NYC Opera to Feature Works of Schwartz, Bernstein et al. in '10-'11; Season and Casting Announced

Today New York City Opera released full casting, creative team, and production details for the company's 2010-2011 season. The season spotlights American composers and 20th-century works, world premieres, New York premieres and new productions. Offering audiences the opportunity to experience new and rarely performed operas as well as modern interpretations of traditional repertoire, the 2010-2011 season also will feature the launch of a new concert series showcasing the non-operatic works of several of the composers whose operas will be presented on the mainstage.

Among artists returning to the New York City Opera stage will be soprano Lauren Flanigan as Myra Foster (a role created for her) in Stephen Schwartz's Se?ance on a Wet Afternoon, soprano Stefania Dovhan (who debuted as Donna Anna in City Opera's 2009 production of Don Giovanni) as Adina in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, soprano Mary Dunleavy as Christine in Strauss's Intermezzo, baritone Louis Otey as Sam in Bernstein's A Quiet Place, and soprano Cyndia Sieden in Morton Feldman's "Neither". Joining them will be more than 20 debut artists, continuing City Opera's mission of nurturing young singers, while the concert series will bring talents such as Kristin Chenoweth, Rau?l Esparza, Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson to the City Opera stage.

Fall Gala

City Opera's Fall Gala, An Evening with Christine Brewer, on Thursday, October 28, stars one of the world's most sought-after sopranos and takes advantage of concert configuration made possible by the recently renovated David H. Koch Theater's increased flexibility. The concert which begins at 7pm, will include selections from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Puccini's Turandot, and a selection of popular American songs by Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern. Ms. Brewer will be joined by the New York City Opera Orchestra and Music Director George Manahan. For gala ticket holders, the performance will be preceded by a cocktail reception at 6pm and will be followed by dinner and dancing on the Promenade of the theater.

Fall Season

Performances begin on Wednesday, October 27 at 8pm with A Quiet Place by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Wadsworth, in a new production by acclaimed director Christopher Alden, who created last season's Don Giovanni at City Opera. The final stage work of Leonard Bernstein makes its long-awaited New York premiere, in its first performance on any professional stage in 22 years. Soprano Sara Jakubiak makes her City Opera debut as Dede, mezzo-soprano Patricia Risley debuts as Dinah, tenor Dominic Armstrong makes his company debut as Franc?ois, baritone Joshua Hopkins debuts as Junior, baritone Louis Otey is Sam, baritone Christopher Feigum makes his City Opera debut as Young Sam, William Ferguson is the Funeral Director, Judith Christin is Susie, Jonathan Green is the Analyst, Jake Gardner is Doc, and Victoria Livengood is Mrs. Doc. The production features costumes by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Aaron Black, and will be conducted by Jayce Ogren, all making their City Opera debuts, with sets by Andrew Lieberman.
A witty revival of Richard Strauss's lighthearted opera Intermezzo, by director Leon Major, opens on Sunday, October 31 at 1:30pm. Soprano Mary Dunleavy is Christine, baritone Nicholas Pallesen is Robert Storch, tenor Andrew Bidlack makes his company debut as Baron Lummer, Jessica Klein is Anna, Matthew Burns is the Notary, Jennifer Tiller is the Notary's Wife, Erik Nelson Werner is Kapellmeister Stroh, David Kravitz is a Businessman, William Ledbetter is a Lawyer, Jan Opalach is a Singer, and Thranaga Goonetilleke debuts as Resi. City Opera Music Director George Manahan conducts, sets are by Andrew Jackness, costumes by Martha Mann, and lighting design by Mark McCullough. The production had its premiere at City Opera in 1999.

Fall Concerts

In 2010-2011 New York City Opera will present for the first time an all-new concert series. Following An Evening with Christine Brewer on Thursday, October 28 at 7pm, the company presents Lucky to Be Me: The Vocal Music of Leonard Bernstein on Saturday, November 6 at 8pm and Sunday, November 7 at 1:30pm. This exciting concert examines the work of one of America's most influential composers, including music from the Kaddish Symphony, Mass, Songfest, Wonderful Town, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, On the Town, West Side Story, and more. Scheduled to appear are Broadway favorites Victoria Clark, Christine Ebersole, Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris, Darius de Haas, and Michael Urie.
Previously unannounced, City Opera also presents Late Night with LB, on Saturday, October 23 at 10pm, a rare recital of Bernstein's most personal music. LB, as his friends called him, loved to entertain guests with in his home late into the night, dazzling them with his charismatic performances of songs, piano pieces and musical sketches in a wide range of musical styles. The concert will be held in the intimate cabaret setting of the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse. Tickets: $45.

