OPERA LONG BEACH

FRIDAMusic & Concept by Robert Xavier RodríguezBook by Hilary BlecherLyrics and monologues by Migdalia Cruz

JUNE 17, 18, 24, 25 • 8:00 PM

Museum of Latin American Art 628 Alamitos Ave.Long Beach, CA 90802

JUNE 23 • 8:00 PM Grand Performances350 S. Grand Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90071

Run Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one intermissionSung in Spanish and English with English supertitles

By arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner.

Supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach and the City of Long Beach.

This opera is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

CAST

ARTISTIC TEAM

Stage Director/Video & Production Designer Andreas Mitisek

Conductor Kristof Van Grysperre

Lighting Designer Dan Weingarten

Sound Designer Bob Christian

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Frida Kahlo Laura Virella

Diego Rivera Bernardo Bermudez

Woman 1 (Frida’s sister Cristina Kahlo, Mrs. Ford,

Calaveras)

Alejandra Martinez

Woman 2 (Dimas’ mother, Diego’s 2nd wife Lupe Marin,

Mrs. Rockefeller, Natalia Trotsky, Calaveras)

Joanna Ceja

Man 1 (Frida’s 1st boyfriend Alejandro, Mr. Ford, Leon

Trotsky, Calaveras)

Jonathan Lacayo

Man 2 (Petate Vendor, Frida’s father Guillermo

Kahlo, Mr. Rockefeller, Edward G. Robinson,

Calaveras)

David Castillo

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ABOUT THE OPERA

“I never paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.” Famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo lived as she painted—with pain and passion in bold, vibrant colors. This celebration of Kahlo’s vivacious spirit, sexuality, fragility and her tumultuous life with muralist Diego Rivera is captured with music as rich and haunting as her art.

Composer Robert Xavier Rodríguez says, “You learn much more about people by watching them not alone, but in conflict with others. Frida and Diego have two powerful love scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end, with one fight after another in between. It’s that fascinating and unpredictable through-line of their relationship that drives the action.” In a musical metaphor for Frida’s unique persona, her vocal line is scored with its own characteristic rhythms. As Rodríguez observes, “Frida sings as she lived — against the tide from the very first note.”

Rodríguez describes his music for Frida as being “in the Gershwin, Sondheim, Kurt Weill tradition of dissolving the barriers and extending the common ground between opera and musical theater.” In keeping with the Mexican setting of Frida, the score features authentic Mexican folk songs and dances and the composer’s own “imaginary folk music,” tangos and colorations of zarzuela, ragtime, vaudeville and 1930’s jazz — “Romantically dramatic” (The Washington Post) and full of “the composer’s all-encompassing sense of humor” (The Los Angeles Times).

Among the “stolen” musical fragments used in Frida (like Stravinsky, Rodríguez says “I never borrow; I steal.”) are such strange musical bedfellows as two traditional Mexican piñata songs (“Horo y fuego” and “Al quebrar la piñata”), two narrative ballads (“La Maguinita” and “Jesusita”), the Communist anthem (“L’Internationale”), Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, and Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde.

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synopsis

ACT IScene 1:

Mexico City, 1923. Frida, at the National Preparatory school, learns what death looks like and the revolution comes to an end.

Scene 2: Frida’s Room, Coyoacán. Frida becomes a woman.

Scene 3: Mexico City, 1925. Frida and her boyfriend, Alejandro, board a bus. The bus crashes, Frida is severely injured, and she begins her life as a painter.

Scene 4: 1927-29. Frida meets and marries Diego Rivera.

Scene 5: 1929-30. Diego’s work is denounced in Mexico. The Riveras resolve to try their luck in the USA.

Scene 6: New York City, 1934. Frida and Diego meet Rockefeller, who commissions the mural Man at the Crossroads.

Scene 7: New York City, 1933. Diego loses his wall and Frida loses her baby.

ACT II Scene 1:

San Ángel, Mexico. Frida ignores the parade of women through Diego’s bedroom but is horrified to discover her sister Cristina among them.

Scene 2: San Ángel, Mexico 1937. Leon Trotsky and his wife join the Riveras in their house. Frida and Trotsky have a love affair.

Scene 3: Frida’s Bath. Frida retreats to the seclusion of her bath and the comfort of a female lover.

