Friday, October 26, 2012 at 8:00pm
Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 2:30pm
at the magnificentTennessee Theatre
Opera preview hosted by Maestro Salesky begins 45 minutes prior to each performance
Knoxville Opera popped the cork on October 26 and 28 with Johann Strauss’s intoxicating operetta, Die Fledermaus (The Bat) starring Russian TV star/operatic soprano Julia Lima. Following the jail-dodging machinations of protagonist Eisenstein, the misfortunes of his unfaithful wife’s lover, and an elaborate revenge plot set at a lavish masquerade ball, the fast-moving story kept audiences enthralled with mistaken identities, amorous escapades, and rollicking music. Opening night the surprises during the Act 2 party scene included a performance of “The Tennessee Waltz” by country star Logan Murrell. Dancers included Mayor Madeline Rogero, Hallerin Hill, Coach Johnny Majors and other local personalities!
Performed in English
Meet the Director!
Brian Deedrick (Stage Director)
Knoxville Opera is delighted to welcome international stage director Brian Deedrick for his company debut with this production of Die Fledermaus. As a freelance opera and theatre director, his work takes him all over Canada and the United States, with occasional forays as far afield as Casalmaggiore, Italy and Tel Aviv. During his years as Artistic Director of Edmonton Opera, some of his favorite productions there included Fidelio, Otello, Julius Caesar, Falstaff, Weill in Weimar, The Emperor of Atlantis, The Abduction from the Seraglio and South Pacific. Selected freelance opera credits have included Turandot and Aïda for Fort Worth Opera, Don Giovanni for Austin Lyric Opera, Otello and La Bohème for L’Opéra de Québec, Eugene Onegin and Tosca for Opera Carolina, The Flying Dutchman for Baltimore Opera, L’Elisir d’amore and The Pearl Fishers for Arizona Opera and The Merry Widow and Don Pasquale in Honolulu. Mr. Deedrick’s upcoming projects include Don Giovanni in Toledo, The Pearl Fishers in Hamilton, Ontario and Manon in Montreal. When not directing, the native of Canada works as a city tour guide in Berlin, Germany!
Meet the Cast!
JULIA LIMA (Rosalinda)
Sponsored thanks to the generosity of Daniel F. McGehee
Birthplace: Uralsky, Perm Krai, Russia
Foreign Orchestra: Moscow Conservatory Orchestra
U.S. Opera Companies: New York Lyric Opera, Amore Opera (NYC), Opera Company of Brooklyn (NYC), Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts (NYC)
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Water Island Music Festival, Bright Future International (Chicago)
SEAN ANDERSON (Gabriel von Eisenstein)
Birthplace: New York, New York
Foreign Opera Companies: Opera Theatre of Lucca
U.S. Opera Companies: New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Baz Luhrman’s La Bohème on Broadway, Sarasota Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Columbus, Chautauqua Opera, Opera New Jersey, Opera Delaware, Bozeman Opera, DiCapo Opera
DONATA CUCINOTTA (Adele)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S. Opera Companies: Opera Colorado, Shreveport Opera, Opera New Jersey, Amarillo Opera, Opera Fort Collins, New York Lyric Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Opera Company of Brooklyn (NYC), New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Louisiana
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Queens Symphony Orchestra (NYC), Summer Choralfest (Denver), Belleayre Music Festival (NY)
KEVIN ANDERSON (Alfred)
Birthplace: Moline, Illinois
Foreign Opera Companies: L’Opera de Toulouse, Edinburgh Festival, English National Opera, L’Opera de Nancy, Capetown Opera, Edmonton Opera, Canadian Opera Company, De Vlaamse Oper (Belgium), Theater des Westens (Berlin), Scottish Opera
Foreign Orchestras and Festivals: Scottish National Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Symphony, Mexico Symphony Orchestra
U.S. Opera Companies: Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, Colorado Opera, Hawaii Opera, Cleveland Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Michigan Opera Theater, Utah Opera
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Naples Philharmonic,
Caramoor Festival Orchestra, Ravinia Festival
Recordings: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (EMI/Mexico); Weisgall’s Six Characters in Search of an Opera (Lyric Opera of Chicago/Nonesuch Records), Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine (Pioneer Video), Kurt Weill in America (BBC/Hessischer Rundfunk film), Weill’s Street Scene (English National Opera/BBD video), Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (PBS Great Performances video), Bernstein’s Mass at Vatican City (video and CD).
AMANDA CRIDER (Prince Orlofsky)
Sponsored thanks to the generosity of Mark & Cathy Hill
Birthplace: Allentown, Pennsylvania
U.S. Opera Companies: Dallas Opera, Cincinnati Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Boston, Glimmerglass Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Sarasota Opera, Nevada Opera, Eugene Opera, Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Anchorage Opera, Juneau Opera, Opera Iowa, Gotham Chamber Opera, Allentown Concert Opera
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Tanglewood Festival, New World Symphony, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Greeley Philharmonic , Eugene Symphony, Oregon Mozart Players, Apollo’s Fire, Bach Society of Florida, Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival, New England Symphonic Ensemble
DANIEL SCOFIELD (Dr. Falke)
Sponsored thanks to the generosity of Dr. & Mrs. Monroe Trout
Birthplace: Binghamton, New York
U.S. Opera Companies: Seattle Opera, Arizona Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Augusta Opera, Opera Cleveland, Central City Opera
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Brevard Music Center
ALFRED ANDERSON (Frank)
Birthplace: Smith County, Mississippi
Foreign Opera Companies: Hong Kong Opera, Royal Opera of Gent (Belgium)
Foreign Orchestras and Festivals: London Philharmonic Orchestra
U.S. Opera Companies: New York City Opera, San Diego Opera, New Orleans Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Knoxville Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Toledo Opera, Dayton Opera, Grand Rapids Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Starlight Musicals
U.S. Orchestras and Festivals: Akron Symphony, Albany (GA) Symphony
U.S. Theatres: Porthouse Theater, Ohio Shakespeare Festival
BRIAN JOYCE (Dr. Blind)
Birthplace: Denton, Texas
Foreign Opera Companies: Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf), Oldenburgishes Staatstheater
U.S. Opera Companies: Dallas Opera, Opera Cleveland, Austin Lyric Opera, New Rochelle Opera (NY), Opera in the Heights (Houston), Opera Oggi (NYC), Empire Opera (NYC), Gotham Bel Canto (NYC), Regina Opera (NYC), Center for Contemporary Opera (NYC)
U.S. Orchestras: Key West Symphony
KATHRYN FRADY MARVEL (Ida)
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Foreign Opera Companies: Theatre des Varietes (Paris), Espace Pierre Cardin (Paris)
U.S. Opera Companies: Opera Carolina, Wichita Grand Opera, Midwest Institute of Opera, The Living Opera (Texas)
JOHN FORREST FERGUSON (Frosch)
Birthplace: Gastonia, North Carolina
Foreign Theatre Companies: Edinburgh Festival (Scotland), Avignon Festival (France)
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville Opera
U.S. Theatre Companies: Clarence Brown Theatre, Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Academy Theatre (Atlanta)
