Rigoletto

MUSICGiuseppeVerdi

LIBRETTOFrancescoMariaPiaveafterVictor

Hugo’s Le roi s’amuse

WORLD PREMIERETeatrolaFenice-Venice,Italy

March11, 1851

CONDUCTORStephen Lord

ORIGINAL STAGE DIRECTORJonathan Miller

REVIVAL STAGE DIRECTORElaine Tyler-Hall

CHORUS MASTERSuzanneMallareActon

SET/COSTUME DESIGNPatrickRobertson

LIGHTING DESIGNKevin Sleep

REVIVAL LIGHTING DESIGNERMartin Doone

WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNJoanne Middleton Weaver

ASSISTANT DIRECTORRebeccaHerman

ASSISTANT CONDUCTORDanielBlack

SUPERTITLESDee Dorsey

STAGE MANAGERKen Saltzman

October 14-22, 2017

*SceneryandcostumeswerecreatedforEnglishNationalOperaandareownedbyEnglishNationalOpera.

6 BRAVO•Fall2017 www.MichiganOpera.org MichiganOperaTheatre

TheOpeningNightPerformanceisalso

supported by RickandKarenWilliams

The 2017 Fall Opera Season is made possible by the Ford Motor Company

Productionsponsor

SYNOPSIS Act 1Scene 1TheDukeofMantuaisinhisclub,boastingtooneofhisfollowersabouthissuccesswithwomen.HeproceedstoflirtwiththeCountessCeprano,whileRigolettocruellymocksherhusband.Meanwhile,anotheracquaintance,Marullo,tellshisfriendsofasurprisingdiscovery:hehasheardthatRigolettohasamistresshiddenawayathome. RigolettocontinuestotaunttheCountwhoretaliatesbyarrangingamidnightmeetingwithsomeoftheothermemberspresentwherehewillextracthisrevenge. An elderly nobleman, Count Monterone,entersanddenouncestheDukeforseducinghisdaughter.HecursestheDukeandwhenmockedbyRigoletto,Monteroneturnsonhimandcurseshimaswell.ThecursestrikesterrorinRigoletto,forthewomanheliveswithisnothismistress,buthisdaughter.

Scene 2BroodingoverMonterone’scurse,Rigolettoreturnstothehomeheshareswithhisdaughter,Gilda,hidingherawayfromthelicentiousnessthattakesplaceattheDuke’sclub.

Onhiswayhome,heisconfrontedbySparafucile,aprofessionalassassin,whooffershimhisservices.Rigolettosendshimaway,butthenmusesontheparallelsbetweentheirprofessions. Gildagreetsherfather,andbeginstoaskhimquestionsabouttheirfamilyandbackground,whichherefusestoanswer.DeterminedtoprotectGildaheforbidshertoleavetheirhome,excepttoattendchurch.HealsowarnsGilda’scompanion,Giovanna,nottoallowanyonetoenterthehousewhileheisout.However,theDukestealsinandhides.Whileinhiding,heisastonishedtohearRigolettocallGildahisdaughterashebidsherfarewell. GildaconfessestoGiovannathatsheisinlovewithayoungmanwhohasbeenfollowingherhomeeverydayafterchurch.Onhearingthis,theDukeappearsanddeclareshisloveforGilda,identifyinghimselfasGualtierMaldè,apennilessstudent.Hearingfootsteps,herushesoff,leavingGildathinkinglovinglyofhisname. Theclubmembersappear,maskedandreadytoabductRigoletto’ssupposed mistress. He surprises them byreturning,butMarulloconvinceshimthattheyareplanningtoabductthewifeofCountCepranowholivesnearby.Rigolettofallsintotheirtrap,

permittinghimselftobeblindfoldedandmasked.Unknowingly,heassiststheconspiratorsintheirabductionofhisdaughter.Gildacriesouttoherfatherassheiscarriedoff.Becomingsuspicious,Rigolettotearsofftheblindfold,realisesGildaisgoneandcries,‘Ah,thecurse!’

Act 2TheDukelamentsthelossofGildabutwhenheistoldoftheabduction,herejoicesthatsheisnowathisclub. WhenRigolettoappears,hefeignsnonchalance.OnceitbecomescleartohimthatGildamustbewiththeDuke,hetriestoreachher,buttheclubmembersholdhimback.Hisdenunciationoftheirtreacherydissolves into a bereft father’s pleading. LeftalonewithRigoletto,GildaconfessesthatsheisinlovewiththeDukeandbegsherfathertoforgivehim. As Monterone is led to his execution,Rigolettoswearsthattheybothwillbeavenged.