Scene 4: New York, 1938. Frida has a love affair with photographer Nickolas Muray and sells her first paintings. Frida and Diego divorce.

Scene 5: Calaveras (Mexican death figures) appear in Frida’s imagination as she is haunted by her physical and emotional pain.

Scene 6: Finale - In delirium, Frida relives episodes of her life. Diego and Frida remarry. She departs with a cry of “Viva la vida... alegría... and Diego.”

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Frida Kahlo de Rivera, born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón, was a Mexican painter known for her self-portraits. Kahlo’s life began and ended in Mexico City in her home, which is known as “La Casa Azul,” the Blue House. Her work has been celebrated internationally as emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous traditions and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.

Mexican culture and tradition are important in her work, which has been sometimes characterized as naïve art or folk art. Her work has also been described as surrealist, and in 1938, André Breton, principal initiator of the surrealist movement, described Kahlo’s art as a “ribbon around a bomb.” Frida rejected the “surrealist” label imposed by Breton as she argued that her work reflected more of her reality than her dreams.

Kahlo had a volatile marriage with the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She suffered lifelong health problems, many of which were caused by a traffic accident she survived as a teenager. Recovering from her injuries isolated her from other people, and this isolation influenced her works, many of which are self-portraits. Kahlo suggested, “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”

FRIDA KAHLO (1907-1954)

FRIDA KAHLO

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Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Considered a prodigy at a very early age, he began painting at age two. Rivera studied and worked in Spain, France and Italy, discovering a passion for murals. Returning to Mexico, Diego’s popularity grew. In the 1920s, he painted a number of large murals depicting scenes from Mexican history.

Throughout his life, Rivera was active in politics and the Communist Party, acting as a Mexican delegate to the Soviet Union in 1927. Contributions to his native country included serving as head of the Department of Plastic Crafts at the Ministry of Education; creating the Labor Union of Technical Workers, Painters, and Sculptors; and forming the Commission of Mural Painting, an arm of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes.

Rivera married Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in 1929, but fidelity was out of the question for him. A doctor had once told him that he was unfit for monogamy, and Rivera cheerfully accepted the diagnosis. Rivera and Kahlo had been married less than a year when he had his first affair. Their troubled marriage and numerous affairs (she, too, was unfaithful) led to divorce in 1939, but the couple remarried late the following year. When Kahlo died in 1954, Diego wrote, “I realized that the most wonderful part of my life had been my love for Frida.” In November 1957, at the age of 70, Rivera died of heart failure in his San Angel studio.

Diego Rivera (1886-1957)

DIEGO RIVERA

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ROBERT XAVIER RODRÍGUEZ

Rodríguez was born on June 28, 1946 in San Antonio, Texas. He studied composition with Hunter Johnson, Halsey Stevens, Jacob Druckman, and Nadia Boulanger. He gained international recognition in 1971 when awarded the Prix de Composition Musicale Prince Pierre de Monaco by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at the Palais Princier in Monte Carlo. Other honors include the Prix Lili Boulanger, a Guggenheim Fellowship, four National Endowment for the Arts grants, and the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Rodríguez’s music embraces all genres and often combines Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque techniques with ethnic and contemporary materials. He has had particular success with his operas. His most recent, the one-act comedy La Curandera, has been produced in Colorado, California, and Texas. Frida had acclaimed productions at the American Music Theatre Festival, The American Repertory Theatre in Boston, the Brooklyn Academy’s Next Wave Festival, Vienna Schauspielhaus, Theater Nordhausen in Germany, Mexico’s Jalisco Filharmonica, and the Houston Grand Opera. Rodríguez’s children’s opera Monkey See, Monkey Do is one of the most frequently performed contemporary operas in the US with over 2000 performances to date.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

robert xavier rodriguez

I am exceptionally pleased for Long Beach Opera to present Robert Xavier Rodríguez’ Frida at the Museum of Latin American Art as both institutions are very important to Long Beach and its community—and personally to me— as I have the honor of presiding over both Boards of Directors. The Boston Globe called Frida a “fierce portrait of Kahlo...intense and impassioned.” So we present two types of portraits: photographic portraits of Frida Kahlo by Nickolas Muray in the museum and this passionate operatic portrait of Frida by Long Beach Opera on the museum’s Sculpture Garden stage. There certainly can be no better way to experience this iconic artist and visionary Mexican feminist.

