FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, ELLIOT LEGOW FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, ELLIOT LEGOW In 2004 David Vosburgh and Patricia Kavic decided to take a risk and start an opera company in Youngstown. Pat had been involved with the Pittsburgh Opera as a board member. David had a long career in theater, musicals and opera production. Would Youngstown be able to sustain an opera company? Was there sufficient local talent? Financial support? Audience interest? All unknowns, but they decided to give it a try. Well, their dreams – bolstered by lots of hard work - came true. And now 15 years later, David Vosburgh is producing the opera of his dreams, Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth. After more than 50 years in the theater world, this might be David’s last production. Officially, his tenure as Opera Western Reserve’s production director, stage director and scenic designer ends next spring. Scott Skiba has been engaged to direct La Traviata for OWR in 2020. Scott sang with OWR in its early years and has since ventured successfully into opera direction. He is currently the Artistic Director with Lyric Opera Cleveland and on the music faculty at Baldwin Wallace College. Scott worked with David in 2016 as the stage director of OWR’s lively production of Carmen. We anticipate another long and fulfilling relationship with Scott. Meanwhile, David’s enthusiasm and creativity are undiminished, and he might just be back at OWR working with Scott in the not so distant future. Equal in longevity with OWR, and in her dedication and professional talent, Susan Davenny Wyner continues to serve as our music director, and recently celebrated 20 years as conductor of the Warren Philharmonic. All of our soloists this year have performed in previous Opera Western Reserve productions. We are happy to continue to develop young musical talent. OWR also continues to serve its mission to bring musical experiences and music education to schoolchildren in our area through the Young Artists Program. Opera Western Reserve depends on local individuals, corporations and foundations for our financial support. As we move through this significant artistic transition, we need to enhance that support. Please consider a gift to our Endowment Campaign, described further in the program, to help underwrite our present and our future. presents MACBETH Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Andrea Maffei Adapted from the play by William Shakespeare Conductor SUSAN DAVENNY WYNER Director/Scenic Designer DAVID VOSBURGH CAST in order of appearance 1ST WITCH (Mezzo-Soprano)………………….Erika Walker Duderstadt* 2nd WITCH (Soprano)……………………………..……..……Sierra McCorvey* 3RD WITCH (Soprano)………………………………….……...Rebecca Enlow* MACBETH, Thane of Glamis (Baritone)……….….………..Michael Young BANQUO, A General (Bass)………………………….……...Jonathan Stuckey MESSENGERS ………………..…….Emilio Santiago*, Alexander Kluchar* SEYTON, Macbeth’s Steward (Tenor)..........................Dean La Salandra* LADY MACBETH (Soprano)………………….………….………..Diana Farrell DUNCAN, King of Scotland (Actor)………….…………Thomas O’Donnell MACDUFF, Thane of Fife (Tenor)……….…….. Jesus Daniel Hernández MALCOLM, The King’s Son and Heir (Tenor)………..…….Xuyue Qing* FLEANCE, Banquo’s Son…………………………….….…….…..Allegra Lewis MURDERERS….................................David Pratt, Alexander Kluchar* Emilio Santiago* A PYHSICIAN (Baritone)…………………………………………….David Pratt GENTLEWOMAN (Soprano)…..………………Lauren Corcoran Emrich* Witches, Soldiers, Noblemen and Noblewomen, Cutthroats, Apparitions, English Army A Thane is a Lord of an area of Scotland and a general in King Duncan’s Army *OPERA Western Reserve Young Artist PLACE: Scotland TIME: 11th Century PART ONE Scene 1, The heath Scene 2, Macbeth’s Castle at Dunsinane Scene 3, The same, some months later Scene 4, A forest near the castle Scene 5, The banquet hall INTERMISSION 20 minutes PART TWO Scene 1, The Witches’ meeting place Scene 2, A chapel Scene 3, A hall in the castle Scene 4, The hall, the next day CREDITS Orchestral reduction by Tony Burke@Pocket Publications Youngstown State University Dana School of Music Youngstown State University Department of Theater and Dance Shelly Stevens, General Manager, Comfort Inn - Austintown Top Hat Productions, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gasser Chair Company Stambaugh Auditorium, Cynthia Foust, Pat Kavic OPERA WESTERN RESERVE STAFF Music Director/Conductor..............................Susan Davenny Wyner Production Director......................................................David Vosburgh Board Chair.......................................................................Elliot P. Legow Business Manager........................................................Christine Legow Administrative Assistant......................................................Lynn Sabeh