Act 3RigolettohasbroughtGildatoSparafuciletoproveherlover’sfaithlessness. As they lurk in the darkness, the Duke enters. After proclaimingtheficklenessofwomen,heshowersattentionsonMaddalena,theassassin’ssister,asRigolettotriestocomforthisdespairingdaughter.Heordershertodisguiseherselfasaboyandleavetown.AfterstrikingabargainwithSparafucilefortheDuke’smurder,Rigolettodeparts. GildareturnsinherdisguiseintimetooverhearMaddalenabeggingher brother to spare the handsome stranger’slife.SparafucileagreestodeceiveRigolettobysubstitutingthecorpseofthenextpersonwhoappears.HavingreturneddeterminedtosacrificeherselfsotheDukemaylive,GildabecomesSparafucile’snextvictim. Atthestrokeofmidnight,Rigolettopays the assassin and reserves for himselfthesatisfactionofthrowingthesackcontaininghisenemy’scorpseintotheriver.WhenhehearstheDuke’svoiceinthedistance,heopensthesackandfindshisdaughterinsteadoftheDuke.Beggingherfather’sforgiveness,shedies.ThedespairingRigolettocriesoutoncemore,‘Ah,thecurse!’ Courtesy of English National Opera

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CAST(Inorderofvocalappearance)

The Duke of Mantua: .................................JoshuaGuerrero(Oct.14, 18, 21) JohnBellemer(Oct.22)

Borsa: .......................................................................................................MatthewDiBattista

The Countess Ceprano: ..................................................................... Kara MulderRigoletto: ..............................................................RolandWood(Oct.14, 18, 21)

NicholasPallesen(Oct.22)Count Ceprano: .....................................................................ErikVanHeyningen+Cavaliere Marullo: ...................................................................... HarryGreenleaf+Count Monterone: .......................................................................KennethKelloggSparafucile: ...........................................................................................Christian Zaremba

Gilda: ..................................................................... SoYoungPark(Oct.14, 18, 21) HaeJiChang(Oct.22)

Giovanna: ...........................................................................................BrianaElyseHunter+Maddalena: ............................................................................................ NicolePiccolomini Usher: ......................................................................................................MatthewKonopackiPage: ............................................................................................................SchylerSheltrown

+MichiganOperaTheatreStudioArtist

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Suzanne Mallare ActonChorus Master Suzanne Mallare Actonhasreceivedwideacclaimforherchoraldirectioninvolvingmorethan125productionsinsevenlanguages.ConductingcreditsincludeWest Side Story, The Music Man, Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Daughter of the Regiment, Carmen, La Traviata and Carmina Burana withThe Medium for MOT; My Fair Lady and La Traviata for Dayton Opera; Merry Widow and Madame Butterfly for Artpark; and ToscaforAugustaOpera.AsfoundingDirectoroftheMOTChildren’sChorus,Ms.Actonwasinstrumentalindevelopingtheinauguralseason.SheisalsotheArtisticandMusicDirectorofmetroDetroit’sRackhamChoir. 

John Bellemer Possessed of a voicetheNewYorkTimesdescribedas“clarion-toned”,John Bellemer continuestoappearinleadingroles at opera housesacrossNorthAmericaandEurope.HehaspreviouslysungwithMichiganOperaTheatreasDonJoséin Carmenin2009.Throughouthisextensivecareer,Mr.BellemerhasperformedasFaust(AustinLyricOpera,HawaiiOperaTheatre),DonOttavio in Don Giovanni (Boston LyricOpera),DerSteuermanninDer fliegende Holländer(AustinLyricOpera), Rodolfo in La bohème (Arizona Opera),Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles (NorthCarolinaOpera),Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream(HawaiiOperaTheatre),Alfredoin La traviata (OperaTheatreofSaintLouis),andMale Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia (MaggioMusicale,Florence).Mr.Bellemerholdsabachelor’sdegreefrom James Madison University and a master’sdegreefromtheUniversityofIllinois.HelivesinNewYorkwithhiswife,SarahBlaze,andtheirParsonRussellTerrier,Scout.

Hae Ji Chang Soprano Hae Ji ChangmakesherMichiganOperaTheatre debut as GildainRigoletto. She has been describedas“anexcitingyoungartistontherise”(OperaBoston)withavoice“fullofsilverycolorandnuance”(BostonGlobe). RecentperformancesincludeMimiinLa Bohème withOperaTheatreofSaintLouis and Pamina in The Magic Flute inKorea.PreviousworkalsoincludesoriginatingtheroleofSetsukoinJackPerla’sAn American Dream withSeattleOpera,GildawithPORTopera,PaminawithOperaSanJoseandSusanna in The Marriage of FigarowithAspenOperaTheater.Ms.ChanghasalsoperformedwiththeBaltimoreSymphonyOrchestra,theColoradoMusicFestivalChamberOrchestraandtheWestLosAngelesSymphony.ShetrainedasaDomingo-Colburn-SteinYoungArtistwithLAOpera,performingunderPlácidoDomingo,andwasaGerdineYoungArtistwithOpera Theatre of Saint Louis.

