JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY
Conductor: Courtney Lewis
Choreographer: Roberto Forleo
Video Projections: Brittany Merenda
Costumes: Camala PItts
Lighting: Jonathan Kilgore
FIght Director: Fulton Burns
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Carmen: Avery Amereau
Don José: Eric Taylor
Micaëla: Syliva D’Eramo
Escamillo: Hunter Enoch
Zuniga: Scott Conner
Moralés / Dancaïro: John Daugherty
Frasquita: Brittany Fouché
Mercédès: Katherine Kincaid
Remendado: James Hall
Dancers: Bekah Hostetter, Elpidio Magat, Mauricio Mejia
Jacksonville Symphony Chorus
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Jacoby Symphony Hall
Jacksonville, FL
April 12, 14, 2024
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Photos: Caroline Havens
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN / SCHOOL OF MUSIC, THEATRE & DANCE
Minasian’s portrayal was truly spectacular—her Elizabeth was deep and seductive, precociously balancing beauty and terror. Her luxurious contralto voice pulled the audience into Elizabeth’s madness and gripped until we were left begging for more. Mason’s complement to her was grounding, with a voice effortlessly demanding attention.
-- [art] seen / Arts at UMich
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Conductor: Kirk Svertson
Sets: Audrey Tieman
Lighting: Abi Farnsworth
Costumes: Christianne Myers
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Elizabeth Cree: Danielle Casos / Aria Minasian
John Cree: Jack Morin / Robert Wesley Mason
Aveline: Katelyn Brown / Juliet Schlefer
Dan Leno: Alexander Nick
Uncle Tommy Farr: Thomas Long
Inspector Kildare: Tyler Middleton
Doris: Daiyao Zhong
Little Victor Farrell: Jabari Lewis
Mr. Greatorex / George Gissing: Cody Carlson
Mr. Lister / Karl Marx: Loren Reash-Henz
Priest / Librarian: William Fishwick
Jane Quig / Annie the Serving Girl: Amelia Zhang
Shadow Play Actors: Mia Brooks, Juaquin Consuelos, Nate McCanna, Elizabeth Nigg
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Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
Ann Arbor, MI
March 21, 22, 23, 24 2024
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Photos: UMich STMD
CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA
Conductor: Daniel Kleinknecht
Sets & Lighting: Scott Ollinger
Costumes: Kaelen Novak
VIdeo Projections: Kristen Geisler Ollinger
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Floria Tosca: Maria Natale
Mario Cavaradossi: Chaz’men Williams-Ali
Baron Scarpia: Norman Garrett
Cesare Angelotti: Dorian McCall
Sacristano: Ethan Eisbernd
Spoletta: Benjamin Lynn
Sciarrone: Steele Fitzwater
Carceriere: Andrew Bolsvert
Pastore: Graham Foster Macfarlane
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Paramount Theater
Cedar Rapids, IA
January 19, 21 2024
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PITTSBURGH OPERA
An opera-singing barber bartends and brokers marriage on stage in a brilliant 'Barber of Seville'
On Saturday at the Benedum Center, one of the most devious of fictional barbers, Figaro himself, plugged in a blender and mixed himself a margarita all while delivering a razor-sharp, winsome performance of the famous “Fiiii-gaaaa-rooooo!” aria, introducing himself to attendees in grand operatic style. A little salt on the rim — “laaaaa!” A splash of lime juice — “laaaaa!” All the while, the music scurries and bubbles with madcap cheeriness.
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
‘The Barber of Seville’ a Bright 85th Season Opener
Gregory Keller’s stage direction was clever and engaging, and for great singing, scenic design and many other points of interest, the opening night of Pittsburgh Opera’s 85th was a decidedly brilliant one indeed.
