“Champion,” a co-commission with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Jazz St. Louis, will receive world premiere June 15 – 30, 2013

St. Louis, MO, May 16, 2012 – Continuing their individual traditions of commissioning music that showcases the talents of the world’s best contemporary composers, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Jazz St. Louis have joined forces in the development of a new opera, featuring a powerhouse team of writers and performers. With music by Terence Blanchard and libretto by Michael Cristofer, Champion blends the uniquely American tradition of jazz with the dramatic power of opera. Based on the story of prizefighter Emile Griffith, the opera will star Denyce Graves, Aubrey Allicock, Arthur Woodley, and Robert Orth. Directed by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Artistic Director James Robinson, Champion will receive its world premiere June 15 – 30, 2013 as part of Opera Theatre’s 2013 Festival Season.

The Story of Champion

Emile Griffith was a three-time World Welterweight Champion and twice a World Middleweight Champion, fighting from the late 1950s into the 1970s. However, one of his greatest professional triumphs – winning back the Welterweight Championship from Benny “The Kid” Paret in 1962 – was also one of his greatest personal tragedies. The seventeen punches he landed on Paret in seven seconds resulted in not only a knockout, but also a coma from which Paret would never recover. Paret would die ten days later.

Before that life-changing televised fight, in a room full of press and officials, Paret mocked Griffith repeatedly with a derogatory term for homosexual. Years later, Griffith’s sexuality as a gay man was revealed to the public after he was nearly killed by a gang outside a gay bar in New York. “I kill a man,” Griffith was quoted to have said, “and most people understand and forgive me. I love a man, and to so many people this is an unforgiveable sin.” In an inspiring, moving, and painful journey of self-discovery, Champion presents audiences with a great contemporary tragic hero – a man of strength and courage consumed ultimately by rage, regret, and the terrible consequences of his actions.

The Cast of Champion

Champion marks the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis debut for Denyce Graves, who originated the title role in Toni Morrison’s opera Margaret Garner. Graves sings the role of Emelda, Griffiths’ mother. The cast is led by Aubrey Allicock, returning to Opera Theatre to play Young Emile after performances as Mamoud in The Death of Klinghoffer in 2011 and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland in 2012. Arthur Woodley, distinguished for his portrayal of the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess world-wide, plays Old Emile. Robert Orth, who has one of country’s strongest pedigrees for originating roles in new American operas, plays Howie. Further casting will be announced in 2013.

The Creative Team for Champion

Renowned for his work as a composer of hauntingly beautiful jazz pieces for small ensembles, symphonic settings, film, and stage, Terence Blanchard has received five Grammy Awards, including the 2007 Large Ensemble Grammy for A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). Most recently for film, he wrote the score to Lucasfilm’s Red Tails, which chronicled the story of the Tuskegee pilots and starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. His music is currently represented on Broadway with the score to Emily Mann’s new production of A Streetcar Named Desire, which stars Blair Underwood. Champion is Blanchard’s first opera. “My father loved opera,” Blanchard says, “He was a baritone who studied opera, so it was impossible not to feel an emotional connection to him in writing Champion. I was drawn to tell Emile’s story through music from the moment I first heard of his incredible journey. I knew there was no other way to tell this story but through the unique power of opera.”

For playwright, filmmaker, and actor Michael Cristofer, the Champion libretto is also a first. In 1977, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play for The Shadow Box. Cristofer’s other plays include Breaking Up, Black Angel, The Lady and the Clarinet which starred Stockard Channing, and Amazing Grace starring Marsha Mason, which received the American Theater Critics Award for Best Play in 1997. His work on such films as The Witches of Eastwick, Falling in Love, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and HBO’s Gia has earned him a Golden Globe, a Writer’s Guild Award, two Emmy nominations, and a best director award from the Director’s Guild of America. Currently, he appears on the NBC drama Smash. “Champion is the story of a man struggling to make peace with himself and to find his place in the world... as a fighter and a gay man,” Cristofer says.  “It's the story of courage in the face of sexual oppression, of love in the face of hate, of grace in the face of physical and mental decline. For me, Emile's story not only asks the question of what it means to be a man. It asks what it means to be a human being." 

Director James Robinson is one of America’s most sought-after opera directors, winning wide acclaim for productions that range from standard opera repertory to world premieres and rarely performed works. Artistic Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Robinson has staged productions for major opera companies, including New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, San Francisco Opera, and Seattle Opera.

