Directed by: Fenlon Lamb Music by: Daniel Schnyder Libretto by: Bridgette A. Wimberly Original Production November 2018 - Fenlon Lamb DESIGNERS Greg Hirsch - Lighting Designer CeCe Stickler - Costume Designer Mark Halpin - Scenic Designer Greg Emetaz - Projection Designer Tim Trumble - Photographer Du'Bois A'Keen - Choreographer ORIGINAL CAST Clinton Smith - Conductor Joshua Stewart/Martin Bakari - Charlie Parker Karen Slack - Addie Parker Sidney Outlaw - Dizzy Gillespie Cadie J. Bryan - Chan Parker Stephanie Sánchez - Baroness Nica Kaitlyn Sabrowsky - Doris Parker Chrystal E. Williams - Rebecca Parker Director's Note A journey through the mind of a great jazz legend, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird delves into the personal purgatory of the great American saxophonist. Told through a series of interconnected scenes following his death, Parker attempts to compose his final masterpiece while examining the demons that propelled his genius. Swiftly paced and pulsing with energy, this journey into the mind of a legend will captivate you from its first, blue notes to its final rest. Reviews ""...director Lamb created memorable characters... if Lamb intended to show their commonality as well as their beauty, {she} succeeded." “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” definitely deserves to be heard more than once...This work is a fascinating excursion into the possibilities of opera as a living, breathing art." -Maria Nockin, Operawire MEDIA

Directed by: Fenlon Lamb Music by: Giacomo Puccini Libretto by: Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa Original Production September 2019 - Inland NW Opera DESIGNERS Jefferson Ridenour - Set Designer Kris Kirkwood - Projection Designer Brian B Moore - Lighting Designer Denise Leonard - Costume Designer Zoe Still - Paint Charge ORIGINAL CAST Conductor - Dean Williamson Butterfly - Elizabeth Caballero Pinkerton - Chad Shelton Suzuki - Sandra Piques Eddy Sharpless - Corey McKern Director's Note As stage director, I have the unique opportunity to tell the story of Madama Butterfly in a different and unexpected way. The fleeting nature of live performance is compounded by the theatrical constraint of using a material which can be torn and crumpled and tossed away; echoing Pinkerton’s careless treatment of Butterfly. It also lends an extra bit of authenticity considering many of the materials used in Japanese design are indeed paper. The fragility of the moment and of Butterfly’s belief in her American husband is clearly depicted through this medium. Creating a truly ingenious and unique production of a well-known opera is always a challenge. The usual set rental package isn’t always conceived in a way that makes sense with my own vision of the piece. But here at Inland Northwest Opera, I have the opportunity to dream and create the production I see in my head right there on stage and with a group of collaborators that understand the process. This allows me to support the singers more fully by supplying them with an atmosphere and a concept that resonates completely. As Artistic Director, I’m thrilled to partner with Inland Northwest Opera to bring Madama Butterfly to life with ingenious sets, stunning projections and evocative lighting. My team has worked together with your local opera company to bring you a first-rate production which is one-of-a-kind. This set was designed to fit beautifully in the Fox Theatre (notice the leaf detail taken from the art deco design of the theatre and incorporated into the Japanese garden of the set). At once epic and familiar, our paper sets have become an innovative expression of old-school painted drops mixed with clever techniques which provide an impressive visual context but with a smaller ecological footprint. Reviews "The stage design of this production was its most strikingly imaginative and innovative element. Under the direction of stage designer Fenlon Lamb and set designer Jefferson Ridenour and his crew, operating under the name of Papermoon Opera Productions, they framed the action with shoji-like panels suspended from the flies above the stage at the Fox and projected images upon them that intensified, amplified and commented upon the drama." "When Sharpless posed the awful question to Butterfly, “How would you feel if you never saw him (Pinkerton) again?,” the tranquil landscape projected behind them was abruptly replaced with a video of swirling, impenetrable fog, suggesting the loss of the bright future for which Butterfly had hoped. It is difficult to imagine how conventional sets and props could have expanded artistic reach of the production to such an extent." -Don Chareunsy, The Spokesman-Review MEDIA