— On Stage Pittsburgh
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Conductor: Antony Walker
Lighting: Cindy Limauro
Costumes: Claudia Brownlee / Howard Tzvi Kaplan
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Fiorello: Brandon Bell
Count Almaviva: Lunga Eric Hallam
Figaro: John Moore / Johnathan McCullough
Rosina: Stephanie Doche
Don Bartolo: Musa Ngqungwana
Don Basilio: Brian Kontes
Berta: Emily Richter
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Benedum Center
Pittsbrugh, PA
October 14, 17, 19, 20, 22, 2023
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Photos: David Bachman
HAWAI`I OPERA THEATRE
Conductor: Mark Morash
Lighting: Sandy Sandelin
Costumes: Katherine James
Sets: Laura Fine-Hawks
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Gianni Schicchi: Joshua Jeremiah
Lauretta: Maria Valdes
Zita: Blythe Iakuinipua`okahana Kelsey
Rinuccio: Brian Vu
Gherardo: Adam Flowers
Nella: Leslie Goldman
Gherardino: Sydney Branch
Betto di Signa: Robert Ellsworth Feng
Simone: Ricardo Lugo
Marco: Chung-Wai Soong
La Ciesca: Laurie Rubin
Maestro Spinelloccio/Ser Amantio di Nicolao: Kip Wilborn
Pinellino: Benoit Weber
Guccio: Taj Gutierrez
Uncle Buoso: Suzanne B. Engel
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Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall
Honolulu, HI
April 28, 30, 2023
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Photos: David Takagi
CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA
Artistic Director & Conductor: Daniel Kleinknecht
Choreographer: David Fernandez
Costumes: Karle Meyers
Wigs & Make-up: Sarah Fried
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Frederic: Yinghui (Mark) He
Mabel: Madeline Coffee
Pirate King: Steele Fitzwater
Ruth: Michelle Monroe
Major-General Stanley: Alexander Adams-Leytes
Samuel: Steven Warnock
Sergeant of Police: Brandan Sanchez
Edith: Emlynn Schoemaker
Isabel: Danielle Long
Kate: Shuyi Li
Queen Victoria: Christopher (Valencia) Cervantes
Pirates: Andrew Bryant, Ian Butler, Travis Hyman, Daniel Knapp, Jeremy Sivitz, Noah Strube
Daughters: Isabella Kock, Amanda Lauricella, Lauren Leman, Antionette Pomp Van Meerdervoort
Police: Jude Balthazar, Ethan Eisbernd, Foo Chen Gui, Andrew Rene, Evan Schettler, Noah Strube, Mitchell Widmer, Brandon Whitish
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Brucemore Estate
Cedar Rapids, IA
June 17, 18, 19 2022
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Photos: Tyler Fiser
JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY
Conductor: Courtney Lewis
VIdeo Projections: Brittany Merenda
Costumes: Camala Pitts
Lighting: Shamus McConney
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Mimì: Danielle Talamantes
Rodolfo: Andrew Owens
Musetta: Gabriella Reyes
Marcello: Zak Nelson
Schaunard: Richard Ollarsaba
Colline: Soloman Howard
Benoit/Alcindoro: Kerry Wilkerson
Parpignol: Michael Palmisano
Prune di Tours: Ozzie Medina
Sergeant: Joseph Murray
Officer: Mark Reasoner
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Jacoby Symphony Hall
Jacksonville, FL
April 29 & May 1 , 2022
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Photos: Soloman Howard / Nicholas V. Hall
HAWAI`I OPERA THEATRE
HOT’s lavish staging of the tragic Puccini masterpiece…
Both singers [Karen Chia-Ling Ho and John Pickle] were in fine form, with Ho’s powerful, pure vocals soaring in Cio-Cio-san’s most famous aria, “Un bel di vedremo”
— Honolulu Star Advertiser
The season came to a thrilling close with the opera that launched the Company back in 1961, Madame Butterfly. Several seasoned operagoers commented that it was the best Butterfly that they’d ever seen. The world-class cast, chorus, orchestra, beautiful sets and costumes — this was opera firing on all cylinders!
— Andrew Morgan, General Director of HOT
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Conductor: Benjamin Makino
Lighting: Connie Yu
Costumes: Anne Namba & Katherine James
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Goro: Taka Komagata
Pinkerton: John Pickle
Suzuki: Alice Chung
Sharpless: Levi Hernandez
Cio-Cio San: Karen Chia-Ling Ho
Commissioner: Ian McGuffin
The Bonze: Robert Feng
Prince Yamidori: Robert Feng
Kate Pinkerton: Laurie Rubin
Trouble: Leah Hayasaka
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Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall
Honolulu, HI
April 8, 10, 12 2022
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MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA
Front and center at Saturday's performance was soprano Patricia Racette as Strauss' sexually messed-up antiheroine. Racette's was a dominant, indefatigable performance that rose to considerable heights of intensity. She occasionally pushed sharp of the note — forgivable when you have a super-large orchestra venting on stage behind you. Tenor Dennis Petersen got loud cheers for his leering, comedically styled Herod, pecked to petulance by mezzo Katharine Goeldner as his sequined wife, Herodias. Pick of the evening vocally was baritone Stephen Powell's resonantly phrased John the Baptist, a lonely voice of probity in the undrained moral swamp around him.