Commissioning Partner and Underwriting

Co-commissioning partner Jazz St. Louis has been an integral part of the creation and development of this opera. Terence Blanchard has performed with Jazz St. Louis on many occasions, and through that relationship, Jazz St. Louis Executive Director Gene Dobbs Bradford introduced Blanchard to Opera Theatre. “Terence Blanchard is among the best jazz composers and musicians living today. We believe that this new opera will be remembered as a major work in the decades to come, both for American jazz and for American opera, as it bridges the two audiences and art forms in a fresh and exciting way.” says Bradford.

The commissioning and development of Champion was made possible with a leadership gift from the Whitaker Foundation and with major support from the National Endowment for the Arts and OPERA America.  Support for the production of Champion is generously provided by the Whitaker Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Phoebe Dent Weil.  New Voices for Opera, the audience development programming surrounding the project, is made possible by OPERA America and PNC Arts Alive.

Performance Schedule

Champion will be presented as part of Opera Theatre’s 2013 Festival Season (May 25 – June 30, 2013), which also includes Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, a double bill of Puccini’s Il Tabarro and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and Smetana’s The Kiss. Champion will receive six performances, on June 15, 19, 21, 25, 27, and 30, 2013. Tickets to Champion are now available as part of a subscription to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Single tickets will go on sale February, 2013.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American festival opera companies, known for a spring season of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony.  As of 2012, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 23 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 gratefully acknowledges 2012 season presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors. 

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.

About Jazz St. Louis

Jazz St. Louis is on an incredible journey to advance the uniquely American art of jazz in St. Louis through live performance, education, and outreach. Each year, this non-profit organization presents over 270 performances on its internationally-acclaimed Jazz at the Bistro concert series. Artists appearing onstage at the Bistro regularly participate in one of Jazz St. Louis’s several education and outreach offerings. This unique, successful model sets the organization apart as an institution that presents jazz, educates future audiences, and nurtures budding musicians. Over 10,000 students are impacted each year by the organization’s work—all of which is offered free of cost to area schools and students. In this three-pronged approach, Jazz St. Louis maintains a commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and artistic quality unmatched in its field.

Jazz St. Louis gratefully acknowledges Wells Fargo Advisors as the presenting sponsor of the 2011-12 and 2012-2013 Jazz at the Bistro Series.

Jazz St. Louis receives significant support from the Arthur and Helen Baer Foundation, the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Missouri Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, PNC Arts Alive, the Regional Arts Commission, the Trio Foundation of St. Louis, and the Whitaker Foundation.

Growth in subscription base and strong single ticket presale prompt added performance, bucking national sales trends

ST. LOUIS – Less than two weeks before the start of the Wells Fargo Advisors 2012 Festival Season, Opera Theatre announces the addition of a new Carmen performance, to be offered Tuesday, June 19 at 8 p.m. The performance will help Opera Theatre meet strong demand for center orchestra seating during the run of Carmen. Currently, less than 4% of center orchestra seating and barely 1% of tickets in the $25 seating section remain available in the previously scheduled 9 performances of the opera. This is the first time in 8 years that Opera Theatre has added a performance to its festival calendar after tickets have gone on sale.

“I’m thrilled that popular demand for Carmen has necessitated this additional performance,” says Opera Theatre General Director Timothy O’Leary. “Not only is Carmen the most popular opera in the history of the world, but this production in St. Louis is special because of its phenomenal cast, especially our home-grown international opera star Kendall Gladen in the title role.  Watching her and the rest of the cast in rehearsals, I am certain that once the opera opens, tickets will become scarcer still.”

The added performance of Carmen is one reflection of the high demand for Opera Theatre tickets in 2012. Other early sales highlights of the 2012 Season include:

• Season Subscriptions at this early date are up 2% over 2011’s end-of-season final numbers, both by total number of households and by total revenue. This reverses a multi-year trend of declining subscription volume for Opera Theatre, which has been consistent with a national decade-long trend subscription decline in the performing arts. The company will welcome its largest number of new or lapsed subscribers since the economic downturn in 2008, up 8% from 2011, while renewing 86% of its 2011 subscription base.

• Young Friends Events are already 33% ahead in sales of 2011’s end-of-season final numbers. Young Friends Nights for Carmen and Sweeney Todd are already sold out. Tickets remain available for the Così fan tutte Young Friends Night on June 9, as well as a newly added Young Friends reception at Spotlight on Opera on May 14.