Matthew DiBattistaRecentlydescribedas“brilliant”and“mega-talented”byOpera News, tenor MatthewDiBattistamakes his debut withMichiganOpera Theatre as Matteo Borsa in Rigoletto. He has performedwiththeMetropolitanOpera,LyricOperaofChicago,FloridaGrandOpera,OperaTheatreofSaintLouis,BostonSymphonyOrchestra,aswellasothermajororchestras,festivals,andconductorsacrosstheU.S.andabroad. An alumnus of University of CincinnatiConservatoryofMusic,Mr.DiBattistahasrecentlyperformedNormano in Lucia di Lammermoor withLyricOperaofChicago,DonBasilioin Le Nozze di FigarowithBostonLyricOpera,theFirstJewinSalomewithMinnesotaOrchestra,andhecanbeheardinrecordingasthetitleroleinKamranInce’sJudgment of MidaswithAlbanyRecords.Inthe2017-18season,Mr.DiBattistadebutswiththeSantaFeOperaasGoroinMadama Butterfly and asScaramuccioinAriadne auf Naxos in the summer of 2018.

Harry GreenleafWixom,MichigannativeHarryGreenleafisMichiganOperaTheatreStudio’s resident baritone. He made hisdebutwithMichiganOperaTheatre in 2016 in the role of Top in The Tender Land. HiscreditswithMOTalsoincludeLe Bret in Cyrano, JakeWallaceinThe Girl of the Golden West and Morales in Carmen. He has beenaStudioArtistwiththeWolfTrapOperaCompany,anApprenticeArtistwithDesMoinesMetroOperaandaYoungArtistwiththeGlimmerglassFestival.HeholdsaMasterofMusicdegreefromtheUniversityofCincinnatiCollege-ConservatoryofMusicandisanalumnusoftheMichiganStateUniversityCollegeofMusic.FutureperformancesincludeworkingasaYoungArtistattheGlimmerglassFestivalthissummer.Thisseason,HarrywillperformwithMOT as Marullo in Rigoletto,Sciarronein Tosca and the roles of Leo Stein and ManRayinRickyIanGordon’s27.

Joshua Guerrero TenorJoshuaGuerreromakeshisMichiganOperaTheatredebutasthe Duke in Rigoletto.RecentlyMr.GuerrerowasseenatLosAngelesOperaandZurichOperainMacbeth. He also made his London debut at the EnglishNationalOperainRigoletto. Inconcert,hetoured Europe withGustavoDudamel and the Simón Bolivar OrchestrasingingBeethoven’s Symphony No. 9andwasafeaturedsoloistattheRichardTuckerMusicFoundationGalaatCarnegieHall.FutureengagementsincludedebutswithGlyndebourneFestival in Madama Butterfly, Florida GrandOperainLucia di Lammermoor, Canadian Opera Company in Rigoletto and a return to Santa Fe Opera for Madama Butterfly.HewillalsobeheardinaconcertofoperaariasandduetswithsopranoJoyceEl-Khouryand the NDR Radiophilharmonie, whichwillbebroadcastontelevisionthroughoutGermany.

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Briana Elyse HunterJoyce Cohn Young ArtistBriana Elyse Hunter returns for her secondyearasMichiganOperaTheatre Studio’s resident mezzo-soprano.HerMOTcreditsincludeWowkleinThe Girl of the Golden West, JoMarchinLittle Women, Madeleine Audebert in Silent Night and MercedesinCarmen. She has been on the rosters of Santa Fe Opera, KnoxvilleOpera,AmericanOperaProjects,OperaintheHeights,theISINGBEIJINGfestival,SarasotaOpera,ElPasoOperaandMusicAcademyoftheWest.ShemostrecentlyperformedatTheGlimmerglassFestival as Annie in Porgy and Bess andcoveredArsamenesinXerxes. SheholdsaMasterofMusicdegreefromtheManhattanSchoolofMusicinvocalperformanceandabachelor’sdegreeintheaterfromDavidsonCollege.Thisseason,shewillperformGiovannaandcoverMaddalenain Rigoletto and starasGertrudeSteininRickyIanGordon’s27 withMOT.

