Jack & Phyllis are creating a better region. Jack Gregory’s company built the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the 1960s. Jack and his wife Phyllis died long ago, but today they help construct Habitat for Humanity homes in Suffolk and expand the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach. Thanks to Jack’s charitable bequest, he and Phyllis will forever help build a better What are you building Hampton Roads. for the future? Adding Charity to Your Will Build your own bridge to the future or IRA through an estate gift to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Learn how at (757) 622-7951 or leaveabequest.org. A quick guide to the pleasure and promise of charitable bequests Inspiring Philanthropy. Changing Lives. www.leaveabequest.org (757) 622-7951 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 From the President and CEO IN HAMPTON ROADS Street Address: 4 From the Principal Conductor Harrison Opera House and Artistic Advisor 160 W. Virginia Beach Blvd. Norfolk, VA 23510 7 From the Chairman of the Board Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2580 8 2017-2018 Board of Directors Norfolk, VA 23501-2580 9 2017-2018 Board of Governors Administration: 757.627.9545 10 From the President of the Hampton Roads 757.622.0058 fax Board of Governors Box Office: 866.673.7282 12 About Virginia Opera IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA 13 Amenities and Theater Policies Street Address: Dominion Arts Center 15 Title Page 600 East Grace Street Suite 200 16 Synopsis Richmond, VA 23219 17 Cast Listing Mailing Address: P.O. Box 784 18 Chorus, Supernumeraries and Orchestra Richmond, VA 23218 Administration: 46 Director's Notes 804.644.8168 804.644.0415 fax 47 Cast and Creative Team Biographies Box Office: 54 Virginia Opera Personnel Etix: 800.514.3849 Subscriptions: 866.673.7282 54 The Herndon Foundation Emerging IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA Artists Program Mailing Address 10660 Page Avenue #1345 55 Tributes and Memorials Fairfax, VA 22038-1345 56 Contributors Administration: 703.357.3682 61 Business/Government Support Box Office Tickets: 888.945.2468 64 Housers and Volunteers Subscriptions: 703.993.2787 ON THE WEB WWW.VAOPERA.ORG THE VISION OF VIRGINIA OPERA: We will enrich the cultural community of the Commonwealth of Virginia through the passion, power and beauty of opera. THE MISSION OF VIRGINIA OPERA: To engage, educate and excite a diverse base of audiences, volunteers and professionals through the production of quality opera performances in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Russell P. Allen President and CEO Virginia Opera Association, Inc., The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible non-profit organization. THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST | GIACOMO PUCCINI 1 2 VIRGINIA OPERA 2017–2018 SEASON LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO Virginia Opera is now director Paul Curran and set designer, originally well into its 43rd Season from Chesapeake, VA, Court Watson for this with The Girl of the Golden production debut. Lillian Groag, our director West, continuing to bring for The Girl of the Golden West, has worked professional opera to our with Virginia Opera on numerous previous three main stages here in productions and is well known to Virginia the Commonwealth of audiences, following up on her sensational Virginia. It was exciting Turandot last spring. We always welcome her to have The Virginian ingenuity and creativity to any production she RUSSELL P. ALLEN Pilot, The Washington directs for our company. It has been wonderful Post and The Richmond Times-Dispatch provide to collaborate with Lillian on another fantastic the Opera with such an outstanding review of Puccini opera. Samson and Delilah ; what a great way to begin The final two productions of this season are the 2017-18 Season. Looking back over last a brand-new production of A Midsummer season’s dazzling repertory in 2016-17, we saw Night’s Dream, that Virginia Opera creates with a level of production exemplifying continued returning director Michael Shell (last seen here artistic growth and excellence and the singular with The Barber of Seville in fall 2016) and Lucia achievement of having produced four fine di Lammermoor, another original production productions of repertory diversity; Italian opera, directed by Kyle Lang (last seen here with La German opera, and 20th Century opera. You Bohéme in fall 2015). know that Virginia Opera is always pushing the envelope, bringing new and intriguing It you have not subscribed to Virginia Opera productions to our audiences; never resting on this season, it is not too late to subscribe to a trio its laurels. With our artistic leadership team subscription. You may take the full value of your committed to artistic development, Virginia single ticket to La Bohème and apply it towards Opera keeps quality foremost and strives to our already discounted trio subscription ticket continue to advance an ever-improving artistic prices. Just be sure to bring your ticket stub to experience – as any on-going performing arts the Box Office when you subscribe. You could endeavor should. As an institution, that is even do so at today’s performance. 