The Barber of Seville
May 11 & 13, 2011 @ 7 PM and May 15, 2011 @ 3 PM
Gioacchino Rossini’s opera buffa is a hilarious portrait of Figaro, the original spin doctor, the go-to-guy in 17th Century Spain if you need a shave, or to serenade your lady love, or escape from an overbearing guardian. The subtitle of Rossini’s romp is “The Useless Precaution” and we caution you: don’t try to avoid getting swept up in the merriment. That, too, would be a useless precaution.
Sean Anderson (baritone, Figaro) made his solo operatic debut at age 10 as Harry in Albert Herring. He has had leading roles in over fifty productions, ranging from opera to Shakespeare. This is Sean Anderson’s third appearance with Intermountain Opera Bozeman having sung Marcello in La Boheme (2009) and von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus (2008). At Sarasota Opera his roles included Papageno in The Magic Flute, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, as well as performing in the 2007 Artists Concert and Gala Concert. He made his New York City Opera debut in the fall of 2007 as the Judge in Margaret Garner. He has performed Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia for New Jersey State Opera. He made his Chautauqua Opera debut as The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. He recently received first prize and the audience favorite award in the Irma M. Cooper Opera Competition, the Anna Case Mackay award for Promising Apprentice Artists from the Santa Fe Opera and the Gaines Award in the American Traditions Competition in Savannah, GA.
Megan Monaghan, soprano, (www.meganmonaghan.com) as Rosina. A native of Philadelphia and a young soprano of exceptional promise, Megan Monaghan was recently hailed by Opera News “…A voice of pure silver, easily negotiating coloratura flights of fancy with exquisite musicianship…” for her role of Gilda in Dayton Opera’s production of Rigoletto. In recent years she has also sung with Cleveland Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Anchorage Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, Madison Opera, Opera Pacific, Florida Grand Opera and with Teatro Grattaciello at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. She recorded Lori Laitman’s new opera with the composer. This will be her Intermountain Opera debut.
Glenn Seven Allen, Tenor (www.glennsevenallen.com / scott@scottlevinemanagement.com) Hailed by the New York Times for his “strong voice and presence,” and by singled out by Opera News as “an Edwardian matinee idol, giving by far the most detailed dramatic performance”, fast-rising tenor Glenn Seven Allen is quickly making a strong impression in the world of opera. Upcoming credits include Don Jose in Carmen opposite Kirstin Chavez with Gulf Coast Opera and Taming in Die Zauberflote at Symphony Space. His 2009/10 credits include Alexius in The Chocolate Soldier at Bard Summerscape, Afredo in La Traviata at Long Island Opera, Rodolpho in A View from the Bridge at Vertical Players Repertory Opera (supervised by William Bolcom), the Duke in Rigoletto at Bleeker Street Opera, Rodolfo in La Bohème at Cardona Opera, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and Don José in Carmen at New York Lyric Opera. Mr. Allen has also appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at major regional theatre and concert venues throughout the United States. On Broadway, Mr. Allen appeared in The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center Theatre and Girl Crazy with City Center Encores. Off-Broadway credits include principal roles in For Lovers Only, Casino Paradise (with Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series), and A Fine and Private Place, for which Mr. Allen was singled out by CurtainUp as “a special bonanza for ears eager for that most beautiful of instruments, the pure human voice.” Mr. Allen’s regional credits include Cliff in Cabaret at Arena Stage, Rutledge in 1776 at Goodspeed Opera House, Giuseppe in The Light in the Piazza at Goodman and Intiman Theatres, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance at Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at NC Theatre. His featured concerts include performances at the Kennedy Center, Joe’s Pub, Brooklyn Museum, Lansing Symphony, the Westfield Symphony, Grand Hotel, New York Historical Society, and Lincoln Center.
David Ward, basso (www.buffoward.com), as Dr. Bartolo. David was last seen in Bozeman in the dual roles of Benoit and Alcindoro in La Boheme in 2009. He is one of America’s leading basso buffos, bringing his dazzling patter, his hysterical stage presence and his “shining bass” to productions of comic opera across the country. He has portrayed his critically acclaimed Dr. Bartolo in over 20 productions of The Barber of Seville with companies including New York City Opera National Company, Nevada Opera, Knoxville Opera, Kentucky Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, Opera Idaho, Toledo Opera, Virginia Opera, El Paso Opera, Opera Roanoke, Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts and the Aspen Music Festival. Other recent engagements have been with Indianapolis Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Omaha, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Opera New Jersey and with the Shanghai Performing Arts Center in China. In 2006 he appeared as Geronte in our production of Manon Lescaut.