Kenneth Kellogg WashingtonD.C.bassKennethKelloggmakeshisMichiganOperaTheatre debut as Count Monterone in Rigoletto.Hewillreprise the role of Sam Bankhead in DanielSonenberg’sThe Summer King, whichheoriginatedwithPittsburghOpera in 2017. PerformancehighlightsincludeZunigain Carmen and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte withWashingtonNationalOpera;MefistofelesinFaust and Sarastro in Die ZauberflötewithOperadeLausanne;GremininEugene Onegin withNorthCarolinaOperaandYoungEmileGriffithinTerenceBlanchard’sChampion withOperaParallèle.HeholdsaMasterofMusicdegreefromtheUniversityofMichiganandaBachelorofMusicdegreefromOhio University. He has also served asaresidentartistattheAcademyofVocalArtsinPhiladelphiaandisanalumnusofWashingtonNationalOpera’sDomingo-CafritzYoungArtistProgram.Futureperformancesinclude

Handel’s MessiahwiththeFairbanksSymphonyOrchestraandDonAlfonsoin Così fan tuttewiththeNationalPhilharmonicatStrathmore.

Matthew KonopackiBaritoneMatthewKonopacki,anativeofLivoniaMichigan,isanactiveperformerofbothclassicalandcontemporaryworks.Equallycomfortableon both the operaticandtheconcertstage,hisrepertoirerangesfromthecantatasofJ.S.BachtothecontemporaryoperaticmusicofKevinPuts.WithMichiganOperaTheatre,hehasperformedtherolesof1stScottishSoldier in Puts’ Silent Night, Servo in Macbeth,andwasapartofthefeatured ensembles in both David DiChiera’s Cyrano and The Magic Flute. HeisalsoafeaturedsingerontherecentreleaseofDiChiera’slegacyalbum, Letters & Fantasies.Matthewholdsamaster’sdegreeinVocalPerformancefromtheUniversityof Houston and has appeared as a youngartistwithPensacolaOperaandtheJaniecOperaCompany.HewillsingtheusherroleinRigoletto and perform in the ensemble of MOT’s 2017-18 season.

Stephen LordStephenLordjoinedMichiganOperaTheatreasPrincipalConductorinNovember2016,andhewillleadthecompany’sartisticactivitiesthroughthe 2018-19 season. Opera News named Lord one ofthe“25MostPowerfulNamesinU.S.Opera”(oneoffourconductors),andheiscontinuallypraisedforconductingbothtraditionalandcontemporaryoperaticworks.ForhisdebutwithSanFranciscoOpera,conducting Rigoletto,onecriticobserved,“Hepartneredhissingersperfectlyandgaveeverythingitsproperweight—hewasmasterofthescore’sdetailsand theorchestra playedsuperblyforhim.”HeiscurrentlyMusicDirectorEmeritusfor Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and

wasformerlythemusicdirectorofBostonLyricOpera.  InadditiontothisworkinSaintLouis and Detroit, he has been a frequentguestconductorattheCanadianOperaCompany,LyricOperaofChicago,SantaFeOpera,SanFranciscoOperaandtheEnglishNationalOpera,returningthereforfourconsecutiveseasons. Anoutstandingmentoranddiscovererofyoungtalent,hehasbeendirectlyresponsiblefortheinitialworkofLawrenceBrownlee,RussellThomas, Morris Robinson, Susan Graham,ChristineGoerke,PatriciaRacetteandliterallyscoresmoreoftoday’sbestsingers.

Kara MulderKara Mulder, a soprano from Philadelphia,ismakingherdebutwithMichiganOperaTheatreasCountess Ceprano in Rigoletto. AfterachievingherBachelorofMusicinVoicePerformancefrom the Eastman SchoolofMusicattheUniversityofRochester,sheimmediatelybeganherMasterofMusicinVoiceattheUniversityofMichigan.SomeofKara’spastrolesincludeConcepcióninL’ heure Espagnole,FiordiligiinCosì fan tutte, and Juliette in Romeo et Juliette.

Nicholas Pallesen BaritoneNicholasPallesenreturnstothetitleroleinMichiganOperaTheatre’s Rigoletto havingsunginthissameproductionattheEnglishNational Opera earlier this year. Later this season, hesingsbothRigolettoandGermontinLa Traviata withOperKölnandSharplessin Madama Butterfly at the Santa FeOpera.NicholashasperformedwiththeMetropolitanOperaandisaformerMetNationalCouncilAuditionsFinalist,wherehewasfeaturedinthedocumentary,The Audition. Concurrenttohisperformingcareer,NicholasisalsoaBoardCertifiedHypnotistandTransformationalCoachwho

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specializesinassistingartistsincareerandlife.Inadditiontoafullscheduleofclients,hespeaksregularlyonmentalwellnessatconservatoriesandyoungartistprogramsandisaguestfacultymember at Wolf Trap Opera and the NewWorldSymphony.Followingthisseason,Nicholaswillretirefromperforminginordertofocusonhisprivatepractice.

