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Marian's Song a Chamber Opera Music by Damien Sneed Libretto by Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera Premiered by Houston Grand Opera

Marian's Song a Chamber Opera Music by Damien Sneed Libretto by Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera Premiered by Houston Grand Opera

HGOco PRESENTS Marian's Song A Chamber Music by Damien Sneed by D.E.E.P Mouton Commissioned by Grand Opera Premiered by Houston Grand Opera

7:30 p.m. April 30, 2021 Available on demand through May 30, 2021 Marian's Song

“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

Background The Story

Marian’s Song is a chamber opera by 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 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 . Marian’s Song is a personal project for both its librettist and Commissioned by HGOco, Marian’s Song shares Anderson’s composer. Librettist Mouton, Houston’s first Black poet laureate and incredible life through a fusion of spoken-word poetry, opera, and the creator of Houston VIP Poetry Slam, used her talents as a spoken multimedia projections. To further HGOco’s educational outreach word artist and slam poet to write dialogue for Nevaeh. And just efforts, Mouton also has created high school residency curriculum like Nevaeh, composer Sneed is a graduate of the historically Black that pairs with the work in its entirety. school Howard University.

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 the HGO Digital season. Marian's Song

Cast Creative Team

Nevaeh Johnson Tina B Composer Damien Sneed Marian Anderson Zoie Reams ‡ Librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton Billy King/Classmate Nicholas Newton, Conductor Benjamin Manis Nancy Haywood/Kathy Stage Director Dennis Whitehead Darling Moore and Steve Homer/Jill Assistant Stage Director Eboni Bell and Allyn Risley Fellow † Chorus Master/Principal Coach Kevin J. Miller Jane/Mrs. Roberts/ Cynthia Clayton Set Realizer Brian Ruggaber Eleanor Roosevelt Costume Designer Kristie C. Osi Shackelford Pastor/Promoter/Walter White Geoffrey Peterson Lighting & Projection Design Driscoll Otto Stage Manager Annie Wheeler † Houston Grand Opera Studio artist Assistant Stage Manager Meg Edwards ‡ Former Houston Grand Opera Studio artist Projected Titles Translation Jasminne Mendez – Spanish Projected Titles – English Jeremy Johnson

Credits

Director of Photography and Editor Ben Doyle The entire staff of HGO contributed to the success of this Producer Daniel James production. For a full listing of the company’s staff, please visit Producer Dale Edwards HGO.org/about-us/people. Assistant Producer Ciara Ayala Audio Producer Ryan Edwards Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Audio Producer Shannon Smith Professional Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Lighting Supervisor Michael James Clark Federation of Musicians. Production Manager Kristen Burke Technical Director McIntosh Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51. Hair & Makeup Dotti Staker Wardrobe Judy Malone-Stein Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896. HGOCO TEAM Director Carleen Graham Guarantor

THE Sr. Producing Manager Emily Wells ANDREW W. Sr. Education Manager Alisa Magallón MELLON Operations Manager Meredith Morse FOUNDATION Kathleen Brown Programs Coordinator Andy Horton Community Initiatives Grand Underwriter Coordinator National Endowment for the Arts

Underwriter HGOco Chorus Beth and Gary Glynn

Cody Ryan Arthur Marvin Henderson Sponsor Steve Buza Chairein Jackson Glen Rosenbaum Elizabeth Gautsche Cristino Perez Brian M. Gibbs Denise Ward Video Production Streaming Partner Jessica Suzanne Hahn Crystal White Aarianna Longino

Marian's Song

HGO Orchestra

Benjamin Manis BASSOON Conductor Amanda Swain*, Principal Michael Allard† Denise Tarrant*, Concertmaster FRENCH HORN Chloe Kim†, Assistant Concertmaster Sarah Cranston†, Principal Natalie Gaynor*, Principal Second Violin Kimberly Penrod Minson† Carrie Kauk†, Assistant Principal Second Violin Spencer Park† Hae-a Lee-Barnes† Miriam Belyatsky† TRUMPET Anabel Detrick† Tetsuya Lawson†, Principal Rasa Kalesnykaite† Randal Adams† Chavdar Parashkevov† Mary Reed† TROMBONE Erica Robinson† Thomas Hulten†, Principal Linda Sanders† Mark Holley† Oleg Sulyga† Sylvia VerMeulen† TUBA Melissa Williams† Mark Barton†, Principal