Directed by: Fenlon Lamb & Ian Silverman Music by: Gioachino Rossini Libretto by: Cesare Sterling Original Production September 2022 - Amarillo Opera Additional Production dates January 2021 - Opera Delaware & Baltimore Concert Opera DESIGNERS Jefferson Ridenour - Scenic Designer Kathleen Doyle - Costume Designer Zoe Still - Costume/Scenic Head Designer Brittany Rappise - Hair & Makeup Designer Kris Kirkwood - Projection Designer Barry Steele - Lighting Designer ORIGINAL CAST Michael Ching - Conductor Andrew Brown - Figaro Carlos Santelli - Almaviva Ashley Dixon - Rosina Timothy Mix - Bartolo Federico de Michelis - Basilio Fenlon Lamb - Berta Reviews "Everything about this production is special and a must see" -Mary Jane Johnson, Executive and Artistic Director of Amarillo Opera "Director Fenlon Lamb's and Set Designer Jefferson Risenour's staging was minimalist...the props were sufficient to cue the audience as to setting and sequence...this production [was] a roaring success, one which even picky audiences of the Met would find entertaining." -Keep Amarillo Artsy MEDIA

Directed by: Brian Staufenbiel Music by: Paul Moravec Libretto by: Mark Campbell Original Production June 2023 - Opera Paralelle Additional Production dates September 2023 - The Atlanta Opera UPCOMING - March 2025 - Portland OPera DESIGNERS Jacquelyn Scott- Scenic & Props Designer Alina Bokovikova - Costume Designer David Murakami - Projection Designer Y. Sharon Peng - Hair & Makeup Designer Jim French - Lighting Designer ORIGINAL CAST Nicole Paiement - Conductor Robert Wesley Mason- Jack Torrence Kearstin Pipera Brown - Wendy Torrence Tenzin Forder - Danny Torrence Michael Thompson - Danny Torrence Kevin Deas - Dick Hallorann David Walton - Delbert Grady/Stuart Ullman Nathan Granner - Bill Watson/Lloyd the Bartender Molly Mary Mahoney - Mrs. Massey Christabel Nunoo - Mrs. Grady Chung-Wai Soong - Senator Daniel Cilli - Mark Torrence J. Raymond Meyers - Crooner Director's Note The Shining - the Original Hotel California To all appearances, The Shining's Overlook Hotel is, like the Hotel California of song, "a lovely place." But appearances in this story are deceiving . The Overlook harbors an illusory realm of terror within its cracked lath and plaster; horrific stories of murder and intrigue permeate its every fissure. The Overlook itself is a kind of character in our production, one whose ghostly inhabitants goad Jack Torrence to murder his son Danny so they can abscond with the boy' powerful extrasensory abilities - a gift Dick Hallorann's grandmother called "shining" - a kind of hyper-charged clairvoyance that allows Danny to hear other people's thoughts and communicate with the dead. One of the great joys of creating a concept for this new production of The Shining was how deeply I could dive into the philosophical and aesthetic battle that takes place t the heart of the story. How often do we encounter an opera where two disparate aesthetics and philosophies make up the essence of the drama on stage? The Shining is that opera, and it inspired us to stretch our imaginations to explore the human condition by contrasting the aesthetics of realism against surrealism, along with their corresponding philosophies, naturalism and supernaturalism. Our design team focused on this juxtaposition and let is guide and delineate the multifaceted relationships with music, setting and characters throughout the production. In the scenes ruled by naturalism, nothing exists beyond the natural world. Here the hotel is just a hotel. In this aesthetic of realism, Jack, Wendy, Danny, and Hallorann are ordinary living people - objective, accurate depictions of what seems to be. What you see on the surface is, simply, what is. But then there is supernaturalism, which encompasses otherworldly realms and things that cannot be explained. In these scenes the Overlook comes alive with evil spirits that pursue our protagonists. The building itself appears to have a heartbeat and flows with blood. Even its structural supports can move. This aesthetic, surrealism, is thick with dreamlike visuals, symbolism, and hints of the unconscious. In the end, this is a story about good and evil in which Jack must summon the deepest love and make the ultimate sacrifice, to put an end to a cycle of generational abuse, and save his family. For him, as the song has it, you can check out, but you can never leave. MEDIA

