HGOco PRESENTS A Chamber Opera Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera Marian's Song Premiered by Houston Grand Opera 8:00 P.M. MAY 14 AND 15, 2021 Damien Sneed | Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE “Bringing Anderson’s story to the forefront of our minds was necessary for me. To see a singer of such grace and humility navigate the harsh world around her, gives hope, for our generation, that we too can be unstoppable and make change.” —Librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, in the Houston Chronicle

Background The Story

Marian’s Song is a chamber opera by composer Damien Sneed and Marian’s Song takes place both in the present day and in the past, librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, based on the life of celebrated during Anderson’s lifetime. When current-day Howard University contralto Marian Anderson (1897–1993), who broke racial bound- student Nevaeh, who admires the singer thanks to stories shared by aries throughout her career. her grandmother, learns the church where Anderson sang as a child is slated for demolition, she travels to Philadelphia to try to save it. It was in 1939 that Anderson stood on the steps of the Lincoln Nevaeh’s journey is woven together with Anderson’s life story—her Memorial in Washington, D.C. and gave a legendary performance of disappointments, her triumphs, and along the way, the works she “America” to a crowd 75,000 strong. The historic moment took place sang so transcendently, including spirituals and classical pieces. after Anderson was denied the chance to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. And that wasn’t the only time the singer made history. Anderson also was the first Black Fun Fact American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. Marian’s Song is a personal project for both its librettist and Commissioned by HGOco, Marian’s Song shares Anderson’s incred- composer. Librettist Mouton, Houston’s first Black poet laureate and ible life through a fusion of spoken-word poetry and opera. To further the creator of Houston VIP Poetry Slam, used her talents as a spoken HGOco’s educational outreach efforts, Mouton also has created high word artist and slam poet to write dialogue for Nevaeh. And just school residency curriculum that pairs with the work in its entirety. like Nevaeh, composer Sneed is a graduate of the historically Black school Howard University.7 Since Marian’s Song made its world premiere on the Wortham stage in March 2020, it has continued to attract wide interest from the community, making it a perfect choice for inclusion in both the HGO Digital season and this performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre. CAST & CREATIVE

Cast HGOco Chorus

Nevaeh Johnson Aris Kian * Cody Ryan Arthur Marian Anderson Zoie Reams ‡ Steve Buza Billy King/Classmate Nicholas Newton, Janine Dworin Nancy Haywood/Kathy Moore Elizabeth Gautsche and Steve Homer/Jill and Brian M. Gibbs Allyn Risley Fellow † Marvin Henderson Jane/Mrs. Roberts/ Cynthia Clayton Chairein Jackson Eleanor Roosevelt Aarianna B. Longino Pastor/Walter White Cory McGee, Cristino Perez Beth Madison Fellow † Denise Ward Promoter Cody Ryan Arthur Crystal White

The entire staff of HGO contributed to the success of this production. For Creative Team a full listing of the company’s staff, please visit HGO.org/about-us/people.

Composer Damien Sneed Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Professional Librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Federation of Musicians. Conductor Benjamin Manis Original Stage Director Dennis Whitehead Darling Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51. Stage Director Eboni Bell Chorus Master/Principal Coach Patrick Harvey Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896. Set Realizer Brian Ruggaber Costume Designer Kristie C. Osi Shackelford Guarantor Original Lighting Design Driscoll Otto Stage Manager Meg Edwards Assistant Stage Manager Annie Wheeler Projected Titles – English Jeremy Johnson Grand Guarantor * HGO debut † Houston Grand Opera Studio artist City of Houston Through Miller Theatre Advisory Board ‡ Former Houston Grand Opera Studio artist

Credits Underwriter

Lighting Designer Michael James Clark Stage Manager Annie Wheeler Production Manager Kristen Burke Technical Director Joshua McIntosh Hair & Makeup Dotti Staker Wardrobe Judy Malone-Stein

HGOco Team

Director Carleen Graham Senior Producing Manager Emily Wells Senior Education Manager Alisa Magallón Operations Manager Meredith Morse Programs Coordinator Kathleen Brown Community Initiatives Coordinator Andy Horton HGO Orchestra

