STUDENT NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi – UA Opera Theater Presents
Puccini’s Beloved Double Bill
Performance Date: April 6, 7:30pm
This is a free event for students, their teachers, and school chaperones.
If you would like to attend, please email cynthiastokes@arizona.edu to reserve your free seats. We request that 1 adult chaperone accompany every 10 students. The operas will be sung in Italian with English supertitles and will be performed with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra.
Join UA Opera Theater for STUDENT NIGHT AT THE OPERA as we present two of Puccini’s most famous one-act operas, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. There will be a pre-show exploration into the world of Puccini’s masterpiece double bill with DMA candidate Lindsey McHugh. This event will take place prior to the performance at 6:45pm in Crowder Hall.
“We are so excited to offer TUSD and other regional schools the opportunity to attend a free opera experience presented by the Voice and Opera Theater students here at UA,” says Professor Cynthia Stokes, head of Opera Theater at The Fred Fox School of Music. “These two short gems are excellent operas for a first-time audience. We will also provide an online study guide including what to expect when you go to the opera, video interviews with the cast, information about the set, costumes, lighting, and more! Look for those links the week before our April 6th performance at 7:30pm.”
About the Operas
Suor Angelica Seven years have passed since Suor Angelica was forced into the convent by her wealthy family for a mysterious indiscretion. Her quiet retreat is shattered when her aunt brings news of the outside world which destroys her. In her darkest moment, Suor Angelica looks to The Blessed Virgin Mary for solace.
Gianni Schicchi The Donati family has descended to carve up their uncle Buoso’s estate only to learn that he has left everything to the local friars. Only one man can save the day – Gianni Schicchi. This uniquely Italian opera serves up a delicious helping of love and deception. Gianni Schicchi is based upon a portion of Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno.
Conductor Thomas Cockrell, Stage Director Cynthia Stokes, Vocal Coach Michael Dauphinais, Set Design Sally Day, Costume Design Chris Allen, Lighting Design Todd Poelstra, Stage Manager Brian McElroy, Production Manager Carson Scott, Assistant Conductors Lorena Suarez (Suor Angelica) and Yudai Ueda (Gianni Schicchi), Opera GA Lindsey McHugh.
Fred Fox School of Music Dr. Lori Weist Chair, Voice and Opera Theater Area Coordinator Dr. Kristin Dauphinais mezzo soprano, Professor Yunah Lee soprano, Dr. William (Andrew) Stuckey baritone, Professor Cynthia Stokes Opera Theater.
Study Guides
C Allen Costume Design for Gianni Schicchi
C Allen Costume Design for Suor Angelica
C Allen traditional nun attire
C Stokes Suor and Gianni Schicchi study guide cover page
Can singers break glass with their voice_ A lesson in physics (1)
S Day Set Design for Suor and Gianni Schicchi
S Day Set Design ideas for Suor and GS
Synopsis of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi
CAST LIST for Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 7:30 pm
Suor Angelica
Suor Angelica – Min Liu
The Princess, her aunt – Diana Peralta
The Abbess – Korby Myrick
Sister Genovieffa – Aysen Milliogullari
The Monitress – Beth Jargstorf
The Mistress of the Novices – Bethany Pehrson
Sister Osmina – Abigail Juganaru
Sister Dolcina – Jordan Padilla
The Nursing Sister – Aubrey Cole
Alms sisters – Isabelle Knowles and Abigail Juganaru
A Novice – Arianna Campbell
Ensemble – Becca Ann Berson, Maya King, Mikki Larese, Cassidy Smith, Ariella Traub
The Child – Ainsley Scott
Special thanks to Casidy Chan
***
Gianni Schicchi
Gianni Schicchi – Suyoung Lee
Lauretta, his daughter – Katie Kang
The Donati Family:
Buoso Donati – Mikki Larese
The Aunt, a cousin to Buoso – Diana Peralta
Rinuccio, a nephew to Buoso, in love with Lauretta – Michael Dwayne Jackson
Simone, another cousin to Buoso – Zhong Liu
Marco, his son and nephew to Buoso – Stefan Vikingkur
La Ciesca, Marco’s wife – Josianne Dal Pozzo
Gherardo, another nephew to Buoso -Topher Esguerra
Nella, Gherardo’s wife – Bethany Pehrson
Gherardino, their child – Maya King
Betto, Buoso Donati’s brother-in-law – Junho Hong
Maestro Spinelloccio, a physician – Michael Vince
Ser Amantio di Nicolao, a notary – Adam Mattson
Pinellino, a cobbler – Ariella Traub
Guccio, a tailor – Maya King
To purchase tickets for regular performances, please visit Ticketmaster: https://am.ticketmaster.com/uacfa/Opera
Regular Performance Dates:
April 7, Thursday, 7:30 pm
April 8, Friday, 7:30 pm
April 9, Saturday, 7:30 pm
April 10, Sunday, 3:00 pm
Mission Statement for Opera Theater:
The Opera Theater program at the University of Arizona’s mission is to raise the quality and awareness of Opera in Tucson, the surrounding borderline areas, and throughout the state of Arizona. The Opera Theater program promotes opera as a living and essential art form; opera provokes, thrills, and transforms human lives through its unique combination of music and storytelling. The Opera Theater program creates diverse programming, including productions of new and contemporary works, works in English and in Spanish, standard repertory, and the essential re-imagination of operatic works for the stage. The Opera Theater program encourages the development of young opera artists from all backgrounds and cultivates opera enthusiasts of the future. The Opera Theater program builds community to ensure the success of our students as they become opera practitioners, teachers, and leaders of the future.
Download TheEvent Program