• Illuminating Opera, a four-week April lecture series, exceeded total attendance by 31% and subscription volume by 47% over 2011. Normally only offered one morning per week, Illuminating Opera added an additional weekly Saturday series to meet demand.

• Spotlight on Opera, a four-week panel discussion series which began on Monday, April 30, continues its growth in subscriptions – up 9% over 2011 and up 14% since 2010. Two more Spotlight events continue on May 14 and May 21.

• Opera Theatre’s Spring Gala, held on Saturday, May 5, raised a record $727,000 for the company’s annual fund and attracted nearly 450 guests. The event was chaired by Noémi Neidorff, with honorary chair Donna Wilkinson and co-chair Kara O’Leary.

Carmen opens the Wells Fargo Advisors 2012 Festival Season on Saturday, May 19^th. Before the 8pm performance that evening, Opera Theatre offers a complimentary wine tasting to all opening night guests from 6:30 – 7:30pm under the tent in the Opera Theatre gardens. Carmen performances continue on May 23 at 8 p.m., May 25 at 8 p.m., May 31 at 8 p.m., June 8 at 8 p.m., June 10 at 7 p.m., June 13 at 1 p.m., June 16 at 8 p.m., June 19 at 8 p.m., and June 23 at 1 p.m. The season also includes Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (opening Saturday, May 26 at 8 p.m.), Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte (opening Sunday, June 3 at 7 p.m.), and the much-anticipated American premiere of Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang’s Alice in Wonderland (opening Wednesday, June 13 at 8 p.m.) Tickets for all performances are available at ExperienceOpera.org or (314) 961-0644.

About Opera Theatre

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American festival opera companies, known for a spring season of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony.  As of 2012, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 23 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 gratefully acknowledges 2012 season presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors.

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, April 11, 2012 – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is pleased to announce that Wells Fargo Advisors has given a leadership gift of $150,000 to sponsor the 2012 Festival Season.  Now in its third year, the sponsorship extends the company’s role as both the presenting sponsor of the spring festival season as well as a presenting sponsor of the annual spring gala.

“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.

Throughout this time, Opera Theatre’s relationship with Wells Fargo Advisors has grown beyond the sponsorship and into the community. General Director Timothy O’Leary, said “We are thrilled and grateful about this ongoing partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors.  Not only do they help us bring world-class productions to the stage, but they also strengthen our community outreach and education programs, such as our recent joint event with the St. Louis Public School District featuring St. Louis’s own internationally-celebrated mezzo-soprano Kendall Gladen.”  In all, Opera Theatre’s education programs reach 11,000 school children in 26 school districts throughout the metropolitan area.

The Wells Fargo Advisors 2012 Festival Season at Opera Theatre opens on May 19 with rising sensation 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.   Full ticket prices begin at just $25, with special pricing 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 $1.1 trillion in client assets as of December 31, 2011, Wells Fargo’s brokerage businesses are comprised of 15,263 full-service financial advisors and 3,548 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 festival opera companies, known for a spring season of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony.  As of 2012, Opera Theatre has presented 22 world premieres and 23 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 gratefully acknowledges 2012 season presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors.

 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, March 28, 2012 – Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has opened registration for its annual week-long summer camps – Opera Camp for students grades 4 – 8 and Spring Training, a vocal camp for high school singers. Both programs take place during the Wells Fargo Advisors 2012 Festival Season and include tickets for students to see a live performance of one of Opera Theatre’s internationally acclaimed productions. Each week of camp includes five full days of fun and music. Registration is $160 per week.

Opera Camp

Grades 4-8
June 4-8, 2012 at City Academy in St. Louis
June 18-22, 2012 at Edgar Road Elementary School in Webster Groves
8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In these week-long camps offered in two St. Louis-area locations, students grades 4-8 participate in all the things that go into Opera Theatre’s productions - including singing, dancing, writing words and music, making instruments, and learning about costumes and makeup, lighting and set design. Campers will also tour backstage, work with Opera Theatre professionals and leading music educators, and see a performance of the much-anticipated American premiere of Alice in Wonderland, by renowned Korean composer Unsuk Chin and Tony-award winner David Henry Hwang.

Opera Camp is made possible by lead corporate sponsor Edward Jones and with generous support from Fox Performing Arts Foundation.