LBO is also proud to present Frida at downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Performances—the first opera ever presented at this summer destination for the performing arts in the Grand Avenue Arts District. In a sense, another Long Beach Opera first—we bring opera everywhere!

Frida is sponsored by “Strong Women for a Strong Woman.” This group of donors is dedicating their support for this opera to all those women that embody Frida Kahlo’s drive to survive, to overcome pain and tragic circumstances, and to love and bring beauty to the world. Their names are listed elsewhere in this program. We celebrate their contributions and their commitment to Long Beach Opera.

Frida closes this 37th LBO season which has been remarkable as ever. A collaboration with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra and the Chicano theater group Culture Clash for Purcell’s The Fairy Queen; the American premiere of Phillip Glass’ The Perfect American, a fantastical account of the dying days of Walt Disney; and the compelling story of transformation and self-discovery of the Kaminsky, Campbell, Reed opera As One.

As the end of LBO’s season draws near, I urge you to be a part of the LBO community and pledge your support for opera that is adventurous, bold, and engages the world around us. LBO can only achieve its vision with your financial contributions. On behalf of the LBO Board of Directors, its volunteers, artists and staff….Thank you!

Robert N. Braun, M.D.Board President

president’s note

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Laura Virella (Frida Kahlo)Puerto Rican mezzo-soprano Laura Virella makes her company debut with Long Beach Opera in the title role of Frida, continuing to carve her place in modern opera after her recent success as Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw with MMF and DC Public Opera. Hailed as a “fabulous, powerful and excellent Carmen” (Festival de Santa Florentina), and an “impressive, fervent Octavian” (Stefaniensaal, Graz), her wide list of operatic roles includes Maddalena (Rigoletto), Frau Reich (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), Cherubino, Dorabella, Prince Charmant, Hänsel, Desideria (The Saint of Bleecker Street), and more. www.lauravirella.com

Bernardo Bermudez (Diego Rivera)Venezuelan American lyric baritone Bernardo Bermudez. Roles include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Silvio in Pagliacci, Escamillo in Carmen, Valentin in Faust, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, the title role in Don Giovanni, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Vidal Hernando in Luisa Fernanda, Schaunard in La Boheme, Aeneas in Dido & Aeneas. He participated as a voice fellow in Summer Festivals at The Music Academy of the West, as well as Opera North. Awards include Opera Buffs Grant recipient, semifinalist in the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition.

Alejandra Martinez (Woman 1)Alejandra Martinez, soprano, is a native of Southern California and specializes in Spanish and Latin-American music. Concert credits include performances at the National Council de la Raza, the Cleveland One World Festival, and the world premiere of Juan Orrego-Salas’ Ash Wednesday with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Favorite opera roles have been La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Salud (La vida breve), and Lady Billows (Albert Herring). Ms. Martinez was recently honored by the National Society of Arts and Letters and regularly performs in outreach programs with Reimagining Opera for Kids in Bloomington, Indiana.

ARTIST BIOS

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Joanna Ceja (Woman 2)Mexican-American soprano Joanna Ceja is a multifaceted, natural, and entertaining vocalist from Denton, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Texas Woman’s University and is an active musician in Texas and California. Joanna’s operatic engagements include the roles of Susanna from Le nozze di Figaro in Austin, Texas with Spotlight on Opera, and Papagena from The Magic Flute at her alma mater, TWU. Joanna is currently attending the University of Southern California for her Master of Music degree in Vocal Arts, and studies with Elizabeth Hynes.

Jonathan Lacayo (Man 1)Jonathan made his New York City Opera debut in the role of “Wissam” in Raffo & Stokes’ Fallujah. He debuted with Long Beach Opera in the same role March 2016. Other credits include “Joe” in Gershwin’s Blue Monday (Opera de Tijuana), Jose from Carmen and Lensky from Eugene Onegin (Opera of The Rockies), Prince Charming in Cendrillon, Parpignol in La Boheme, Beppe in Donizetti’s Rita, Giuseppe in The Most Happy Fella, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas (Point Loma Opera Theatre). Other work includes San Diego Opera’s outreach program OperaExposed! with Dr. Nicolas Reveles. Study in Voice with Dr. John Craig Johnson and Ines Irawati.

