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2010 Standard repertoire Project

The 2010 Standard Repertoire Project once again featured emerging artists in debut roles, in fully staged black-box style productions with piano accompaniment and simple (usually contemporary) costuming.  Performances took place at the charming and intimate Theatre 80 St. Mark's in Manhattan, to our biggest and most enthusiastic audiences yet.  Casts and staff are listed below, and links lead to personal bios.

July 25, 2010, 3 p.m.
Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place

Le Nozze di Figaro
by W. A. Mozart; libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte

Karen Rich, Stage Director
Christopher Fecteau, Conductor/Recitative Continuo
Nicholas DeMaison, Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master
Wei-En Hsu, Pianist
Midtown Winds, Guest Artists

Countess Almaviva               Jill Dewsnup
Count Almaviva                     Andrew Cummings
Susanna                                Erika Buchholz
Figaro                                    William Amory
Cherubino                              Marissa Tarangelo
Marcellina                              Joanna Rice
Don Bartolo                           Grant Mech
Don Basilio                            Erik Bagger
Don Curzio                            Erik Bagger
Barbarina                               Yeonjung Ellie Kim
Antonio                                   Nick Hay
Two Maidens                         Christina Kompar, Alison Cheeseman

August 15, 3 p.m.
IL Trittico
by Giacomo Puccini; libretti by Giuseppe Adami and Giovacchino Forzano
Il Tabarro
Susan Gonzalez, Stage Director
Gary Casity, Conductor
Christopher Fecteau, Pianist

Giorgetta                               Leanne Gonzalez-Singer
Michele                                 Brian Keith Johnson
Luigi                                      Caleb Stokes
Tinca                                    Jameson James
Talpa                                    Stephan Antonio
Frugola                                 Andrea Nwoke
A Song Vendor                     Erik Bagger
Two Lovers                          Samantha Jeffreys, Alkis Sarantinos

Suor Angelica
Knud Adams, Stage Director
Christopher Fecteau, Conductor
Lynda Saponara, Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master and Pianist

Suor Angelica                       Miriam Kushel
Zia Principessa                    Joanna Rice
Suor Genovieffa                   Brooke Collins
Suor Osmina                       Amy Stewart
Suor Dolcina                        Janna Burke
Le Cercatrice                       Lisa Flanagan, Nicole McQuade
La Novizia                            Emily Werne
Le Converse                        Emily Parrott, Risa Drexler
La Badessa                         Mary Starkey
La Zelatrice                          Donna Breitzer
Maestra delle Novizie          Shannon Angelakis
Infermiera                            Natalie Megules

Gianni Schicchi
Richard Gammon, Stage Director
Samuel McCoy, Conductor, Additional Musical Preparation
Lynda Saponara, Pianist
Christopher Fecteau, Musical Preparation

Gianna Schicchi                    Brian Keith Johnson
Lauretta                                 Alexa Lokensgaard
Nella                                      Jennifer Behnke
La Ciesca                              Hannah Rosenbaum
Zita                                         Laura Federici
Gherardino                             Paul Esswein
Rinuccio                                 Edwin Vega
Gherardo                                Alkis Sarantinos
Betto                                      Jay Gould
Marco                                     Donghyun Park
Simone                                  Ken Lahn
Master Spinellocio                 Clayton Okaly
Amantio di Nicolao                 Ilberto Lagana
Pinellino                                 John Torres
Guccio                                   Stephan Antonio

Lucy Tucker Yates, 2^nd Assistant Conductor, Italian Diction Coach for Il Trittico

August 29, 3 p.m.
Lucia di Lammermoor

Benjamin Spierman, Stage Director
John Cuk, Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master
Lucy Tucker Yates, Pianist
Lisa Dispigno, Flutist

Lucia                                      Sharon Eisert
Edgardo                                 Neil Darling
Enrico                                    Dan Klein
Arturo                                     Jameson James
Raimondo                              Isaac Grier
Normanno                              Erik Bagger
Alisa                                       Keiko Kai

2010 “Black Box” Production

anna Bolena by Gaetano Donizetti
libretto by Felice Romani

In italian with supertitles

Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place
Friday, January 29 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 31 at 3 p.m.

Click here to Watch a rehearsal excerpt on you TUBE!

The production presented Donizetti's stunning score in a unique rendition featuring the two main tenor arias in the composer's original (higher) keys (not heard since Donizetti's day), as well as the rarely heard and fiendishly difficult Anna/Percy duet “Sì, son io che a te ritorno.” 

