FELLOW TRAVELERS
NOV 13-17, 2019
An Opera by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Greg Pierce
Based on the 2007 novel Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon
Sung in English with English surtitles
Surtitles by Greg Pierce
Performance time is approximately 150 minutes including one intermission.
COVERT ROMANCE | POLITICS & POWER | A MODERN CLASSIC
Against a backdrop of 1950s paranoia in Washington, D.C., two men are swept into a passionate love affair, just as Senator McCarthy ratchets up his hunt for “sexual subversives” in the government. Based on the best-selling book by Thomas Mallon, Fellow Travelers is both a story of the heart and a taut political thriller, creating an instant contemporary classic.
Program
Washington, D.C., 1953, during the Eisenhower presidency and amidst Senator Joseph McCarthy’s hunt for Communists and “sexual subversives” in the federal government.
On a park bench in Dupont Circle, cub reporter Timothy Laughlin reviews his notes from the wedding of Senator McCarthy. State Department employee Hawkins Fuller approaches and the two men share a moment of attraction. Before they part, Timothy mentions seeking a job on the Hill.
Timothy is hired as a speechwriter at the office of Senator Potter and learns Hawkins had recommended him. He delivers a thank-you gift, and meets Hawkins’ assistant, Mary Johnson, and secretary, Miss Lightfoot. Hawkins later arrives unexpectedly at Timothy’s home and they spend the night together. Although amazed by the passionate encounter, Timothy wrestles with his Catholic faith.
Rumors abound at a Christmas party: a general encourages Timothy to enlist; Miss Lightfoot overhears a revealing conversation between Hawkins and Timothy. Later, Hawkins is interrogated on suspicion of being a homosexual.
Mary invites Timothy to her apartment and confides that she is pregnant and does not plan to keep the baby. She cautions him of Hawkins’ many failed relationships. After Hawkins is cleared, Timothy announces that he has enlisted and will go to France and Mary resigns, unable to stomach working for Hawkins or the government anymore. While in France, Timothy writes letters to Mary and Hawkins, who since has married a woman and moved to the suburbs.
When Timothy and Hawkins reunite, it’s clear Timothy wants more than Hawkins can give. Hawkins decides desperate action is needed to make Timothy fall out of love with him.
Back at the park bench, Timothy and Hawkins meet one final time.
Thomas Mallon
Author, Fellow Travelers
Thomas Mallon’s ten books of fiction include Henry and Clara, Fellow Travelers, Watergate (a Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award), and the just-published Landfall. He has also written volumes of nonfiction about plagiarism (Stolen Words), diaries (A Book of One’s Own), letters (Yours Ever), and the Kennedy assassination (Mrs. Paine’s Garage), as well as two books of essays (Rockets and Rodeos and In Fact). His work appears in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, and other publications. Mr. Mallon received his Ph. D. in English and American Literature from Harvard University and taught for a number of years at Vassar College. His honors include Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellowships, the National Book Critics Circle citation for reviewing, and the Vursell prize of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, for distinguished prose style. He has been literary editor of Gentlemen’s Quarterly and deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and in 2012 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Mallon is Professor Emeritus of English at The George Washington University and lives in Washington, D. C.
Gregory Spears
Composer
Gregory Spears is a New York-based composer who has been commissioned by The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Seraphic Fire, Volti, BMI/Concert Artists Guild, Vocal Arts DC, New York Polyphony, The New York International Piano
Competition, and Christopher Williams Dances, among many others. Current work includes a new evening-length opera, Castor and Patience, with U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, commissioned by Cincinnati Opera and scheduled for premiere in 2020. Mr. Spears’ first opera, Paul’s Case, written in collaboration with Kathryn Walat, was developed by American Opera Projects and premiered by Urban Arias in 2013. The opera was restaged at the PROTOTYPE Festival in New York, and presented in a new production by Pittsburgh Opera. Others works include his Requiem (released by New Amsterdam records in 2011); a children’s opera Jason and the Argonauts, also written with Kathryn Walat; and O Columbia, written with Royce Vavrek. Recent commissions include a new vocal work, The Bitter Good, commissioned by New York Polyphony, and The Tower and the Garden for a consortium of choirs including The Crossing. Mr. Spears also recently completed a double trumpet concert
for Concert Artists Guild and the soundtrack for the British feature film Macbeth (Kit Monkman, director) featuring 18th-century instruments.
