St. Louis, MO -- Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) announces a lead gift of $350,000 from Emerson to establish the Emerson Technology & Production Training Center at the Sally S. Levy Opera Center.  The center will include a state-of-the-art digital media lab enabling students, interns, and leading professionals to master new technologies in video and lighting design, video projection, and scenic automation.  The center will also incorporate an adjacent rehearsal hall, allowing production artists to instantly transfer technology applications to a rehearsal setting. 

The Emerson Technology & Production Training Center completes the Sally S. Levy Opera Center, which was conceived under the leadership of former General Director Charles MacKay and made possible by the $11 million Building for Opera campaign.  The Sally S. Levy Opera Center continues to sustain the artistic work of the company with state-of-the-art rehearsal facilities and opportunities like the Emerson Technology & Production Training Center.

“We are enormously grateful for this visionary gift which continues Emerson’s long tradition of support for Opera Theatre and will energize a new generation of designers in an art form that is increasingly driven by new technologies for video projection, computerized effects, and more,” says OTSL General Director Timothy O’Leary.  “The Emerson Technology & Production Training Center will be a setting that inspires creativity and opportunities for practical application, further enhancing OTSL’s role as a national leader in the use of inventive theater technology.”

“The Emerson Technology & Production Training Center fosters local innovation by bringing together state-of-the-art technology with artists and technicians from around the world,” says Emerson Senior Vice-President of Administration Robert M. Cox.  “Emerson is proud to help keep St. Louis at the forefront of production technology, continuing our longtime partnership with Opera Theatre.”

The intimate size of OTSL’s theater has inspired the use of highly innovative video projection and automation in past productions including Nixon in China in 2004, The Ghosts of Versailles in 2009, the world premiere production of The Golden Ticket in 2010, and The Death of Klinghoffer in 2011.  The newly constructed Emerson Technology & Production Training Center will foster continued advancements for OTSL and the field of opera in the application of advanced technology for artistic endeavors.  Uses of the new center will include master classes for technical production artists, software training for theater video applications, and experimentation with new technology for projected text systems. 

Since OTSL’s founding in 1976, Emerson’s generous support has played a vital role in the company’s ability to identify and develop the artists who will shape the future of opera.  In partnership with Emerson, Opera Theatre has trained more than 60 technical artisans in the last 5 years through Emerson Behind the Curtain, an innovative program that prepares students for careers in a range of technical specialties from computer aided drafting and construction to automation of stage machinery.  

Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts and Education Council of Greater Saint Louis, and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.

Tenor René Barbera takes his nine high C’s from OTSL stage to three first place wins at Operalia

 Soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen takes two first place awards at Belvedere Singing Competition

St. Louis, MO -- Tenor René Barbera – star of Opera Theatre’s 2011 production of The Daughter of the Regiment ­­– won three first place prizes on Sunday, July 24 at the 2011 Operalia Competition in Moscow.  Operalia is an international contest founded by tenor Placido Domingo to promote the best young talent in the opera world.

Barbera’s performance of “Ah mes amis!” from Daughter was met with a rousing ovation by the international audience.  He took top honors in three categories: 1) Men’s First Prize for Opera, 2) Men’s First Prize for Zarzuela (a traditional Spanish style of music akin to operetta), and 3) Audience Favorite. 

Barbera made his Opera Theatre debut this past season, after having won the 2008 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and participating in the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  His OTSL portrayal of Tonio in Daughter was hailed by critics and audiences as a triumph for the quickly rising star.  The New York Times wrote, “the charming tenor hit his notorious nine high C’s and considerably more, securely and seemingly effortlessly.”

 “Singing The Daughter of the Regiment in St. Louis helped quite a bit with my performance of the aria at Operalia,” said Barbera.  “I was able to incorporate the staging and some of the discoveries I made about the character.  It certainly helps that the cast I had at OTSL was incredible!”

 “Everyone at OTSL is thrilled about this huge success for René,” said Timothy O’Leary, Opera Theatre’s General Director.  “He is the latest example of Opera Theatre’s mission to discover and promote the very greatest operatic talent of each generation.  St. Louis audiences should stay tuned for news of René in a future season, as we’re working to bring him back as soon as possible.”

Another Opera Theatre artist taking home top honors at a major international competition is soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen.  Willis-Sørensen won first prize for both opera and operetta among nearly 3,000 young singers from around the world who took part in Vienna’s Belvedere Singing Competition on July 8.  She will make her OTSL debut next season as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. 

