A Season of Thrilling Intrigue and Grand Spectacle – Angel Blue as MimÌ in La bohème Fidelio Rigoletto Love fuels a revolution in Beethoven’s The revenger becomes the revenged in Verdi’s monumental masterpiece. captivating drama. Greetings and welcome to our 2020–2021 season, which we are so excited to present. We always begin our planning process with our dreams, which you might say is a uniquely American Nixon in China Così fan tutte way of thinking. This season, our dreams have come true in Step behind “the week that changed the world” in Fidelity is frivolous—or is it?—in Mozart’s what we’re able to offer: John Adams’s opera ripped from the headlines. rom-com. Fidelio, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Nixon in China by John Adams—the first time WNO is producing an opera by one of America’s foremost composers. A return to Russian music with Musorgsky’s epic, sweeping, spectacular Boris Godunov. Mozart’s gorgeous, complex, and Boris Godunov La bohème spiky view of love with Così fan tutte. Verdi’s masterpiece of The tapestry of Russia's history unfurls in Puccini’s tribute to young love soars with joy a family drama and revenge gone wrong in Rigoletto. And an Musorgsky’s tale of a tsar plagued by guilt. and heartbreak. audience favorite in our lavish production of La bohème, with two tremendous casts. Alongside all of this will continue our American Opera Initiative 20-minute operas in its 9th year. Our lineup of artists includes major stars, some of whom SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS we’re thrilled to bring to Washington for the first time, as well as emerging talents. In our choices—directors, designers, conductors, singers, and more—we continue to believe in diversity to reflect 21st-century America. American Opera Initiative We believe art reminds us who we are and inspires us to own Catch several original short operas in their world premiere. who we are. It shows us how we are different, and how that is our strength. We hope you enjoy our dreams. Warmly, Marian Anderson Vocal Award Winner Will Liverman performs an intimate recital. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Timothy O’Leary Francesca Zambello Catch our talented Young Artists in several special presentations. GENERAL DIRECTOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars. WNO’s Presenting Sponsor Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello. David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO. Additional support for WNO artistic WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey. programming is provided by Clarice Smith. 2 KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 3 Don’t forget Best seats Flexible exchanges Exclusive savings your subscriber EARLY ACCESS TO THE SEASON NO EXCHANGE FEES 10% OFF YOUR SERIES advantage! 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You only pay any applicable difference in the ticket price of the new performance. Tax, tip, alcohol, and Intermission Bar purchases are excluded from dining savings. 4 KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 5 Only her love can set him free. music LiBRETTO comPosed Ludwig van Beethoven Joseph von Sonnleithner 1805–1814 In a secret underground cell, political prisoner Florestan suffers October 24–November 9, 2020 under tyrant prison governor Don Pizarro. But a light in the darkness is breaking: Leonore, Florestan’s wife, has disguised sun mon tue wed thu Fri sat herself as male guard Fidelio for the ultimate undercover 20 19 20 21 22 23 mission. By infiltrating the very system that oppresses her 24 husband, can she be the voice that overthrows it? 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 In celebration of 250 years since Beethoven’s birth, we 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 launch the new season with his only opera, last staged by WNO in the Opera House more than 30 years ago. 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Beethoven premiered this story of resistance, freedom, and dissent during a time of complete European upheaval. If EVENING / MATINEE his “Ode to Joy” declares the universal triumph of peace over war, then his Fidelio is an inspiring ode to love’s transcendent power over tyranny. SUNG IN GERMAN WITH PROJECTED ENGLISH TITLES CO-PRODUCTION WITH INDIANA UNIVERSITY Leonore/FideLio don Pizarro don Fernando associate director Lighting designer Elza van den Heever* Brian Mulligan Eric Owens Garnett Bruce Mark McCullough FLorestan rocco conductor set designer † Alumnus of the Domingo- Cafritz Young Artist Program * * Brandon Jovanovich Ryan Speedo Green Robert Spano Peter Davison * WNO Mainstage Debut OCT. 24, 30, NOV. 1M, 4, 7 Photo by Matt Karas by Photo Clay Hilley Jaquino director costume designer † NOV. 9 Joshua Blue Francesca Zambello Anita Yavich KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 7 There’s a story behind the superpowers. music LiBRETTO comPosed John Adams Alice Goodman 1987 Nixon. Kissinger. Mao. Political titans converge in China in October 31–November 14, 2020 February 1972 for “the week that changed the world.” But the headlines will miss one side of the story: the inner lives sun mon tue wed thu Fri sat behind the history. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Celebrated as a 20th-century classic, John Adams’s Nixon in China captures President Richard Nixon’s landmark 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 visit with Chairman Mao Tse-tung and the media frenzy that followed. Adams’s sweeping music fuses national and 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 personal histories, from Pat Nixon’s vision for a peaceful EVENING / MATINEE world to Madame Mao’s defiant reflection on the Cultural Revolution. Nixon in China’s final aria reverberates with a timely question for Washington audiences, asking: “How much of what we did was good?” SUNG IN ENGLISH WITH PROJECTED ENGLISH TITLES CO-PRODUCTION WITH LA PHILHARMONIC richard nixon chiang ch’ing (madame mao) conductor FiLm designer sound designer Ryan McKinny So Young Park* David Robertson* Bill Morrison* Mark Grey* Pat nixon chou en-Lai director costume designer * WNO Mainstage Debut * * * * Joélle Harvey Joo Won Kang Elkhanah Pulitzer Elisabeth Scott Additional support for Nixon in China is provided by the mao tse-tung henry Kissinger scenic & Video designer Lighting designer Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sean Panikkar Craig Colclough* Alexander V. Nichols* David Finn* KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 9 Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. music & LiBretto comPosed Modest Musorgsky 1868-1872 Ivan the Terrible is dead. The throne is empty. When February 20–March 17, 2021 scheming aristocrat Boris Godunov assumes power as the new tsar, his rise hides a dirty secret: someone has killed the sun mon tue wed thu Fri sat rightful young heir Dmitri. But a monk claiming to be the 14 15 16 17 18 19 murdered prince could dismantle the ruthless ruler—unless 20 his own tormented conscience destroys him first. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Musorgsky’s opera brings to life “Russian Shakespeare” 28 01 02 03 04 05 06 Alexander Pushkin’s epic story of 16th-century politics. This towering tale of deception, guilt, and revolution surges with 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 dark orchestral themes and the eye-popping pageantry of over 100 cast members. From the spectacular coronation 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 scene to the tsar’s famous “clock scene” breakdown, Boris Godunov is a dual tragedy of ruler and ruled during Russia’s EVENING / MATINEE fractured “Time of Troubles.” SUNG IN RUSSIAN WITH PROJECTED ENGLISH TITLES | WNO PRODUCTION Boris godunoV shuisKy VarLaam conductor Lighting designer Evgeny Nikitin Štefan Margita* David Leigh* Evan Rogister Mark McCullough Photo by Natasha Razina by Photo Pimen shcheLKaLoV missaiL director ProJection designer Kwangchul Youn Andrey Zhilikhovsky David Cangelosi Francesca Zambello S. Katy Tucker grigory/the Pretender hostess/nurse the hoLy FooL set designer * WNO Mainstage Debut Sergey Skorokhodov* Elizabeth Bishop Robert Brubaker Erhard Rom KENNEDY-CENTER.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 11 Vengeance is no laughing matter.