Opera San Jose to Open 31st Season with RIGOLETTO, 9/6-21

Opera San José opens its 31st season with Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. This tale of innocence lost and vengeance gone tragically awry will be conducted by Joseph Marcheso, with stage direction by Brad Dalton. Rigoletto will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Six performances are scheduled from September 6 through 21 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San José Box Office, online at operasj.org or by phone at (408) 437-4450. The production of Rigoletto is made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José.

Rigoletto, with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, is a tragic tale of a deformed court jester who wants nothing more than to protect his virtuous daughter from a licentious duke who seduces her. Verdi's famous masterwork leads us on a chilling whirlwind of revenge that has entranced audiences since its first performance.

Joseph Marcheso, Opera San José's new music director and principal conductor, will conduct Rigoletto. Mr. Marcheso has conducted 11 productions for OSJ, including Madama Butterfly, Hansel and Gretel, Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, La traviata, Faust, La bohème, La Cenerentola, Manon, Carmen, The Elixir of Love, and Lucia di Lammermoor. As a staff conductor and cover at the San Francisco Opera, Mr. Marcheso worked the productions of Show Boat, The Flying Dutchman, the San Francisco premieres of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick and John Adams' Nixon in China, and the world premieres of Mark Adamo's The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and Tobias Picker's Dolores Claiborne.

Andrew Whitfield will conduct the September 19 and 21 performances. Last season Mr. Whitfield served as principal conductor for the company's production of Falstaff. Mr. Whitfield served as assistant conductor for Hansel and Gretel, Il trovatore, The Pearl Fishers and Pagliacci. Mr. Whitfield was also chorus master for the company's productions of Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Idomeneo, Pagliacci, La traviata and Faust.

International stage director Brad Dalton returns to Opera San José to direct Rigoletto. Mr. Dalton's previous credits with the company include Madama Butterfly, Il trovatore, Faust, Idomeneo, the West Coast premiere of David Carlson's Anna Karenina, Così fan tutte and Madama Butterfly. He has directed productions for opera companies throughout the United States and abroad, including San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, Opera Boston, San Diego Opera, Barbican in London, and the State Opera of South Australia. In 2004, Mr. Dalton received the prestigious Helpmann Award for "Best Director of an Opera" in Australia.

Rigoletto features current members of Opera San José's resident ensemble in the principal roles. Baritones Matthew Hanscom and Evan Brummel will alternate in the role of Rigoletto. Mr. Hanscom makes his debut as a resident artist. Recent engagements for Mr. Hanscom include Comte de Toulouse in Verdi's Jérusalem and covering Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia for Sarasota Opera.

Mr. Brummel is a former resident artist and will sing the September 7 and 19 performances.

Resident soprano Isabella Ivy makes her debut with OSJ in the role of Gilda, Rigolettos' daughter. Ms. Ivy has repeatedly been a featured artist with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria and has also been a featured artist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Academy.

Tenor Kirk Dougherty debuts as a member of the resident ensemble in the role of Duke of Mantua. Recent engagements for Mr. Dougherty include Manrico (Il trovatore) with Sarasota Opera and Baltimore Concert Opera.

Former resident bass Silas Elash returns to the OSJ resident ensemble in the role of Sparafucile and Monterone. Last season, Mr. Elash appeared as the Commissioner in Madama Butterfly and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni.

Second year resident mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez performs the role of Maddalena. Ms. Chavez made her company debut last season appearing as Meg Page (Falstaff), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni).

Opera San José's production of Rigoletto includes set designs by Steven Kemp, lighting design by Pamila Gray, and wig and makeup designs by Vicky Martinez.

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