Opera Theatre’s 2012 season opens on May 19, 2012. Mozart’s sparkling comedy Così fan tutte plays in repertory along with the company’s second Sondheim production, his 1979 masterpiece Sweeney Todd, the first OTSL starring role for St. Louis’s own rising international opera star Kendall Gladen in Bizet’s Carmen, and the much-anticipated American premiere of Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang’s Alice in Wonderland.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

 Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions featuring the finest American singers, sung in English, and accompanied by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  As of 2011, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company.  Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as, “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 45 states and 12 foreign countries in 2011.  Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

 Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts & Education Council of Greater Saint Louis, and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.

 The volume of national and international press more than doubled with Opera Theatre’s 2011 season appearing in 36 national and international media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times of London, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, ABC News, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and many more. 

 The centerpiece for acclaim was the company’s groundbreaking new production of The Death of Klinghoffer, which was the first fully-staged U.S. production of the opera by Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Adams since the original production in 1991.  The Chicago Tribune declared that “St. Louis brilliantly reaffirms Klinghoffer as a landmark American opera,” and the Associated Press reported that “The enterprising Opera Theatre of St. Louis… made a strong case for Klinghoffer as a gripping and eerily beautiful work.”

The 2011 season also attracted new patrons in record numbers and saw continued growth of the company’s Young Friends program, which attracts new patrons below the age of 45.  Approximately 23% of the audience was new to Opera Theatre in 2011 – an increase of 8% since 2009.  Young Friends attendance grew by 32% over 2010; audiences for this program have nearly quadrupled since it launched in its current form in 2008.   

As in the past, a substantial audience of more than 4,300 opera-goers traveled to St. Louis from outside the metro area in order to attend the season, including opera lovers from 45 states and 12 foreign countries including Bali, South Korea, Costa Rica, and Egypt.

“We were thrilled to see the power and relevance of the 2011 season translate into fantastic recognition for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as well as deeply moving experiences for our audiences,” said OTSL General Director Timothy O’Leary.  “I was especially glad to hear from so many people who were experiencing Opera Theatre for the very first time.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back for a very exciting lineup in 2012.”

Opera Theatre’s 2012 season opens on May 19, 2012 with the OTSL debut of St. Louis’s own rising international opera star Kendall Gladen in Bizet’s Carmen, continues with the company’s second Sondheim production, his 1979 masterpiece Sweeney Todd and Mozart’s sparkling comedy Così fan tutte.  The season concludes with the much-anticipated American premiere of Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang’s Alice in Wonderland.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions featuring the finest American singers, sung in English, and accompanied by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  As of 2011, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company.  Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as, “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 45 states and 12 foreign countries in 2011.  Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

 Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts & Education Council of Greater Saint Louis, and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.

More Acclaim for Opera Theatre

“The Opera Theater of St. Louis is a small, hardy institution not averse to risk. Its choice of John Adams’s Death of Klinghoffer, which opened triumphantly on Wednesday, was only the latest proof. …the theater earned its renown by championing opera in English, including standard works sung in translation, and by offering premieres and unusual, important revivals.”
New York Times

 “Year after year, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis attracts opera fans from all over North America to its spring festival seasons at the Loretto-Hilton Center here, and for good reason. Connoisseurs as well as lay listeners are lured by a combination of new and unusual repertory, including 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres to date.”
Chicago Tribune

“Some of the country’s most imaginative opera seasons are produced by Opera Theatre of St. Louis.”
Dallas Morning News

“OTSL's thoughtful and sensitive staging by James Robinson should go a long way toward opening minds about Klinghoffer.”
Wall Street Journal

“The scenes that hit home involve the Klinghoffers themselves – their simple yet tender moments together, and her fierce reaction to his death… As Klinghoffer, Brian Mulligan projects considerable strength, especially in his post-murder monologue.  Nancy Maultsby is shattering in conveying Marilyn Klinghoffer’s despair.”
Financial Times (London)

“Mr. Curran… embraced [The Daughter of the Regiment] as the frothy entertainment it is… Armed with a bright smile, a pealing voice ideally suited to the intimate Virginia Jackson Browning Theater, and a gift for physical comedy, Ms. Emerson was captivating as Marie… As Tonio, Marie’s peasant lover, the charming tenor René Barbera hit his notorious nine high C’s and considerably more, securely and seemingly effortlessly.”
New York Times

