Edition 2 | 2019-2020

WHAT’S INSIDE Welcome From the Board Chair �� 7 From the General Director & CEO �� 9 Everest Sponsors �� 5 A Note from Librettist Gene Scheer �� 11 Directors Note �� 13 Staff �� 15 Board �� 17 Beyond the Opera House ��20 A Tribute to Steven Barbaro �� 21 Title Page ��23 Production Page ��25 Synopsis ��27 Cast ��28 Creative Team �� 31 Chorus ��35 Orchestra ��37 Austin Opera Guild ��44 Thank you to our Donors Donor Spotlight ��43 Leadership Giving ��45 Patron Program ��46 Partner Program ��47 Endowment Fund..............................................................................................49 Bravo Society ��50 Honorarium and Memorial �� 51 This program is published in association with Onstage Publications, ADVERTISING 1612 Prosser Avenue, Kettering, OH 45409. This program may not be Onstage Publications reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the 937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966 publisher. JBI Publishing is a division of Onstage Publications, Inc. e-mail: [email protected] Contents © 2020. www.onstagepublications.com All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. AUSTIN OPERA 2019-20 SEASON 3 PRESENTS Everest By Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer This production is dedicated to the memory of Steven Barbaro� PRODUCTION SPONSORS Polly Barbaro Eva and Marvin Womack Jeanne and Van Hoisington Laura Gutiérrez-Witt Lynn and Brian Powell Sherrie and Jay Stewart WINE & SPIRIT SPONSOR MEDIA SPONSOR HOSPITALITY SPONSOR AUSTIN OPERA 2019-20 SEASON 5 6 AUSTIN OPERA austinopera.org FROM THE BOARD CHAIR Dear Friends, Welcome to Everest – an incredible contemporary work that will be new to many in our audience� Also new is the augmented reality experience found in your performance program which brings Mount Everest to life� Austin Opera worked with Subvrsive, an Emmy- nominated XR studio in Austin, to develop this: our first experiment integrating immersive technology with opera� One of the endeavors I have enjoyed most as part of my Chairmanship is the company’s new commitment to innovation� In the last few years, Austin Opera has received three six-figure grants from national foundations in recognition of our work in operatic innovation and to further our efforts in this new arena� The augmented reality experience around Everest is possible thanks to funding from OPERA America and our staff’s belief that Austin, with its thriving tech scene, should play a primary role in discovering what possibilities lie ahead for opera by partnering with and learning from cutting-edge technology companies� Our efforts to drive innovation in opera include the formation of an Innovation Council comprised of local leaders in the technology, consumer behavior, and immersive experiences sectors, of which I am a member� The Council, staff, and Board of Trustees are very enthusiastic about sharing our work in innovation with you this season and beyond� Thank you for joining us on this epic operatic journey to Mount Everest� I hope you enjoy the performance� Cordially, Jeff Kodosky Chair, Austin Opera Board of Trustees 2019 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee AUSTIN OPERA 2019-20 SEASON 7 WELCOME It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Austin Premiere of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest� The Austin Opera staff have been working on Everest for nearly two years now, and it has undoubtedly been one of the most galvanizing projects my team and I have ever taken on� While mounting the great classics of the operatic repertory is always a joy, the excitement of producing an opera composed by a living composer is undeniable� Everest is unique in that not only has it provided the opportunity to work with a living composer and librettist, it has also provided the extremely rare experience of producing an opera about three remarkable real people, one of whom is still living� Dr� Beck Weathers (portrayed in these performances by the brilliant bass-baritone Kevin Burdette) has inspired countless individuals with the story of his survival of the 1996 Everest tragedy� His memoir, Left for Dead, is a brutally honest and compelling account of his life before, during, and after this expedition� Dr� Weathers was an invaluable source of information and inspiration to Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer as they created this work, and we are deeply honored that Dr� Weathers will be in attendance at our Saturday performance� Of course, producing new opera isn’t possible without the enthusiastic support of our stakeholders� We are so grateful to the thousands of ticket-buyers and donors who have agreed to take this journey with us� We are especially grateful to Austin Opera Trustee and production underwriter Polly Barbaro� Polly and her late husband Steve have been long-standing stewards of Austin Opera and ardent supporters of our exploration of new repertoire� At Austin Opera we are committed to producing the most compelling operatic experiences possible – from Mozart to Puccini and beyond� While it is still a relatively new opera, we are confident thatEverest will stand the test of operatic time� Talbot’s stunning score and Scheer’s expertly crafted libretto offer a searing experience that is both epic and heart- wrenchingly intimate� I hope you enjoy the show! Warmest regards, Annie Burridge General Director & CEO AUSTIN OPERA 2019-20 SEASON 9 10 AUSTIN OPERA austinopera.org A NOTE FROM LIBRETTIST GENE SCHEER The libretto of Everest is inspired by a series of tragic events, which took place on Mount Everest in May of 1996� Over the course of a year, I conducted personal interviews with a number of the survivors, and it was these conversations that informed the writing of this work� Portions of the libretto are directly drawn from comments made by those I interviewed� Much of what I wrote is an imaginative response to the almost 40 hours of interviews which I conducted with those who survived the storm� My primary desire, as I told each of the people with whom I spoke, was to find a way of using art to explore the complex emotional crucible that took place during those exceedingly difficult days� This piece would not have been possible without the generosity of Dr� Beck Weathers, Neal Beidleman, Ed Viesturs, David Breashears and Guy Cotter in sharing their experiences� I also wish to thank Dr� Jan Arnold who, in an email exchange, offered words of encouragement; describing the opera I envisioned as “a unique and quite wonderful project�” It is my profound hope that my intention to honor the memory, heroism, and heart of all concerned will be evident throughout this work� I want especially to acknowledge Dr� Beck Weathers’ contributions to the piece� All who survived the dangerous climb were changed by the experience; none more so than Beck, whose honesty about his experience and the personal transformation that took place is certainly central to the piece� It should be noted that this opera focuses on the lives of just four people� There were, of course, many others who lived or died in that terrible storm� In the process of dramatizing this story, distilling it became necessary� That said; I do want to acknowledge the suffering and strength of all of those who were there� The libretto is dedicated to Rob Hall, Dr� Jan Arnold, Doug Hansen and Dr� Beck Weathers and the families of all those who lost loved ones on Everest in May 1996� AUSTIN OPERA 2019-20 SEASON 11 DIRECTOR’S NOTE When I read the first draft of Gene Scheer’s libretto for

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