Nathaniel Merchant, Stage Director
Christopher Fecteau, Conductor
Jennifer Behnke, Costume Design
Stephen Petrilli, Lighting Design

Jill Dewsnup as Anna Bolena
Cherry Duke as Giovanna Seymour
Matthew Anchel as Enrico
Kirk Dougherty as Riccardo Percy
Blythe Gaissert as Smeton
Isaac Grier as Rochefort
Jameson James as Hervey

Guest Chamber Ensemble: Hellgate Harmonie
with pianist Lynda Saponara

Reviews:
Paul Pelkonen on his blog Superconductor
My Favorite Intermissions blog by Maury D'annato

Below are rehearsal stills, taken by photographer Lorcan Otway. Click images to enlarge.

        

Additional resources
Synopsis (.pdf)
English translation libretto (.pdf)
English translation libretto (.doc)

2009 Standard repertoire project

The East 13th Street Theater
136 East 13th Street New York, NY 10003

Sunday, July 26th
Manon by Jules Massenet
libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille (sung in French with supertitles)

Featuring:
Abla Lynn Hamza as Manon Lescaut
Victor Khodadad as Chevalier Des Grieux
Aaron Theno as Lescaut
Ilberto Lagana as Comte Des Grieux
Soyoung Choi as Bretigny
David Bell as Guillot

Christopher Fecteau, conductor
Benjamin Spierman, stage director
Michael Spassov, pianist & chorus master

Manon Resources (synopsis, composer biography, etc.)

Sunday, August 9th
Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart
libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (sung in Italian with supertitles)

Featuring:
Dan Klein as Don Giovanni
Jack White as Leporello
Erika Rauer as Donna Anna
Mary Ann Stewart as Donna Elvira
David Chase as Don Ottavio
Sara Fanucchi as Zerlina
Evan Rainey Bennett as Masetto
Ilberto Lagana as Commendatore

Steven Jarvi, guest conductor
Benjamin Spierman, stage director
Jeffrey Grossman, pianist
Michael Spassov, chorus master

Don Giovanni Resources (synopsis, composer biography, etc.)
 

Sunday, August 23rd
La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa (sung in Italian with supertitles)

Featuring:
Gretchen Mundinger as Mimì
Kirk Dougherty as Rodolfo
Alyssa Bowlby as Musetta
Kyle Pfortmiller as Marcello
Kian Freitas as Schaunard
Isaac Grier as Colline
Jack Anderson White as Benoit
Jay Gould as Alcindoro

Christopher Fecteau, conductor
Benjamin Spierman, stage director
Lynda Saponara, pianist
Michael Spassov, chorus master

La Bohème Resources (synopsis, composer biography, etc.)

Admission is FREE/Donations are welcome
(suggested contribution: $15)
Enjoy the theater's air-conditioned lobby/café prior to the performance.
The house opens at 2:45 for general admission: first-come, first-served.

2009 BLACK BOX

La clemenza di Tito by W. A. Mozart
CAST (click here to meet our cast members)
TITO: Richard Gillyard / Kirk Dougherty
VITELLIA: Erica Rauer / Casey Cole
PUBLIO: Grant Mech / Isaac Grier
ANNIO: Sarah Nelson Craft / Jocelyne O’Toole
SERVILIA: Angela Baade / Nicole Zuraitis
SESTO: Rosalie Sullivan / Liat Hirsh

Stage Director: Ben Spierman
Conductor: Christopher Fecteau
Assistant Conductor: Alexander Rovang

Chamber Ensemble:
Lisa Dispigno, flute
Laurence Beckhardt, clarinet and basset horn
Sasha Enegren, bassoon
Marc Cerri, horn
Muneyoshi Takahashi, violin
Eric Cooper, cello
Alexander Rovang, piano and recitative continuo

A note from the Administrative Director:
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the cast and artistic team for all their fantastic work on La clemenza di Tito, presented at the Times Square Arts Center in New York City and Vertical Player Repertory Theater in Brooklyn. All of the vocal artists made enormous strides in bringing this production to its feet, and Artistic Director Christopher Fecteau created his own chamber ensemble arrangement of the score which brought the performances into perfect balance in these intimate venues. Special kudos to director Benjamin Spierman for making the scenes come to life in very limited playing spaces! Each of the four performances were welcomed by sold-out houses, and audiences were enthralled the power of the performances and the nuanced chamber ensemble playing. Dell’icious, Dell’ightful, Dell’Arte!