VIOLIN FRENCH HORN Denise Tarrant*, Concertmaster Sarah Cranston†, Principal Chloe Kim†, Assistant Concertmaster Kimberly Penrod Minson† Natalie Gaynor*, Principal Second Violin Spencer Park† Carrie Kauk†, Assistant Principal Second Violin Hae-a Lee-Barnes† TRUMPET Miriam Belyatsky† Tetsuya Lawson†, Principal Anabel Detrick† Randal Adams† Rasa Kalesnykaite† Chavdar Parashkevov† TROMBONE Mary Reed† Thomas Hulten†, Principal Erica Robinson† Mark Holley† Linda Sanders† Oleg Sulyga† TUBA Sylvia VerMeulen† Mark Barton†, Principal Melissa Williams† HARP VIOLA Joan Eidman†, Principal Eliseo Rene Salazar*, Principal Lorento Golofeev†, Assistant Principal TIMPANI Gayle Garcia-Shepard† Alison Chang†, Principal Erika Lawson† Suzanne LeFevre† PERCUSSION Dawson White† Richard Brown*, Principal

CELLO PIANO Barrett Sills†, Principal Patrick Harvey Erika Johnson*, Acting Principal Ariana Nelson† ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Wendy Smith-Butler† Richard Brown* Steven Wiggs†

DOUBLE BASS Dennis Whittaker†, Principal * = Core Member Erik Gronfor†, Assistant Principal † = Core Member on leave for this production Carla Clark†

FLUTE Henry Williford*, Acting Principal Flute

OBOE Elizabeth Priestly Siffert*, Principal Mayu Isom†

CLARINET Sean Krissman*, Principal Eric Chi†

BASSOON Amanda Swain*, Principal Michael Allard† Who’s Who DAMIEN SNEED BENJAMIN MANIS COMPOSER CONDUCTOR