David Castillo (Man 2)David Castillo is a New Orleans-native artist who delivers “impassioned,” (LA Times) “beautifully sung and confidently acted” (Opera News) performances in the US and Europe. Castillo performed as a soloist with the LA Phil, The Cleveland Orchestra, the New Orleans Opera, the LA Opera, the LA Master Chorale, The Industry, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Le Salon de Musiques, the Horizon Music Group, and Off-Broadway. European Debut in Paris with pianist Francois Chouchan in Schubert’s Winterreise. Castillo serves as Founder/Creative Director of Jukebox Castle. Graduate of USC and Loyola New Orleans. Davidthesinger.com

Andreas Mitisek (Stage Director)Andreas is the Artistic and General Director of Long Beach Opera (since 2003) and in the same position at the Chicago Opera Theater (since 2012). He is a conductor, stage director and designer. Mitisek has directed and designed

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more than 20 LBO productions, and produced and conducted over 45 LBO productions. Most recently directed and designed a new version of The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell and conducted the US Premiere of The Perfect American by Philip Glass. He was honored by Chicago Tribune in 2014 Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music. He has been named by Opera News as one of the 25 people that will be a major force in the field of opera in the coming decade. www.andreasmitisek.com

Kristof Van Grysperre (Conductor)Belgian conductor Kristof Van Grysperre, hailed by the The Orange County Register as “gifted and stylistically impeccable” and “with pugilistic power and sensitivity,” has conducted numerous productions at LBO to high acclaim, including the world premiere of Fallujah, which he also conducted in his recent NYC Opera debut. Whether it be traditional or modern repertoire, on the podium he is well known and respected for clarity and precision and his great mastery of details. With a repertoire of over fifty operas, Van Grysperre conducted performances for Opera Pacific, Baltimore Opera Studio, Intimate Opera Company, SongFest, USC Opera and Cal State LA. Also committed to fostering emerging talent, he is the artistic director and conductor of Angels Vocal Art. www.vangrysperre.com

Dan Weingarten (Lighting Designer)Dan Weingarten has designed Fairy Queen, Fallujah, Hydrogen Jukebox, Marilyn Forever, The Paper Nautilus, Ainadamar, Maria de Buenos Aires, The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, Akhnaten, Orpheus and Euridice, Nixon in China, Good Soldier Schweik, Cunning Little Vixen, Winterreise, Anne Frank, and Macbeth for Long Beach Opera. He has designed numerous other concerts, plays, musicals, operas, and ballets around the country. He is the recipient of the LA Drama Critic’s Circle Angstrom Award, the LA Weekly Award, the Garland Award, and the Dramalogue Award. He is also on the faculty at California State University Northridge.

Bob Christian (Sound Designer)Bob created sound design on LBO productions of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus & Euridice (2008, 2010), John Adams’ Nixon in China, Luigi Cherubini’s Medea, Philip Glass’ Akhnaten, David Lang’s The Difficulty of Crossing a

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Field, Astor Piazolla & Horacio Ferrer’s Maria de Buenos Aires (2012), Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar, Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Gavin Bryars’ The Paper Nautilus, and Philip Glass’ Fall Of The House Of Usher. He is Sound Manager for the acclaimed Long Beach Municipal Band. Also a composer, Bob has written and produced music for numerous programs on TLC, Discovery Channel, and PBS.

ORCHESTRA

Violin Agnes Gottschewski

Clarinet/Saxophone Damon Zick

Trumpet/Flugelhorn Tony Ellis

Percussion Paul Sternhagen

Accordion John Torcello

Piano Neda St. Clair

Orchestra Contractor Robert Schumitzky

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SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Frida sponsors stand in solidarity to honor strong women that have inspired their lives. They not only pay tribute to the women they love, they also celebrate one of the strongest trailblazers for the feminist movement, Frida Kahlo. Their support of this production celebrates the power of women as well as the life, artwork, and legacy of an iconic artist. They embody Frida - courageous, provocative, and authentic - with their generous contributions.

Honorees of Raulee Marcus:To my role models with much love, my Mother, Rena Spector Marcus, my Father’s Mother, Sarah Marcus, and my great aunt, Masa Sveikauskas. Each made her way as a gracious leader in some tough times.