Directed by: Stephanie Havey Music by: Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges Libretto by: Desfontaines-Lavallée Original Production February 2024 - Madison Opera DESIGNERS Michelle Rofrano - Conductor Lisa Thurrell - Choreographer Steven C. Kemp - Set Designer Marcella Barbeau - Lighting Designer Karen Brown-Larimore - Hair & Costume Designer ORIGINAL CAST Michelle Rofrano - Conductor Keely Futterer - Léontine David Blalock - Valcour Yazid Gray - Ophémon Hailey Cohen - Dorothée Brianna Murray - Jeannette William Johnson - Colin George Abbott III, Megan Gloss, Lauren Stepka, Douglas Swenson, Ryan White, Alexandra Zulauf - Ensemble Director's Note The most fun thing about working on this opera is that it really is a fantasy. A real 18th century ideal. In working on this opera, we get to step right into one of the gorgeous paintings of this period (Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing). It shows the idea of romantic love and the beauty of nature. A challenging aspect on working on this opera is it has only recently been re-discovered. There aren't many traditions on how it is performed compared to other traditional operas. We have been working on new ways to interpret the French and creating new performance practices for the music. Reviews "Director Stephanie Havey’s candy-sweet production of “The Anonymous Lover” gives the audience little to think about and much to enjoy, with a plot as heavy as cotton candy and Jolly Rancher-hued costumes to match." "Anonymous Lover pops with color. Towering wigs on ensemble ladies in shades of blue, pink and yellow peek above that hedge. Even the Champagne flutes glow red. Steven C. Kemp designed the set as a riot of fertility, with flowers cascading over and around the stage. Lighting designer Marcella Barbeau matches Brown-Larimore’s palette, washing the stage in magenta." -Lindsay Christians, The Cap Times "...it's light, bright, joyful and melodic..." -Dan Koehn, Isthmus MEDIA

Directed by: Lawrence Edelson Music by: Lembit Beecher Libretto by: Hannah Moscovitch Original Production July 2022 - Opera Saratoga DESIGNERS Julia Noulin-Merat - Scenic Designer Whitney Locher - Costume Designer Marcella Barbeau - Lighting Designer Sue Schaefer - Wigs & Makeup Designer ORIGINAL CAST Emily Senturia - Conductor Meredith Arwady - Martha Phyllis Pancella - Danny Helena Colindres - Winnie Ryan Johnson - Ira Reviews ”...... a brutal, but very relatable experience. The excellent cast is led by alto Meredith Arwady as Martha, already deep in decline, and mezzo Phyllis Pancella as Danny, who becomes a companion on the sad journey. Whether in a lucid or scattered state, the women sing with a palpable presence and force and a demanding kind of beauty. Their knowing resistance heightens the fear, confusion and anger. The characters often appear framed in doorways, as if at the gates of hell. Time becomes a strange element. The children, well played by soprano Helena Colindres, Martha’s daughter, and by tenor Ryan Bryce Johnson as Danny’s son, are lost in a stasis of waiting. Meanwhile, their agitated moms are frantically calling up old memories and clamoring to find what is the present moment. Again, there are no gentle farewells. With regular and extended pauses, the production seemed to take deep breaths and allow things to sink in.” - The Times Union PRODUCTION PHOTOS

The d é but memoir from " noted composer and doyen of modern opera" Ricky Ian Gordon chronicles not only his years as the wunderkind of modern vocal music, but also his years on the front lines of addiction and the AIDS crisis, which claimed the lives of his lover and many of his friends. Kirkus Reviews calls Seeing Through: A Chronicle of Sex, Drugs, and Opera , "A superb memoir that reveals the pleasures—but far more, the pains—of the creative life." "Regarding AIDS, Gordon’s frontline memoir is as valuable as Larry Kramer’s." - Kirkus Reviews You can now preorder Ricky Ian Gordon's new memoir, set for release on July 23. Preorder your copy and read the full review on Kirkus Reviews Soprano Erin Morley debuted Gordon's new song cycle Huit Chansons de Fleurs . Listen to Huit Chanson de Fleurs  on Spotify Ricky's new song cycle Huit Chansons de Fleurs recently had its world premiere performance at the Kennedy Center, sung by acclaimed soprano Erin Morley, who features the cycle on her new recording Rose in Bloom . Parterre said of the new work: "The evening opened with the first complete performance of Huit Chansons de Fleur, a song cycle by Ricky Ian Gordon which anchors the new album, featuring emotionally precise settings of poems from Gordon, Emily Dickinson, Dorothy Parker, and others. Gordon’s skill with vocal writing, honed across his prolific career in opera and musical theater, was immediately evident here in the organic flow of the word setting and ability to engage the listener in the text. The score’s gently ambivalent harmonic language elaborated on the concealed and conflicted emotions in the selected poems, while Moore’s insightful and reserved handling of the piano writing enveloped the vocal line with transparent textures." Read the full review