Craig Irvin, basso (www.ada-artists.com/artists-roster/craig-irvin), as Basilio. Craig brings a vibrant sound and commitment to character to each role he portrays. Currently in residence with Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, his assignments for the 2010-2011 season include Zuniga in Carmen, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sam in A Masked Ball, and Ashby in La fanciulla del West. Additionally, he will cover the roles of Bottom, the title role in The Mikado, the title role in Hercules, and Escamillo (a role which he sings in the student matinee performance). Craig recently sang the roles of Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly and Doctor/Professor in Lulu with the company as well as Ramphis in Aida with Pensacola Opera. In recent seasons he has also performed with the Knoxville Opera, Nashville Opera, Naples Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera and with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra.
Alison Ellis, mezzo soprano, as Berta. Alison made her Intermountain Opera debut as Inez in our May 2010 Il Trovatore. Alison moved to Bozeman two years ago from Marietta, Georgia. She has a Masters degree in Music from the University of Memphis, where she performed such roles as Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Charlotte in Werther, Vera Boronel in The Consul, and Zita in Gianni Schicchi. She was named a Hohenberg-Scheidt Young Artist for two consecutive years, and was a winner of the Mid-South District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as a finalist at the Regional level. She won first place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions for both the Advanced and the Post-Advanced divisions. Alison has extensive choral experience both as a soloist and a chorus member, singing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. She also performed in both Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In Bozeman, Alison has a private voice and piano studio.
BJ Otey, baritone, as Fiorello. This is BJ’s third production with Intermountain Opera since he moved here in 2008 to assume his duties as pastor of Springhill Presbyterian Church. He was in the chorus for La bohème, and was one of Horace Tabor’s cronies as well as a State Department dandy in The Ballad of Baby Doe, both in 2009. Last summer he sang Ben, the eager young man competing with a cell phone for the attentions of his lady love in Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone, our first production at the Sweet Pea Festival. It was not BJ’s first experience with the works of Menotti. When he was eight years old he spent the summer in Spoleto, Italy where his father, Metropolitan Opera baritone Louis Otey was starring in a production of Menotti’s The Last Savage directed by the composer himself. BJ had a very small part in that show but Menotti wanted to keep him on in Italy to star in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Alas, BJ had to return to school in the states, leaving his opera career to be renewed when he arrived in Bozeman a couple decades later.
Julian Dawson, conductor, is musical director of the Intermountain Opera. “Barber” will be his tenth production with Intermountain Opera. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Dawson was associate conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera. While still in the United Kingdom he was also coach and associate conductor at Glyndebourn Opera in England. He moved to the US in 1975 and was Director of Orchestras and Opera at Illinois State University for 26 years and opera conductor for nine seasons at the Brevard Music Center as well as being principal coach of the Chicago Opera Theatre. He recently spent five summers as conductor for the Oberlin in Italy opera program in Urbania, Italy and is currently an adjunct member of the music faculty at Northwestern University. He has also enjoyed a career as a pianist and has appeared frequently in recitals and concerts in Europe and the U.S.
Benjamin Wayne Smith, stage director,(www.sites.google.com/site/benjaminwaynesmith) returns to bring his comic touch to the Barber after directing our spring 2009 production of La Boheme. He brings a balance of practical experience and innovative storytelling to his productions which Opera News has hailed as “full of comic inventiveness.” He recently spent two seasons as resident assistant director at Seattle Opera. He has also directed for Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, the Young Artist Program at Pittsburgh Opera, the University of Cincinnati/CCM, Baldwin-Wallace College and The Opera Theater of Lucca, in Lucca, Italy. He has also worked as an Assistant Director for Washington National Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Michigan Opera Theater and Pittsburgh. Ben holds an MFA in opera stage directing from the University of Cincinnati. He began his career in opera as a singer, performing twenty-one leading roles in opera, operetta and musical theater. He has logged over 250 performances in the U.S. and Italy.