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The Port of Long Beach is the greenest, fastest gateway for goods from Asia to reach stores here at home. That’s something to sing about.

On Track for a Bright Future

www.POLB.com

Thanks Long Beach Port for underwriting

LBO's Opera@School program, The Diary of

Anne Frank!

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LBO GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORSDonations listed represent all annual fund gifts between 1/1/2016 and 1/31/2017

CONTRIBUTORS

LEADERSHIP GIFTS

VISIONARy gifts

Thank you to Visionary Program donors at the Artist Circle and above that contributed $1,000 or more between 2/1/17 and 5/31/17

Revolutionaries ($100,000+)Sonja Berggren and Patrick Seaverexplore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg FoundationThe Andrew W. Mellon FoundationThe Seaver InstituteMarie Song

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AnonymousAmgen FoundationAnn P. WinchesterAnonymousArts Council For Long Beach Mrs. David BarrySue Bienkowski and Wang LeeEvelyn and Stephen BlockRoberta and Ron BloomBarbara and Bob BoiesDrs. Robert Braun and Joan FriedmanMary BruceTodd Calvin and Scott SeominCarol KrauseCecilia AbdenurColburn FoundationCSULB 49er FoundationAllan Dinkoff and Roseanna DemariaGlenn Ronald DucatByrwec and Anne EllisonDr. Ronald and Sylvia Hartman

Hilary PoochigianMary Alice JenningsKathleen MellonKeith I. PolakoffMarylyn and Chuck KlausSally and Nat KurnickLong Beach Convention and

Entertainment CenterLong Beach Community

Foundation Frances Grover FundLos Angeles County Arts CommissionMarie Song Marjie MautnerLanyce and Bryant MillsNancy KatayamaNational Endowment for the ArtsOpera America: The Opera FundPort of Long BeachVina Spiehler, Ph.DVirginia EllisonAnn P. Winchester

Luminaries ($25,000+)AnonymousDrs. Robert Braun and Joan FriedmanBarbara and Bob BoiesDoris C. KoplikDr. Ronald and Sylvia HartmanSally KurnickLos Angeles County Arts CommissionNational Endowment for the Arts

Super Luminaries ($50,000+)Sue Bienkowski and Wang LeeDennis and Suzanne PoulsenCarol H. Richards

Producer’s Circle ($10,000+)AnonymousAnn and Gordon Getty FoundationArts Council for Long BeachThe Colburn FoundationEvelyn and Stephen BlockTodd Calvin and Scott SeominNicholas and Janet CirielloAllan Dinkoff and Roseanna DeMariaLos Angeles Unified School DistrictExpedia CruiseShipCentersThe Evalyn M. Bauer FoundationGwynne Gloege

County of L.A. Board of SupervisorsLong Beach Convention and Entertainment CenterRaulee MarcusLanyce and Bryant MillsAndreas MitisekPort of Long BeachRobert and Ann RonusGerda and Dr. Harold SeiferVina Spiehler PhDWilliam Weber and Linda Clark

Legacy SocietyAnonymousBarbara and Bob BoiesFrances Grover Fund

Dr. Ronald G. HopkinsRaulee MarcusCarl and Lenore Pearlston

SUPPORTING GIFTS

Benefactor’s Circle ($5,000+)Anonymous Margaret BarryMarjorie Beale and Bill MeyerhoffEdgar Foster DanielsPatrick and Christi FreyDiana HobsonJoanne LindquistKristine Westover MacRae and Duncan MacRaeMarjie MautnerJames and Grace McAdams

George Meyer and Gregory VogelJoan NickersonKeith I. PolakoffSamueli FoundationBarbara and Heinz SchelbertR. D. Simmons & Associates, Inc.Joan WellsOpera America: The Opera FundPort of Long BeachAmgen Foundation

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Conductor’s Circle ($2,500+)Amphion FoundationLaurie Dowling and Michael WooDr. Ronald G. HopkinsJames and Laurel HowatLong Beach Convention and

Visitor’s BureauLong Beach Community Foundation Frances Grover FundLong Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride, Inc.Janet PapkinDon PattisonHilary PoochigianMichael Sfregola and

Sue Shanley-SfregolaBertrand and Joan ShapiroMichael SopkiwStollaroff FoundationAnn P. Winchester