Accountant..................................................................James Diffley, CPA Grant Developer...................................................................Linda Mohn Graphic Design/Marketing............................................Jamie Marshall Box Office, Front of House Staff..................Stambaugh Auditorium Stage Crew, Videography..............................Stambaugh Auditorium Printing and Mailing.........................................................Duncan Press City Printing Youngstown Letter Shop Minute Man Press PRODUCTION STAFF Music Director/Conductor..............................Susan Davenny Wyner Stage Director/Scenic Designer.................................David Vosburgh Chorus Master......................................................Benjamin Malkevitch Fight Choreographer........................................Dr. Dennis Henneman Scenic Designer.............................................................David Vosburgh Costume Designer...............................Barbara Luce, Brian Palumbo Production Stage Manager.............................................Robert Pierce Stage Manager.......................................................................Joyce Jones Assistant Stage Manager...........................................Dean LaSalandra Master Carpenter.............................................................Frank Bongen Scene Shop Crew............................James Jones, James A. Lancaster Hair Design............................................................................Leah Altiero Super Title Operator............................................................Lynn Sabeh STAMBAUGH AUDITORIUM STAGE STAFF Production Manager..........................................................Eric Shelhart Production Coordinator...........................................Courtney Greene Lighting Design.................................Terri Norling & Brandon Ritchie Sound.............................................................................Jancarlos Lebrón Production Staff..........Mark Ocheltree, Andrew Morro, Sam Perez Video..................................................................Stambaugh Auditorium ORCHESTRA FOR MACBETH Susan Davenny Wyner, Music Director and Conductor FLUTE TIMPANI/PERCUSSION Kathryn Thomas Umble* Don Yallech* OBOE VIOLIN I Martin Neubert* Joseph Kromholz, concertmaster CLARINET Mary Ellen Price Alice Wang* Barton Samuel Rotberg John Stumpff Katherine O'Neill VIOLIN II BASSOON Brendan Considine* Janice Pylinski* Natalie Sahyoun** Abigail McLaughlin HORNS Brittany Baglia Heather Johnson* Rob Cole VIOLA Caitlin Hedge* TRUMPET Jay Koziorynsky Christopher Krummel* CELLO TROMBONE Michael Gelfand* Sebastian Bell* Scott Burns BASS Jeff Bremer* *Principal Player **Librarian and Assistant Orchestra reduction by Tony Burke, Pocket Publications OPERA WESTERN RESERVE CHORUS Jon Simsic, Chorus Master SOPRANOS ALTOS Elizabeth Crowll LaNae' Fergusson Rachel Lewis Emily Adgate Lewis Diane Pack Letizia Lowman Donna Wynn BARITONES/BASSES TENORS Patrick Bascom Michael Fawcett Alexander Kluchar* Dean LaSalandra* David Pratt Emilio Santiago* James Tereba ACTORS James E. Ferguson Chris Hartman James Lancaster Zack Lewis PRODUCTIONS 2004 I PAGLIACCI Ruggiero Leoncavallo 2005 LA BOHÈME Giacomo Puccini 2006 LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 2007 RIGOLETTO Giuseppe Verdi 2008 MADAMA BUTTERFLY Giacomo Puccini 2009 CARMEN Georges Bizet 2010 LA TRAVIATA Giuseppe Verdi 2011 TOSCA Giacomo Puccini 2012 BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA Gioacchino Rossini 2013 LA BOHÈME Giacomo Puccini 2014 DON GIOVANNI Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 2015 THE ELIXIR OF LOVE Gaetano Donizetti 2016 CARMEN Georges Bizet 2017 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Gaetano Donizetti 2018 MADAMA BUTTERFLY Giacomo Puccini 2019 MACBETH Giuseppe Verdi FUTURE PRODUCTIONS 2020 LA TRAVIATA Giuseppe Verdi FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Giuseppe Verdi was born in Italy in Roncole, near Busseto, on October 9th or 10th, 1813, and died on January 27, 1901, in Milan. Following the era of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini, Verdi dominated the Italian opera scene, and already when he was in his thirties had become one of the pre-eminent opera composers in history. Macbeth, premiered in 1847 at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence, was his tenth opera, and marked something very different in his writing. He had long been obsessed and fascinated by Shakespeare. "He is one of my favorite poets. I have had him in my hands [in Italian translations] from my earliest youth." As he began working on Macbeth, he wrote to his librettist: "This tragedy is one of the greatest creations of man... If we can't make something great out of it, let us at least try to do something out of