So Young Park AfterperformingastheQueenoftheNightinMichiganOperaTheatre’s2016productionofThe Magic Flute, sopranoSoYoungPark returns to MOT asGildainRigoletto. A native of Pusan, South Korea, she is agraduateoftheDomingo-Colburn-SteinYoungArtistprogramwiththeLosAngelesOpera,wheresheperformedtheroleofQueenoftheNight,Gossipin The Ghosts of Versailles and Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro,aswellasPatNixonintheMusicCenter’s50thAnniversaryConcert.SherecentlymadeherLosAngelesPhilharmonicdebutasaSoprano Soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. She has performed the Queen oftheNightwithBostonLyricOpera,HoustonGrandOpera(MillerTheater),theGlimmerglassFestival,HawaiiOpera Theatre, and Opera Colorado. Mostrecently,shereturnedtoLosAngelesasBlondein Die Entführung aus dem Serail,TopDaughterin Akhnaten and Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann. This season she is a member of the Metropolitan Opera.

Nicole PiccolominiThisseason,mezzo-sopranoNicolePiccolominimakesherMichiganOpera Theatre debut as Maddalena in Rigoletto. She is a resident concertartistin Kunnersdorf, GermanyandwillreleaseherfirstalbumincollaborationwithpianistChristophStaudefeaturingsongsofMahler,Wagner,BergandBrahms.LastseasonincludedperformancesofQuicklyin Falstaff with Shanghai Opera,

the title role in Maria de Buenos Aires at TheaterBonn,thePagein Salome withDeutscheOperBerlin,andErdain Siegfried withOperLeipzig.Otherrecentperformancesinclude: Das Rheingold and Siegfried (OperLeipzig);Wesendonck Lieder (VeniceChamberOrchestra); Rigoletto (Santa Fe Opera, LyricOperaofChicago,andDeutscheOperBerlin);Cherevichki (TeatroLiricodiCagliari); Nabucco, Götterdämmerung, Luisa Miller, Das Rheingold, Die Zauberflöte, Elektra, and Die Walküre (DeutscheOperBerlin);Götterdämmerung and Cavalleria rusticana(OpéranationaldeParis).OriginallyfromLongIsland,NewYork,shewasaresidentartistattheprestigiousAcademyofVocalArtsandholdsaBachelorofMusicfromtheJuilliardSchool.

Schyler SheltrownSchylerSheltrownisasopranohailingfromMattawan,Michigan,whereherloveformusicandoperablossomed,studyingwithDavidHookatMattawanHighSchool.SheisagraduateofMichiganStateUniversity,whereshereceivedbothherbachelor’sandmaster’sdegreesinvocalperformanceunderthetutelageofMelanieHelton.Sincegraduation,Ms.Sheltrownhasbeeninhotpursuitofheroperaticcareer,performingacrossMichigan.Inherfirstyearoutofschool,shereceivedanEncouragementAwardintheMichiganDistrict’sMetropolitanOperaNationalCouncilAuditions,performedtheroleofPrincessYolandain The Free LancewiththeComicOperaGuildinAnnArbor,MichiganandsangherfirstBeethoven9thSymphonyasthesopranosoloistwiththeLivingstonOrchestrainHowell,Michigan.YoualsomayhaveseenherinthechorusofCarmen last fall. She isthrilledtobebackwithMichiganOpera Theatre for the full season, especiallyasthePageinRigoletto.

Elaine Tyler-HallDirector,choreographerandformerdancerElaineTyler-Hallhasworkedwithoperacompaniesworldwide.AsastaffdirectorforEnglishNationalOpera, she has revived ENO productionsincludingOrpheus and Eurydice, Orfeo, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, The Turn of the Screw and Semele.ShehasalsoworkedasassistantandstaffdirectorforoperacompaniesincludingtheRoyalOperaHouse,ScottishOpera,GlyndebourneFestivalOpera,BayerischesStaatsoperinMunich,OpernhausZurich,andthe Kammeroper in Vienna and hasdirectedworksforthePsapphaensemble, Riverside Opera and BlackheathHalls.HerchoreographyinoperaincludesLa fedelta premiata (GarsingtonOpera),The Jacobin (ScottishOpera),The Greek Passion (RoyalOperaHouse),Benvenuto Cellini (ZurichOpernhaus)andPelleas et Melisande (MariinskyTheatre).ShehasalsoworkedonTVproductionsandfilms,includingShakespeare in Love. Revivals of David Pountney’s very popular The Cunning Little Vixen have takenhertoLondon,Venice,Milan,Seville,TelAviv,Glasgow,CardiffandAthens. Earlier this year she revived PeterSellar’sproductionofThe Gospel According to the Other Mary in Bonn andchoreographedandassistedonanewproductionofSadko withDanielKramerinAntwerp.