VIOLA HARP Eliseo Rene Salazar*, Principal Joan Eidman†, Principal Lorento Golofeev†, Assistant Principal Gayle Garcia-Shepard† TIMPANI Erika Lawson† Alison Chang†, Principal Suzanne LeFevre† Dawson White† PERCUSSION Richard Brown*, Principal Barrett Sills*, Principal Erika Johnson†, Assistant Principal Patrick Harvey Ariana Nelson† Wendy Smith-Butler† ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Steven Wiggs† Richard Brown*

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

FLUTE Henry Williford*, Acting Principal Flute

OBOE Elizabeth Priestly Siffert*, Principal Mayu Isom†

CLARINET Sean Krissman†, Principal Eric Chi*, Acting Principal Marian's Song

Who’s Who

DAMIEN SNEED set to be released in 2022 by Henry Holt & Co. She recently created COMPOSER a new Storybook Opera for HGOco, Lula, the Mighty Warrior, which reinterprets one of the stories from Black Chameleon and is set to As a multi-genre recording artist and instru- debut in early 2021. mentalist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, BENJAMIN MANIS producer, and arts educator whose work CONDUCTOR spans multiple genres. The Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient has worked with jazz, classical, pop, and R&B legends, including the late Conductor Benjamin Manis joined Aretha Franklin and Jessye Norman, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, HGO as Resident Conductor Diana Ross, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, and many others. in September 2019. Recent performances Sneed is founder and artistic director of Chorale Le Chateau, which at HGO include , El Milagro del was featured on the 2016 recording of Wynton Marsalis’s Abyssinian Recuerdo, and the 2020 world premiere of Marian’s Song. In Mass with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is a featured May of 2019 Manis completed his degree at producer and writer on the Dove Award–winning Clark Sisters project, Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied The Return, released in March 2020. Other recent work includes a with Larry Rachleff. Manis has served as cover conductor for the project for solo piano responding to the pandemic, commissioned St. Louis and Dallas Symphonies, working with conductors David by the Library of Congress, called “Sequestered Thoughts,” which Robertson and Stéphane Denève, and was a winner of the 2019 premiered online on June 2020. Sneed was commissioned by Alvin Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. He returned to the Ailey Dance Theater to create an original score for the short film Aspen Music Festival for the third consecutive summer in 2019, Testament, which premiered in December 2020. He was commis- and will appear there again next summer as the winner of the Aspen sioned by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to compose The Tongue Prize. & The Lash, a chamber opera about James Baldwin’s 1965 debate with William Buckley. Other commissions premiering in spring 2021 DENNIS WHITEHEAD DARLING include the Tuskegee Airmen Symphonic Rhapsody in honor of the STAGE DIRECTOR Tuskegee Airmen, a new piece commissioned by Houston’s Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and a choral suite Dennis Whitehead Darling is an award-winning commissioned by the Trenton Children’s Chorus. Sneed is a faculty international stage director for theater and member of the Manhattan School of Music and an artist-in-residence opera based in Philadelphia. In 2018, Darling at Michigan State University. was selected by Opera Memphis as their Inaugural McCleave Fellow in Directing, a groundbreaking fellowship DEBORAH D.E.E.P. MOUTON dedicated to advancing the careers of directors/music directors of LIBRETTIST color. His recent directing credits include Marian’s Song (2020 HGO world premiere), The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Red Mountain Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally Theatre), Independence Eve (Opera Birmingham), Lady Day at known writer, educator, activist, performer, Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Hattiloo Theatre/Spazio Teatro No’hma in and poet laureate emeritus of Houston. She ), Jelly’s Last Jam (Hattiloo Theatre), The Parchman Hour was formerly ranked as the second best (Hattiloo Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Spazio Teatro No’hma in Female Performance Poet in the World. Her recent poetry collection, Milan), Intimate Apparel (University of Memphis), Movin’ Up in the Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary), was nominated for a Pushcart World (Opera Memphis), Sunset Baby (Hattiloo Theatre), James and Prize, named a finalist for the 2019 Writer’s League of Book the Giant Peach (Circuit Playhouse), Blue Viola (Opera Memphis), Mr. Award, and received honorable mention for the Summerlee Book Rickey Calls a Meeting (Hattiloo Theatre), and Marcus; or the Secret Prize. Its German translation, under the title Berichtenswert, is set of Sweet (Hattiloo Theatre). Observership, associate directing, to be released in Fall 2021 by Elif Verlag. Mouton was a finalist for and assistant directing credits include Jack The Ripper (English Texas State Poet Laureate, a Kennedy Center Citizen fellowship, and National Opera), world and regional premieres of Lights Out: Nat the prestigious Breadloaf Retreat. Her work has been highlighted “King” Cole (Geffen Playhouse, People’s Light Theatre), and Triumph and studied in Canada, England, New Zealand, and Germany. of Honor (Opera Memphis). Upcoming productions include La She recently performed as a part of the Kennedy Center’s virtual bohème (Opera Columbus), in Egitto (Carnegie performance, Arts Across America, and was named a Houston Mellon), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, starring Angie Stone Artist Commissioning Project award winner by the Society for the (Hattiloo Theatre @ The Cannon Center), Sanctuary Road (North Performing Arts Houston. Her second book, Black Chameleon, is Carolina Opera), and The Secret River (Opera ). Marian's Song