Artist’s Circle ($1,000+)AnonymousDorothy and Allan AbrahamseJeffrey AhlholmJim and Gwen BeazellBarbara Bixby BlackwellRoberta and Ron BloomThe late Thomas Wickens and

Lucia BogatayKaren Bohan LindquistStuart and Rebecca BowneMary BruceCalifornia State University, Long BeachCSULB 49er FoundationMarc and Grace DanzigerGlenn Ronald DucatDr. and Mrs. William M. DuxlerColin EllisVirginia EllisonByrwec and Anne EllisonCody and Deborah EngleBobbie FryeMichael GianniniMarylyn Ginsburg and Chuck KlausDennis and Evette GlauberSteve and Lisa GoodlingMark and Claire GuillenCarl and Elise Hartman

Dr. and Mrs. Jay JazayeriJerold D. KappelLong Beach Museum of ArtMaine Community FoundationGreta MandellTom and Suzanne MaricichRBC Wealth ManagementHarry E. Rice, M.D.Rickard RoudebushMichael and Geraldine SchlutzEmmanuel SharefJulie D. WhitePeter WoodruffDale and Joanne Woolley

Patron’s Circle ($500+)Amgen Political Action CommitteeJean Bixby SmithScott BrinkerhoffFred ChapelKathleen CrandallFrank D’AcconeSally DeVoreLouise EarhartDavid and Lucy EisenbergTimothy GreenleafBruce and Julie HartmanRalph HerbertSofia and Elliot HorowitzDavid and Janice Jeng Dr. Marguerite MarshSteve H. Schindler and

Colleen StevensMichael SewrightSoCal EyeMort and Susan StuhlbargMark Taylor and Melissa InfusinoWalsh Charitable Fund of the

Ayco Charitable FoundationBarbara and Ian White-Thomson

Friends of LBO ($250+)AnonymousAbdelmonem and Marianne AfifiGreg and Debbie ArmstrongTom and Vickie ArmstrongJanet AshleyGrant BarnesRichard BigelowRay and Shirlee Bouch

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Janet BrandenburgMatthew BraunDrs. Kathy Chambery and

Marilyn Haring Kathleen CharlaTeri Mason ChristianKimberly ColeRoss Conner and Emmett CarlsonGary and Judy CooperLeland CoxJanell CrookstonJohaness and Gertraud CzerninMary Kathryn DunnWilliam and Donna FanningGerald FarisEarl and Shirley FeiwellPK FonsworthPatrick FrankBarbara and Frederick GablePaul GarmanValerie Ann GlassAnna GonosovaLuz GonzalezRobert Horwitz and Mary Jo JohnsonStephen KanterLirona KatzirStuart and Janice Raithel KerridgeTim Kittleson and

Michael C. DonaldsonLoong KongRosalie KornblauDeborah KuryanAlan Lawson and Max SchimdlCheryl LewCandice Gawne and Louis MannickJoan MarcyJohn McBeathTed McFeelyMyron MeiselReinhard MenzelBarbara MerkleBrita MillardKaren MillerWilliam and Lois NettleshipSusan NickersonAlex OlivaresBeverly O’NeillFrank Palase and Frieda FreemanCarole PatemanCarl and Lenore Pearlston

Hector PerezRobert C. Pinder, MDCarol PlantamuraCarl PlatGeorge and Susan ReardonMike RectorRuth Gilliland and Arthur RiemanCarlyn RingMary RuppDavid and Ruth SabeanNancy and Barry SandersJohn Sanders and Pma TregenzaMax SchmidlBrad SeeleyEthel SeidRuth SimonElise Sinay Spilker and

William F. Sater, PhDMatilda and Richard SparkmanCharles and Terri SternRoger and Lynn WaltonMonika WhitakerSandy and Susanna Witzling

Associates ($100+)AnonymousSeymour and Reva AlbanBrien Amspoker and Ellen BreitmanAlgerd and Danute BasiulisAndrew BassiTony and Meredith Lee BattagliaAndrew BradfordArlyss M. BurkettBonnie ButlerEllen ButlerJeffrey CalmanGrace CameronFrieda CaplanHenrietta CarterGeorgia and John CaseAlan and Janet ColesAnne CombsPatricia CondonGerry W. CoxMalcolm and Patricia CutlerAlison DavisFred Dear and Ken GarlockJan DonsbachRuth EllerDavid R. Falconer

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A legacy gift ensures that innovative opera remains a vital part of the Southern California arts community for future generations. Your gift to LBO will help with the maintenance and expansion of LBO facilities, the continued quality of our mainstage productions, and fuel the growth of our Youth Education and Outreach Programs. If you have remembered Long Beach Opera in your estate plans, kindly let us know as we would like to recognize your generosity.