As a multi-genre recording artist and Conductor Benjamin Manis joined HGO as instrumentalist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, Resident Conductor in September 2019. Recent vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, performances at HGO include Rigoletto, El arranger, producer, and arts educator whose Milagro del Recuerdo, the 2020 world premiere work spans multiple genres. The Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient of Marian’s Song, and the 2021 HGO Digital filmed version of the same has worked with jazz, classical, pop, and R&B legends, including the work. In May of 2019 Manis completed his Master of Music degree late Aretha Franklin and Jessye Norman, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Wonder, Diana Ross, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, and many Larry Rachleff. Manis has served as cover conductor for the St. Louis others. Sneed is founder and artistic director of Chorale Le Chateau, and Dallas Symphonies, working with conductors David Robertson and which was featured on the 2016 recording of Wynton Marsalis’s Stéphane Denève, and was a winner of the 2019 Solti Foundation U.S. Abyssinian Mass with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is Career Assistance Award. He returned to the Aspen Music Festival for a featured producer and writer on the Dove Award–winning Clark the third consecutive summer in 2019, and will appear there again next Sisters project, The Return, released in March 2020. Other recent summer as the winner of the Aspen Conducting Prize. work includes a project for solo piano responding to the pandemic, commissioned by the Library of Congress, called “Sequestered DENNIS WHITEHEAD DARLING Thoughts,” which premiered online on June 2020. Sneed was ORIGINAL STAGE DIRECTOR commissioned by Alvin Ailey Dance Theater to create an original score for the short film Testament, which premiered in December Dennis Whitehead Darling is an award-win- 2020. He was commissioned by the Opera Theatre of Saint ning international stage director for Louis to compose The Tongue & The Lash, a chamber opera theater and opera based in Philadelphia. about James Baldwin’s 1965 debate with William Buckley. Other In 2018, Darling was selected by Opera commissions premiering in spring 2021 include the Tuskegee Memphis as their Inaugural McCleave Fellow in Directing, a Airmen Symphonic Rhapsody in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, a groundbreaking fellowship dedicated to advancing the careers new piece commissioned by Houston’s Kinder High School for the of directors/music directors of color. His recent directing credits Performing and Visual Arts, and a choral suite commissioned by include Marian’s Song (2020 HGO world premiere and 2021 the Trenton Children’s Chorus. Sneed is a faculty member of the HGO Digital film), The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Red Mountain Manhattan School of Music and an artist-in-residence at Michigan Theatre), Independence Eve (Opera Birmingham), Lady Day at State University. Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Hattiloo Theatre/Spazio Teatro No’hma in Milan), Jelly’s Last Jam (Hattiloo Theatre), The Parchman Hour DEBORAH D.E.E.P. MOUTON (Hattiloo Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Spazio Teatro No’hma in LIBRETTIST Milan), Intimate Apparel (University of Memphis), Movin’ Up in the World (Opera Memphis), Sunset Baby (Hattiloo Theatre), James and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally the Giant Peach (Circuit Playhouse), Blue Viola (Opera Memphis), Mr. known writer, educator, activist, performer, Rickey Calls a Meeting (Hattiloo Theatre), and Marcus; or the Secret and poet laureate emeritus of Houston. She of Sweet (Hattiloo Theatre). Observership, associate directing, was formerly ranked as the second best and assistant directing credits include Jack The Ripper (English Female Performance Poet in the World. Her recent poetry collection, National Opera), world and regional premieres of Lights Out: Nat Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary), was nominated for a Pushcart “King” Cole (Geffen Playhouse, People’s Light Theatre), and Triumph Prize, named a finalist for the 2019 Writer’s League of Texas Book of Honor (Opera Memphis). Upcoming productions include La Award, and received honorable mention for the Summerlee Book bohème (Opera Columbus), Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Carnegie Prize. Its German translation, under the title Berichtenswert, is set Mellon), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, starring Angie Stone to be released in Fall 2021 by Elif Verlag. Mouton was a finalist for (Hattiloo Theatre @ The Cannon Center), Sanctuary Road (North Texas State Poet Laureate, a Kennedy Center Citizen fellowship, and Carolina Opera), and The Secret River (Opera Orlando). the prestigious Breadloaf Retreat. Her work has been highlighted and studied in Canada, England, New Zealand, and Germany. EBONI BELL She recently performed as a part of the Kennedy Center’s virtual STAGE DIRECTOR performance, Arts Across America, and was named a Houston Artist Commissioning Project award winner by the Society for the Eboni Bell is a Houston-based actor, director, Performing Arts Houston. Her second book, Black Chameleon, is set and choreographer. She served as assistant to be released in 2022 by Henry Holt & Co. She recently created a stage director for the 2020 world premiere of new Storybook Opera for HGOco, Lula the Mighty Griot, which rein- HGO’s Marian’s Song and the filmed version terprets one of the stories from Black Chameleon and is set to debut for HGO Digital this season. She was seen most recently on other in early 2021. Houston stages in Standing Room Only’s productions