Jake Heggie & Gene Scheer
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Jake Heggie THEATER 17/18 & Gene Scheer FOR YOUR INFORMATION Do you want more information about upcoming events at the Jacobs School of Music? There are several ways to learn more about our recitals, concerts, lectures, and more! Events Online Visit our online events calendar at music.indiana.edu/events: an up-to-date and comprehensive listing of Jacobs School of Music performances and other events. Events to Your Inbox Subscribe to our weekly Upcoming Events email and several other electronic communications through music.indiana.edu/publicity. Stay “in the know” about the hundreds of events the Jacobs School of Music offers each year, most of which are free! In the News Visit our website for news releases, links to recent reviews, and articles about the Jacobs School of Music: music.indiana.edu/news. Musical Arts Center The Musical Arts Center (MAC) Box Office is open Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Call 812-855-7433 for information and ticket sales. 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Two Hundred Seventy-Fourth Program of the 2017-18 Season _______________________ Indiana University Opera Theater presents as its 457th production It’s a Wonderful Life Opera in Two Acts Music by Jake Heggie Libretto by Gene Scheer Based in part on the film It’s a Wonderful Life by permission of Paramount Licensing, Inc., and on The Greatest Gift, a story by Philip Van Doren Stern David Neely, Conductor Leonard Foglia, Stage Director Robert Brill, Set Designer David Woolard, Costume Designer Brian Nason, Lighting Designer Elaine McCarthy, Projection Artist E. M. Gimenez, Sound Designer Keturah Stickann, Associate Director and Choreographer Walter Huff, Chorus Master Gene Scheer, Supertitle Author Heggie and Scheer’s It’s a Wonderful Life is a co-commission and co-production with Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, and the IU Jacobs School of Music (collegiate premiere). _________________ Musical Arts Center Friday, November Tenth Saturday, November Eleventh Thursday, November Sixteenth Friday, November Seventeenth Seven-Thirty O’Clock music.indiana.edu Cast of Characters Friday, November 10 Thursday, November 16 Saturday, November 11 Friday, November 17 George Bailey ........... Edward Atkinson Terrence Chin-Loy Clara .................. Cadie Jordan Anne Slovin Henry Potter ............ Marcus Simmons David Tahere Mary Bailey ............. Rachel Mikol Virginia Mims Harry Bailey ............ Benjamin Seiwert Ian Murrell Uncle Billy .............. Justin Brunette Andrew Flanagin Ernie .................. Nick Farmer Nick Farmer Mother Bailey ........... Amber McKoy Amber McKoy Helen Bailey ............ Madeline Coffey Madeline Coffey Angel Quartet ........... Rose-Antoinette Bellino Rose-Antoinette Bellino Aaron Cooker Aaron Cooker Kaitlyn McMonigle Kaitlyn McMonigle Stephen Walley Stephen Walley Ed . Michael Parham Michael Parham Randall ..................Leo Williams Leo Williams Mrs. Thompson ............Lindsey Allen Lindsey Allen Suitor ....................Hunter Aldridge Hunter Aldridge Mr. Martini ...............Carl Rosenthal Carl Rosenthal Mr. Ruffino ...............Lucas DeBard Lucas DeBard Mr. Delgado ..............Bruno Sandes Bruno Sandes Mrs. Delgado ..............Katherine Jones Katherine Jones Mrs. O’Malley .............Nicola Santoro Nicola Santoro A Woman .................Emily Rosoff Emily Rosoff A Man ...................Kevin Masters Kevin Masters Sam Wainwright ...........Conner Allison Conner Allison Young Mary/Janie ..........Mae Hayashi Mae Hayashi Young George/Tommy ......Ron Kalinovsky Ron Kalinovsky Young Sam Wainwright ......Callum Miles Callum Miles Young Harry ..............Marcus Westphal Marcus Westphal Zuzu ....................Evelyn Steele Evelyn Steele Supernumerary ............Garrett Godsey Garrett Godsey Opera Chorus Soprano/Alto Tenor/Bass Lindsey Allen Hunter Aldridge Avery Boettcher Lucas DeBard Alyssa Dessoye Glen Hall Katherine Jones Rivers Hawkins Shayna Jones Slade LaCounte Gretchen Krupp Joey LaPlant Hayley Lipke Ting Li Annika Mauss Kevin Masters Rebecca Rogers Michael Parham Emily Rosoff Carl Rosenthal Nicola Santoro Bruno Sandes Savanna Webber Leo Williams Special thanks to Brent Gault, director of the IU Children’s Choir Synopsis On Christmas Eve 1945, in Bedford Falls, New York, George Bailey is suicidal. Prayers for him reach Heaven, where Clara, Angel Second Class, is assigned to save George in order to earn her angel wings. To prepare, Clara is shown flashbacks of George’s life. The first is in 1916, when 12-year-old George saves his younger brother Harry from drowning when he falls through the ice on a frozen pond. On Harry’s graduation night in 1925, George has a romantic