Roland Wood EnglishbaritoneRolandWoodhasperformedinprestigiousoperahousesintheUnitedKingdomandthroughouttheworld.HewasacompanyprincipalattheScottishOperaand has performed withTheRoyalOpera and the EnglishNationalOpera. He has also performed at the GlyndebourneFestival,OperaNorth,the Canadian Opera Company, Santa FeOpera,theEnglishTouringOpera,Nationale Reisopera, the Opera TheatreofSaintLouisandGrange

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Park Opera. He studied at the Royal NorthernCollegeofMusicthenNationalOperaStudioinEngland.FutureperformancesincludeRigoletto withtheCanadianOperaCompany,Renato in Un ballo in maschera withGrandParkOperaandGiorgioGermontinLa TraviatawithWelshNational Opera in autumn of 2018.

Erik Van HeyningenBass-baritoneErikVanHeyningenmakeshisdebutatMichiganOperaTheatre as a Studio Artist. He has sungwithoperacompaniesacrossthecountry,includingperformingasaRichardGaddesFestival Artist and aGerdineYoungArtistwiththeOpera Theatre of Saint Louis. Erik performedasanApprenticeArtistatSanta Fe Opera this summer. An avid recitalist,ErikhasappearedinrecitalincitiessuchasToronto,SanDiego,Boston,andNewYork.Thisseason,ErikwillperformCountCepranoin Rigoletto,Figaroin The Marriage of Figaro (cover),ErnestHemingwayinRickyIanGordon’s 27 andAngelottiand the Jailer in Tosca at MOT.

Joanne Middleton WeaverBorninEngland,JoanneWeavercametotheUnitedStatesinthelate1980s.ShebeganapprenticingwithwhatwasthenWashingtonOpera,nowWashingtonNational Opera. Ms. WeaverhassincedesignedatmanyoperacompaniesthroughouttheU.S.,includingGlimmerglassOpera,Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera, LyricOperaofKansasCityandDesMoines Metro Opera. Her notable MichiganOperaTheatrecreditsincludeThe Magic Flute, Macbeth, The Passenger, Frida, The Merry Widow, Faust, Margaret Garner, Cyrano and The Pearl Fishers.

Christian Zaremba Praised by the New York Times as“astageanimalwithabigbassvoice,”ChristianZarembamakeshisMichiganOperaTheatre debut asSparafucileinRigoletto. He has recentlyperformedas Master Fal in the U.S. premiere of Milhaud’s La mère coupable withOnSiteOpera;Colline in La Bohème withPortlandOpera and Opera Omaha; Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Bartolo

in Le Nozze de Figaro,PassagalloinGassmann’s L’Opera Seria withWolfTrapOpera;JakeWallaceinLa fanciulla del WestwithOperaOmaha;and Commendatore in Don Giovanni withNewYork’sVentureOpera.AgraduateofNewYorkUniversity,Mr.Zarembawaspreviouslyastage-combat-fighterinmultipleproductionswiththeMetropolitanOpera.Inthe2017-18season,Mr.Zarembawillreturn to the Metropolitan Opera for hisstagedebutasAngelottiinTosca andwillmakehisdebutwithAustinOperaasZunigainCarmen.

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Honigman celebrates the Michigan Opera Theatre’s

2017-2018 season.

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InMichiganOperaTheatre’sRigoletto,thecompanystaysclosetothetruthofthestorywhiledivergingfascinatinglyfromthepiece’soriginalplaceand

period.SosaysPrincipalConductorStephen Lord of the Jonathan Miller production,whichmovestheactionfromtheducalcourtof16th-centuryMantuatothemobundergroundof1950sNewYorkCity.Lord,withgreatexcitementandconviction,chosetobringthisproductionoftheGiuseppeVerdiclassictoopenhisfirstfullseasonasMOT’sartisticleader.HewillalsoconducttheoperaashehasdoneoncebeforewithEnglishNationalOpera in London. Sincetheproduction’spremiereattheENOin1982,audienceshavetakentotheclevertemporalshiftsinthestaging.InFrancescoMariaPiave’slibretto,Rigolettoisamiserablejesterin the employ of the Duke. Here, he isabartenderworkingforamafiadon. But the story is the same: the titlecharacter’sloveforhisdaughter,hisfailuretoprotectherfromaworldofsinistermen,herlongingforfreedomtragicallytwinnedwithherfaithfulness. All of those same values drive theactioninthisproduction,saysLord,thoughthesingersmaysportfedoras,notfarthingales,andcrewcuts,notcodpieces.Todemonstratetheproduction’sdramaticintegrity,Lordborrowsametaphorfromoutside of opera. He tells the story of theCanadianmusicianGlennGouldrevivinginterestinthemusicofBachbyplayingitonthepianoinsteadofthetraditionalharpsichord.Whileinthemiddleofthelastcentury,itwasconsideredaboldchoice,Lordmaintainsitwasnotoverlybold: “GlennGouldwasabrilliantmusician,”Lordsaid.“Hemadethisworkinawaythatwasandcontinuestobearevelation.” Thekey,Lordfinds,isreinterpretingtheoperainawaythat

