—presents— Rigoletto IN CONCERT Featuring Hawaii’s own June 26, 2016, Sunday, Quinn Kelsey 4:00 pm at the Blaisdell Concert Hall HERMÈS BY NATURE Honolulu - Ala Moana Center - (808) 947-3789 - Royal Hawaiian Center - (808) 922-5780 Hermes.com A AND WELCOME TO HAWAII OPERA THEATRE’S FIRST EVER OPERA IN CONCERT! We are delighted to welcome back to the Islands Hawaii’s own Quinn Kelsey to sing the role of Rigoletto, which he has made his own in recent years in productions from London, to Paris, to Santa Fe, and many other cities across the world. Quinn began his operatic career in the chorus of Hawaii Opera Theatre, alongside his parents and sister and his extraordinary success has been the inspiration for much of what we do at HOT. Quinn is joined by a stellar cast for this performance, including Nadine Sierra as Gilda, fresh from her Metropolitan Opera debut in the same role. Barry Banks joins them as the Duke of Mantua, with Matthew Treviño as Sparafucile. The HOT Chorus and Orchestra are conducted by HOT favorite, Hal France. Please look out for details of our upcoming 2016/17 season, including Puccini’s ever-popular La Bohème, Offenbach’s magnificent Tales of Hoffmann, Andre Previn’s evocative Streetcar Named Desire, and Jake Heggie’s hauntingly beautiful Three Decembers. Subscriptions are already on sale at the HOT Box Office. As always we are grateful to you, our audience, for attending our performances and for the support you give us in so many ways throughout the year. Without your help we simply could not continue to bring the world’s best opera to Hawaii each year. Please enjoy Verdi’s epic masterpiece! MAHALO Simon Crookall LOH General Director Aria 3 Rigoletto A Presenting➢➢➢➢ The 2016-2017 HOT Opera Season La Three Bohème Decembers October March 14, 16, 18, 2016 24, 25, 26 2017 A Streetcar Tales of Named Desire Hoffmann January April 27, 29, 31 2017 21, 23, 25 2017 To purchase tickets, please call the HOT Box Office at 808.596.7858 or go to HawaiiOpera.org. Rigoletto Composed by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave CAST In order of vocal appearance BARRY BANKS* ERIK D. HAINES JACQUE COMER † Duke of Mantua Count Ceprano A Page KIP WILBORN JOHN MOUNT KEANE ISHII Borsa Monterone A Herald TOBY NEWMAN* MATTHEW TREVIÑO* CYNTHIA HANNA * Countess Ceprano Sparafucile Maddalena QUINN KELSEY NADINE SIERRA* Rigoletto Gilda BUZ TENNENT BLYTHE KELSEY † Marullo Giovanna *HOT debut. † Orvis Studio Member ARTISTIC TEAM HAL FRANCE BEEBE FREITAS SANDY SANDELIN Conductor Rehearsal Pianist/Chorus Co- Lighting Designer Director BARETT HOOVER KALE OKAZAKI Stage Director NOLA NAHULU Stage Manager Chorus Co-Director Aria 5 Rigoletto CHORUS TENOR Kawika McGuire BASS Michał Nowicki Mark Ah Yo Ian McMillan Steven Buchthal Paul J. Schwind Ken Aronowitz Ethan Moon** Dean F. Conching Stelio Dan Barnett Kawaiola Murray** David Del Rocco Stephen Strugnell Clayton Ching Karol Nowicki* Falefia Jr Brandon Fuamatu* Otis Tufi Whitman* Anthony Daniel Feliciano* Johnathan Sholtis Evan H. K. Haines** Stephen M. Foster Ryan Souza Keane Ishii CHORUS COORDINATOR: Gary Kawasaki Miles Trudo* Les Loo Chris Walsh Renson Madarang* Ricky Nepomuceno * Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio Participant ** Orvis Young Voices Studio Member HOT ORCHESTRA VIOLIN 1 Jean-Michel Jaquon Lindsay Edwards, Associate TROMBONE Ignace Jang, Concertmaster Melvin Whitney Principal Jason Byerlotzer, Principal Claire Sakai Hazzard, Associate Sandra Wong Mitchem Anderson, Associate Concertmaster ENGLISH HORN Principal Judy Barrett, Assistant CELLO Lindsay Edwards Rudi Hoehn Concertmaster Mark Votapek, Principal T.J. Ricer Nicole Routman Ebisu Nancy Masaki Hathaway, Associate CLARINET Mio Unosawa Herzog Principal James F. Moffitt, Principal TIMPANI Helen Liu Joshua Nakazawa Norman Foster, Associate Principal Michael Stubbart, Principal Elaine Lu Karen Fujimoto Sheryl Shohet BASSOON DOUBLE BASS Paul Barrett, Principal PERCUSSION VIOLIN 2 John Gallagher, Principal Philip F. Gottling III, Associate Andres Pichardo-Rosenthal, Hung Wu, Principal John Kolivas, Associate Principal Principal Principal Nancy Shoop-Wu, Associate Matthew Love Scott Christian, Associate Principal Principal HORN Timothy Leong FLUTE Julia Filson, Principal ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN Nadine Thériault Susan McGinn, Principal Nikolette LaBonte, Associate Kim Kiyabu Fumiko Wellington Lance Suzuki, Associate Principal Principal Iolani Yamashiro Rory Onishi ORCHESTRA CONTRACTOR PICCOLO George Warnock Colin Belisle VIOLA Lance Suzuki Steven Flanter, Principal TRUMPET Anna Womack, Associate Principal OBOE Don Hazzard, Principal Colin Belisle Ryan Klein, Principal Russell Ishida, Associate Principal Hawaii Opera Theatre 6 Aria PRODUCTION STAFF DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION MASTER CARPENTER I.A.T.S.E. UNION STEWARD BACKSTAGE SECURITY T.H. Stettler Al Omo Al Omo, Local 665 COORDINATOR Miu Lan Oman LIGHTING DESIGNER / MASTER MASTER FLYMAN RUNNING CREW ELECTRICIAN Alema Ryder I.A.T.S.E. Local 665 SUPERTITLES Sandy