Saturday, July 15, 2017

Selections and Casting Announced for 2017 Merola Grand Finale

[8/1: 8:35 a.m.: The selections listed below have been significantly altered; new article was posted this morning to account for all of the modifications.]

As in the past the Merola Opera Program will conclude its 60th anniversary season with a Grand Finale of staged scenes and musical excerpts. Also as in the past the entire event will be staged by this summer’s Merola Apprentice Stage Director, Victoria Crutchfield:

 Victoria Crutchfield, courtesy of the Merola Opera Program

This production has always provided an imaginative challenge to provide threads of continuity across selections that are highly diverse in both narrative content and musical style. The conductor for this performance will be Antony Walker:

Antony Walker, courtesy of the Merola Opera Program

The selections to be performed are as follows (not necessarily in the order given):

La fille du régiment  (Donizetti)
“Quoi! Vous m’aimez?...De cet aveu si tendre”
Marie – Kendra Berentsen       
Tonio – Anthony Ciaramitaro
                       
Cendrillon  (Massenet)
“Enfin, je suis ici”                   
Cendrillon – Ashley Dixon      
                       
I vespri siciliani  (Verdi)
“Mercè, dilette amiche”                      
Elena – Mathilda Edge
                       
Le comte Ory  (Rossini)
“Dans ce lieu solitaire”            
Raimbaud – Cody Quattlebaum
Chorus – tutti Merola men      
                       
Das Land des Lächelns  (Lehár)
“Dein ist mein ganzes Herz”               
Prince Sou-Chong – Xingwa Hao         
                       
Ariadne auf Naxos  (R. Strauss)
“Sie hält ihn für den Todesgott”                      
Zerbinetta – Jana McIntyre     
Composer – Samantha Hankey           
                       
Wozzeck  (Berg)
“Soldaten, Soldaten sind schöne Burschen…Komm, mein Bub!”          
Marie – Felicia Moore 
                       
Lucia di Lammermoor  (Donizetti)
“Ebben? Di tua speranza l’ultimo raggio…Ah! cedi, o più sciagure”     
Lucia – Natalie Image 
Raimondo - David Weigel       
                       
Mefistofele  (Boito)
“Son lo spirito che nega sempre tutto”
Mefistofele – Andrew Hiers     
           
Mignon  (Thomas)                  
“Je suis heureuse…Ah! que ton âme enfin”      
Mignon – Edith Grossman       
Wilhelm – Addison Marlor      
Philine – Jana McIntyre          
                       
Les pêcheurs de perles  (Bizet)
“Qu’ai-je vu?...Je frémis, je chancelle”
Leïla – Alexandra Razskazoff  
Zurga – Dimitri Katotakis       
                       
La favorite  (Donizetti)
“Me voici donc près d’elle…Pour tant d’amour”         
Fernand – Addison Marlor       
Don Gaspar – Andrès Acosta   
Alphonse XI – Szymon Wach 
Léonor – Ashley Dixon          
                       
Così fan tutte  (Mozart)
“Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo”                 
Guglielmo – Daniel Noyola     
                       
The Turn of the Screw  (Britten)
“How beautiful it is”                
Governess – Kelsea Webb        
                       
Rodelinda  (Handel)
“Tirannia gli diede il regno”                
Garibaldo – Christian Pursell   
                       
Il viaggio a Reims (Rossini)
“Ah! A tal colpo inaspettato” 
Contessa – Kendra Berentsen  
Madama Cortese – Mathilda Edge
Corinna – Samantha Hankey   
Melibea – Ashley Dixon          
Delia – Edith Grossman           
Modestina – Alice Chung        
Conte – Anthony Ciaramitaro
Zefiro – Addison Marlor         
Cavaliere – Andres Acosta      
Barone – Cody Quattlebaum    
Don Alvaro – Christian Pursell           
Lord Sidney – Daniel Noyola  
Don Profondo – David Weigel
Don Prudenzio – Andrew Hiers           
Chorus – tutti Merolini

The Merola Grand Finale will take place in the War Memorial Opera House, located at 301 Van Ness Avenue on the northwest corner of Grove Street. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19. Ticket prices will be $50, $40, and $25. Tickets are being sold by the Box Office in the outer lobby of the War Memorial Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue, on the northwest corner of Grove Street. The Box Office may also be reached by telephoning 415-864-3330. The Box Office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are also available online through a Web page with a chart that shows which prices apply for which sections of the house and allow for the specification of wheelchair availability. There will also be student tickets available for $15, but these must be purchased in person at the Box Office upon presentation of valid identification.

The performance will be followed by a reception, which will probably get under way around 10 p.m. Those who attend will have a chance to meet with the performers in the Green Room on the second floor of the Veterans Building, which is right next to the War Memorial Opera House and occupies the southwest corner of McAllister Street. This will require a separate ticket with a price of $75 per person. Those interested in reception tickets are invited to call the Box Office at the above telephone number.

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