Greg Pierce
Librettist
Greg Pierce grew up in Shelburne, VT. His play Slowgirl was the inaugural play of Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow Theater (LCT3). It was subsequently produced by Steppenwolf Theatre and the Geffen Playhouse, among others. Mr. Pierce’s play Her Requiem, a Lincoln Center Theater commission, was also produced by LCT3. His play Cardinal was commissioned and produced by Second Stage Theater. The Landing, a musical written with composer John Kander, premiered at the Vineyard Theatre in NYC. His second musical with Kander, Kid Victory, was co-produced by Signature Theatre in VA and Vineyard Theatre. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, co-written with director Stephen Earnhart, based on the novel by Haruki Murakami, premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival, and went on to play the Singapore Arts Festival. The Quarry, with music by Mr. Pierce’s brother Randal Pierce was commissioned and
produced by Vermont Stage Company. He has received fellowships from the Edward F. Albee Foundation, Yaddo, The Djerassi Institute, the New York Public Library, and the Baryshnikov Arts Center. He currently holds commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation. His work has been developed with Naked Angels, The New Group, Atlantic Theatre
Company, Asia Society, the Rattlestick Theater, and the Public Theater’s Under the Radar festival.
G. Sterling Zinsmeyer
Developer and Co-Commissioner
G. Sterling Zinsmeyer is a veteran in the field of film and theatrical production who conceived, developed, and commissioned the opera, Fellow Travelers, which premiered with Cincinnati Opera in 2016. Mr. Zinsmeyer’s film credits include Latter Days (2003), Adam and Steve (2005), Naked Boys Singing! (2007), and The Deception
(2012). Latter Days, which featured Jacqueline Bisset, Mary Kay Place, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was selected for archiving by the Library of Congress, along with five other gay-themed films. Mr. Zinsmeyer was subsequently awarded an Outstanding Community Service Award by the Stonewall Democratic Club for his work in bringing gay and lesbian representation to the silver screen. In addition to his experience producing independent films, he has served in numerous leadership roles as a creative consultant to entities in all areas of the arts and education. As a founding member of the National AIDS Housing Coalition, Mr. Zinsmeyer initiated the first meetings at the White House and the Department of Housing & Urban Development that addressed housing issues for persons living with HIV and AIDS. He would later serve two terms as President of the Stonewall Democrats, the largest gay political action group in New York City. Mr. Zinsmeyer is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe.
Emily Senturia
Conductor
Emily Senturia is a San Francisco native who made mainstage debuts conducting Il Barbiere di Siviglia with both Houston Grand Opera and Washington National Opera in 2018. In 2019 she conducted La Traviata for Hawaii Opera Theatre and Ariadne auf Naxos for Wolf Trap Opera, and music directed the world premiere of Denis & Katya at Opera Philadelphia’s O19 Festival. As a member of Houston Grand Opera’s music staff, Ms. Senturia conducted performances of L’Elisir d’Amore, The Little Prince, and The Magic Flute. Upcoming debuts for Ms. Senturia include Il Matrimonio Segreto for Florida Grand Opera, Sky on Swings for Opera Saratoga, Rigoletto for Mill City Opera, and Das Barbecu for OnSite Opera. Ms. Senturia has recently been on the music staff at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Le Nozze di Figaro), The Atlanta Opera (Sweeney Todd), and Opera Philadelphia (Sky on Swings, Elizabeth Cree, War Stories).