Spring Training Vocal Camp

Grades 9-12
May 29-June 1, 2012
June 4-8, 2012
Community Music School on the campus of Webster University
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 Students in these week-long camps will receive daily private voice lessons, vocal coaching, and classes in movement, acting, dance, and Alexander Technique. They also gain practical experience at afternoon mini-recitals, and attend an opera scene rehearsal and performance with Opera Theatre singers, a live performance of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd or Bizet’s Carmen, and classes in opera set design and makeup. Students are taught by faculty, including Jolly Stewart, Retired Director of Opera Programs at Washington University and Principal Stage Director at Union Avenue Opera, as well as staff members of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University, Webster University, and SIU-Edwardsville.

Spring Training is underwritten by Monsanto Fund and is an extension of Opera Theatre’s nationally award-winning Monsanto Artists-in-Training program.

 Registration for both camps is limited and spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, contact Dan Mayo, Opera Theatre Education Assistant at (314) 963-4251 or 251@opera-stl.org.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

 Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American festival opera companies, known for a spring season 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 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 gratefully acknowledges 2012 season presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors. 

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.

 U.S. premiere of Unsuk Chin’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND highlights May 19-June 24 season

 With the return of many St. Louis favorites and debuts by international stars, Opera Theatre’s 2012 casts are filled with fresh and exciting talent.  The season begins with rising sensation Kendall Gladen in Bizet’s Carmen and continues with 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions winner Rachel Willis-Sørensen making her company debut as Fiordiligi and famed baritone James Maddalena returning as Alfonso in Così fan tutte.  Two-time Grammy nominee Rod Gilfry and Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba make OTSL debuts as the conniving pair at the center of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd.  The 2012 season comes to a close with the return of Ashley Emerson as Alice in the American premiere of Alice in Wonderland, the captivating new opera by Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang.  In addition to 27 principal artists, 34 singers were chosen for the 2012 Gerdine Young Artist program, Opera Theatre’s renowned program for developing young artists. 

 THE 2012 REPERTORY
*Debut artist

 CARMEN (1875)

Georges Bizet, Henri Meilhac, and Ludovic Halévy

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

Conductor: Carlos Izcaray*
Stage Director: Stephen Barlow*
Costume and Set Designer: Paul Edwards*
Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

Carmen – Kendall Gladen • Don José – Adam Diegel* •
Escamillo – Aleksey Bogdanov • Micaëla – Corinne Winters • Zuniga – Bradley Smoak •Frasquita – Jennifer Caraluzzi* •
Mercedes – Shirin Eskandani* • Remendado – Michael Kuhn* • Dancairo – Thomas Gunther* • Morales – Hernan Berisso*

 After over a century, Carmen remains perhaps the world’s most popular opera. This all-new production evokes a sand-swept, lusty Seville.  Carmen will be the first starring role at Opera Theatre for St. Louis’s own Kendall Gladen, whose blazing talent first emerged in Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artists-in-Training program when she was only 16 years old.  Adam Diegel*, currently appearing as Froh in the Metropolitan Opera’s new staging of Das Rheingold, debuts as Don José.  Three former Gerdine Young Artists (GYAs) return to the stage in principal roles – Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Prize-winner Corinne Winters as Micaëla, Aleksey Bogdanov as the bullfighter Escamillo, and Bradley Smoak as Zuniga.  Stephen Barlow* and Carlos Izcaray* make St. Louis debuts as director and conductor.

 This production is underwritten in part with a leadership gift from Centene Corporation.

SWEENEY TODD (1979)

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

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

Conductor: Stephen Lord
Stage Director: Ron Daniels*
Set Designer: Riccardo Hernandez*
Costume Designer: Emily Rebholz*
Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

 Sweeney Todd – Rod Gilfry* • Mrs. Lovett – Karen Ziemba* •
Anthony Hope – Nathaniel Hackmann* • Johanna – Deanna Breiwick* •
Tobias Ragg – Kyle Erdos-Knapp* • Judge Turpin – Timothy Nolen•
Beggar Woman – Susanne Mentzer • Beadle – Scott Ramsay* • Pirelli – Anthony Webb*