“Imaginative company dazzles with Pelléas…the compact setting intensified the hothouse atmosphere, and Hugh Macdonald’s English translation was effective.  OTSL music director Stephen Lord and the orchestra made magic of exquisite music.”
Dallas Morning News

“The latest installment of OTSL's Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy was notable chiefly for Jane Glover's superbly stylish conducting, her crisp accompaniments at the fortepiano and the vital playing she drew from the orchestra… Elliot Madore's hunky, vocally burnished Don made him a talent to watch.”
Chicago Tribune

Opera Theatre Young Friends Program Sees Marked Growth During 2011 Season

Final 2011 Young Friends Event is June 23 at The Death of Klinghoffer

St. Louis, MO – With two of three Young Friends Nights complete in the Wells Fargo Advisors 2011 Festival Season, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) can already report a 16% growth in attendance and a 27% growth in revenue for its Young Friends program during the 2011 season. These numbers will climb further after the final Young Friends night of the season, which is scheduled for June 23 in conjunction with John Adams’s contemporary masterpiece The Death of Klinghoffer.  Led by a Steering Committee that is chaired by Mary Ann Srenco, Opera Theatre’s 2011 Young Friends events are sponsored by Macy’s.

With the national median age of an opera attendee 48 years old, OTSL’s Young Friends program focuses on introducing younger patrons to opera in a setting that encourages networking, socializing, and community development. One strong source of growth for the program has been among recently transplanted young professionals. Young Friends Nights at Opera Theatre gives them immediate access to other culturally-minded peers as they acclimate to their new home, a valuable resource for employers seeking to court out-of-town talent to St. Louis.

“My wife, Ciara, and I have met many good friends through Young Friends. Our first Opera Theatre experience was at The Marriage of Figaro last year, and we’ve been hooked ever since,” says Sameer Samana, who recently relocated to Saint Louis from Richmond, Virginia for a new position with Wells Fargo Advisors. “Having the operas sung in English was a pleasant surprise and makes it really easy to become a part of what’s going on.  I would highly recommend attendees stick around for the after party since you get to meet and greet the performers - I can’t think of any experience elsewhere that comes even close.  Knowing that Wells Fargo Advisors is such a big supporter of Opera Theatre makes me proud to be a part of the firm.” Wells Fargo Advisors is the presenting sponsor for Opera Theatre’s 2011 festival season.

Other growth has stemmed from increased partnerships between Young Friends groups throughout the city. OTSL’s June 11 Young Friends event, in conjunction with Pelleas and Melisande, was co-hosted by the Young Friends of the Saint Louis Art Museum. This unique collaboration was Opera Theatre’s single highest attended Young Friends event at the opera. “We were thrilled to partner with OTSL. The Museum’s Young Friends group not only works to promote the Museum’s collection and exhibitions to our Members, but also to expose them to the amazing array of cultural activities throughout the community”said Jennifer Thomas, Membership Director at the Saint Louis Art Museum. OTSL and SLAM will collaborate on a second event November 3 at the museum, in conjunction with SLAM’s Monet’s Water Lilies exhibit.

“Opera speaks powerfully to all ages,” says Opera Theatre General Director Timothy O’Leary, who is 36. “It is thrilling to witness younger audiences discover how much they love opera when they attend a performance for the first time.  Opera Theatre is famous for a warm atmosphere, intimate performances, and innovative programming -- I applaud our Young Friends Steering Committee for helping make sure that this season’s first time opera-goers become the next generation of St. Louis opera lovers."

Opera Theatre’s final Young Friends night of the season is June 23^rd at The Death of Klinghoffer, the powerful contemporary opera by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams. Tickets for this event are available for $45, a price which includes reserved seating at the opera and a pre-show dinner reception. Cocktail service begins at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., and the performance at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling (314) 963-4223. Patrons must be 45 or younger to purchase a Young Friends ticket.