Peter Rothstein
Stage Director
Peter Rothstein is the Founding Artistic Director of the Minneapolis-based Theater Latté Da, where he has directed 76 productions, including 11 world premieres. Other collaborations include the Minnesota Opera, Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theater Company, Minnesota Orchestra, The 5th Avenue Theatre and Asolo Repertory Theatre. He is the creator of All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, winner of the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. Mr. Rothstein was named the 2015 Artist of the Year by the Star Tribune, Theater Artist of the Year by Lavender, and Best Director by City Pages. He has received nine Ivey Awards and has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the McKnight Foundation. He holds a B.A. in Music and Theater from St. John’s University and a M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Trevor Bowen
Costume Designer
Trevor Bowen holds an M.F.A. in costume design from West Virginia University. Mr. Bowen’s design credits include The Fix, Fellow Travelers (MN Opera); Sweat, Ragtime (Asolo Rep); True West, BLKS (Steppenwolf); Black Beauty, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Ragtime (The 5th Avenue Theatre); Corduroy, Last Stop on Market Street, I Come From Arizona (Children’s Theatre Company); Five Points, All is Calm (Theatre Latte Da); Romeo and Juliet, Good Person of Szechuan, Henry IV Part I, Park and Lake, Fiddler on the Roof, Electra (Ten Thousand Things); Ride the Cyclone, Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grille, Fly By Night (Jungle Theater); We Are Proud to Present…, U/G/L/Y, Choir Boy (Guthrie Theater); Jimmy and Lorraine, and Bloodknot (Pillsbury House Theater). Trevor holds an M.F.A. in costume design from West Virginia University.
Mary Shabatura
Lighting Designer
Mary Shabatura is a Minneapolis-based lighting designer, artist, and theater technician. Ms. Shabatura has worked with Minnesota Opera, Theater Latté Da, Mixed Blood Theater, Trademark Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Moving Company, Dark & Stormy Productions, Teatro del Pueblo, Transatlantic Love Affair, SHAPESHIFT DANCE, The University of Minnesota, The Guthrie Theater, and many others.
Liz Printz
Wig & Makeup Designer
Liz Printz was the Associate Wig Designer on Broadway for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton, On Your Feet, Revival Side Show, Honeymoon in Vegas, Revival Elephant Man, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Dr. Zhivago, and After Midnight. Off-Broadway wig design credits include Oil of Olay Presents Olay Live!. Regionally, Ms. Printz has designed wigs for the Barrington Stage Production of Company; North Carolina Theatre Productions of Annie, Spamalot, Gypsy, and Beauty and the Beast; Theatre Raleigh Productions of Big Fish and Beehive; American Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut Productions of Evita and Working; Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Raisin in the Son; and Annie Get Your Gun at Bay Street Theatre. Ms. Printz is an Emmy®-nominated Hair Stylist for The Wiz Live! and a producer for the Sun Shine Feature film Thorp.
ORIGINAL PRODUCTION AND STAGING BY PETER ROTHSTEIN
SCENERY AND PROPERTIES DESIGNED BY SARA BROWN
COSTUMES DESIGNED BY TREVOR BOWEN
SCENERY, PROPERTIES, AND COSTUMES FOR THIS PRODUCTION WERE CONSTRUCTED BY MINNESOTA OPERA SHOPS AND ARE OWNED BY MINNESOTA OPERA.
FELLOW TRAVELERS was originally developed and co-commissioned by G. Sterling Zinsmeyer & Cincinnati Opera.
Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Schott Helicon Music Corporation, New York, publisher and copyright owner.
