Designer Guia Buzzi in her Opera Company debut, with video design from Lorenzo Curone and original costumes by OCP Costume Designer Richard St. Clair. While L’enfant tends towards the colorful, employing a mix of projection, staging, choreography and clever costuming to bring its surreal world to live, Schicchi is a black and white world with a more contemporary edge, juxtaposed against a backdrop of old Florence. Music Director Corrado Rovaris leads the performance, which features choreography by Amanda Miller.
The Company Premiere of L'enfant et les sortilègesin a Double-Bill with Gianni SchicchiMaurice Ravel & Giacomo PucciniApril 24, 26m, 29, May 1 & 3m, 2009 A NEW PRODUCTIONSung in French and Italian with English translations
L’ENFANT CASTThe Child Lauren McNeese*Mama/The Chinese Cup/ A Shepherd/The Dragonfly Margaret Gawrysiak*The Armchair/The Tree Jeremy Milner*The Sidechair/The White Cat/The Squirrel Tammy CoilThe Grandfather Clock/The Black Cat Marian PopThe Teapot/ The Little Old Man/The Tree Frog David Portillo*The Fire/The Princess/The Nightingale Jamie-Rose Guarrine*A Shepherdess/The Bat/The Screech-owl Karen Rogers Blanchard
GIANNI SCHICCHI CASTGianni Schicchi Mark StoneLauretta Ailyn PérezRinuccio Stephen CostelloZita Margaret Gawrysiak*Gherardo David Portillo*Nella Jamie-Rose Guarrine*Betto Stephanos Tsirakoglou*Simone Jeremy Milner*Marco Marian PopCiesca Lauren McNeese*Spinelloccio Christopher HodgesAmantio Di Nicolao Thomas Shivone* Pinellino Frank MitchellGuccio Robert PhillipsGherardino Adam Butz-Weidner*
CREATIVE TEAMConductor Corrado RovarisDirector Robert B. DriverSet Design Guia Buzzi*Video Design Lorenzo Curone*Costume Design Richard St. ClairLighting Design Drew BilliauChorus Master Elizabeth BradenChoreographer Amanda Miller*Wig & Make-up Design Tom Watson
*Opera Company of Philadelphia debut
Featuring the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and Orchestra with members of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, a member of Commonwealth Youthchoirs, Inc
ADDITIONAL OPERA COMPANY INFORMATION:This double-bill of L’enfant et les sortilèges and Gianni Schicchi takes place at The Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets. OCP’s The Rape of Lucretia (June) takes place at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center.
Performance times: Wednesdays at 7:30pm; Fridays at 8:00pm; Sunday matinees at 2:30pm. Ticket prices range from $7 - $205. Call Ticket Philadelphia at 215-893-1018 or visiting www.operaphila.org.
ADVANTA is proud to be the Season Sponsor of the Opera Company of Philadelphia since 1993. US Airways is the official airline of the Opera Company. Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue is the official hotel of the Opera Company. YAMAHA is the official piano of the Opera Company. Burdumy Motors Incorporated is the official automotive dealership of the Opera Company. The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supported by major grants from The William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Lenfest Foundation, and the Connelly Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Independence Foundation and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. The Wallace Foundation provides support for the Opera Company’s audience development initiatives. The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, plus the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
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