of American Idiot and Seussical the Musical, directed by Kevin Cahoon. Bell previously directed Katie: Strongest of the Strong (HGO), Fatherland BRIAN RUGGABER and Panto: Hansel and Gretel (Stages Repertory Theatre), Next to SET REALIZER Normal (Applause Theatre Company), The Credeaux Canvas (Sam Houston State University), and Freedom Train (Express Children’s Brian Ruggaber is the award-winning scenic Theatre). She is the co-founder of Iconotheatrix, a new youth theater, designer who created the sets for the world where she directed and choreographed RENT: School Edition, Spring premiere of Marian’s Song with HGO in 2020 Awakening, Chicago, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling and the filmed version for HGO Digital this Bee. Bell is the Inclusion, Engagement, and Training Director of season. Currently in his eighth year with the University of Memphis, he Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston. heads The Department of Theatre & Dance’s scenic design program and has designed scenery for over 160 productions including opera, DRISCOLL OTTO drama, musical theater, and dance. He has a strong interest in ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESIGN developing works with diversity, equity, and inclusion as core themes. His work has been seen in regional theaters, international festivals, Driscoll Otto’s credits include lighting and and Off-Broadway. Ruggaber previously served as Resident Scenic projection design for HGO’s 2020 world Designer for The University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of premiere, Marian’s Song and the filmed version Music (CCM) and Associate Professor of Design at The University of for HGO Digital this season; The Huntington North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a proud member of United Scenic Theatre Company’s production of The Purists directed by Billy Porter; Artists Local 829, IATSE 492, and an active member of the United projections for The Flying Dutchman in Florence, Italy; and lighting and States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). He has an Master of projections for Iolanta at Chicago Opera Theater. Otto’s design work is Fine Arts from The University of Massachusetts and Bachelor of Fine seen frequently in New York City and in regional theater and opera. His Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to design, credits include The Huntington Theatre Company, Utah Opera, The Old Ruggaber has worked extensively in production and has manu- Globe, Opera Omaha, Opera Philadelphia, Dallas Theater Center, Drury factured scenery for commercial production shops, television, and Lane Theatre, The Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Houston regional theaters. Shakespeare Festival, Trinity Repertory Company, Hangar Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, Lyric Opera Kansas City, and productions of Legally PATRICK HARVEY Blonde and Rock of Ages for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Highlights to his CHORUS MASTER/PRINCIPAL COACH resume include projection design for Santa Fe Opera’s production of The Golden Cockerel and The Metropolitan Opera’s production of La HGO Studio alumnus and pianist Patrick Harvey donna del lago. served on the HGO music staff from 2013 to 2017. During that time, Harvey performed with KRISTIE C. OSI SHACKELFORD the HGO Orchestra as a pianist, fortepianist, COSTUME DESIGNER and organist. He performed with many HGO Studio and visiting artists in recitals at Rienzi and elsewhere. He was the music director for the Kristie C. Osi Shackelford is a Houston-based HGOco production of Das Barbecü (2017) and appeared onstage as costume designer and wardrobe specialist with Jake in Show Boat (2013). Harvey has served as an Art Teacher of a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Technology Opera Studies at Rice University and as a visiting professor at Baylor from the University of Houston. Her career University in Waco. He was a member of the music staff of the Santa began at HGO, where she worked as a stitcher in the costume shop Fe Opera from 2012 to 2019. During the pandemic, Harvey has been and later designed the costumes for the 2020 world premiere of collaborating with Holy City Arts and Lyric Opera in Charleston, South Marian’s Song and the filmed version for HGO Digital this season. Her Carolina on their “Social Distance-Sing” initiative. credits include Carmen (Opera Orlando); Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Too Heavy for Your Pocket, and ‘da Kink in My Hair (The Ensemble ARIS KIAN Theater); Tilly the Trickster, Bunnicula, and A View From The Bridge POET—NEVEAH JOHNSON (Lone Star College); Picasso at Lapin Agile (Rice University); Taming of The Shrew and Mamma Mia (Dobie High School Theatre); and The Aris Kian is an Inprint C. Glenn Cambor Fellow Leader and Kassandra (Opera in the Heights). Upcoming projects pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree at include the world premiere of The Secret River with Opera Orlando in the University of Houston. She was ranked December 2021. Shackelford’s costume design for Ma Rainey’s Black #10 in the 2020 Women of the World Poetry Bottom was awarded Costume Design of the Decade from the Broadway Slam and 4th with the UH team CoogSlam at the 2019 Association World Regional Awards in January 2020. Her passion for innovation and of College Unions International’s College Unions Poetry Slam creativity has taken her as far as Madrid to present research within the Invitational tournament. Her poems are published with Write About field of costume technology to designers from around the world. Now, Underground Journal, Houston Review of Books, The West Review, and elsewhere. She is a Pushcart nominee and a 2020 Best of the Net Finalist.