 About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

 Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions featuring the finest American singers, sung in English, and accompanied by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  As of 2010, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company.  Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as, “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 47 states and 10 foreign countries in 2010.  Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

Grammy Award winning soprano Sylvia McNair

ARTISTS FROM OPERA THEATRE’S 2011 SEASON LIFT THEIR VOICES TO BENEFIT SITEMAN CANCER CENTER

St. Louis, MO – Artists from Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s (OTSL) 2011 season have joined with the Siteman Cancer Center to present Sing for Siteman, a benefit concert for advanced cancer research and patient care, on Monday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitaker Hall on the Danforth Campus of Washington University. 

 The performers, inspired by personal experiences with cancer, are donating their time and talents to raise funds for treatment, prevention, and research.  The evening will be hosted by two-time Grammy Award winning soprano and cancer survivor Sylvia McNair. 

 “It was 5 years ago this month that I was thrust into chemotherapy and surgery,” said McNair.  “My life as I knew it came to a screeching halt and I spent the next year in non-stop treatments.  The experience gave me clarity about how I want to live, it gave me compassion for people who are ill, and it has given me a calm I hope I never lose.  I want to spend a lot of time giving to others, because I have been given a second chance to live!  I can’t wait to host this event for the Siteman Cancer Center here in St. Louis.”

 The concert features performances from artists appearing in OTSL’s 2011 season including baritone Paul La Rosa, mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis, baritone Elliot Madore, baritone Brian Mulligan, baritone Sidney Outlaw, tenor David Portillo, mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer, and soprano Corinne Winters.  Internationally renowned classical pianist Carol Wong will accompany the artists.  Musical selections will range from Rossini to Gershwin to Joni Mitchell. 

 OTSL’s 2011 season runs through June 26^th featuring new productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande, and John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer.    

 Sing for Siteman is co-chaired by Kim Eberlein and Janice Linehan.  Proceeds benefit the Director’s Discovery Fund for research and patient care at Siteman Cancer Center.  Tickets ($50 for regular open seating and $75 for preferred seating) can be purchased by calling the OTSL box office at (314) 961-0644 or by visiting http://www.opera-stl.org/SingForSiteman .

  About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

 Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions featuring the finest American singers, sung in English, and accompanied by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  As of 2010, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company.  Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as, “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 47 states and 10 foreign countries in 2010.  Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

 About Siteman Cancer Center

The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is the only National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri and within a 240-mile radius of St. Louis. Siteman is also one of only 20 national members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the world's leading cancer centers dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit http://www.siteman.wustl.edu .

St. Louis, MO – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has announced that Wells Fargo Advisors will sponsor the 2011 season with a leadership gift of $150,000.  The 2011 sponsorship is the second year that Wells Fargo Advisors has provided leadership support, extending the company’s role as presenting sponsor of OTSL’s spring festival season and spring gala.

 “We are deeply grateful to Wells Fargo Advisors for their investment in Opera Theatre and the St. Louis community,” says OTSL General Director Timothy O’Leary.  “The steadfast generosity of Wells Fargo Advisors in a challenging economic environment ensures that tickets remain affordable and helps Opera Theatre introduce new audiences to world class performances.”

 “Wells Fargo Advisors is committed to enriching the civic and cultural fabric of the St. Louis community and our support for Opera Theatre is an important part of that effort,” said Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors.

 The Wells Fargo Advisors 2011 Festival Season opens on May 21^st and continues through June 27^th with new productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande, and John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer.  Full ticket prices begin at just $25, with special offers available for as little as $15 for students and active members of the military.  For more information, visit www.ExperienceOpera.org.

About Wells Fargo Advisors

With more than $1.2 trillion in client assets as of March 31, 2010, Wells Fargo’s brokerage businesses comprise 15,236 full-service financial advisors and 3,958 licensed bankers. This vast network of advisors, one of the nation’s largest, serves clients through offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Wells Fargo Advisors is the trade name used by two separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company: Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (members SIPC). Statistics include other broker-dealers of Wells Fargo & Company. www.wellsfargoadvisors.com

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions featuring the finest American singers, sung in English, and accompanied by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  As of 2010, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company.  Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as, “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 47 states and 10 foreign countries in 2010.  Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

Carmen, Così fan tutte, Sweeney Todd, and Alice in Wonderland

Season to feature a major American premiere, as well as the triumphant return of St. Louis’s own Kendall Gladen in her OTSL debut as Carmen

St. Louis, MO – From opera’s most compelling femme fatale to an eye-popping wonderland of fantasy friends, Opera Theatre’s 2012 spring season brings audiences a cast of unforgettable characters over the course of 29 performances. The season opens with the OTSL debut of St. Louis’s own Kendall Gladen in Bizet’s Carmen and continues with Mozart’s sparkling comedy Così fan tutte and the company’s second Sondheim, his 1979 masterpiece Sweeney Todd. The season concludes with the much-anticipated American premiere of Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang’s Alice in Wonderland.