isnotdistractingfromitsfundamentalthemes. “IfGlennGouldcameoutandplayedBachonthepiano,wearingaclowncostume,wheretheclowncostumedistractsfromthemusicandfromBachandfromwhatMr.Gouldistryingtodo,thenit’sjunk!”hesaid.“Wedon’twanttowearclowncostumes.Butwedowanttopresentgreatworksinawaythatmaybethey’ve not been done before, but also,asGlennGoulddidwithBach,allowingthepublictohearandseethingsinanotherway—whileretainingtheessence.”

It is apt that Lord alludes to a masterofadifferentfieldtoexplainthecompany’schoicetopresenttheoperathisway.ItwassaidthatVerdihimselfcouldholdforthinbrilliantlyeruditefashiononanaltogetherdifferentartisticdiscipline:sculpture.Hewasdeeplyinterestedintheplasticartsandcountedmanysculptorsamonghisfriends.Somehaveevenwrittenthathisoperasbetrayafascinationwithstarklymoldedandmonumentalpersonalities,grandandterrible,andthattheexcitementofhissignatureduetscomesfromseeingthesecontrastingtypesmeet

ByMichaelYashinsky

Some Like It Rethought:The Artistic Integrity of a Mob Rigoletto

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eachotherface-to-face,notesofmusiclikeshardsofstoneflyingasthecharactersclash. Opera is, after all, an all-encompassingartform,oneinwhichavarietyofdisciplines—singing,acting,dancing,painting,carpentry,lighting,bowingthecelloandbangingthetimpani—gettoknoweachother,unitingtocreateanewwholeoutofthepracticedparts.Itisappropriate,then,thatacomposerfortheoperaticstageshouldhavediverseinterests,extendingbeyondtheorchestrapit.Anditisappropriatethataconductorshouldhavethem,too,andlikewise,astagedirector. Miller’sinspirationforhisstagingofRigolettocamefromaMarilynMonroemovie.Achanceconversationwithhiswifehadremindedhimofasillyexchangein1959’sSome Like It Hot. Amobboss,“Spats”Colombo,playedbyGeorgeRaft,isbeingquestionedbyoneDetectiveMulliganaboutamassacrethattookplaceinChicago:

MULLIGAN:Say,maestro,wherewereyouat3o’clockonSt.Valentine’sDay?

SPATS:Me?Iwasat Rigoletto.

MULLIGAN:What’shisfirstname?Where’shelive?

SPATS: That’s an opera, you ignoramus.

Andsotheseedwasplantedandwaswateredwithakeensensefortheparallelsthatconnecttheopera’splottothemafiamise-en-scène.Inthemad,melodramatic,mightyRigoletto, wegetpowerfulpeopleconsideringdoingawaywithrivalsbyhavingthemimprisonedorbouncedoutoftown.Wehearaboutupholdingfamilyhonorandinsultsthatcannotbetoleratedandaplantodisposeofacorpseinthatmoststereotypicallymafiafashion:tossingitintotheriversoitcansleepwiththefishes.Andweareexposedtoahorriblecycleofviolenceandvendettas,ofactsofrevengethattoptheactsthatpromptedthemin

horror and severity but that ultimately bringgreaterruinstillontheavenger’shead. Lordrecognizedtheresoundingpowerinthesedramaticechoes. “Thestoryhasrelevance,andyetisslightlyremovedfromeverydaylifeinourtime,”hesaid.“Itisremovedjustenoughsothatthewayinisfascinating.” The“wayin”toagreatworkispersonal.ForLord,GouldchannelingBachonthepianoishiswayintotheideaofrisk-taking,ofpushingtheenvelope,whileadheringtothetruthofanoriginalcreation.PerhapsVerdi’swayintowritingoperawasimagininghischaractersassculpture.Miller’swayinforthisproductionwasHollywoodgangstermovies. Audiencesarenowinvitedtofindtheirown“wayin”toRigoletto,awayintoanewemotionalsensationorphilosophicalruminationastheysitin2017Detroitandwatchadramaplayout in the bars, hotels, and tenements of1950sNewYork.Fedorasoptional.