High School Theatre); and The Leader and Kassandra (Opera in EBONI BELL the Heights). Upcoming projects include the world premiere of The ASSISTANT STAGE DIRECTOR Secret River with Opera Orlando in December 2021. Shackelford’s costume design for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was awarded Eboni Bell is a Houston-based actor, director, Costume Design of the Decade from the Broadway World Regional and choreographer who also served as assis- Awards in January 2020. Her passion for innovation and creativity tant stage director for the 2020 world premiere has taken her as far as Madrid to present research within the field of of HGO’s Marian’s Song. She was seen most costume technology to designers from around the world. recently on other Houston stages in Standing Room Only’s produc- tions of American Idiot and Seussical the Musical, directed by Kevin BRIAN RUGGABER Cahoon. Bell previously directed Katie: Strongest of the Strong SET REALIZER (HGO), Fatherland and Panto: Hansel and Gretel (Stages Repertory Theatre), Next to Normal (Applause Theatre Company), The Brian Ruggaber is the award-winning scenic Credeaux Canvas (Sam Houston State University), and Freedom Train designer who created the sets for the world (Express Children’s Theatre). She is the co-founder of Iconotheatrix, premiere of Marian’s Song with HGO in 2020. a new youth theater, where she directed and choreographed RENT: Currently in his eighth year with the University School Edition, Spring Awakening, Chicago, and The 25th Annual of Memphis, he heads The Department of Theatre & Dance’s scenic Putnam County Spelling Bee. Bell is the Inclusion, Engagement, and design program and has designed scenery for over 160 productions Training Director of Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston. including opera, drama, musical theater, and dance. He has a strong interest in developing works with diversity, equity, and inclusion as DRISCOLL OTTO core themes. His work has been seen in regional theaters, interna- LIGHTING & PROJECTION DESIGN tional festivals, and Off-Broadway. Ruggaber previously served as Resident Scenic Designer for The University of Cincinnati – College- Driscoll Otto’s credits include lighting and Conservatory of Music (CCM) and Associate Professor of Design at projection design for HGO’s 2020 world The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a proud member premiere, Marian’s Song; The Huntington of United Scenic Artists Local 829, IATSE 492, and an active member Theatre Company’s production of The Purists of the Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). He directed by Billy Porter; projections for The Flying Dutchman in has a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Massachusetts and Florence, Italy; and lighting and projections for Iolanta at Chicago Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. In Opera Theater. Otto’s design work is seen frequently in New York City addition to design, Ruggaber has worked extensively in production and in regional theater and opera. His credits include The Huntington and has manufactured scenery for commercial production shops, Theatre Company, Utah Opera, The Old Globe, Opera Omaha, Opera television, and regional theaters. Philadelphia, Dallas Theater Center, Drury Lane Theatre, The Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Trinity KEVIN J. MILLER Repertory Company, Hangar Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, Lyric Opera (UNITED STATES) Kansas City, and productions of Legally Blonde and Rock of Ages for CHORUS MASTER/PRINCIPAL COACH Norwegian Cruise Lines. Highlights to his resume include projection design for Santa Fe Opera’s production of The Golden Cockerel and American pianist and collaborator Kevin J. The Metropolitan Opera’s production of La donna del lago. Miller is acclaimed for his dynamically artful performances. He is an assistant conductor KRISTIE C. OSI SHACKELFORD with HGO. His other HGO Digital performances this season include COSTUME DESIGNER Giving Voice and Suite Española: Explorando Iberia. Recent engage- ments include a recital with international Joseph Calleja and Kristie C. Osi Shackelford is a Houston-based Nadine Sierra at the Supreme Court of the United States, as well costume designer and wardrobe specialist with as an appearance with Calleja on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Technology Miller prepared Jessye Norman for performances of Laura from the . Her career Karpman’s production of Ask Your Mama, which was performed at began at HGO, where she worked as a stitcher in the costume shop Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with the internationally acclaimed and later designed the costumes for the 2020 world premiere of countertenor, David Daniels, in a recital at the Glimmerglass Festival. Marian’s Song. Her credits include Carmen (Opera Orlando); Ma He can be heard on the recording Been in da Storm So Long, which Rainey’s Black Bottom, Too Heavy for Your Pocket, and ‘da Kink in features Kenneth Overton. Miller has a My Hair (The Ensemble Theater); Tilly the Trickster, Bunnicula, and degree in Piano from the Mannes College of Music, and a Master A View From The Bridge (Lone Star College); Picasso at Lapin Agile of Music degree and Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano from the (Rice University); Taming of The Shrew and Mamma Mia (Dobie University of Michigan School of Music. He has participated in some Marian's Song

