Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Overture to Opera 1969

OVERTURE TO OPERA has grown in the last 8 years from DAVID DiCHIERA an educational preview of the Metropolitan Opera's Dr. David DiChiera, general director, is season in Detroit to the mounting of complete operatic the motivating force behind OVERTURE productions. General Director Dr. David DiChiera de TO OPERA'S growth and success. He scribes Overture to Opera's purposes as threefold: To came to Detroit from U.C.L.A., where he acquaint metropolitan Detroiters of all ages with opera; received his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors, a Masters degree in com to give regional talent an opportunity to perform in a pro position, and a Doctorate in musicology fessional company; and to introduce works that would with the Atwater Kent and Gershwin not otherwise be heard in the area. awards as additional honors. In 1958 he Overture to Opera is sponsored by The Detroit Grand received a Fu Ibright award. Opera Association together with Oakland University and Gordon Beaton Dr. DiChiera is chairman of the Music the University Center for Adult Education. Department at Oakland University, and also makes frequent guest appearances as lecturer-recitalist.

"Certainly from the experience of the last years, Dr. DiChiera's Overture to Opera finally emerges as a full-fledged local opera company." -Collins George (The Detroit Free Press) .. . "This was in every respect a professional evening, and a city would be proud to have such a company to call its own."-Plato Karayanis (Affiliate Artist, Inc.) . .. " Impressive theatrically as well as musically . . . operatic professionalism taking place in Detroit./I -Jay Carr (The Detroit News)

CARL KARAPETIAN Carl Karapetian joined OVERTURE TO international concert hall. In 1961 he was the American OPERA this season as music di rector. A recipient of the Salzburg Mozarteum Stipendium and native Detroiter, he has held the posts subsequently was accepted by Herbert Von Karajan as his of music director and conductor of the student in Vienna. He conducted his Philharmonic Hall International Symphony, and musical di debut in 1965. rector of the Grand Rapids Symphony. His conducting career encompasses the

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre JOHN BROOME Stage director, choreographer, and actor, of Dramatic Art, Oakland University. John Broome gained wide recognition Mr. Broome joined the Overture to Opera Company in for his choreography of Stop the World, 1967 when he directed, choreographed, and played in the I Want To Get Off with Anthony New Michigan premiere of Cherubini's The Portuguese Inn. In ley. He taught at the Royal Academy of 1968 he directed Menotti's The Medium, and played the role Dramatic Arts for eight years and has for of Toby. This year Mr. Broome directs Kurt Weill's Der Jasager. the past two years taught at the Academy

ROBERT COWDEN Robert Cowden, stage director for OVER operatic roles with numerous companies in the United States TURE TO OPERA, brings a wealth of pro and Europe. fessional experience and academic train Dr. Cowden, former Fulbright Scholar, is currently director ing to his new assignment. of the graduate program in opera at Wayne State University Holder of degrees from Princeton and also serves as assistant director of the Chautauqua University and the Eastman School of Opera Association where he directs the staging of several Music, Dr. Cowden has played leading operas each year and heads the apprentice artist program.

ITALO TAJO Guest artist for the February 28th per "handsome, 6 foot 2-inch-tall basso with a velvety voice formance is the well known Italian bass and an electrifying stage personality." His fame was further italo Tajo. After making his Metropolitan enhanced by three opera movies and a series of recordings. Opera debut in 1948, he has since per He has been acclaimed for many roles, including formed at La Scala and in other leading Mephistopheles in Faust, Dr. Dulcamara in Elixir of Love, opera houses around the world. and the title roles of Boris Godunov and Don Pasquale. Life magazine describes him as a

Assistant to General Director and Personnel Manager ... Dean Amos; Assistant Music Director and Accompanist ... Naomi Amos; Coach-Accompanist ... John Landis; Costume Designer for II Campanello ... J. Michael Bloom; Costume Designer for Der Jasager ... Josephine Cox; Scenic Design and Stage Manager ... Tom A. Aston