For more information on how you can support Long Beach Opera, please contact Jennifer Rivera at jrivera@lbopera.org or 562.470.7464 x103 or make an online gift at www.LongBeachOpera.org.

LBO LEGACY SOCIETY

Lou FedericoDennis and Anne FischerDundas FlahertyGigi Fusco Meese David GarrityMargaret GascoigneBarbara Ford GeortnerAlbert GloverMark GranoffRichard D. GreenMichael HackettHazel HarrisonShelby HartmanJoanna and Michael HeimCordelia HowardLaura KillingsworthDonna Stein and Henry Korn Charles KristensonSteven LavineDonald LipschutzKathleen MellonMartha Jo MorehouseWilliam and Joan MuellerJacques NeptuneAlice S. Oglesby

Murray PalitzSonia PawluczykRosalie PrestonElaine RidderCarli V. RogersGeorge and Gail RothmanAl and Ruth RudisJosefina And Eugenio RuizLaura SalazarJaqueline Sargent and Joseph Conroy IIIJustus SchlichtingLinda SeilerLinda SellmanGwendolyn ShawLeonard and Myrna SimonRenee B. Simon and Jack BlecherMelanie and Dan SpellensR. Rhoads StephensonArlette TownerTony and Erica VickersDon and Ellen WalkerAnne WalthallGernot Wolfgang and Judith FarmerChristina Wright

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In Honor of Gwynne GloegeDr. Ronald and Sylvia HartmanJanet PapkinByrwec & Anne EllisonJoan NickersonCarol H. RichardsCameron Kennedy LaineNancy IffrigMary Alice JenningsSusan & Bill ArmisteadYnez Viole O’Neill

In Honor of Suzan HansonChristina Wright

In Honor of Andreas MitisekCody & Deborah Engle

In Honor of the Dedication and Generosity of Dr. Ronald & Sylvia Hartman

Sue Bienkowski and Wang LeeGrace CameronTeri Mason ChristianShirley and Earl FeiwellElise and Carl HartmanThe Hartman FamilyNathan JonesLong Beach Museum of ArtMarjie MautnerJoan Nickerson

Robert C. Pinder, MDCarol H. RichardsElaine RidderCarlyn RingLeonard and Myrna SimonMort and Susan StuhlbargSoCal EyeJoan WellsKristine Westover MacRae and

Duncan MacRae

In Memory of Robert Marsh, M.D.Harry E. Rice, M.D.

In Memory of Louis PaulDeborah Kuryan

In Memory of Patti GrishamWilliam & Joan Mueller

In Memory of Rachel GoodmanConnie Taus

In Honor of Robert Braun and Joan Friedman

Andrew BradfordElise Sinay Spilker and

William F. Sater, PhD

In Memory of Frankie GroverJoanne Lindquist

HONORARY GIFTS

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COMPANY HISTORY

Long Beach Opera expands the boundaries of the opera experience in Southern California by presenting new and rare works that engage a diverse audience and instill youth with a love of opera.

Founded in 1979, Long Beach Opera (LBO) was the first major opera company in the metropolitan Los Angeles-Orange County region. With the essential purpose of advancing the frontier of opera in repertory and production style, LBO’s artistic vision is to present unconventional works often neglected by mainstream opera companies. We are well-known for our West Coast, American, and world premieres that range from opera’s earliest beginnings to modern avant-garde compositions - while emphasizing the theatrical and musical relevance to our time.

LBO’s ever-growing repertoire has provided stimulus for the subsequent founding of other local opera companies, catapulting Southern California into the spotlight as a major American operatic epicenter. We are a recognized and respected member of the American operatic community, receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Long Beach, along with generous individual donors, local businesses, public corporations, and private foundations.