Jesse Blumberg
Baritone
HAWKINS FULLER
Jesse Blumberg returns to BLO having performed in Ariadne auf Naxos, The Merry Widow, Burke & Hare, and more. Credits include the word premiere of The Grapes of Wrath (Minnesota Opera); Bernstein’s MASS (London’s Royal Festival Hall); various productions with Boston Early Music Festival; and featured roles with Atlanta Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Atelier. Recital highlights include appearances with the Marilyn Horne Foundation and New York Festival of Song, and performances of Die Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. He has performed major concert works with American Bach Soloists, Boston Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, Oratorio Society of New York, Montréal Baroque Festival, Arion Baroque, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, and on Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. He has given the world premieres of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Green Sneakers, Lisa Bielawa’s The Lay of the Love and Death, Conrad Cummings’ Positions 1956, and Tom Cipullo’s Excelsior, and is a member member of the Mirror Visions Ensemble. Mr. Blumberg recently made his debut with Chorus Pro Musica, the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C., and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Blumberg is recipient of multiple awards and has sung on numerous commercial recordings, including the 2015 Grammy® Award-winning Charpentier Chamber Operas with Boston Early Music Festival.
Jesse Darden
Tenor
TIMOTHY LAUGHLIN
Tenor Jesse Darden returns as a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus. Last season, Mr. Darden was BLO’s first Principal Artist-in-Residence where he created the role of A Boy in the world premiere of Schoenberg in Hollywood and performed Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia and Luke in The Handmaid’s Tale. Mr. Darden spent his 2017 and 2018 summers as an Apprentice Artist with the Santa Fe Opera, performing several small roles, and covering the role of Robert Wilson in Doctor Atomic. He has completed apprenticeships with Chautauqua Opera and Opera North. Mr. Darden was a New England Regional Finalist with the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, won third prize in the Gerda Lissner International Voice Competition, received the Chautauqua Opera Studio Artist Award, and received the Boston Lyric Opera Shrestinian Award for Excellence. He has performed extensively with Odyssey Opera, Dartmouth College, the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra, Boston University Opera Institute, Piedmont Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and the Chautauqua Symphony. Recent engagements include a debut with Union Avenue Opera as the title role in Candide and a residency with the New York Festival of Song.
Simon Dyer
Bass
POTTER’S ASSISTANT, BOOKSELLER, TECHNICIAN, FRENCH PRIEST, PARTY GUEST
Simon Dyer is a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus, having performed in The Marriage of Figaro and The Rake’s Progress. Mr. Dyer was most recently a Studio Artist with Florida Grand Opera where he performed Colline in La Bohème, Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as minor roles in Salome and Frida. Recent credits include Prodaná Nevěsta at Garsington Opera, and performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 under Laurence Cummings with The English Concert. Other highlights include Luka (The Bear, Odyssey Opera), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro, Beechwood Opera), and Giorgio (La Gazza Ladra, Glimmerglass Festival). In contemporary music, amongst other credits, Mr. Dyer worked closely with NODUS ensemble in Miami, is a soloist on Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s recording of Virgil Thomson’s Capital Capitals, and performed Coro by Berio at The Lucerne Festival under Sir Simon Rattle. Mr. Dyer is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Upcoming performances this season include a role and company debut with Scottish Opera as Bottom in performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a return to Garsington Opera.
simondyeropera.com
Vincent Turregano
Baritone
TOMMY MCINTYRE
Vincent Turregano returns to BLO as a Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus where he performed in The Barber of Seville (Fiorello), Trouble in Tahiti and Arias & Barcarolles (Trio member), and Tosca (Sciarrone). Other Company credits include Schoenberg in Hollywood, Carmen, The Merry Widow, and La Bohème. Mr. Turregano’s operatic credits include a debut with Sarasota Opera covering Lescaut in Manon Lescaut and Dancaïre in Carmen. He spent two summers with Marilyn Horne at The Music Academy of the West where he performed in Carmen as an ensemble member and La Cenerentola as Dandini. Mr. Turregano was a young artist with The Music Academy of the West, Des Moines Metro Opera, and The Natchez Festival of Music. On the concert platform, Mr. Turregano has performed with the NEC Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, and many others.
