Watch the TV spot
Hear Director Anthony Laciura discuss the opera on WNOX 100.3
River 106.1 Anthony Laciura on the air
Friday, February 8, 2013 at 8:00pm
Sunday, February 10, 2013 at 2:30pm
at The Magnificent Tennessee Theatre
Opera preview hosted by Maestro Salesky begins 45 minutes prior to each performance
Saddle up and ride on down to see music that blazes like the California sunset and a plot that even Clint Eastwood would love! Can the Golden Girl win the poker game and save her lover’s life? Come in your finest Western wear for a lobby photo op with the cast!
In Italian with projected English translations
Meet the Director!
Anthony Laciura (Stage Director)
Anthony Laciura is known internationally for his work as an operatic tenor, having appeared with the Metropolitan Opera in more than 800 performances and performances with companies in Geneva, Amsterdam, Montreal, Mexico City and Tokyo. The Washington Post calls Laciura, “one of the outstanding character tenors of our time.” Headlining the review the Post blatantly labeled him “The Clown Prince of Opera!” The New York Times’ leading music critic simply stated that he is “a master of such parts,” and Terence McNally, during a MET broadcast, identified him as a “Singer of the Century.”
Following his music and academic studies at Loyola and Tulane, the New Orleans native performed feature roles with the New Orleans Opera. This ignited his legendary career which included opera recordings for Deutsche Grammophon starring Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Mirella Freni and Jessye Norman.
After retiring from the Met in 2007, Laciura transitioned into directing and has staged productions for Vero Beach Opera, Phoenix Opera, DaCapo Opera (NY) and New Jersey City University where he is the current Director of Opera and Professor of Voice. Mr. Laciura also takes private students at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey.
The consummate actor has taken his talent to the big screen and has been the recipient of two SAG awards and a Golden Globe, as part of an ensemble cast in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, playing the role of Eddie Kessler (Season 3 Episode 11 is the one to watch!) He can also be seen as Frank the Barber in the multi-award winning independent short film, Crackers, and in the feature film, The Longest Week, starring Jason Bateman.
Meet the Cast!
CARTER SCOTT (Minnie)
Ms. Scott’s appearance is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Dorothy and L. Caesar Stair III.
Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina
Foreign Opera Companies: Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Bremen, Seoul
U.S. Opera Companies: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe, San Diego, New York City, Boston Lyric, Virginia, Fort Worth, Knoxville, San Jose, Syracuse, Roanoke, Mobile, Pensacola, Opera Pacific, Piedmont Opera, Chautauqua, San Antonio
U.S. Orchestras: Tulsa Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, South Dakota Symphony, Mobile Symphony
U.S. Festivals: Tanglewood Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Jarvis Zarzuela Festival
MANRICO TEDESCHI (Dick Johnson (a.k.a. Ramerrez))
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
Foreign Opera Companies: Teatro alla Scala (Milan), Teatro dell-Opera di Roma, Teatro La Fenice (Venice), Teatro Regio (Parma), Arena di Verona, Teatro Regio (Turin), Teatro Massimo Bellini (Catania), Teatro Massimo (Palermo), Teatro Verdi (Trieste), Teatro Comunale (Bologna), Teatro Carlo Felice (Genoa), Teatro Comunale (Modena), Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Gasteig, Bremen, Dusseldorf, Tokyo Bunkhakan, Hungarian State Opera, Opera Marseilles, Teatro San Carlo (Lisbon), Politeama Greco (Lecce), Shanghai Opera, Bulgarian State Opera, Lithuanian Opera, Opera Lyra (Ottawa), National Opera of Albania
Foreign Orchestras: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Symphony, Cairo Symphony
Foreign Festivals: Festival Eurama (Italy), Taormina Festival
U.S. Opera Companies: Florida Grand, Knoxville, Tampa,
New Jersey State Opera
U.S. Orchestra: Opera Orchestra of New York
SCOTT BEARDEN (Jack Rance)
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan
Foreign Opera Company: International Vocal Arts Institute (Tel Aviv)
U.S. Opera Companies: San Francisco, Opera Boston, Knoxville, Opera New Jersey, Toledo, Mississippi, Opera Theater of Connecticut, Opera Memphis, Opera San Jose, Opera Grand Rapids, Eugene, Cedar Rapids, West Bay Opera, Mercury Opera, Rockland (NY), California Festival Opera
U.S. Orchestras: Monterey Symphony, Oakland East Bay Symphony, Midland Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley
U.S. Festivals: Tanglewood Music Festival, Caramoor Music Festival, Sanibel Music Festival, Mendocino Music Festival
RICARDO RIVERA* (Ashby)
Mr. Rivera’s appearance is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Wells Fargo Advisors.