THE PERFECT AMERICAN by PHILIP GLASS - 2017

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OperaEncounter sparks students’ interests about the world of opera and engages them in exploring issues of tolerance, racism, ethics, social responsibility, and personal strength. Students emerge as well-rounded members in the community and gain an appreciation for the arts. OperaEncounter currently includes three programs: Opera@School, Opera Access and LBOMG! Since OperaEncounter’s inception in 2007, over 30,000 students have participated from local districts, especially in the inner-city area downtown Long Beach.

Opera@School programs are recognized by the LA County Commission for the Arts for meeting the CA Education Standards in subjects including visual and performing arts, language arts, history, and social science. Productions of The Diary of Anne Frank tour to junior high and high schools throughout Southern California, engaging students with opera while also providing valuable lessons on this history of the Second World War. Our new production of The Playground King and our bilingual production of Monkey See, Monkey Do tours to elementary schools, using familiar excerpts from opera and operetta to teach children about different cultures, problem-solving, cooperation, and confronting bullying behavior.

Opera Access LBO’s exclusive college/university student association, developing the future leaders and supporters of adventuresome opera in Southern California. LBO invites college and university students to join Opera Access! (Long Beach Opera Musicians’ Group). For an annual membership of just $50, members enjoy a number of exclusive perks and privileges, including:

• A custom-designed student subscription to our current season. You’ll get the best available seat in the house for each event!

• Exclusive meet-ups beginning and following each performance with fellow student subscribers and Amanda Boudreau to talk about LBO’s latest production.

LBOMG! invites high school students to attend the final dress rehearsal of an LBO production. Students and faculty are eligible for free admission to an exclusive sneak preview performance before opening night.

To participate in or to support our educational activities, contact Amanda Boudreau, Education and Engagement Manager at 562.470.7464 x111, or engagement@longbeachopera.org

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

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PRODUCTION STAFF

Director of Production Holly Ahlborn

Stage Manager Cressa Amundsen

Makeup Designer Jennifer Corona

Costume Coordinator Magdalena Guillen

Assistant Stage Manager Anthony Rivera

Master Electrician Brandon Hawkinson

Board Operator David Patrick

AV Head/Stagehand Eduardo Martinez

Stagehands Jammie Collins, Daniel Dominguez

Head Carpenter/Stagehand Tyson Salcido

Prop Coordinator Holly Ahlborn

Music Librarian Teri Christian

Rehearsal Accompanist Neda St. Clair

We could not be more ecstatic about our lineup of fearless, adventurous artists that have given LBO their support and their endorsement.

LBO ARTISTIC COMMITTEE

Gavin BryarsStewart CopelandElizabeth FutralMichael GordonRicky Ian GordonDavid Lang

Gabriela OrtizTobias PickerPeter SellarsBill ViolaJulia Wolfe

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ADMINISTRATION

Artistic & General Director Andreas Mitisek

Associate Conductor &Chorus Master Kristof Van Grysperre

Executive Director & CEO Jerold D Kappel

Assistant Director of Development, Major Gifts Jennifer Rivera

Assistant Director of Development, Annual Fund &

Special EventsAmanda Fruta

Grants & Database Manager Jason Brown

Education and Engagement Manager Amanda Boudreau

Director of Production Holly Ahlborn

Company Manager Teri Christian

Marketing Associate Michael Barnum

Director of Marketing & Communications Nicholas W. Svorinich

Director of Media Relations Doris C. Koplik

Graphic & Web Design Eduardo Martinez

Photographer Keith Ian Polakoff

Master Archivist Volunteer Barbara Boies

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Todd CalvinSylvia HartmanBenjamin HildnerDiana HobsonKristine Westover MacRae

Raulee MarcusCarol H. RichardsKeith SimmonsMark Taylor

Sonja BerggrenShirley DeutschPaul GarmanGregorio Luke

Kira PerovDennis PoulsenMichael YorkMichele Wilson

Barbara Bixby BlackwellJanet CirielloDavid GindlerGreta-Johnson MandellSteve Lavine

Michael SchlutzSonja Berggren and Patrick SeaverMolly SiefertJean Bixby Smith

MEMBERS

ADVISORY BOARD

GENERAL DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL

PRESIDENTVICE-PRESIDENTTREASURERSECRETARY

Robert Braun, MDVina Spiehler, Ph.DSue BienkowskiAllan Dinkoff

OFFICERS

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