Subscriptions to the 2012 season are now available to renewing 2011 season subscribers and 2011 ticket buyers. Subscriptions may currently be purchased in person at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis box office or by phone at (314) 961-0644. Tickets within a subscription package range from $37.50 to $93.50, a savings of at least 25% off the cost of single tickets. Prices vary based on number of operas in the package, day of week, and seating section. Subscriptions go on sale online to the general public July 11, 2011. Additional season activities, including Spotlight on Opera, A Little Lunch Music, master classes, Young Friends programs and additional concerts and cabarets, will be announced later this summer.

 THE 2012 REPERTORY

*Debut artist

Georges Bizet: CARMEN (1875)

Nine performances in 2012: May 19, 23, 25, 31, June 8, 10, 13 (matinee), 16, 23 (matinee)

 Conductor: Carlos Izcaray*

Stage Director: Stephen Barlow*

Costume and Set Designer: Paul Edwards

Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

 Carmen’s allure is inescapable. This fiery femme fatale inspires passion and shatters hearts. Once Corporal Don Jose falls under her spell, his desire transforms him from a noble soldier into a common criminal… and ultimately, a murderer. After over a century, Carmen remains perhaps the world’s most popular opera.  This all-new production evokes a sand-swept, lusty Seville – where both honor can be betrayed and temptation can be awakened over the most casual of cigarettes.

 Carmen will be the first starring role at Opera Theatre for St. Louis’s own Kendall Gladen*, whose blazing talent first emerged in OTSL’s Artist-in-Training program when she was only 16 years old. Corinne Winters returns as Micaëla, with significant debuts by Adam Diegel* as Don Jose and Aleksey Bogdanov* as the bullfighter Escamillo. Stephen Barlow* and Carlos Izcaray* make St. Louis debuts as director and conductor.

 Stephen Sondheim: SWEENEY TODD (1979)

Eight performances in 2012: May 26, 30, June 1, 7, 12 (matinee), 16 (matinee), 20, 24

 Conductor: Stephen Lord

Stage Director: Ron Daniels*

Set Designer: Riccardo Hernandez

Costume Designer: Emily Rebholz

Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

Sweet revenge never was so literal as it is in this dark comedy about the underbelly of Victorian England. Sweeney, a barber convicted of a crime he did not commit, is a driven man in search of justice. Mrs. Lovett, proprietress of a pie shop, is a batty woman in search of customers. When Sweeney’s quest for vengeance spirals out of control, he draws her into the depths of his madness. Soon, Lovett’s promise to “serve anyone” in her pie shop starts to ring disturbingly true.

 Stephen Sondheim’s ravishing score oozes with wit and menace – equal parts raw power and biting comedy. Hailed in theaters and opera houses around the globe, this masterpiece of contemporary American music theater will be led by the powerhouse team of OTSL Music Director Stephen Lord and director Ron Daniels*. 

 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: COSÌ FAN TUTTE (1790)

Six performances in 2012: June 3, 6, 9, 14, 20 (matinee), 22

Conductor: Jean-Marie Zeitouni*

Stage Director: Michael Shell

Set and Costume Designer: Bruno Schwengl

Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

Two suave and impossibly attractive suitors come to call on a pair of sisters… just as their fiancés go off to war. Little do the sisters know that it’s all a trick to test their fidelity: the exotic suitors are actually their fiancés in disguise. Midsummer mischief, mistaken identities, and unexpected romance turn the men’s ill-advised wager on love into much more than they bargained for.

This shimmering romantic comedy is the finale to OTSL’s cycle of Mozart and Da Ponte’s great operas.  Rachel Willis-Sørensen* and former Gerdine Young Artist Kathryn Leemhuis match wits with Liam Bonner (fresh from his appearance as Pelléas in OTSL’s 2011 season) and David Portillo (seen in 2011 as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni), as Così’s star-crossed lovers. OTSL welcomes Jennifer Aylmer* as the cunning maid Despina and Matthew Lau as Alfonso. Michael Shell makes his OTSL solo directing debut and Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducts.