James Maddalena
Baritone
SENATOR CHARLES POTTER, GENERAL ARLIE, BARTENDER
James Maddalena returns to BLO having performed in numerous productions, including the 2017/18 Season’s Tosca and The Threepenny Opera. Mr. Maddalena first gained international recognition for the title role of John Adams’ Nixon in China, which he has sung throughout the world including his Metropolitan Opera debut. Operatic credits include Doctor Atomic (San Francisco Opera); Death and the Powers (Monte Carlo Opera); Four Psalms (Chicago Symphony); Harvey Milk (Houston Grand Opera); Bonesetter’s Daughter (San Francisco Opera); Life Is A Dream (Santa Fe Opera); John Brown (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Fire Water Paper (Pacific Symphony); Esther (New York City Opera); Little Women (Houston Grand Opera); and The Death of Klinghoffer which premiered at Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. He sang the U.S. premiere of Weinberg’s The Passenger (Houston Grand Opera) and the world premiere of Marhulet’s The Property (Lyric Opera of Chicago). Additionally, he has appeared with many of the world’s leading opera companies and orchestras including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Maddalena has collaborated frequently with director Peter Sellars on operas of Mozart, Haydn, Handel, and John Adams.
Michelle Trainor
Soprano
MISS LIGHTFOOT
Michelle Trainor is a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumna, where she has sung in The Handmaid’s Tale, The Barber of Seville, The Threepenny Opera, Burke & Hare, The Marriage of Figaro, The Inspector, Macbeth, Clemency, The Magic Flute, The Merry Widow, and The Love Potion. Ms. Trainor recently made her debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Der Rosenkavalier with Andris Nelsons. Recent credits include Benoni in Gounod’s La Reine de Saba with Odyssey Opera, Berta in The Barber of Seville with Michigan Opera Theatre, and her Boston Modern Orchestra Project debut as Oneeta/Princess Batcheat in Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Other recent highlights include Der Zwerg (Odyssey Opera), Isolde’s Liebestod (Brookline Symphony Orchestra), and Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony (New World Chorale). Ms. Trainor has recorded MacMillan’s Clemency and Schubert’s Hagar’s Lament on the BIS label with BLO and was the 2011 recipient of the Company’s Stephen Shrestinian Award for Excellence. As a concert soloist, she has performed at Carnegie Hall and in Boston Ballet’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also sang Mrs. Peachum in The Beggar’s Opera and Jocasta in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Emmanuel Music.
Chelsea Basler
Soprano
MARY JOHNSON
Chelsea Basler, a Grammy® Award-nominee, returns to BLO as a Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumna, having appeared in numerous productions including The Handmaid’s Tale (Moira), The Threepenny Opera (Lucy), Carmen (Micaëla), The Magic Flute (Papagena), and many more. Ms. Basler recently joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera, covering in Manon (Poussette). Upcoming performances include a return to The Met to cover in La Bohème (Musetta) and her Arizona Opera debut in fall 2020. Prior engagements include performances with Opera Saratoga (Susanna, Le Nozze di Figaro), Virginia Opera (Turandot), and debuts with both Nashville Opera and Pasadena Opera in the title role of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Ms. Basler has also completed several young artist residencies, performing at Santa Fe Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, among others. On the concert stage she has performed with the Omaha Symphony, Boston’s Mercury Orchestra, Glen Falls Symphony, and the Cape Symphony. Frequently awarded and recognized in competitions, she has a B.M. from New England Conservatory, and a M.M. and artist certificate from Boston University.
David McFerrin
Baritone
ESTONIAN FRANK, INTERROGATOR, SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY
David McFerrin is a BLO Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist alumnus. He has sung roles in a dozen company productions, including In the Penal Colony, The Love Potion, Agrippina, Burke & Hare, and Rape of Lucretia, and he returns this spring as Achilla in Giulio Cesare. Last season he appeared as Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas with Handel and Haydn Society, Agamemnon in La Belle Hélène with Odyssey Opera, and Nettuno in Alcina with Boston Early Music Festival. Other opera credits include Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, and the Rossini Festival in Germany. As a concert soloist, he has sung with the Cleveland Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Montreal’s Arion Baroque Orchestra, and A Far Cry. He was a runner-up in the Oratorio Society of New York’s 2016 Lyndon Woodside Solo Competition, the premier contest for this repertoire. Recital and chamber music performances have included the Caramoor, Ravinia, and Marlboro Festivals. He is also a member of the Boston-based renaissance vocal ensemble Blue Heron, winners of the 2018 Gramophone award for Best Early Music Album.
