Houston Grand Opera
www.houstongrandopera.org

General Director Anthony Freud

Music Director Patrick Summers
Announce

Houston Grand Opera's 2006 - 2007 Season
 

By the numbers, 46 Performances, 3 New Productions and 1 Company Premiere HGO's New Season includes: Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Gounod's Faust and Verdi's Aida (New Production)
 

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA 2006-2007 SEASON
FALL REPERTORY

VERDI'S SIMON BOCCANEGRA. Photo by Robert Kusel / Lyric Opera of Chicago

October 21, 24, 27, 29m, and November 4, 2006

In Italian with English surtitles

Royal Opera Covent Garden production

          When famed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky made his house debut in 2002, he treated Houston audiences to his first Rigoletto in America. Now, he returns for his debut in the daunting title role of Verdi’s epic Simon Boccanegra opposite Russian soprano Olga Guryakova , who will make both her role and house debut as his daughter Amelia. Italian tenor Marco Berti makes his house debut as Gabriele, Amelia’s lover and Boccanegra’s political enemy. American bass Raymond Aceto (The Coronation of Poppea, 2006) is Amelia’s vengeful grandfather Fiesco, and American bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi (house debut) sings Boccanegra’s villainous counselor Paolo. 

          Opening the season, Music Director Patrick Summers conducts. Elijah Moshinsky returns to direct his production, never before seen in Houston. Sets are by HGO favorite Michael Yeargan and costumes by Peter J. Hall . 

           Cast:                                                                           Production Team:

^  Role debut             *  Houston Grand Opera debut         ‡  Former HGO Studio member

Produced in association with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

Grand Guarantor: Albert & Margaret Alkek Foundation; Corporate Guarantor: ConocoPhillips

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Houston Grand Opera's 1991 DON GIOVANNI. Photo by Jim Caldwell

Mozart's Don Giovanni

October 28, 31, November 3, 5m, 9, and 11, 2006

In Italian with English surtitles

Houston Grand Opera Production

Polish Baritone Mariusz Kwiecien - Houston Grand Opera Debut

          Don Giovanni, Mozart’s adaptation of the Don Juan story, showcases young Polish sensation Mariusz Kwiecien (“right on the cusp of international opera stardom,” Opera News ) as the world’s most famous lover, making his house debut in the role that has already made him famous in Vienna, Tokyo, and Santa Fe. HGO Studio alumni Oren Gradus and Ana Maria Martinez, both seen in The Marriage of Figaro in fall 2005, return as the Don’s sidekick Leporello and Donna Elvira, respectively. Canadian soprano Alexandra Deshorties (Idomeneo, 2005) sings Donna Anna, and American tenor Garrett Sorenson makes his house debut as her fiancé Don Ottavio, whom she recruits to help bring the Don to justice. Irish mezzo-soprano Fiona Murphy (Manon Lescaut , 2006) sings Zerlina, whom the Don seduces on her wedding day.

           Patrick Summers conducts; Harry Silverstein revives HGO’s “simple and elegant” (Houston Chronicle) production by Göran Jarvefelt with sets and costumes by Carl Friedrich Oberle and lighting by Nigel Levings.

Cast:                                                                           Production Team:

^  Role debut             *  Houston Grand Opera debut      †  Current HGO Studio member     ‡  Former HGO Studio member

Corporate Guarantor: Lyondell Chemical Company

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Humperdinck's

Hansel and Gretel

A New Production

December 1, 3m, 7, 10m, 10, 13, 17m, 17, 20, 23m, 23, 2006 (plus one student matinee)

New English translation with English surtitles

Houston Grand Opera's New Production of Hansel & Gretel appearing at HGO in December 2006.  Sketches by Director / Designer Basil Twist.

           Houston Grand Opera stages the ultimate family treat for the holidays: a new production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel by famed puppeteer Basil Twist, creator of the award-winning Symphonie Fantastique production that has dazzled audiences in New York (Lincoln Center), San Francisco, Montreal, Washington D.C., France, London, and Munich.  Twist’s Hansel and Gretel will feature puppets from several different traditions, including the Japanese bunraku method, large body puppets, and marionettes. The Witch puppet will tower over 12 feet tall while the children’s characters will be life-sized.