—Star Tribune
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Conductor: Andrew Litton
Salome: Pat Racette
Herod: Dennis Petersen
Herodias: Katherine Goeldner
Narraboth: John Robert Lindsey
Jochanaan: Stephen Powell
Page: Victoria Vargas
Cappadocian/5th Jew: Benjamin Sieverding
Slave: Karin Wolverton
1st Soldier/1st Nazarene: Jeremy Galyon
2nd Soldier: Jeffrey Madison
2nd Jew: David Blalock
3rd Jew: Brian Wallin
4th Jew: David Walton
2nd Nazarene: Christopher Colmenero
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Orchestra Hall
Minneapolis, MN
August 5, 2017
WOLF TRAP OPERA
Directed with panache and some cheeky PG-13 shtick by Gregory Keller and featuring a vivid look from Erhard Rom (scenery) and Alejo Vietti (costumes), [he] has the characters living "La Dolce Vita."
--The Baltimore Sun
Wolf Trap’s “Il Turco” shines in Vienna
--The Washington Times
Keller's acting direction was particularly effective, creating memorable characters, as well as a hilarious cat-fight between the prima and seconda donne at the end of Act I and a memorable setting of the beautiful unaccompanied Quintetto of Act II. Most importantly, the director did nothing to undermine the libretto even while giving it a new twist, even playing Fiorilla's gorgeous final scena -- the one truly sad moment in the opera, as she appears truly saddened to be disgraced by the divorce Geronio pretends to be enforcing -- as sincere regret.
--IONARTS
Director Gregory Keller spiced the action with cheeky adult humor to give the already amusing plot an extra kick, and he generated a lively, tightly-meshed ensemble effort from the young singers.
--Opera News
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Conductor: Eric Melear
Sets: Erhard Rom
Costumes: Alejo Vietti
Lighting: Bob Grimes
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Fiorilla: Angela Mannino
Selim: Michael Sumuel
Geronio: Michael Anthony McGee
Narciso: David Portillo
Poeta: Chad Sloan
Zaida: Catherine Martin
Albazar: Nathaniel Peake
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The Barns at Wolf Trap Opera
July 9, 11, 13 2010
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Photos: Kim Witman, Erhard Rom
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA
STUDIO PROGRAM
The kookdom of this rightous revamp will leave you totally noodled (this is a good thing...). Miss it and be labeled a foobar for infinity... fo'sho! (and this is a bad thing...)
--Houston Examiner
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Conductor: Francis Greep
Set & Costume Design: Andrew Cloud
Lighting Design: Philip Alfano
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Ferrando: Brendan Tuohy
Guglielmo: Boris Dyakov
Don Alfonso: Michael Sumuel
Fioridiligi: Rachel Willis-Sorenson
Dorabella: Catherine Martin
Despina: Kiri Deonarine
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Emery Weiner Auditorium
March 11, 13 2011
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Photos: Felix Sanchez
CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA THEATRE
Keller employed a contemporary setting for this biblical story, stating “I do feel strongly that although perfunctorily set in the time of Herod Antipas, this is truly a 20th century musical and dramatic work that speaks directly to our modern world of luxury and indulgence, where faith seems to be in constant crisis.”
—Opera America
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Conductor: Daniel Kleinknecht
Sets: Scott Olinger
Lighting: Chris Tuzicka
Costumes: Renee Bell
Choreography: Eloy Barragan
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Salome: Amy Johnson
Herod: Jeffrey Dowd
Herodias: Katherine Goeldner
Narraboth: Jared Rogers
Jochanaan: Mark Schnaible
Page: Kelly Hill
Cappadocian: Jacob Lassetter
Slave: Elizabeth Stoner
1st Soldier: John Muriello
2nd Soldier: Stephen Fish
1st Jew: Andrew Stenson
2nd Jew: Jeff Birch
3rd Jew: Marc Schapman
4th Jew: Ben Gulley
5th Jew: Cody Medina
1st Nazarene: Jonathan Stinson
2nd Nazarene: Timothy Bostwich
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Gallager Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
Cedar Falls, IA
January 15, 17 2010
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Photos: from the HD broadcast for Iowa Public TV
BERKSHIRE OPERA
"Figaros" come and go with frequency in large and small opera houses over the world every year, but this is, with little doubt, one of the most entertaining. You may regret missing it.
--Berkshire Eagle
Spying through moist vision a neighboring audience member wiping her own eyes is a pretty good indication that something transcendent and timeless has happened onstage. It's all the more wondrous when the prompting is not a mournful overplayed death scene but two young lovers reconciling as they wrestle about on the ground.