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado
U.S. Opera Companies: Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera North, Opera Company of Middlebury
U.S. Orchestras: Opera Orchestra of New York
U.S. Festivals: Castleton Festival
BRIAN JOYCE (Nick)
Birthplace: Denton, Texas
Foreign Opera Companies: Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf), Oldenburgishes Staatstheater
U.S. Opera Companies: Dallas, Knoxville, Cleveland, Austin,
New Rochelle (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
DANIEL SCOFIELD (Sonora Slim)
Mr. Scofield’s appearance is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Alice and David Torbett.
Birthplace: Binghamton, New York
U.S. Opera Companies: Seattle, Arizona Opera, Knoxville, Wolf Trap Opera (VA), Indianapolis, Augusta , Cleveland, Central City (CO)
U.S. Festivals: Brevard Music Center
JESSE STOCK (Jake Wallace)
Birthplace: Bennett, Iowa
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville , Des Moines Metro,
University of Tennessee, Simpson College
U.S. Orchestras: University of Tennessee Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony
AARON DUNN* (Jose Castro and Billy Jackrabbit)
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
U.S. Opera Companies: University of Tennessee, Baldwin Wallace University, Sugarcreek Symphony and Song
IAN RICHARDSON (Jim Larkens)
Birthplace: Des Moines, Iowa
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Des Moines Metro,
University of Tennessee, University of Iowa
BORIS VAN DRUFF (Trinidad Joe (Trin))
Birthplace: Syracuse, NY
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Hillman Opera (NY), University of Tennessee
U.S. Orchestras: Buffalo Philharmonic, Knoxville Symphony, Western NY Chamber Orchestra
HARRY HOUSE (Harry)
Birthplace: Brunswick, Georgia
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Southeastern Savoyards
U.S. Orchestras: Brevard Music Center, Knoxville Symphony,
Oak Ridge Symphony, MACO Civic Orchestra, Johnson City Symphony
KEVIN RICHARD DOHERTY (“Handsome” Charlie (Bello))
Birthplace: Massapequa, NY
Foreign Opera Company: International Opera Theatre (Italy)
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Shreveport, Asheville, Ithaca (NY), Summer Garden Opera (VA), Midwest Institute of Opera (IL),
University of Houston, University of Tennessee
U.S. Orchestras: Hendersonville (NC) Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, Rapides (LA) Symphony
U.S. Festivals: Brevard (NC), Ashlawn (VA)
KENT SKINNER* (Joe)
Birthplace: Marion, Indiana
U.S. Opera Companies: University of Northern Colorado,
University of Texas
U.S. Orchestra: Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra (CO)
BRET SMITHEY(“Happy” Haliday)
Birthplace: Charlotte, North Carolina
Foreign Festival: AIMS (Austria)
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Natchez Opera (MS), National Opera (NC), Princeton Opera, Opera on the Spot (NC), University of Tennessee
U.S. Orchestras: Washington Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, Raleigh Symphony
U.S. Festival: Brevard Music Festival
PETER JOHNSON* (The Sidney Duck (Sid))
Birthplace: Saint James, Minnesota
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, University of Tennessee, Fargo-Moorhead Opera
U.S. Orchestra: Concordia College Orchestra (MN)
U.S. Festivals: Brevard Music Center (NC), Pine Mountain Music Festival (MI)
SARAH FITCH (Wowkle)
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
U.S. Opera Companies: Knoxville, Opera in the Ozarks,
University of North Texas, University of Tennessee
U.S. Orchestra: University of North Texas Symphony