Sandelin Chiori Shively SOUND & VIDEO SECURITY STAGE MANAGER Charles Roberts Kiekie Productions Kale Okazaki SPONSORS GENHOT HOSPITALITY SET TRANSPORTATION Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. Halekulani Hotel Pasha Hawaii Honolulu Club ORCHESTRA The Cades Foundation LANAI LECTURES COSTUME TRANSPORTATION First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Air Canada Cargo SUPERTITLES Ltd. Clifford and Adrienne Lau Hawaii Opera Plaza 848 South Beretania Street, Suite 301 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 HOT’s 2016-17 Opera 808.596.7372 Season Subscriptions HawaiiOpera.org [email protected] now available. Call the To advertise in Aria, please contact Nella HOT Box Office today Media Group, Mike Wiley, 808.260.8788, mike@ nellamediagroup.com (808.596.7858)! Let’s be friends. Aria 7 Rigoletto COLD • CREAMY • KEGGED COFFEE STRAIGHT FROM THE TAP Brue Bar cold brewed coffee, infused with nitrogen, kegged under pressure, and chilled. The result? Pure, silky bliss. Experience it today. Now on tap only at our Bishop Street and Ward Warehouse locations. About the Composer GIUSEPPE VERDI In the world of opera, you’d be hard between 1832 and ’35, that Verdi truly and composed some of his more pressed to find another composer as came into his own as he deepened famous works, including Il Trovatore, revered as Giuseppe Verdi. Having his understanding of composition Rigoletto, and La Traviata. composed dozens of operas in his and rubbed shoulders with some 87 years, Verdi, who hailed from of Milan’s most prominent political As he approached middle age, Verdi the small town of Busseto Italy, is figures. In 1836, he took the hand of had become an international star considered by many to be one of the a young woman named Margherita and was routinely regarded as one greatest composers in history. His and three years later, he completed of the finest composers of his era. work, which consisted of 25 operas his first opera, Oberto, which was He spent a considerable amount that stretched over six decades, successful enough that it toured in of time and accumulated a vast is reportedly the most widely Genoa and Turin and led to three amount of wealth working in Paris. performed in history. Considering more commissions. In the coming decades, he would the heartache that Verdi endured create some of the world’s most in his lifetime—he lost two children Despite Verdi’s success in his early memorable compositions, including and a young wife, all before he was years, dark days loomed. He would Aida, Don Carlo, and Requiem. 30—it’s astonishing to see the range lose two children in their infancy and Although he would attempt to retire of emotion, which spanned from his beloved Margherita tragically on multiple occasions, his passion comedy to dark tragedy, that Verdi passed away at only 26 years old. for composition and the love he held could capture and bring to the stage. Although he was awash in grief, for his craft continued to call to him. Verdi composed a comedy for his Coming out of retirement, he would Even at an early age, it was clear next piece, Un giorno di regno, which write the now famous Falstaff and that Verdi was gifted, it was said was so poorly received that he Othello in the final decades of his life. that music and composition were was reportedly “hissed off stage,” in the boy’s bones. At only 9 years leading the composer towards years In 1901, with the world’s respect old, he would often fill in for his of depression. However, he would and leagues of admirers behind teacher as the organist in the village endure his hardship and continue him, Verdi passed away and was church. And as a young man, he to compose, bringing Nabucco to subsequently buried in Milan. More applied—and was rejected—to the stage in 1842. Fortunately, this than a century later, as testament Milan Conservatory. Thankfully, this opera was well received and stoked to his prowess, range of emotion, failed to discourage Verdi, who was Verdi’s fire. In the ensuing years, pension for drama, and keen taken under the wing of another his career took off and he wrote intelligence, his work continues to composer, Vincenzo Lavigna, of the like a man possessed, churning endure today. Viva Verdi. famed La Scala Opera House. It was out one successful opera after here, under the tutelage of Lavigna another. By 1859, he had remarried Aria 9 Rigoletto Synopsis RIGOLETTO ACT I SCENE 1: A GRAND ROOM IN THE PALACE OF THE DUKE OF MANTUA In contrast to the somber prelude, dance music The Duke and Rigoletto discuss how they can get can be heard from offstage as gentlemen and their rid of Ceprano in order to leave the field clear for the wives circulate though the room. The Duke tells the Duke. Rigoletto makes several sarcastic and boorish courtier Borsa about the woman he has seen in church suggestions,which an angry Ceprano overhears. The every Sunday for the last three months. He is impatient to jester’s master reproves Rigoletto for always going too bring his seduction of her to a head, and has discovered far with a joke.