2017/18 Season

Tosca

Music by Giacomo Puccini | Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
Adapted from the play La Tosca by Victorien Sardou
A Co-production of Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Omaha
Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Against a backdrop of war, chaos and corruption, a singer named Floria Tosca must give the performance of a lifetime to save the man she loves. Set in early 1800s Italy, Tosca is the passionate, sweeping story of three strong-willed characters destined to become masters and victims of their own fate.

Creative Team

Conductor David Stern*
Sponsored by William & Helen Pounds
Stage Director Crystal Manich
Set Designer Julia Noulin-Mérat
Costume Designer Deborah Newhall
Lighting Designer Paul Hackenmueller
Sound Designer Joel T. Morain
Fight Director J.T. Turner*
Wig And Makeup Designer Jason Allen
Surtitle Designer Allison Voth
Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra Sandra Kott Concertmaster
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus Michelle Alexander Chorusmaster
Voices Boston Steven Lipsitt Artistic Director
Rehearsal Coach/Accompanist Brett Hodgdon‡
Assistant Stage Directors
Kirsten Z. Cairns*
Matthew Haney*
Stage Manager Hester Warren-Steijn

* Boston Lyric Opera Debut
† Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin
Emerging Artist
‡ Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin
Emerging Artist Alumnus

CAST in order of appearance

Angelotti David Cushing‡
Sacristan James Maddalena
Sponsored by Wayne Davis & Ann Merrifield
Cavaradossi Jonathan Burton*
Sponsored by Katie & Paul Buttenwieser
Tosca Elena Stikhina*
Sponsored by David & Marie Louise Scudder
Scarpia Daniel Sutin
Sponsored by Susan W. Jacobs
Spoletta Jon Jurgens‡
Sciarrone Vincent Turregano†
Shepherdess Sara Womble†
Sponsored by Susan A. Babson Opera Fund for Emerging Artists

The Nefarious, Immoral but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare

Music by Julian Grant | Libretto by Mark Campbell
A world premiere commissioned by Music-Theatre Group with the support of Boston Lyric Opera
Sung in English with English surtitles

Edinburgh, 1828. The city’s world-renowned anatomy schools suffer from a cadaver shortage. Two industrious men—William Burke and William Hare—find lucrative work by murdering disenfranchised citizens and selling their corpses to Dr. Knox’s academy. Brutally funny and highly theatrical, irreverent and fast-paced, this chamber opera is based on real events.

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor David Angus
Stage Director David Schweizer
Set Designer Caleb Wertenbaker
Costume Designer Nancy Leary
Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel
Movement Director Melinda Sullivan*
Wig And Makeup Designer Jason Allen
Surtitle Designer Allison Voth
Chamber Ensemble From The Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra
& David B. Jones, and Peter Wender
Rehearsal Coach/Accompanist Brett Hodgdon‡
Assistant Director Katherine Carter*
Stage Manager Cynthia Hennon Marino*

CAST in order of appearance

Dr. Robert Knox William Burden*
Sponsored by Wayne Davis & Ann Merrifield
Dr. Ferguson David Mcferrin‡
Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Ray Stata
William Burke Jesse Blumberg
Sponsored by Willa & Taylor Bodman
William Hare Craig Colclough*
Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Puzo
Helen Mcdougal Michelle Trainor‡
Sponsored by Maria Krokidas & Bruce Bullen
Margaret Hare Heather Gallagher‡
Sponsored by Dr. Joseph & Mrs. Anita Loscalzo

The Victims

Donald David Cushing‡
Sponsored by Janet & Irv Plotkin
Abigail Simpson Marie Mclaughlin*
Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. E. Lee Perry
James Wilson (“Daft Jamie”) Michael Slattery*
Sponsored by Wendy Shattuck & Sam Plimpton
Mary Paterson Emma Sorenson†
Sponsored by Gregory E. Moore & Wynne W. Szeto
Madge Docherty Antonia Tamer†
Sponsored by Mimi Hewlett

* Boston Lyric Opera Debut
† Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin
Emerging Artist
‡ Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin
Emerging Artist Alumnus

The Threepenny Opera

Music by Kurt Weill | Libretto by Bertolt Brecht
English translation by Michael Feingold
Original German text based on Elisabeth
Hauptmann’s German Translation of John Gay’s
THE BEGGAR’S OPERA
A new BLO production
Sung in English, but please note that this production will not have surtitles.