          Artists from HGO’s highly acclaimed Studio will sing most of the roles, including Fiona Murphy/Maria Markina as Hansel, Rebekah Camm/Alicia Gianni as Gretel, Jennifer Root as the Mother, Liam Bonner as the Father, and Albina Shagimuratova as the Sandman/Dew Fairy.  Making his house debut, tenor John Easterlin (a puppeteer himself) will sing the Witch. 

          Hansel and Gretel will be performed in English in the Wortham Center’s smaller space, the Cullen Theater, giving families an even more intimate experience of this delightful fairy tale brought to life onstage.  HGO’s new head of music staff, Kathleen Kelly, conducts and creates new chamber orchestration.  With eleven public performances, families will have many chances to enjoy this beloved classic together, reaffirming HGO’s commitment to producing high-quality works for audiences of all ages. 

  Cast:                                                                           Production Team:

^  Role debut              *  Houston Grand Opera debut       †  Current HGO Studio member   

Corporate Guarantor and Media Partner: Time Warner Cable

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HOUSTON GRAND OPERA 2006-2007 SEASON
WINTER REPERTORY
 

Houston Grand Opera's 1997 Faust. Photo by Jim Caldwell.

Gounod's Faust

January 20, 23, 26, 28m, and February 3, 2007

In French with English surtitles

Houston Grand Opera Production

            Houston Grand Opera revives its acclaimed Francesca Zambello production of Gounod’s French masterpiece Faust with a stellar cast, led by one of America’s most gifted tenors, William Burden (The Coronation of Poppea, 2006) as the man who sells his soul to the devil for a second chance at youth.  Burden’s Faust, hailed as “superb…beautiful French, with fine line and glowing tone,” (Philadelphia’s City Paper), is lured into eternal damnation by Mephistopheles, sung by the incomparable American bass Samuel Ramey (Boris Godunov, 2005) in one of the roles that has made him world famous.  Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri makes her house debut as Marguerite, the naïve young woman who falls for Faust.  Her devoted brother Valentin is sung by American baritone Earle Patriarco (The Barber of Seville, 2004).

          Sebastian Lang-Lessing (Carmen, 2006) conducts; Elizabeth Bachman directs.  The “lush” (Houston Chronicle) sets and costumes are by Earl Staley; lighting is by Ken Billington.

Cast:                                                                            Production Team:

^  Role debut              *  Houston Grand Opera debut       ‡  Former HGO Studio member

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Rossini's La Cenerentola

"Cinderella"

A New Production

CINDERELLA.  Costume by Designer Joan Guillen.

January 27, 30, February 4m, 7, 9, and 11m, 2007

In Italian with English surtitles   

New Co-Production with Welsh National Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève (Geneva), and Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona)

          American mezzo-soprano and HGO Studio alumna Joyce DiDonato has triumphed on virtually all the world’s stages.  Since making her La Scala (Milan) debut with La Cenerentola in 2001, she has taken the role to Paris, Madrid, Tel Aviv, and back to La Scala.  Now she brings it to Houston.

            DiDonato sings Angelina, the title role in Rossini’s setting of the classic Cinderella story.  Making his house debut as Don Ramiro, the prince who sees past her humble station, is American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, and his clever valet Dandini is sung by American baritone Earle Patriarco (Faust, 2007).  Her pompous father Don Magnifico is sung by American bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi (Simon Boccanegra, 2006).

            Bel canto specialist Edoardo Müller conducts (house debut).  Also new to HGO creating a fantastical, imaginative new production is the all-Spanish team of Joan Font (director), Joan Guillén (set and costume designer), Albert Faura (lighting designer), and Montse Colomé (choreographer), who comprise The Comediants, the acclaimed Barcelona-based multi-media theater collective whose work has been seen on six continents.  The co-production will premiere in Houston.

            Cast:                                                                            Production Team:

*  Houston Grand Opera debut       ‡  Former HGO Studio member

Corporate Guarantor: Anadarko; Media Partner: Time Warner Cable

Houston Grand Opera's New Production of CINDERELLA.  Set model by Designer Joan Guillen.

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HOUSTON GRAND OPERA 2006-2007 SEASON
SPRING REPERTORY
 

Houston Grand Opera's New Production of AIDA.  Appearing at HGO April 2007.  Set Sketches by Zandra Rhodes.