FEBRUARY 9 8:00 P.M ...... Ticket Information : ...... Mrs. Mark Littler ...... TU 6-0438 Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Admission: $2 .50 Mrs. Wesley Johnson ...... TU 5-0315 Fries Auditorium War Memorial ...... 881-7511

FEBRUARY 28 8 :30 P.M ...... Ticket Information : ...... Detroit Institute of Arts ...... 832-2730 Detroit Institute of Arts Admission: $3.00 J. L. Hudson Company ...... 223-5100 (Orchestra Performance) Rackham Building ...... 577-4669 Mrs. Harold Jaffe ...... 863-1353

MARCH 10 8:00 P.M ...... Ticket Information : ...... Mrs. Vern Severson ...... 651-1318 Pontiac Northern High School Admission: $2 .00 adults; Grinnell's: Pontiac Mall...... 682-0422 (North Oakland) $1.00 students Birmingham ...... MI 4-5135 LaBelle' s, Rochester ...... 651-8570 Oakland University ...... 338-7211 ext. 2167

MARCH 15 8 :00 P.M ...... Ticket Information: ...... Mrs. Harold Stubbs ...... HO 8-6040 Clintondale Community Auditorium Admission: $2 .00 adults; Mt. Clemens Pub . Library ...... HO 3-0831 Sponsored by: Macomb $1.00 students Dr. Dale E. Cottrill .... ext. 380 .. 772-8000 Community College Tickets available at: Student Activities Offices .ext. 318.772-8000

MARCH 22 8:00 P.M ...... Ticket Information: ...... Mrs. B. A. Zayti ...... 349-3400 Northville High School Admission : $3.00 adults; 349-3234 $1.50 students Mrs. Charles Wheatley ...... 349-0748

STUDENT PERFORMANCES: February 11 , 1 :30. P.M ., Wyandotte Roosevelt High School; February 14, 10. :30. A.M., Dearborn Edsel Ford High Schoo l; February 25, 1 :0.0. P.M., Detroit Institute of Arts; Febwary 26, 10:0QA.M..,-Detr:oiLinstitute-O. Arts ;- Febw.arv 26.,_ 1_:.0.0 P.M-.Detroil.l.-t ______.....-

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre in-sti·t~t;; of-Ar·t;; - M~;~h··'10'-1'O~3'0 ··A. M~'-Po-~ti·a~ '-N;r~h~;~· High S~h~0·I;Ma~h-1-1; 10:30 A.M., Pontiac Northern High School; March 11 , 1 :00 P.M., Pontiac Northern High School.

The Detroit Grand Opera Association wishes to gratefully acknowledge gifts from the Marie & Alex Manoogian Fund, and from the Harry A. McDonald estate. Also, to the Music Performance Trust Funds, and Samuel Rosenbaun, trustee, for their generosity in funding the orchestra for the performance of February 25 . MeTrOPOLITan opera COMPany ALL PERFORMANCES AT THE MASONIC AUDITORIUM, DETROIT MONDAY, MAY 26-RIGOLETTO (Benefit Performance) ...... Peters; Raimondi, MacNeil, Michalski, Curtain 8 :30 p.m. Giaiotti. Cleva conducting.

TUESDAY, MAY 27-ADRIANA LECOUVREUR ...... Tebaldi, Rankin ; Corelli, Colzani, Curtain 8:00 p.m. Meredith. Cleva conducting.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28-DER ROSENKAVALIER (NEW) ...... Crespin, Raskin, Elias; Edelmann. Allers Curtain 8:00 p.m. conducting.

THURSDAY, MAY 29-IL TROVATORE (NEW) ...... Tucci, Dalis; McCracken, Milnes, Curtain 8:00 p.m. Macurdy. Franci conducting.

FRIDAY, MAY 3G-FAUST ...... , ...... Moffo, Alexander, Bottcher, Giaiotti. Curtain 8:00 p.m. Lombard conducting.

