WASHINGTON SQUARE Opera Premieres at Hollywood Fringe

"Washington Square", a romantic chamber opera adaptation of the novel of the same name by Henry James, has its world premiere in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Henry James; in it, a naive heiress falls for a handsome man who her overbearing father suspects is a golddigger. Think Bridgerton meets Britten.

The cast features soprano Savannah Green as Catherine Sloper, tenor Jacob Walters as Morris Townsend, baritone David Ingram as Dr. Austin Sloper, and mezzo-soprano Athena Beebee as Aunt Lavinia Sloper.

Composer/pianist Felix Jarrar directs, music directs, and plays the piano. Librettist Thomas Barrett Blakeley also produces. This chamber opera is Jarrar's 10th opera, and Blakeley's 6th stage premiere.

"Washington Square" was the recipient of the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Scholarship, a competitive and adjudicated grant that provides a financial stipend for a live production and industry mentorship.

All ages are welcome. More information can be found here: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7311

Performances are Thursday June 9th at 6PM, Friday June 10th at 8:30 PM, and Sunday June 12th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $15 and will be available May 1st, 2022. The Kansas Room at Thymele Arts is located at 5481 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029.

Savannah Greene is a soprano whose voice has been described as "impressive, musical, and soul shaking". Savannah is thrilled to be performing the role of Catherine Sloper in the live premiere of "Washington Square" with the Hollywood Fringe Festival. In August, Savannah will star in Poulenc's complex one-woman opera, La Voix Humaine, with The Office Arts in New York City. Recently, she performed as the Soprano Soloist in Pergolesi's hauntingly beautiful "Stabat Mater" and also covered the role of Brigitta in Pacific Opera Project's Iolanta. Earlier in the season, Savannah was honored to win 2nd place in the San Francisco Innovative Music Competition and she also advanced as a semi-finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition and the Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition in NYC. In October, Savannah performed music from Rusalka, Così Fan Tutte, and the polish opera Hrabina in "Masks", a Pandemic inspired concert with Hub City Opera in New Jersey. Last fall, Savannah became a Soprano Staff Singer in the Long Beach Camerata Singers and in March, she was featured as the Soprano Soloist in Northern Lights, a concert that showcased music by Ola Gjeilo. Last April, Savannah debuted the role of The Narrator in the world premiere of Felix Jarrar's "The Tell Tale Heart", a contemporary opera based on Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story.
Days before the pandemic began in March 2020, Savannah performed the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Regina Opera and sang as the Soprano Soloist in Mendelssohn's "Hör' mein Bitten" with RCB's Oratorio Series. In 2019, she performed the role of 2nd Pâtre in Amore Opera's production of Dinorah and was the the Soprano Soloist in Brahms' Requiem, Mendelssohn's Lobgesang and Bach's Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild with the Oratorio Society of New Jersey. During her time of living in NYC, Savannah performed with the trio "Blue Dynamic", an Opera-Jazz fusion group where she and her colleagues composed and arranged pieces that fused aspects of the two genres.

Being skilled and flexible in his vocal delivery for a variety of genres and styles, Jacob Walters has performed in countless productions, gliding through the contemporary/classical music spectrum. Mr. Walters also placed 1st and 3rd in his divisions of Classical, and Commercial Contemporary Music, respectively, at the 2019 NATS Competition. In addition to opera and musical theatre, Mr. Walters writes, produces, and performs his own music. He has performed his original works across Arizona, both as a solo artist, and with alt-rock band Idle Lights, with a captivating stage presence that mirrors his theatric and enigmatic songwriting. Mr. Walters recently graduated from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, studying under Metropolitan Opera veteran Hugo Vera, as well as world-famous soprano, Yunah Lee. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Voice from California State University, Northridge. Follow him on Instagram @khakijake, and check out his website at www.jakewaltersmusic.com!