Opera Theatre’s 3-year Mozart/Da Ponte cycle is made possible with leadership support from the William T. Kemper Foundation – Commerce Bank, Trustee, and The Commerce Trust Company.

Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang: ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2007)

Six performances in 2012: June 13, 15, 17, 19 (matinee), 21, 23

American Premiere

Conductor: Michael Christie

Stage Director: James Robinson

This is one important date you cannot be late for. With dazzling musical invention, Unsuk Chin finds captivating new voices for familiar friends: from the beguiling caterpillar, the delightful White Rabbit, the hilarious Mad Hatter and the willful Queen of Hearts to Alice herself. The denizens of this dream world blend the fantasy, whimsy, and darkness of Lewis Carroll’s original tale in an unforgettable journey down the rabbit hole to a world of wonder.

Opernwelt magazine called Alice’s European debut “the world premiere of the year.”  The Los Angeles Times echoed, “A wondrous new work… triumphs in Munich… greeted with thunderous applause and foot-stomping… as colorful as a look through a kaleidoscope.” With a libretto by David Henry Hwang, playwright of M. Butterfly, Alice in Wonderland has already been listed among the “New Masterpieces” in the January 2011 Opera News. Starring Ashley Emerson as Alice, after her 2011 The Daughter of the Regiment, this American premiere is directed by OTSL Artistic Director James Robinson and conducted by Michael Christie.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers, and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony.  As of 2011, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 22 American premieres – which is perhaps the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any U.S. company. Described by The Sunday Times of London as “one of the few American companies worth the transatlantic fare,” and by Opera Today as “the leading summer opera destination in the United States,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis welcomed visitors from 47 states and 10 foreign countries in 2010. Although the size of the theater limits box office income to 26% of the budget, the company has consistently produced work of the highest quality while never accumulating a deficit.

Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts & Education Council of Greater Saint Louis, and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.

St. Louis, MO -- On Saturday, May 14, Opera Theatre will launch its 36th festival season with a masked ball at the Sally S. Levy Opera Center.  The Giovanni Gala: An Evening of Surprise, Seduction, and Song is inspired by Mozart's most famous lover and libertine, Don Giovanni.  Guests will enjoy a decadent feast of food and wine, and a brief performance featuring 2011 principal singers Ashley Emerson, René Barbera, and Liam Bonner.

Proceeds from the event represent nearly 7% of Opera Theatre’s annual budget and provide critical support for the company’s education initiatives which serve more than 11,000 children each year as well as professional development programs for emerging artists including Gerdine Young Artists and Emerson Behind the Curtain.  Each season, the Gerdine Young Artists program nurtures and showcases the best young American singers who sing supporting roles and understudy featured roles in OTSL’s main season productions.  Emerson Behind the Curtain focuses on the best young talent backstage by preparing students for careers in a range of technical specialties in contemporary stagecraft. 

 The Giovanni Gala is chaired by Carol & Tom Voss.  The gala launches OTSL’s 36^th season, which runs from May 21^st through June 26^th with productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande, and John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer. 

 Wells Fargo Advisors is the Presenting Sponsor of the gala.  Additional support for the event is provided by Ameren, Centene Corporation, World Wide Technology, Inc. and The Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation – Mabel L. Purkerson, M.D., Trustee, as well as a variety of corporate and community friends.  

 Gala tickets begin at $500.  For more information, please call (314) 963-4222.

Elliot Madore to sing title role in place of injured Daniel Okulitch

St. Louis, MO  -- Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) has announced that baritone Daniel Okulitch will not perform as scheduled in the title role of the 2011 production of Don Giovanni.  Mr. Okulitch was injured in a car accident on April 5th and is recovering from fractured vertebrae.  Former Gerdine Young Artist and 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions winner Elliot Madore (pictured) will instead sing the role of Don Giovanni at all performances. 

"Everyone at Opera Theatre is grateful to know that Daniel is all right and we look forward to welcoming him back in future seasons," says OTSL General Director Timothy O'Leary.  "We are fortunate that Elliot Madore is available to step into Daniel's considerable shoes.  Elliot is a major star-on-the-rise and we're proud that he got his start in our own Gerdine Young Artists program back in 2007."