Verdi's Aida

A New Production

April 13, 15m, 18, 21, 24, 27, 29m, and May 5, 2007 (plus 2 student matinees)

In Italian with English surtitles

          Legendary American mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick (Il trovatore, 1992) returns as Amneris in Aïda, Verdi’s monumental Egyptian epic depicting the love triangle involving a slave girl, a military captain, and a princess.  Bulgarian soprano Zvetelina Vassileva (Eugene Onegin, 2003) makes her role debut as the slave girl Aïda, and Italian tenor Marco Berti (Simon Boccanegra, 2006) is Radames, the captain beloved by both women.  American baritone Gordon Hawkins (Of Mice and Men, 2002) sings Aïda’s exiled father Amonasro, and Armenian bass Tigran Martirossian (Manon, 2003) portrays the Egyptian high priest Ramfis. 

          Making their house debuts are renowned Italian conductor Carlo Rizzi, British director Jo Davies, and renowned British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, the production’s set and costume designer.  Worlds away from the typical sun-and-pyramids production, her designs reveal a vivid Egypt in all colors of the rainbow.  Her production of The Pearl Fishers, which debuted at San Diego Opera in 2004, was an instant sensation and was also produced in New York and San Francisco.

            Cast:                                                                            Production Team:

^  Role debut              *  Houston Grand Opera debut       †  Current HGO Studio member     ‡  Former HGO Studio member

Grand Guarantor: Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation

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Janacek's 

The Cunning Little Vixen

A Houston Grand Opera Premiere

May 4, 6m, 8, 11, and 12, 2007

In English with English surtitles

Lyric Opera of Chicago Production

JANACEK'S "THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN" Appearing at HGO April 2007.  Photo by Robert Kusel / Lyric Opera of Chicago.

          Houston Grand Opera, world-renowned for producing cutting-edge repertoire, at last stages one of the twentieth century’s most indispensable operas: Janáček’s charming nature allegory The Cunning Little Vixen, which juxtaposes the lives of a fox and her cubs with those of a forester and his friends, exploring both human nature and the animal kingdom.  Music Director Patrick Summers conducts this company premiere headlined by American soprano Lisa Saffer, making her house debut in the title role.  The Vixen’s sweetheart, Fox Golden-Stripe, will be sung by HGO Studio mezzo-soprano Fiona Murphy, and the Forester will be sung by American baritone Hector Vásquez (Florencia en el Amazonas), the new program director of HGO’s acclaimed Studio.

Leslie Halla makes her house debut directing the Chas Rader-Shieber production with sets and costumes by David Zinn.  When the production debuted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2004, Opera News called it a “stunning production” and the Chicago Tribune said “it takes you to a place you’ve never been before…Children will adore the singing-and-dancing fauna for their own sake, but adults will come out of The Cunning Little Vixen deeply moved and refreshed of spirit.  The show is not to be missed.” 

Cast:                                                                            Production Team:

^  Role debut              *  Houston Grand Opera debut       †  Current HGO Studio member     ‡  Former HGO Studio member

The Lyric Opera production was generously sponsored by The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust and The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust.

Media Partner: Time Warner Cable

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR AND MUSIC DIRECTOR

Houston Grand Opera Director Anthony Freud. Photo by Bruce Bennett

General Director Anthony Freud on the season’s new productions:  “The musical and theatrical range of next season’s new productions will, I am sure, delight and stimulate our audiences,” says Freud.  “The very different fairy-tale world of Hansel and Gretel will be created with specially devised puppets by one of the world’s most inventive puppet artists, Basil Twist.  La Cenerentola will be fanciful new production by a team that pairs great theatrical flair with technical know-how, a refreshingly human re-telling of the classic fairy tale.  The stunning  Zandra Rhodes designs for Aïda evoke a magical dream of Egypt in which Verdi’s unforgettable score will thrill and captivate.”

American Conductor and Houston Grand Opera Music Director Patrick Summers

Music Director Patrick Summers on the season: “The classic Hansel and Gretel never fails to please, Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella) is as fresh as the day it was written, and The Cunning Little Vixen is the perfect first opera.  Add to this some of the greatest works in the repertoire—Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and Aïda, Mozart’s sublime Don Giovanni, and Gounod’s Faust—and you have the total operatic experience we seek to provide to our great city.”