Spring Gala

City Opera hosts its Spring Gala on Thursday, April 21 with Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz, a salute to the composer of Se?ance on a Wet Afternoon with a program of songs from his acclaimed Broadway and film works. Kristin Chenoweth, Rau?l Esparza, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Elaine Paige are scheduled to appear, with Victor Garber as host. The concert begins at 8pm, preceded by cocktails at 7pm and will be followed by dinner and dancing on the Promenade of the theater for gala ticket holders.

Spring Season

The spring season will open on Tuesday, March 22 at 7:30pm with a revival of Jonathan Miller's production of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love. Soprano Stefania Dovhan returns to City Opera as Adina, tenor David Lomeli makes his company debut as Nemorino, baritone Marco Nistico? sings Dulcamara, baritone Jose? Ada?n Pe?rez debuts as Belcore, and soprano Meredith Lustig debuts as Giannetta. Conductor Brad Cohen makes his City Opera debut, and A. Scott Parry will direct the production, which premiered in 2003 at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm and was last presented at City Opera in 2006. Sets and costume designs are by Isabella Bywater.
Friday, March 25 at 8pm opens a triple bill of cutting-edge one-act operas called Monodramas that showcases the work of vital innovators of modern music and celebrated collaborators from the worlds of visual and performance art, epitomizing City Opera's mission to present new and progressive repertoire. Soprano Anu Komsi makes her City Opera debut in the world stage premiere of John Zorn's "La Machine de l'e?tre". Soprano Kara Shay Thomson makes her company debut in New York City Opera's premiere of Arnold Schoenberg's ground-breaking "Erwartung " or "Expectation", which features the work of celebrated video artist Jennifer Steinkamp who breathes new life into tree-like forms. Soprano Cyndia Sieden sings in Morton Feldman's "Neither" (with a libretto by Samuel Beckett) - the first U.S. staging with orchestra, featuring an installation inspired by laser art pioneer Hiro Yamagata's NGC6093, which incorporates other-worldly holograms and lasers to evoke hypnotic visions and create an unsettling sense of time and place. The production will be designed and directed by Michael Counts, with lighting by Robert Wierzel, and George Manahan conducting all three works.

On Tuesday, April 19 at 7:30 pm, City Opera presents the New York premiere of Se?ance on a Wet Afternoon, the first opera by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Soprano Lauren Flanigan is Myra Foster, baritone Kim Josephson makes his company debut as Bill Foster, Todd Wilander makes his City Opera debut as Charles Clayton, Melody Moore debuts as Rita Clayton, Jane Shaulis is Miss Wintry, Pamela Jones is Miss Rose, Bill Lagundino is Mr. Bennett, Boyd Schlaefer is Mr. Cole, Juan Jose? Ibarra is a Policeman, Phillip Boykin debuts as Inspector Watts, and Michael Marcotte makes his company debut as the Irish Tenor. Excerpts from Se?ance on a Wet Afternoon were presented at City Opera's VOX showcase in 2009. The opera had its world premiere on September 26, 2009, at Opera Santa Barbara in California. City Opera Music Director George Manahan conducts the production, directed by Scott Schwartz, with sets by Heidi Ettinger, costumes by Alejo Vietti, and lighting by David Lander, all making their City Opera debuts.

Spring Concerts

Following Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz on Thursday, April 21 at 8pm the company's new concert series continues through the spring with The Musical Worlds of John Zorn on Wednesday, March 30 at 8pm. Musical innovators Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Mike Patton, Marc Ribot, Dave Douglas, Uri Caine, and Joey Baron perform with John Zorn in a series of sonic compositions and no-holds-barred improvisations. The program features Zorn compositions including The Goddess, Masada Sextet, Moonchild, and Euphoria.

Family Matinee

On Saturday, April 9, 2011, at 1:30 pm a special matinee concert and benefit, features the fantasy opera based on the beloved children's book by Maurice Sendak. City Opera is proud to affirm its mission of nurturing young American singers by presenting the Vocal Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center in this concert performance of Where the Wild Things Are. Conductor Julian Kuerti makes his company debut leading Fellows from the renowned Tanglewood Music Center including Danya Katok, Leslie Davis, Andrew Sauvageau, Adam Cannedy, and Lawrence Jones in their debuts, along with David Salsbery Fry.