2017-18 is a Virginia Opera’s commitment – as you will see season filled with excitement, gorgeous singing, here today, throughout 2017-18 and when we drama, dynamic orchestra, beautiful lighting and announce the 2018-19 Season in January. scenery, wonderful stories, and incredible music. And so much more! It simply is not a season to As we continue through this season with new be missed. productions for Virginia’s audiences, we have a highly-regarded production design from So join us. Fulfill that Subscription Now!! In Glimmerglass Opera with The Girl of the Golden addition to the discount off single ticket prices West; stunningly re-mounted by its original that subscriptions contain, there are other director Lillian Groag. With Virginia Opera’s benefits to being a member of the Virginia own original cast, the innovative design, so Opera subscriber family. Talk to a Box Office successful when it debuted in Glimmerglass, representative today to find out more. is produced here in Virginia with a fresh new Thanks for being with us today at The Girl of the look from Lillian that we know our audiences Golden West, and we look forward to seeing you will respond to most positively. With Maestro for the rest of this great 43rd Season. Bisantz returning to Virginia to conduct our stunning cast of incredible voices, this production will generate all kinds of excitement, Sincerely, similar to what you all experienced with Samson and with our four titles last season. The First of Firsts selection this year, as you know, was Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint- Russell P. Allen Saëns and welcomed acclaimed international President and CEO THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST | GIACOMO PUCCINI 3 NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC ADVISOR Welcome to today’s West, offering audiences a harsh reality of rough-and- performance of Giacomo tumble characters - miners comprising a community Puccini’s The Girl of the of lost souls, bandits, and exiles. Before Minnie Golden West! Originally even makes her first appearance in Act 1, we are commissioned by the thrust into this rugged male-dominated community, Metropolitan Opera (in hearing from an entirely male chorus and four solo fact, it was the Met’s first tenors, six baritones and three basses - solo roles world premiere in 1910), primarily cast with members of VO’s Herndon Girl hasn’t been seen on our Foundation Emerging Artists Program. ADAM TURNER stages since the 1983-1984 Season. It also represents the third entry in our multi-year “Puccini Cycle”, with Virginia Opera has a history of showcasing emerging previous installments including La Bohème (’15-16) talent, providing the platform for and identifying the and Turandot (’16-17). While Puccini is largely next generation of great American singers. Singers recognized for some of his most readily performed including Reneé Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee, works (Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly), I think David Portillo, Nadine Sierra, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Girl will utterly surprise and delight your ears today and whole host of others have all sung with our with its gripping, colorful score and compelling company over the years, going on to sing at some depiction of the American West. of the world’s most distinguished opera houses. And with our Emerging Artists Program, we receive annually over 600 applications for an average of Following the initial failure of Madama Butterfly just 15-20 artist contracts! Each December we hear in its world premiere at La Scala in 1904, Puccini approximately 150 singers in New York City, all would require nearly seven years to complete Girl. vying for the opportunity to sing on the mainstage of And he sincerely had his doubts about portraying the Virginia Opera, and from those 150 singers we have American West from an Italian’s perspective, writing selected many of the soloists in this production. I to his publisher’s son Tito Ricordi in 1906: have no doubt - at today’s performance, you are most definitely hearing the “next” great American singer! “Here too I have been trying to find new subjects, but there is nothing useful or, rather, complete With this performance of The Girl of the Golden enough. I’ve found some good hints in Belasco, West, I hope you are mesmerized by the soaring but nothing definitive, or solid or complete. The Puccinian melodies and the passionate storytelling in atmosphere of the Wild West attracts me, but in all this incredible opera. Thank you for your generous the plays I have seen I found only good scenes here support, and please enjoy today’s performance! and there. Never a clear, simple line of development.