--Albany Times Union
To deliver a musically perfect performance of Mozart, while making what is happening on stage feel fresh and familiar, is reflective of the new leadership and thinking at Berkshire Opera. It has proved once again that they are our region's first rate presenter of opera... Bravo! Encore!
--BerkshireFineArts.com
A not to be overlooked star of Gregory Keller's smoothly directed production is Dipu Gupta's wizardly scenic and lighting design. When the audience first takes its seat, the set looks rather spare and bare bones. But that simple looking set is actually quite complex, evolving into a variety of settings, including a magical Midsummer Night's Dream forest and, even more magically, leaving the stage totally bare except for the terrific cast...brava, bravo, stupendo!
--A Curtain Up Berkshire Review
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Conductor: Katheen Kelly
Sets & Lighting: Dipu Gupta
Costumes: Charles Caine
Choreography: Brady Paul
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Figaro: Ryan McKinny
Susanna: Suzanne Ramo
Countess Almaviva: Tamara Wilson
Count Almvaviva: Liam Bonner
Cherubino: Maureen O’Flynn
Dr. Bartolo: Jason Hardy
Marcellina: Fenlon Lamb
Don Basilio / Don Curzio: Jason Ferrante
Barbarina: Alison Trainer
Antonio: Claude Corbeil
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The Colonial Theater
Pittsfield, MA
August 15, 18, 20, 22, 24 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA THEATRE
Conductor: Daniel Kleinknecht
Sets: Scott Olinger
Lighting: Peg Sannerud
Costumes: Janie Westendorf
Choreography: Suki Morrisey
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Susannah: Cynthia Clayton
Sam Polk: Jon Garrison
Olin Blitch: Hector Vasquez
Little Bat McLean: Brett Noorigian Colby
Elder McLean: Michael Krzankowski
Elder Gleaton: Jared Rogers
Elder Hayes: David Wahrmund
Edler Ott: Alex Lawrence
Mrs. McLean: Barbara Buddin
Mrs. Gleaton: Emily Joy Lee
Mrs. Hayes: Elisabeth Bieber
Mrs. Ott: Elizabeth Duhr
Fiddler: Tayuka Horiuchi
Caller: Carl Ohrt
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Theatre Cedar Rapids, IA
June 16, 18 2006
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Photos: Peg Sannerud
BERKSHIRE OPERA
Keller’s direction was exquisite and the singing, acting and dancing superb.
--Berkshire Record
Both operas are inherently funny, and Gregory Keller, in his staging, has taken advantage, in each case, of that built-in merriment.
--The Berkshire Eagle
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Conductor: Katheen Kelly
Sets & Lighting: Dipu Gupta
Costumes: Melissa Schlactmeyer
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Torquemada: Lee A. Stewart
Concepción: Claire Molloy
Ramiro: Marc P. Callahan
Gonzalve: Karim Sulayman
Don Iñigo Gomez: Jason Lester
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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington, MA
July 25, 27, 29, 30 2005
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BERKSHIRE OPERA
Gregory Keller...directed the four characters in and out of their problems with a wit and cleverness that matched the sophistication of the set.
--Berkshire Record
Delightful...well timed, and in the best tradition of opera buffa.
--The Berkshire Eagle
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Conductor: Katheen Kelly
Sets & Lighting: Dipu Gupta
Costumes: Melissa Schlactmeyer
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Miss Pinkerton: Laurie Domingue Lester
Miss Todd: Sahoko Sato
Laetitia: Laura Choi Stuart
Bob: Harry Baechtel
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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington, MA
July 25, 27, 29, 30 2005
BERKSHIRE OPERA
A pleasure on the ears, remarkable to behold with the eyes, and a boost to the brain and the heart.
The directors and designers are as much the stars of this production as the terrific singer/actors.
--Berkshire Living Magazine
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Conductor: Katheen Kelly
Sets & Lighting: Dipu Gupta
Costumes: Melissa Schlactmeyer
Choreographer: Paul Chuey
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Goro: Jason Ferrante
Pinkerton: John Bellemer
Suzuki: Mika Shigematsu
Sharpless: Troy Cook
Cio-Cio San: Sandra Lopez
Commissioner: John Fulton
The Bonze: Andrew Gangestad
Prince Yamidori: John Fulton
Kate Pinkerton: Jennifer Berkebile
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The Koussevitzky Arts Center
Berkshire Community College, MA
August 17, 21, 23, 25, 28 2006
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Photos: Kevin Sprague
RED {AN ORCHESTRA}
Give Keller, Sheffer and the superbly communicative baritone, David Adam Moore, credit for tackling Mahler with newfangled conviction.... Even Alma would hail this orchestra's intrepid spirit.