On Sunday, April 10 at 7:30 pm, a panel of distinguished composers and playwrights including Adam Guettel, join Stephen Schwartz on the stage of the Gershwin Theatre (222 West 51st Street), for an in- depth look at what defines the opera and musical theater genres. The roundtable discussion takes place on the set of Schwartz's hit Broadway show Wicked. Tickets: $25.

VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab, City Opera's annual showcase of new American operas, returns for its 12th season on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15, 2011.

TICKETS Single tickets on sale now to subscribers and members. Tickets go on sale to general public on September 7, starting at $12. New York City Opera stage productions will take place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. Weekday performances, with the exception of Tuesdays, begin at 8:00pm. Tuesday performances begin at 7:30pm. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8:00pm; matinees begin at 1:30pm.

Single tickets can be purchased by calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500, online at nycOpera.com, or in person at the David H. Koch Theater Box Office (63rd St. & Columbus Ave).
Subscriptions for New York City Opera's 2010-2011 season can be purchased online at nycOpera.com or by phone at 212.496.0600. Subscriptions start at $36 ($12 per ticket).
Underscoring its commitment to make opera affordable for all New Yorkers, New York City Opera will continue its popular Opera For All initiative in 2010-2011, with 25% of seats under $25.
For tickets and more information about the Fall and Spring Galas please call the New York City Opera Special Events Department at 212.870.5622.

For complete casting, visit nycOpera.com.

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Imaginative, adventurous, accessible, American and young, New York City Opera was founded with the purpose of making great opera available to a modern, popular audience, and of keeping opera great by maintaining a modern, popular touch. For more than sixty years, since Mayor Fiorello La Guardia established its reputation as "The People's Opera," the company has stayed true to its original promise: introducing generation after generation of young singers who are stars in the making, bringing the public exciting new works and compelling, fresh interpretations of classics, acting as a champion for American composers and performers and ensuring that today's opera, and tomorrow's, can be a part of everyone's life. City Opera's expansive repertoire spans five centuries, from the Baroque operas that have become Signature Productions to commissioned works by some of today's most important composers. The company has given its audiences 29 world premieres to date, as well as 61 U.S. or New York premieres. City Opera also helps to generate future repertoire through its annual VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab, presenting free public readings of previously unproduced works performed by City Opera's soloists, orchestra and chorus.

A pioneer in restoring dramatic urgency and theatrical flair to opera performance, City Opera is celebrated for its marriage of first-rate acting and singing, in stagings that bring new insights and new life to the repertoire. An advocate for emerging directors and designers and extraordinary new singers, City Opera is the place where opera engages the heart, the mind and the imagination. And with its innovative programs- such as concert series that explore the non-operatic works of composers represented during the season- City Opera is breaking new ground in the way opera is brought to audiences. Audiences throughout the world have learned to look to New York City Opera as a showcase for young artists. To date, the company has helped launch the careers of over 3,000 singers, including stars such as Jose? Carreras, Phyllis Curtin, David Daniels, Pla?cido Domingo, Lauren Flanigan, Elizabeth Futral, Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Bejun Mehta, Sherrill Milnes, Samuel Ramey, Gianna Rolandi, Beverly Sills, Norman Treigle, Tatiana Troyanos and Carol Vaness.

Through its Opera For All program, more than one-quarter of City Opera's tickets cost $25 or less. City Opera does not just reach a diverse and committed audience by being affordable, but the company also builds tomorrow's audiences by being a national model in arts education: presenting lectures and workshops, offering family programs and conducting an in-school education program that serves thousands of students each year throughout the New York metropolitan area.
City Opera makes its home at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in the recently renovated David H. Koch Theater. The company is proud to be a part of the world's greatest campus for the performing arts, and to perform in a landmark Philip Johnson-designed theater with state-of-the-art performance capabilities and comfort.

New York City Opera gratefully acknowledges the following institutions for their leadership support of our 2010-2011 Season: The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Estate of Ruth Klotz, Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.
Production support for A Quiet Place generously provided by Susan Baker and Michael Lynch, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Production support for The Elixir of Love generously provided by Emilie Roy Corey. Original production support generously provided by The Reed Foundation.

Production support for Monodramas: "La Machine de l'e?tre", "Erwartung" and "Neither" generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of New York City Opera.

The 2010-2011 Season is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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