Opera in ConcertMonteverdi’s L’Orfeo

Apollo’s FireJeannette Sorrell, conductorKarim Sulayman, OrfeoErica Schuller, EurydiceSunday, April 15 // 4 pmHill Auditorium

As one of the earliest examples of the form, and certainly the earliest that still has a place in the present repertoire 400 years later, L’Orfeo sets to music the famous myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, whose long-awaited wedding night ends in tragedy when Eurydice is bitten by a poisonous snake and Orfeo storms the gates of hell to rescue her. Jeannette Sorrell leads Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s celebrated Baroque orchestra, in this semi-staged production with period dancers.

Performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM

7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S. O R G2014 National Medal

of Arts recipient

PHOTOGRAPHY,RECORDING&COMMUNICATIONSDEVICESPhotography or recording during any performance is strictlyprohibited.Youarewelcometotakephotographsinthelobbybefore or after a performance and during intermission. As acourtesy to our guests, please switch all electronic devices tosilentmodeandrefrainfromusingthemduringtheperformance.

INCASEOFEMERGENCYDoctors and parents are advised to leave their seat location(locatedon ticket) andour emergencynumber, (313) 237-3257,with their service or sitter in case of an emergency. Pleaseobserve the lightedexit signs located throughout the theater.In the event of an emergency, please remain calm andwalk – donotrun–tothenearestexit.Ourushersaretrainedtoleadyou out of the building safely. A trained Emergency MedicalTechnician (EMT) is onsite during most events. Please see anusherorstaffmembertocontacttheEMT.

RESTROOMSLadies’ restrooms are located off the Ford Lobby (BroadwayStreetentrance),downthestairs;andonthethirdfloor(MadisonStreetentrance)–press“3R”ontheelevatortoreachthisfacility.Gentlemen’s restroomsare locatedunder theGrandStaircaseandalsoonthethirdfloor(BroadwayStreetside)–press“3”onthe elevator to reach this facility.All third floor restroomsarewheelchairaccessible.Aunisex,wheelchairaccessiblerestroomislocatedintheCadillacOperaCafé.

NOSMOKINGTheDetroitOperaHouseisasmoke-freefacility.

USHERSUshersarestationedatthetopofeachaisle.Ifyouhaveaquestionorconcern,pleaseinformanusher,whowillcontactmanagement. Ifyouareinterestedinbecomingavolunteerusher,pleasecalltheHouseManagerat(313)237-3252.

LOST & FOUNDLostandFoundislocatedintheSafetyandSecurityDepartment.Please see an usher if you have misplaced an article, or call (313)961-3500ifyouhavealreadyleftthetheater.ItemswillbeheldinLostandFoundfor30days.

SERVICESConcessions stands are located on all levels. Please note thatfood and drinks are not permitted in the auditorium at any time. CoatCheckislocatedattheGuestServicesdeskintheVincentLobby(MadisonStreetside).PleasenotethattheDetroitOperaHousedoesnotaccept responsibility for anypersonal articlesthatarenotcheckedatthecoatcheck.

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATIONWebsite ..............................................................www.MichiganOpera.org

EMERGENCIES .......................................................................(313)237-3257

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General Information

GreetingsfromtheMOTVolunteerAssociation. I have been an opera lover for many years and MichiganOperaTheatreisveryimportanttome.OurMOTVAvolunteersprovidethecompanywithatremendouslevelofsupport.Wehavemorethan700memberswhoserveasushers,tourguides,andBoutiquevolunteers.OurDivasandDivos provide artist hospitality, and the Opera LeagueandDanceCouncilmembersholdpartiestocelebratemomentssuchasopeningnightperformances.Ourmembersloggedalmost20,000volunteer hours last year. Bravi!! Ifyouarenotyetavolunteerpleaseconsiderjoiningus!Volunteeringisagreatwaytomeetotherinterestingandinvolvedpatrons.FormembershipinformationpleaseviewtheMOTVAwebpageatmichiganopera.org/working-with-us/volunteerorcallChristinaWagnerat313.237.3236.ChristinawouldbehappytospeakwithyouandconnectyouwiththosevolunteeringinsupportofMichiganOperaTheatre. Tothosewhocurrentlysupportusthroughthegiftsofyourtime,Ioffermysincerethanks.Tothosereadingaboutourvolunteerprogramforthefirsttime,pleaseconsiderjoining. Sincerely,

Terry Shea, President, MOTVA MOTVA Committees, Chair(s)Boutique,LeoDovelleDanceFilms,LarryGlowczewskiDivasandDivos,HelenArnoldi-RoweOperaHouseTourGuides,MyrnaMazureOperaLeague,DodieDavidPublicity,AnnetteMarchesiSecretary,NancyMooreSpecialEvents,GwenBowlby,DonJensen

& Curtis PosuniakUshers, Kathie Booth Past PresidentsSteven Marlette, Dodie David, Betty Brooks, GloriaClark

VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION

32 BRAVO•Fall2017 www.MichiganOpera.org MichiganOperaTheatre