 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*.  Rod Gilfry*, whose opera credits include numerous roles at the Metropolitan Opera, makes his OTSL debut as Sweeney Todd.  Gilfry last performed the role in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtèlet, drawing praise from The New York Times: “Gilfry sings magnificently as Todd and invests the character with an almost wholesome candor, that, through it all, keeps one mindful of the barber’s vulnerability.”  (Ron Raines, previously announced in the role, has withdrawn due to a scheduling conflict with the opening of the Broadway production of Follies in Los Angeles.)  Karen Ziemba*, who received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Contact at Lincoln Center Theatre, debuts as his partner-in-crime, the batty Mrs. Lovett.  Acclaimed opera stars Susanne Mentzer (Beggar Woman) and Timothy Nolen (Judge Turpin) both make highly-anticipated returns to the OTSL stage. The cast also includes debuts by Nathaniel Hackmann* (Anthony Hope), Deanna Brewick* (Johanna), Kyle Erdos-Knapp* (Tobias Ragg), Scott Ramsay* (Beadle), and Anthony Webb* (Pirelli).

COSÌ FAN TUTTE (1790)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte

Six performances: June 3, 6, 9, 14, 20 (m), 22

 Conductor: Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Stage Director: Michael Shell
Set and Costume Designer: James Schuette
Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

Fiordiligi – Rachel Willis-Sørensen* • Dorabella – Kathryn Leemhuis • Ferrando – David Portillo  
Guglielmo – Liam Bonner • Despina – Jennifer Aylmer • Alfonso – James Maddalena

 This shimmering romantic comedy features Mozart’s most unabashedly beautiful score and 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 (Zerlina in 2011’s Don Giovanni) match wits with Liam Bonner (Pelléas in OTSL’s 2011 season) and David Portillo (Don Ottavio in 2011’s Don Giovanni), as Così’s star-crossed lovers.  Jennifer Aylmer is the cunning maid Despina and James Maddalena is Alfonso.  Michael Shell directs and Canada’s Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducts.  “His dynamically nuanced… approach to the score [was] filled… with the kind of vitality that transcends centuries of cultural change,” said The Toronto Star.

 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.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2007)

American Premiere 

Unsuk Chin and David Henry Hwang

Six performances: June 13, 15, 17, 19 (m), 21, 23

Conductor: Michael Christie
Stage Director: James Robinson
Set Designer: Allen Moyer
Costume Designer: James Schuette
Lighting Designer: Christopher Akerlind

Alice – Ashley Emerson • Cheshire Cat – Tracy Dahl • Mad Hatter/Duck – Aubrey Allicock •
White Rabbit– David Trudgen • Queen of Hearts – Julie Makerov* •
Mouse/ Dormouse/Pat/Invisible Man – Matthew DiBattista •King of Hearts – Bradley Smoak •
Caterpillar/ Mock Turtle (dancer) – Seán Curran •Caterpillar (bass clarinet) – James Meyer*

 Unsuk Chin’s dazzling musical invention finds captivating new voices for familiar friends in an unforgettable journey down the rabbit hole.  Ashley Emerson, who received glowing reviews for her 2011 performance as Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment, stars as Alice. “Armed with a bright smile… and a gift for physical comedy, Ms. Emerson was captivating,” wrote The New York Times.  The production features former Gerdine Young Artist Aubrey Allicock as the Mad Hatter, Matthew DiBattista as the Dormouse (both featured in 2011’s The Death of Klinghoffer), Tracy Dahl as the Cheshire Cat, and David Trudgen as the White Rabbit (both featured in 2010’s The Golden Ticket). Making a much anticipated debut as the Queen of Hearts is Julie Makerov*, with Bradley Smoak (2011’s Masetto in Don Giovanni) as the King of Hearts.  Choreographer Seán Curran dances the role of the Caterpillar.

 Made possible with a leadership gift from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and with generous support from The Saigh Foundation and the Fred M. Saigh Endowment at Opera Theatre.  Major production support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Whitaker Foundation, and Phoebe Dent Weil.

 Subscriptions to all four operas may currently be purchased in person at the Opera Theatre box office or by phone at (314) 961-0644 or online at ExperienceOpera.org.  Tickets in a subscription package range from $37.50 to $93.50, a savings of at least 25% off the cost of single tickets.

About Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American festival opera companies, known for a spring season of inventive new productions, sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony.  As of 2012, Opera Theatre will have presented 22 world premieres and 23 American premieres – which is one of the highest percentages 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.  OTSL’s general director is Timothy O’Leary; Stephen Lord is music director and James Robinson is artistic director.

Opera Theatre gratefully acknowledges 2012 season presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors. 

 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 -- 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 .