--The Plain Dealer
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Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
by Gustav Mahler
Songs of Alma Mahler
Letters of Gustav & Alma Mahler
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Conductor: Jonathan Sheffer
Lighting: Chris Schick
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Singers: Linda Pavelka
David Adam Moore
Actors: Scott Plate
Alicia Kahn
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Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland OH
November 5, 2005
NEW YORK THEATER WORKSHOP
It is now finally the event I had imagined it might be. And I don’t say this lightly. In my experience, almost never does the realization of a project achieve the glorious vision I have in mind. And you and Mark have done it. Wow.
-- Jim Nicola, Artistic Director, New York Theater Workshop
I think it's absolutely one of the best -- if not the best -- production I've seen at NYTW, to which I'm a longtime subscriber. I was completely mesmerized and alternately amused, horrified, and infuriated.
I want to congratulate you on an amazing show - really chilling and eye opening in many cases.
inspirational, thoughtful, scary, but hopeful...my friends and I left feeling angry, educated, but empowered
--Audience responses
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Written and performed by Mark Crispin Miller
Prestidigitator: Steve Cuiffo
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Sets: Narelle Sissons
Lighting: Jason Lyons
Projections: Kim Reed
Graphic Design: Ken Gordon
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NYTW
September 2003 - July 2004
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The NYTW production was filmed by Lillibet Foster and Good Films Production. A Patriot Act was released on DVD in 2004, and shown on Movies On Demand on over 1000 national cable television stations.
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Previously presented as Operation American Freedom at The Cherry Lane Theater in NYC in 2003; produced by Marc Posnock and Antonio Soddu.
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Photos taken from A Patriot Act
EOS ORCHESTRA
Conductor: Jonathan Sheffer
Lighting: Christien Methot
Costumes: Mellisa Schlactmeyer
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Kleine Harlekinade
by Antonio Salieri
Brighella: David Adam Moore
Harlekin: Peter Kazaras
Columbina: Arianna Zukerman
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Camera Obscura
by Jonathan Sheffer
She: Linda Pavelka
He: Peter Kazaras
Male Operator: David Adam Moore
Female Operator: Arianna Zukerman
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Owl Creek Bridge
by Jonathan Sheffer
Peyton Farquar: Wesley Rogers
Captain: Ethan Hershenfeld
Lieutenant: Peter Kazaras
Farquar’s Wife: Arianna Zukerman
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Sheffer Barn
East Hampton, NY
August 21, 2004
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Photos: Patrick McMullen, Eric Striffler
EOS ORCHESTRA
This was a shattering performance of a brilliant work.
--The New York Times
One of the most extraordinary riveting musical events of this or any season.
--Southampton Press
Elzinga’s performance was masterful, and frighteningly convincing.
--Newsday
Stage director Gregory Keller lent the work a real sense of the king’s frenzied fears and foibles.
--WCLU
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Conductor: Jonathan Sheffer
Lighting: Christien Methot
Costumes: Kate Carroll
King George III: Dean Elzinga
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Ethical Culture Society, NYC
June 1, 2000
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Guild Hall, East Hampton NY
July 27, 2001
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Red {an orchestra}
Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland OH
November 1, 2003
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Photos: Michael DiVito
WOLF TRAP OPERA
Resourceful director Gregory Keller has the action unfolding in such a naturalistic, unaffected manner that it’s easy to forget that this is a 358-year old opera.
--Baltimore Sun
The consistence in stage director Gregory Keller’s attention to emotional detail and clear storytelling…make this Poppea that rarest of wonders: a production that does full justice not only to the work at hand, but to the art form as its creators envisioned it.
--Washington City Paper
This production, which seethes with sly intrigues and cynicism, works because the directors and singers take full advantage of the theater’s small size.
--Washington Post
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Conductor: David Fallis
Sets: Dipu Gupta
Costumes: Bobby Pearce
Lighting: Martha Mountain
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Poppea: Cynthia Watters
Nerone: Michael Maniaci
Ottone: Keith Phares
Ottavia: Elizabeth Shammash
Seneca: Derrick Parker
Drusilla: Stacey Tappan
Arnalta: Julie Bartholomew
Nutrice: Scott Scully
Damigella: Jessica Jones
Valletto: Anna Christy
Lucano: Eric Cutler
Mercurio: Joshua Winograde
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The Barns at Wolf Trap Opera
July 21, 23, 25 2000
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Photos: Dipu Gupta