"I'm terribly disappointed to be withdrawing from this production of Don Giovanni -- an opera and role I hold dear to my heart -- and to miss out on working with old and new friends and seeing the wonderful St. Louis audience again," Okulitch said.  "I'll be with you all in spirit as I recover, and I hope to be back in future seasons."

Daniel Okulitch debuted the role of Willy Wonka in OTSL's 2010 world premiere production of The Golden Ticket and has performed with such companies as the Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

A quickly rising opera star, Elliot Madore has already performed the role of Giovanni under the baton of Metropolitan Opera Music Director James Levine at the Tanglewood Festival.  Madore is a winner of the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has been called a "robust and attractive vocalist" (The New York Times) and a "warm, powerful baritone" (Boston Globe).  He is a former Gerdine Young Artist at OTSL and is currently a member of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera.

Mr. Madore was previously scheduled to sing the role of Mamoud in OTSL's 2011 production of The Death of Klinghoffer.  An announcement of the new casting for Mamoud will be forthcoming.

Wells Fargo Advisors is the presenting sponsor of Opera Theatre's 2011 season.

Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts and Education Council of Greater Saint Louis and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.

###

Contact: Linda Schulte, Manager for Media Relations
(314) 963-4225, lschulte@opera-stl.org

  St. Louis, MO -- In collaboration with the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations of the Jewish Community Relations Council, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) announces, "A Work that Fires the Heart:" Exploring Darkness and Light in The Death of Klinghoffer, a panel discussion including interfaith leaders and featuring remarks by Dr. Gerald Early, Director of The Center for Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis.  The event will be held on Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. at the Ethical Society of St. Louis (9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63117).

Based on the true story of the 1985 hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro by Palestinian terrorists and the murder of a Jewish American passenger, The Death of Klinghoffer represents a chilling moment in recent history.  This spring, OTSL will present the first U.S. staged production of Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Adams's landmark opera since the original 1991 production.

"This deeply moving tragedy is about senseless violence against one innocent person," said OTSL General Director Timothy O'Leary, "It is about both the danger of extremism and the common humanity of ordinary people of all faiths and nationalities.  Now more than ever, I believe the arts must play a critical role in our world by promoting informed, respectful discussion to help build understanding across all peoples and all cultures."

In addition to Dr. Early and Mr. O'Leary, panelists will include:

• Batya Abramson-Goldstein, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council
• Dr. David Greenhaw, President of Eden Theological Seminary
• Dr. Ghazala Hayat, St. Louis University neurologist and former chairwoman of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis

OTSL, with the guidance of an interfaith steering committee which includes leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities, is organizing this symposium as the centerpiece for a series of community events.  Among these additional events is a program with the JCRC coordinated Sidney and Anna Frager Jewish/Muslim Teen Dialogue Group -- this group of 22 high school students is called JAM for short, which stands for "Jews and Muslims."  This activity is designed to introduce the visual and performing arts into their on-going activities.  After a special tour of the Saint Louis Art Museum to view art inspired by war or conflict, members of JAM will attend The Death of Klinghoffer.  Based on this interdisciplinary experience, JAM alumni will then lead a one-of-a-kind discussion with Klinghoffer audiences following the Tuesday, June 21st matinee.  This unique youth-led conversation will frame the conflict in Klinghoffer from the perspective of the first generation born since the events of the opera.  Members of the interfaith steering committee are also preparing a discussion guide which examines the sensitive issues raised by the opera. 

"I have found my engagement with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis on behalf of the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations, to be both productive and gratifying," said Ms. Abramson-Goldstein.  "We have spoken in depth about the power of this opera to launch a broad-based series of conversations in St. Louis that can build understanding, respect, and community."

Added Dr. Hayat, "It takes wisdom and courage to address a sensitive issue and be objective as much as possible.  These endeavors help understanding and bring communities together."

Dr. Greenhaw said, "I'm pleased to have an opportunity to call on longstanding friendships and engage the community in what I think will be sensitive conversations about a very terrible and violent act.  I think art ought to provoke and there is an opportunity with that provocation to engage us in conversation."

Educational events in conjunction with The Death of Klinghoffer are made possible by

Opera Theatre's  production of The Death of Klinghoffer is made possible with a leadership gift from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and with generous support from Whitaker Foundation.  Major production support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.  Special thanks to The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

Opera Theatre is a sustaining member of the Arts and Education Council of Greater Saint Louis and receives major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Arts Council.