As London scrubs up for the coronation, the police cut deals left and right to keep the filth out of sight. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Peachum’s daughter can’t be found…and a notorious gangster is back in town. A landmark 20th century work rarely performed by a professional opera company, The Threepenny Opera sends up a satiric critique of capitalism and the meaning of morality when living in the slums.

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor David Angus
Sponsored by Linda Cabot Black
Stage Director James Darrah*
Set Designer Julia Noulin-Mérat
Costume Designer Charles Neumann*
Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago*
Wig and Makeup Designer Jason Allen
Chamber Ensemble from the Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus Michelle Alexander Chorusmaster
Rehearsal Coach/Accompanist Brett Hodgdon‡
Assistant Stage Director Anderson Nunnelly†
Stage Manager Becki Smith*

* Boston Lyric Opera Debut
† Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist
‡ Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist Alumni

CAST

Macheath, Known as Mack the Knife Christopher Burchett
Mr. Peachum James Maddalena
Mrs. Peachum Michelle Trainor‡
Polly Peachum Kelly Kaduce
Tiger Brown, Chief Of Police Daniel Belcher*
Lucy, His Daughter Chelsea Basler‡

The Whores:
Jenny Diver Renée Tatum*
Whore Vera Savage‡
Dolly Jaime Korkos*
Betty Heather Gallagher‡
Vixen Marie Mccarville
Old Whore Vanessa Schukis
Molly Alisa Cassola

Macheath’s Gang:
Matt Of The Mint Jesse Darden†
Crook Finger Jack David Cushing‡
Walt Dreary Andy Papas*
Jimmy Junior Thomas Oesterling
Ed Ryne Cherry*

Beggars:
Filch Ryne Cherry, Jesse Darden, Andy Papas, Thomas Oesterling, Vera Savage, Ron Williams, David Cushing
A Policeman Ron Williams
Policeman Smith Ryne Cherry
Reverend Kimball Vera Savage

Trouble in Tahiti and Arias & Barcarolles

Music & Libretto by Leonard Bernstein
Sung in English with English surtitles
A new BLO production

With a little white house in the suburbs, Sam and Dinah are the perfect picture of a young couple in the 1950s – and they are both desperately unhappy. A clever and cutting libretto matched with a jazz-infused score, Tahiti delivers a candid and profound portrait of a couple longing for love and intimacy amidst the American dream.

In an evening celebrating the work of Leonard Bernstein, Trouble in Tahiti will be performed with Arias & Barcarolles, a poignant rumination on marriage, life and the nature of love.

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor David Angus
Sponsored by Linda Cabot Black
Stage Director David Schweizer
Set Designer Paul Tate Depoo Iii*
Costume Designer Nancy Leary
Lighting Designer Jeff Adelberg*
Video Designer Johnny Rogers*
Movement Director Melinda Sullivan
Surtitle Designer Allison Voth
Wig and Makeup Designer Jason Allen
Dramaturg John Conklin

Chamber Ensemble from the Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra
Rehearsal Coach/Accompanist Brett Hodgdon‡
Assistant Director Cara Consilvio*
Stage Manager Hester Warren-Steijn

CAST

Sam Marcus Deloach
Dinah Heather Johnson
Trio
Mara Bonde
Neal Ferreira‡
Vincent Turregano†

* Boston Lyric Opera Debut
† Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist
‡ Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist Alumnus