David Ingram is a graduate from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance. David has over 13 years of experience performing for audiences and has performed in China, Mexico, and all over the US in roles such as John Styx, Paris, and Dr. Caius. David is excited to be continuing his education at Cal State University Northridge under Maestro Dr. Hugo Vera. David most recently performed the role of Don Alfonso in CSUN Opera's production of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in early April of this year and is currently working on the role of Dr. Austin Sloper for the premiere of Washington Square by Felix Jarrar at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June. David expects to graduate with his Masters in Vocal Performance in spring 2023.

Athena Beebe, mezzo soprano is a recent graduate of the University of Washington receiving her MM in Vocal Performance. Born and raised in the heat of Phoenix, Arizona she attended the University of Arizona where she received her BM in voice performance and was awarded Outstanding Senior of her class. She appeared in many of the university's operas including L'elisir d'amore in Spring 2016, Dialogues of the Carmelites as Mother Jeanne in Spring 2017, The Rape of Lucretia as Bianca(cover) in Fall 2017, and Orphée aux enfers as Venus in Spring 2018. She was also the alto soloist for the UA Community Chorus' performance of Vivaldi's Gloria in Fall 2017 and UA Symphonic Choir's performance of Mozart's Coronation Mass in Spring 2018. Outside of the school year she has performed in multiple summer opera programs including Prague Summer Nights' 2018 production of Die Zauberflöte as Third Lady, Lawrence Opera Theatre's 2018 production of La Traviata covering the role of Dottore, and Dorabella in The Vocal Academy of Opera's 2019 production of Così fan tutte. She was most recently seen with Lawrence Opera Theatre in their 2021 production of Roméo et Juliette covering the role Getrude and performing in the company's premiere of Timothy Peterson's The Séance as the Medium.

Sophia Valle-Paz, mezzo, is a second year undergraduate at California State University, Northridge. She is currently studying to receive her bachelor's in Vocal Performance. Sophia has performed with CSUN Opera in productions of L'Enfant et Les Sortilèges (Shepherd, understudy of L'Enfant), Street Scene (Mae Jones), Cosi Fan Tutte (understudy Dorabella). She has also worked with LA Opera in their recent performance of Las tres mujeres de Jerusalém (LA Connects Chorus). Sophia is currently working on the role of Lavinia (cover) for the premiere of Felix Jarrar's Washington Square in June at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Born in Nogales Sonora Mexico, Guillermo Keymolent, currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Arizona and is currently working on his Master of Music in vocal performance at California State University Northridge. Mr. Keymolent most recently performed the role of Lippo Fiorentino with CSUN Opera and has also sung with other companies such as Arizona Opera, Oro Valley Theater Company and Southern Arizona Performing Arts Co. Mr. Keymolent was most recently the K-8th Music Teacher for Academies of Math and Science in the Tucson-Phoenix Arizona area. Now, Mr. Keymolent, is a teacher aide and choir teacher at Magnolia Science Academy-7 in Los Angeles. Mr. Keymolent is excited to take part in the premiere of Washington Square!

With music described as "dreamlike" by the Boston Globe, composer/pianist Felix Jarrar's list of accomplishments includes performances at (le) poisson rouge, the BAM! Fisher Hillman Studio, Feinstein's/54 Below, and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Amongst his approximately 220 works, he's written over 189 art songs, 12 operas, 2 string quartets, 2 cantatas, and an oratorio. He is the assistant music director for BARN OPERA in Brandon, Vermont and a vocal coach at Mannes School of Music. He completed his Bachelor of Arts at Marlboro Collegeand his Master's of Music degree at Brooklyn College.

Thomas Barrett Blakeley is a Los Angeles and New York City-based playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He studied creative writing at The New School, and is passionate about LGBTQ representation and nerdy fandoms. His plays and musicals have been performed at Playwrights Horizons, Theater for the New City, the Dream Up Festival, and the Broadwater Theatre in Hollywood. He was a finalist in the Blank Theatre's playwriting competition, and a semifinalist in Screencraft's Animation Screenwriting Competition. He is also a graduate of the Academy for New Musical Theatre. As a freelance writer, he has written about screenwriting for WeScreenplay and InkTip Magazine, and has been a script reader for Coverfly.

For more information, please contact: felixjarrar@gmail.com.

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