Brianna J. Robinson
Soprano
LUCY
Brianna J. Robinson returns to BLO as a Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist, having covered roles in BLO’s The Handmaid’s Tale. She served as a Rising Artist with Pegasus Early Opera in the summer of 2017, performing in Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Other operatic credits include Massenet’s Cendrillon, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea, and Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Ottavia). Ms. Robinson has also sung the title role in Caccini’s La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’Isola d’Alcina with the Baroque performance ensemble, Collegium Musicum. Her most recent projects include singing the role of Florence Price in Florence Comes Home by Francine Trester with Shelter Music Boston. Ms. Robinson has also participated in international programs including the Berlin Opera Academy and Opernfest Prague.
Orchestra
Concertmaster Annie Rabbat
Violin I
Annie Rabbat, Concertmaster
Heidi Braun-Hill
Sandra Kott
Violin II
Sarah Atwood, Principal
Colin Davis
Tera Gorsett Keck
Viola
Kenneth Stalberg, Principal
Donna Jerome
Cello
Aron Zelkowicz, Acting Principal
Jan Pfeiffer-Rios
Bass
Robert Lynam, Principal
Flute
Ann Bobo, Acting Principal
Oboe
Nancy Dimock, Principal
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Jan Halloran, Principal
Trombone
Robert Couture, Principal
Donald Robinson
Piano
Brett Hodgdon
Emerson Paramount Center
Robert J. Orchard Stage
559 Washington Street, Boston
Seating: Seating is divided into two levels: Orchestra and Balcony. The Balcony is accessible by stairs in the main lobby and elevator access to the back of the balcony
Accessibility: The orchestra has about 28 stairs from the entrance of the theater to the front rows of seats, with accessible seats in the front and rear of the theater. The balcony has about eight stairs from the side entrances to the side seating and 25 stairs from the back entrance to the front row. This theater has elevator access to the balcony. See our Accessibility Page to learn more about large print programs, our service animal policy, assisted listening devices and the steps we are taking to improve accessibility for all at BLO. If you have questions about accessibility in the venue please contact our Audience Services team so that we may best assist you at 617.542.6772 or access@blo.org.
Restrooms: Restrooms are located in the lower lobby, and second floor, which is accessible by elevator. There will be signs and staff available to guide you.
Amenities: Concessions will be available for purchase at all performances before the performance and during intermission.
Coat Check: No coat check is available at this venue
Past Operas performed here: Originally a 1930s cinema palace, the Robert J. Orchard Stage has been recently restored in a lively Art Deco style. This is the Paramount Center’s largest facility with a 596-seat theatre (see in 360º view) and a brand new stage and orchestra pit. Boston Lyric Opera’s recent performances here include Schoenberg in Hollywood in 2018 and Greek in 2016.
Emerson Paramount Center
Robert J. Orchard Stage
559 Washington Street, Boston
Parking
LAZ Parking
660 Washington Street
Between Beach and Essex Streets
617-350-3130
Accessible Parking
Vehicles displaying a valid ADA placard can find accessible parking spaces directly around the corner from the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre on Stuart Street in front of Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery. LAZ Parking is also designed to accommodate accessibility needs; details listed above.
Street Parking
Street parking is very limited in the Theatre District. Parking is not permitted on Washington Street or Tremont Street in front of the theatre at any time.
Garage Parking
While ArtsEmerson validates parking only at the LAZ Garage listed above, there are plenty of non-validated parking garages within a few blocks of our theatre. Many offer evening or event rates. Please contact each garage directly for the most up-to-date information.