of the country’s most prestigious festivals and young artist apprentice- National Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra last season. Reams ships, including The Tanglewood Institute of Music, Aspen Summer was the second-place winner at HGO’s Eleanor McCollum Competition Music Festival, The Cleveland Art Song Festival, San Francisco Concert of Arias (2016), first-place winner of the Emerging Artist Opera’s Merola Opera Program, Washington National Opera’s division of the Classical Singer Competition (2015), and second place Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, and the Glimmerglass Festival. winner of the Gulf Coast Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2016). TINA B POET—NEVAEH JOHNSON NICHOLAS NEWTON Nancy Haywood/Kathy Moore and Steve It wasn’t long after writing her first poem that Homer/Jill and Allyn Risley Fellow Tina B competed in poetry slams and won her BASS-BARITONE—BILLY KING/CLASSMATE first competition in 2007. She soon became a member of Houston’s 2008 Slam Team and Second-year HGO Studio artist Nicholas was featured as “Artist of the Week” in the in 2009. Newton also was featured in HGO Digital By 2010, she began opening for major recording artists, starting productions The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for All with J. Cole, and receiving commissions for her literary artworks. Her and Giving Voice. The third prize winner in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor appearances include festivals such as South by Southwest (SXSW), McCollum Competition Concert of Arias and an alumnus of media outlets such as ESPN, and corporate events. She made her HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy (2016), he previously played debut with HGO as Nevaeh in the 2020 world premiere of Marian’s Billy King in the world premiere of Marian’s Song (2020) and Song. Tina B is a businesswoman, writer, artist, and founder of both Monterone in Rigoletto (2019); he also was cast as Second Soldier Tina B Poetry, LLC and Heartspeaks Romance Poetry. She special- in Salome (canceled). His notable performances include the roles izes in creating unforgettable experiences by performing custom of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto and Capulet (cover) in Roméo et poems for any occasion. With a budding interest in acting, she ranks Juliette with Wolf Trap Opera, Achilla in Julius Caesar at Rice among the greats in the spoken word community as she shares University, and L’arbre and Le fauteuil in L’enfant et les sortilèges at her gift around the world. Also a motivational speaker and a project the Aspen Music Festival. Newton was a 2019 national semifinalist in manager in the commercial construction industry, Tina B has a the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the first-place Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science and a Master of winner in the 2018 Virginia & Susan Hawk Competition. In summer Science in Business Marketing from Texas A&M University – College 2019, he sang Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera Theatre of Saint Station. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Louis. In the summer of 2020, he had been set to return to Wolf Trap Opera as Colline in La bohème, but that production was canceled ZOIE REAMS due to COVID-19. (UNITED STATES) MEZZO-SOPRANO —MARIAN ANDERSON CYNTHIA CLAYTON SOPRANO—MS. JANE ROBERTS/ HGO Studio alumna Zoie Reams has been ELEANOR ROOSEVELT lauded by Opera News for her “velvety mezzo.” Her past roles with HGO include Marian American soprano Cynthia Clayton was most Anderson in the world premiere of Marian’s Song (2020), Maddelena recently seen at HGO as Ms. Jane Roberts/ in Rigoletto (2019), and Rosalia in West Side Story (2018). This Eleanor Roosevelt in the world premiere of season for HGO, Reams appeared in HGO Digital concert Giving Marian’s Song, the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, and Madame Voice and will perform the role of Sister Sophia in outdoor singalong Larina in . Clayton is well known throughout the My Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music. Also during United States and overseas for her critically acclaimed performances the 2020-21 season she joined Minnesota Opera in a special holiday of leading operatic roles including Puccini and Mozart heroines. concert and will do so again as Nancy in Albert Herring, and returns Other highlights include Desdemona in Otello; Leonora in Il trova- to Des Moines Metro Opera as the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd tore; Nedda in Pagliacci; Violetta in La traviata; Micaela in Carmen; and Juno in Rameau’s Platée. Last season, Reams sang Jan Arnold Marguerite in ; the title role in Jenůfa; the title role in Susannah; in Joby Talbot’s Everest and Georgia Davenport in the world premiere and the title role in Florencia en el Amazonas. She has had leading of Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride at Chicago Opera Theater. Operatic high- roles at HGO, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, lights of recent seasons include making her house debut at Lyric Opera Utah Opera, Cleveland Opera, Opéra en Plein Air (Belgium), Lyric of Chicago as Flora in La traviata, performing at Opera Columbus as Opera of Kansas City, Opera Grand Rapids, and Central City Opera. Suzuki in , singing the title role in Carmen at Opera She has been a member of the faculty at the Moores School of Music Louisiane, and making her house and role debut at Des Moines Metro at the University of Houston since 2005. Opera as Margret in Wozzeck. Reams has appeared extensively in concert, including performing Handel’s with the Washington Marian's Song

GEOFFREY PETERSON BARITONE—PASTOR/WALTER WHITE

Geoffrey Peterson’s roles include Pastor/ Walter White in the world premiere of Marian’s Song with HGO; King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Corporal in La Fille du Regiment at Opera in the Heights; Nosey Parent in Speed Dating Tonight! with the Taos Opera Institute; and Luiz in The Gondoliers with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston. Peterson has worked as a teaching artist with HGOco, touring with Opera to Go! as Pavo Picasso in Strega Nona during the 2019-20 season, leading empathy training workshops at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, and performing as part of the Storybook Opera program. This summer, he will join the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theater St. Louis, where he will perform the role of Doctor in William Grant Still’s Highway 1, U.S.A., and cover several other roles. An advocate for social justice through music, Peterson has performed as a soloist with the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee singers, and the Vitamin L chorus.

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