Three incredible UIA artists were named recipients of the 2024 Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors from OPERA America. Grants were awarded to opera companies that are advancing the careers of stage directors and conductors. They included: Beth Morrison Projects (Brooklyn, NY): Elizabeth Askren will conduct Sensorium Ex (Paola Prestini, composer; Brenda Shaughnessy, librettist) Kentucky Opera (Louisville, KY): Kimille Howard will direct This Little Light of Mine (Chandler Carter, composer; Diana Solomon Glover, librettist) Opera Colorado (Denver, CO): Chía Patiño will direct The Daughter of the Regiment (Gaetano Donizetti, composer; Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard, librettists) Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors open doors for women artists by incentivizing professional opera companies of all sizes to engage women in key artistic roles. These hires enrich the production and performance of new operas and works from the inherited repertoire and inspire future generations of creative artists who identify as women. The initiative is generously supported by the Marineau Family Foundation as part of OPERA America’s commitment to improve gender parity in the field. Read the full list here. Elizabeth Askren, Kimille Howard, and Chía Patiño are 2024 recipients of Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors

The Ride of the Valkyries | Die Walküre , The Atlanta Opera | © Raftermen Photography The Atlanta Opera just completed its run of the second installment in their four-season Ring Cycle . Reigning Wotan Greer Grimsley returned as the iconic ruler of the gods, and mezzo-sopranos Catherine Martin and Deborah Nansteel each took on one of his daughters, the Valkyries Waltraute and Roßweiße respectively. The production received excellent reviews across the board, with some standout notices for these fabulous UIA artists. " Greer Grimsley , with his sonorous bass-baritone and commanding stage presence, returns from last season’s Das Rheingold as Wotan. This production allows Grimsley to display a larger dramatic range as the tortured king of the gods." " The eight other valkyries... were dynamite... their singing — with their inhuman cries of “Hojotoho!” — was glorious." Read the Arts ATL review here "American bass-baritone Greer Grimsley is the ultimate Wotan..." "In line with director Tomer Zvulun’s penchant for balanced ensemble casts, the eight other Valkyries (Julie Adams, Yelena Dyachek, Maya Lahyani, Catherine Martin , Deborah Nansteel , Aubrey Odle, Meridian Prall, and Alexandra Razskazoff) proved a fine assemblage of voices." Read the EarRelevant review here " Greer Grimsley brought the weight of authority to Wotan..." "The eight Valkyrie sisters were uniformly cast from strength, although Deborah Nansteel 's arresting Roßweisse stood out. Surely she is a Fricka in the making." Read the Bachtrack review here Greer Grimsley as Wotan | Die Walküre , The Atlanta Opera | © Raftermen Photography

Opera Santa Barbara closed out their season with a sold-out run of Héctor Armienta's "roundly entertaining" Zorro . Santa Barbara audiences were treated to a rousing and entertaining production, with critics noting: Zorro represents a branch of modern opera with potential to appeal to admitted opera-philes while also luring in new opera fans. No doubt, that act of cultural evangelism transpired at the Lobero, right down to the final swashbuckling, score-settling, final “Z” slashing scene. Check out the rave review from the Santa Barbara Independent .

Writer and librettist Marcus Amaker served as the first Poet Laureate of Charleston from 2016 to 2022. On Saturday, May 4, he will be inducted into the South Carolina Literary Hall of Fame along with three other literary luminaries. Check out the link below to read more about Marcus and the other honorees. Read more here.

Baritone Sidney Outlaw will be making his role début in the title role of Mozart's masterpiece Don Giovanni in a new production with Boston Baroque, opening tonight. OperaWire sat down with Sidney to chat about the iconic role and what it was like preparing for one of the most famous roles in the baritone repertoire. Check out the interview here. You can also read more about Boston Baroque's modern take on Mozart's classic opera, as well as Sidney's long-awaited début as the Don, in a Bay State Banner article published yesterday. Read it here.