Public Transportation
Green Line to Boylston Station and four minute walk
Orange Line to Chinatown Station and two minute walk
Red Line to Park Street Station and four minute walk
Blue Line to Government Center and transfer to Green Line OR State Street to transfer to Orange Line
Silver Line to Downtown Crossing or Boylston Street
Driving Directions
From the North
- Take I-93 South to EXIT 20A (South Station onto Purchase Street)
- Continue along Purchase Street which becomes Surface Artery to Kneeland Street
- Turn RIGHT onto Kneeland Street
- Turn RIGHT onto Washington Street (Tufts Medical Center will be on your left)
- Arrive at 559 Washington Street. The Paramount Center is on the left
From the South
- Take I-93 North to EXIT #20 (South Station)
- Get off exit ramp and BEAR LEFT immediately, following signs for South Station
- Go through a couple sets of lights and STAY TO THE RIGHT at the split still following signs for South Station
- Keep going until you come to a light
- Turn RIGHT onto Kneeland Street
- Turn RIGHT onto Washington Street (New England Medical Center will be on your left)
- Arrive at 559 Washington Street. The Paramount Center is on the left
From the Mass Pike
- Take EXIT #22 (Copley Square)
- Turn LEFT at the first light, onto Dartmouth Street
- Turn RIGHT at the second light, onto Boylston Street
- Stay to the right of the divider, passing the Public Garden and then the Boston Common on your left
- One block past the Boston Common, turn LEFT onto Washington Street
- Arrive at 559 Washington Street. The Paramount Center is on the left
Partner Restaurants:
Please present your performance ticket or order confirmation to enjoy the benefits offered below. Limited to Boston Lyric Opera’s 2019/20 Season.
blu Restaurant: 15% Off Food
Legal Crossing: 50% off a dozen oysters (limited to post-evening performances only)
Nearby Restaurants:
Sip Wine Bar & Kitchen
Artisan Bistro
Stoddard’s
Explorateur
Things to do:
Freedom Trail
Shopping
The Boston Common and Public Garden
Visit the Downtown Crossing website to explore more.
Fellow Travelers has Rave Reviews!
Hear from our Final Dress Rehearsal attendees about what they loved about Fellow Travelers.
A Front Row Seat to Fellow Travelers
Join the cast on stage with this 360 degree look at rehearsal at the Paramount Center.
Get to know Fellow Travelers
Fellow Travelers tells the story of two men who have a passionate but secret love affair in McCarthy era Washington, D.C. Learn more about this powerful production from the cast and creative team.
Fellow Travelers Trailer
BLO welcomed Minnesota Opera’s 2018 production of Fellow Travelers to Boston. Take a look back at what’s coming to the stage.
The Reviews are In!
“In BLO’s fine, imaginative production, “Fellow Travelers” succeeds on virtually every level… The singing and acting of the entire cast was top-notch.” – Edge Media Network
“Fellow Travelers is an opera for today… It is reassuring to know that for a few hours on a cold night in Boston a group of strangers sat together and collectively participated in an act of empathy.” –Theater Mirror
“BLO has outdone itself yet again with this opera for our time and for times yet to come. What an extraordinary feat.” – South Shore Critic
“Fellow Travellers is one of those rare operas that feels important in the broader cultural context that it was created in.” –Schmopera
“Jesse Darden achieved something deeply moving as Tim Laughlin… As Hawk, baritone Jesse Blumberg was delightful and immediately engaging.” – Boston Music Intelligencer
“Director Peter Rothstein has delivered a production that seems to shoot electric sparks through the theatre.” – Broadway World Opera
“Aside from the contrasting stellar performances by both male leads…Boston Lyric Opera succeeds in invoking a timely message about centralized political power and the victims left behind.” – Berkshire Fine Arts
“It’s easy to fall for Boston Lyric Opera’s latest production, the frequently exciting new opera Fellow Travelers, when it’s at its most impassioned.” –Talkin’ Broadway
Production Photos
For press images, please visit
The Fellow Travelers Media Kit
Cast Photos
Minnesota Opera’s 2018 Production of Fellow Travelers