encounter with Mary Hatch, who has been in love with him from an early age. They are interrupted by news of his father’s death. George postpones his travel plans in order to sort out the family business, Bailey Brothers’ Building and Loan, a longtime competitor to Henry F. Potter, the local banker and the richest man in town. Potter wishes to dissolve the Building and Loan to take over its business. George makes the decision to stay on in Bedford Falls and run the business, along with his absent-minded Uncle Billy. Reconnecting after four years apart, George and Mary get married. As they leave for their honeymoon, they witness a run on the bank and use their honeymoon savings to lend financial support at the Building and Loan until the bank reopens. Over time, George establishes Bailey Park, a housing development with small houses financed by loans from Bailey Building and Loan, which allows people to own their own homes rather than pay rent to live in Potter’s overpriced slums. Potter, frustrated at losing control of the housing market, attempts to lure George into becoming his assistant; George is momentarily tempted but rejects the offer. During World War II, Harry becomes a Navy pilot and shoots down a kamikaze plane that would have bombed an amphibious transport; he is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. On Christmas Eve morning 1945, the town prepares a hero’s welcome for Harry. Uncle Billy goes to Potter’s bank to deposit $8,000 for the Building and Loan. (The $8,000 was worth over $100,000 in 2017 dollars.) He teases Potter, taking his newspaper and bragging about Harry being on the front page; the banker angrily grabs the newspaper, inside of which Billy has unintentionally tucked the envelope containing the money. Upon seeing the money, Potter realizes the potential scandal could lead to the Building and Loan’s downfall. Potter hides the money, knowing its loss will cause severe Watch IU sports news on the go with the Hoosier Sports Report app for iPhone and Android The Hoosier Sports Report app is now available for free on iOS and Android devices—watch IU sports news anywhere! Hoosier Sports Report features IU sports video news focusing on athletes and coaches, athletic facilities and fans. Our reporters also provide on-camera analysis, in studio and out in the field. HSR has covered more than 20 different IU sports. Additional programming includes post-game, pre-game, special topics, fan shows and more. Watch at home, too, on your Roku, AppleTV, or AmazonFireTV. Search “Hoosier Sports Report” on your supported streaming device or smartphone to get the app. Follow @HooSportsRep and #HSRtv on Twitter for new video news and updates. Hoosier Sports Report is produced by financial problems for the Building and Loan. When Uncle Billy cannot find the money, he and George frantically search for it. A bank examiner arrives to review their records, and George berates his uncle for endangering the Building and Loan. He goes home and takes out his frustration on his bewildered family. George desperately appeals to Potter for a loan. When George offers his life insurance policy as collateral, Potter says George is worth more dead than alive and tells George he will send the police to arrest him. The opera’s narrative catches up to the time of the opening scene. Before he can jump, Clara dives into the river just before George does, forcing George to rescue Clara rather than killing himself. George does not believe Clara’s subsequent claim to be his guardian angel. When George says he wishes he had never been born, Clara decides to grant his wish and show George an alternate timeline in which he never existed. Bedford Falls is named Pottersville and is a much less congenial place. The Building and Loan has long since closed down, because George wasn’t there to take over after Mr. Bailey’s passing. George’s mother does not recognize him; she reveals that Uncle Billy was institutionalized after the collapse of the Building and Loan. In the cemetery where Bailey Park would have been, George discovers the grave of his brother. Clara tells George that Harry could not have saved all of the men on the transport during the war, because George had not been there to save Harry from drowning. George, now convinced that Clara is really his guardian angel, runs back to the bridge and begs for his life back; the alternate timeline changes back to the original reality. George runs home to find the bank examiner and police ready to make their arrest. However, Mary and Uncle Billy arrive, having rallied the townspeople, who have donated what they can to help George. Harry bursts in with a telegram from George’s childhood friend Sam Wainwright, now a wealthy businessman, who has wired $25,000 to help save the Bailey Building and Loan.