PRESS RELEASE Union Avenue Opera 733 N. Union Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108 . 314-361-2881 FOR RELEASE UPON RECEIPT Contact: Emily DePauw June 24, 2015 [email protected] Don Giovanni opens Union Avenue Opera’s Twenty-first Festival Season St. Louis, MO, June 24, 2015 – Twenty-six artists will make their Union Avenue Opera debut during its Twenty-first Festival Season this summer including ten artist during the season opener Don Giovanni (July 10, 11, 17, 18 at 8:00pm.) Long considered one of the greatest operas of all time, Don Giovanni is Mozart’s version of the notorious Don Juan legend. In the decadent pursuit of pleasure, Spanish nobleman Don Giovanni travels through Europe seducing women and leaving behind him a trail of broken hearts, broken promises, and broken lives. When Don Giovanni commits murder, he unleashes a dark power beyond his control. The Don pushes his limits and meets his ultimate demise in this brilliantly crafted opera featuring the famous arias “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto,” “Madamina, il catalogo è questo,” and “Fin ch’han dal vino.” “I am so pleased with the design direction we are taking with UAO’s Don Giovanni,” said stage director Jon Truitt (Madama Butterfly, 2013). “One of the challenges of presenting the opera is to synthesize the disparate elements of comedy, drama, horror, and romance that are so prevalent in it. To address these challenges from a design standpoint our set designer, Kyra Bishop, and I have taken a nod from the world of Shakespeare by using a constant set that is repeatedly re-imagined to represent different scenes.” “It’s really exciting for me to present this vision of Don Giovanni that’s been in my head for so many years and to be able to see it realized by such a talented team” said Truitt. Each summer, Union Avenue Opera brings in emerging artists from across the country to participate in its festival season, providing a stepping stone for their careers. Karina Brazas, who will be singing the role of Zerlina, shared some of her thoughts about working with Union Avenue Opera for the first time. “I'm so excited to collaborate with a company that has such a strong commitment to bringing opera to the community, and was started to serve the community. That sort of musical integrity is what will keep our industry growing! I'm also really inspired by the amazingly high quality of art to meet the demands of the St. Louis music scene.” The cast of Don Giovanni will be led by Galen Scott Bower in the title role as he makes his Union Avenue Opera stage debut. Joining him for the first time on UAO’s stage are Neil Nelson as his sarcastic servant Leporello, Amy Murray as the revengeful Donna Anna, Karina Brazas as the beguiling Zerlina, and Geoffrey Cox as Il Commendatore. Gina Galati (Clorinda, La Cenerentola) returns to the UAO stage Donna Elvira, alongside Anthony Webb (Mitch, A Streetcar Named Desire) as her fiancé Don Ottavio, and E. Scott Levin (Alidoro, La Cenerentola) as Masetto. Don Giovanni will be conducted by UAO Artistic Director and Founder Scott Schoonover. Conductor – Scott Schoonover Stage Director – Jon Truitt Set Designer – Kyra Bishop Lighting Designer – Maureen Berry Costume Designer – Teresa Doggett Don Giovanni – Galen Scoot Bower* Leporello – Neil Nelson* Donna Anna – Amy Murray* Don Ottavio – Anthony Webb Masetto – E. Scott Levin Zerlina – Karina Brazas* Il Commendatore – Geoffrey Cox* Donna Elvira – Gina Galati Members of the ensemble include: David Fournie*+; Anthony Heinemann; Lori Hoffman*; Gina Malone; Randell McGee+; Katherine Menke+; David Pierce*; Frederick Rice*+; Adam Stefo; Megan Sturdevant; Sharon Sullivan*; Caetlyn Van Buren. *UAO Stage Debut + Crescendo Participant Don Giovanni will be presented in its original Italian with projected English supertitles and is accompanied by a full union orchestra, all instrumentalists are members of the American Federation of Musicians. Single tickets are on sale for as low as $32 ($30 for seniors) and season subscribers can save up to 21% when purchasing a three-opera season subscription package. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org, by phone at (314) 361-2881, and in person at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, Mo, 63108. Student rush tickets are available for $15 at the door (cash only) with a valid student ID. Additional offerings in 2015: Verdi: RIGOLETTO Union Avenue Opera premiere Four Performances: July 31, August 1, 7, 8 at 8:00 p.m. Presented in Italian Wagner: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG Reduced and adapted by Jonathan Dove Saint Louis premiere Four Performances: August 21, 22, 28, 29 at 8:00 p.m. Presented in German Don’t miss Union Avenue Opera’s Friday Night Lecture Series at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall presented by Glenn Bauer, Ph.D., Associate Chair of the Department of Music at Webster University, prior to the Friday night performances (July 10, 17, 31, August 7, 21, 28). Lectures are FREE and open to the public. About Union Avenue Opera - UAO was founded in 1994 as a means to bring affordable, professional, original-language opera to St. Louis, a mission the company continues to pursue to this day. UAO is committed to hiring the most talented artists, directors, designers and technicians both locally and from across the United States. Union Avenue Opera hires its artists based on their ability not their résumé. Therefore, UAO provides promising singers the first stepping stone of their professional career. UAO is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Missouri. UAO offers vibrant and affordable opera experiences in original languages to audiences that reflect the breadth and diversity of the St. Louis region from the acoustically superb sanctuary of an historic church located in the urban Visitation Park neighborhood of St. Louis' Central West End. Financial Assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency and is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, with support from the Regional Arts Commission and funded in part by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation. ### .