SATURDAY, MATINEE, MAY 31-IL BARBIERE 01 SIVIGLlA ...... Peters; Alva, Sereni, Siepi, Corena. Curtain 1:30 p .m. Lombard conducting.

SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 31-LA BOHEME ...... Bakocevic; ·Raimondi, Guarrera, Tozzi. Curtain 8:00 p.m. Franci conducting

Der JaSaGer (THE CHOI OPERA IN TWO SCEN Text Bertolt Brecht, . , Music by Kurt Weill. ,Directed Broome English Translation by H. M, Potts, . , Music by arrangement with Theodore Presser Company

WhHe on a mountain with his fellow students and h'::lrh,>r a young boy becomes ill and cannot journey further, The group is faced with a dilemma! which they solve an ancient sacrificial custom, Kurt Weill wrote Der in Berlin in 1930 in collaboration with Brecht, the team which nn:,rlll,rprl The and Weill the idea of the title Der laS,a!2E;r- The of that "yes" are and the audience asked to consider what value is ~tt;,rh~.rl to one human life in relation to the deman'ds of group, the or the state.

THE BOY, . " . , .. , .. , .. ,. , , .. , .. ,...... Vortriede THE MOTHER, ...... Elsie Inselman, Suzanne La Croix THE TEACHER ...... , ..... Peter Bickelmann, Russel Smith 1ST STUDENT ...... , ., ,. , , . Nancy Hoover, Martha Woodhouse 2ND STUDENT ...... , , , , , , , , . , . , . Dean Richard Roytek 3RD STUDENT ."."."."",. ,.,""', ...... Gerald Nathan Jones

Text by arrangement with Bertha Case for the Brecht Estate

Il caMPanellO (THE NIGHT BELL) IC OPERA IN ONE ACT

Music and Libretto by Gaetano Donizetti, Directed Robert Cowden Music by arrangement with International Music Company, .. English translation by Robert Cowden

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Ine marnage or an elderly Neapolitan apotheca ry ana a young girl IIILUI::' lilt::: vel15CctilLC VI II'C:I IVIIII\,..1 .•h .... ' ... """ . Throughout the wedding night, the young man rings the apothecary's night bell, each time in a different disguise. Thus the frustrated bridegroom is kept awake until dawn when he must leave on a business trip. /I Campanello, composed in 1836, is filled with the cha rming melodies typical of Donizetti's more familiar .operas, such as Don Pasquale and The Elixir of Love. CAST DON ANNIBALE PISTACCHIO (an elderly druggist) ...... Italo Tajo* Robert Denison, Keith Dearborn** SERAFINA (his young wife) ...... " ...... Judy Johnston, Dolores Martin MADAME ROSA (her mother) ...... Leslie Eitzen, Suzanne La Croix ENRICO (a young man) ...... Philip Zaugg, Peter Bickelmann** SPIRIDIONE (servant of Don Annibale) ...... Joseph Ryan, Mel Thompson DON ANNIBALE'S RELATIONS AND WEDDING GUESTS.

·Guest Artist, February 28, 1969-Detroit Institute of Arts ··Understudies

ENSEMBLE, APPEARING IN BOTH OPERAS : Nancy Hoover, Helen Joseph, Beverly Stief, Barbara Kondelski, Christine Lypeckyi, Pamela Pyles, Richard Roytek, Kenneth Banes, Melvin Thompson, Conwell Carrington, Joseph Brown, Kenneth Young

DETROIT GRAND OPERA ASSOCIATION officers, 1969 season: Mr. Frank W. Donovan, Chairman; Mr. Wilbur H. Mack, PreSident; Mrs. Ralph T. McElvenny, General Chairman; Mrs. Ernest A. Jones, General Co-Chairman.

Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre Copyright 2010, Michigan Opera Theatre overrure TO opera 1969 UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION (w.s.u. - U. of M . - E.M.U .) 60 Farnsworth Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202