RECENT ACCOLADES FOR HOUSTON GRAND OPERA

“Houston Grand Opera is the jewel in the cultural crown…performances of standard repertory at the Houston Grand Opera often seem especially satisfying—carefully cast, thoughtfully directed, stylishly designed…”

                                                                                                                        The New York Times

“…Houston has built a reputation as one of the US’ most innovative opera companies.”

                                                                                                                        Financial Times of London

“One of the most intelligently adventurous of all mainstream North American opera companies.”

                                                                                                                        Toronto Star

“Known as the force majeur in American opera…”

                                                                                                                        BBC

“It is a pleasure to see the company secure in its long-held place as one of America’s best and most adventurous opera enterprises.”

                                                                                                                        Musical America

“Houston Grand Opera’s reputation stretches world-wide for bold, innovative programming and an unparalleled record for commissioning new work…It has brought opera right into the American experience.”

                                                                                                                        Opera Now

“Houstonians are spoiled for cultural choice, what with theater, symphony, ballet, opera and even a theater geared to young people.  The Houston Grand Opera is perhaps the most tempting...”                                                                                                                                                                                                       The New York Times

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

            Subscriptions for the 2006–2007 Season, priced at $140 to $1,125, are now on sale through HGO’s Customer Care Center.  Single tickets go on sale August 27, 2006.

            New Family Packages: HGO will offer two different three-opera subscription packages for families, which include specially priced children’s tickets and pre-curtain activities in the lobby for the whole family.  The packages include Hansel and Gretel, La Cenerentola, and either Aïda or The Cunning Little Vixen.  A range of seating options is available throughout the theater, from Orchestra Circle to the Balcony.  Adult tickets are deeply discounted (ranging from $77 for three operas to $224) and the children’s tickets are only $10, making this three-opera series an affordable option for Houston families.  Additionally, the productions included in the family packages are the most artistically ambitious of the season—three of the four productions offered are being designed specifically for HGO.

             New Young Professionals Series: HGO is also proud to offer its first Young Professionals subscription package, created to respond to the popularity of this season’s inaugural “Opening Nights for Young Professionals,” also known as O.N.  The O.N. series offers orchestra tickets and exclusive pre-performance cocktail parties at which individuals mingle with their peers and meet the “young professionals” of HGO’s world: young directors, conductors, and HGO Studio artists.  This season, over 1000 people came to HGO for the first time to attend O.N.  Next season’s reasonably priced $155 O.N. package includes orchestra seats for opening night performances of Don Giovanni, Faust, and Aïda.   A $35 tax-deductible contribution is also built into the package. 

             For information on subscriptions, call Houston Grand Opera at 713-228-OPERA (6737) or 1-800-62-OPERA (1-800-626-7372) 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday.

WORTHAM THEATER CENTER

            Houston Grand Opera performs at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston’s Downtown Theater District.  Opened in 1987, the Wortham Center features the 2,329-seat Brown Theater and the 1,065-seat Cullen Theater.

SPECIAL SERVICES

            The Wells Fargo Pre-Curtain Lecture Series takes place forty-five minutes before each performance.  Guest speakers present a twenty-minute informal lecture in the orchestra level of the Brown Theater.  These lectures, free and open to all ticket holders, are intended to enhance the audience’s enjoyment by preparing them for the production they are about to attend.

            The Wortham Theater Center features wheelchair access to both theaters, with a choice of seating locations and ticket prices. 

            An infrared listening system, underwritten by Shell Lubricants, is available and free of charge at all performances.  Please call HGO’s Customer Care Center at 713-228-OPERA (6737) or 1-800-62-OPERA (67372) for details.

            Descriptive services for persons with vision loss are available with a 48-hour advance reservation.  Please call HGO’s Education and Outreach department at 713-546-0230 for details.

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HGO gratefully acknowledges support for the following series: Opening Night Series made possible by Fluor Corporation; Friday Series made possible by Fayez Sarofim & Co.; Weeknight Series made possible by Schlumberger

The 2006-2007 season is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Houston through the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County, and the Texas Commission on the Arts through the Cultural Arts Council. 

ExxonMobil Corporation is Education and Outreach Guarantor.   

Continental Airlines is the Official Airline of Houston Grand Opera.