ZOIE REAMS CYNTHIA CLAYTON MEZZO-SOPRANO —MARIAN ANDERSON SOPRANO—MS. JANE ROBERTS/ ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HGO Studio alumna Zoie Reams has been lauded by Opera News for her “velvety mezzo.” American soprano Cynthia Clayton was most Her past roles with HGO include Marian recently seen at HGO as Ms. Jane Roberts/ Anderson in the world premiere of Marian’s Eleanor Roosevelt in the world premiere of Song (2020) and the filmed version for HGO Digital (2021), Maddelena Marian’s Song and the filmed version for HGO Digital, as the Beggar in Rigoletto (2019), and Rosalia in West Side Story (2018). This Woman in Sweeney Todd, and as Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin. season for HGO, Reams appeared in HGO Digital concert Giving Clayton is well known throughout the United States and overseas Voice and performed the role of Sister Sophia in outdoor singalong for her critically acclaimed performances of leading operatic roles My Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music. Also during the including Puccini and Mozart heroines. Other highlights include 2020-21 season she joined Minnesota Opera in a special holiday Desdemona in Otello; Leonora in Il trovatore; Nedda in Pagliacci; concert and will do so again as Nancy in Albert Herring, and returns Violetta in La traviata; Micaela in Carmen; Marguerite in Faust; the title to Des Moines Metro Opera as the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd role in Jenůfa; the title role in Susannah; and the title role in Florencia and Juno in Rameau’s Platée. Last season, Reams sang Jan Arnold in en el Amazonas. She has had leading roles at HGO, New York City Joby Talbot’s Everest and Georgia Davenport in the world premiere of Opera, Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, Utah Opera, Cleveland Opera, Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride at Chicago Opera Theater. Operatic high- Opéra en Plein Air (Belgium), Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Grand lights of recent seasons include making her house debut at Lyric Opera Rapids, and Central City Opera. She has been a member of the faculty of Chicago as Flora in La traviata, performing at Opera Columbus as at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston since 2005. Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, singing the title role in Carmen at Opera Louisiane, and making her house and role debut at Des Moines Metro CORY MCGEE Opera as Margret in Wozzeck. Reams has appeared extensively in Beth Madison Fellow concert, including performing Handel’s Messiah with the Washington BASS—PASTOR/WALTER WHITE National Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra last season. Reams was the second-place winner at HGO’s Eleanor McCollum Competition First year HGO Studio artist Cory McGee Concert of Arias (2016), first-place winner of the Emerging Artist recently completed his Master of Music degree division of the Classical Singer Competition (2015), and second place at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. winner of the Gulf Coast Region of the Metropolitan Opera National He was the second prize winner in HGO’s 2020 Eleanor McCollum Council Auditions (2016). Competition Concert of Arias. This season he has featured in HGO Digital productions The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for All NICHOLAS NEWTON (as Billy) and Giving Voice. In summer 2019, he joined Santa Fe Nancy Haywood/Kathy Moore and Steve Opera as an apprentice artist, portraying the role of the Gardener Homer/Jill and Allyn Risley Fellow in Ruder’s The Thirteenth Child. In 2018 he was a studio artist with BASS-BARITONE—BILLY KING/CLASSMATE Wolf Trap Opera, where he played La Voce in Mozart’s Idomeneo and Ranger Nat in David Hanlon’s children’s opera, Listen, Wilhelmina!, This season second-year HGO Studio artist and was a soloist in “Bernstein at 100 – A Celebration.” Recent Nicholas Newton has featured in HGO Digital engagements include the title role in Le nozze di Figaro and Pandolfe productions The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for All; Giving in Massenet’s Cendrillon (Oberlin Opera Theater) and Leporello in Voice; and the filmed version of Marian’s Song. The third prize winner Don Giovanni (Oberlin in Italy). He will return to Santa Fe this summer in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias and for a second summer as an apprentice artist, performing the role of an alumnus of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy (2016), he previ- Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. ously played Billy King in the world premiere of Marian’s Song (2020) and Monterone in Rigoletto (2019); he also was cast as Second CODY RYAN ARTHUR Soldier in Salome (canceled). His notable performances include the TENOR—PROMOTER roles of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto and Capulet (cover) in Roméo et Juliette with Wolf Trap Opera, Achilla in Julius Caesar at Rice Cody Arthur is quickly establishing a diverse University, and L’arbre and Le fauteuil in L’enfant et les sortilèges at career on the operatic and concert stage the Aspen Music Festival. Newton was a 2019 national semifinalist in and has performed with HGO, Opera in the the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the first-place Heights, Bach Society Houston, Ars Lyrica, winner in the 2018 Virginia & Susan Hawk Competition. In summer and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. Previous roles include Tamino, 2019, he sang Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera Theatre of Saint Ernesto, Albert Herring, Larry Renault (Dinner at Eight), Renaud, Le Louis. In the summer of 2020, he had been set to return to Wolf Trap Chevalier Danois (Armide), and Samuel Parris (The Crucible). As a Opera as Colline in La bohème, but that production was canceled Young Artist, Cody has performed with Miami Music Festival, Opera due to COVID-19. NEO, and Chicago Summer Opera. Originally from Memphis, Arthur currently resides in Houston and is an alumnus of The University of Houston’s Moores School of Music.