Curtis Opera Theatre Presents Riders to the Sea and Empty the House at Perelman Theater May 2–5
PHILADELPHIA—April 25, 2019—The Curtis Opera Theatre performs a double bill of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Riders to the Sea alongside Empty the House by Curtis alumna and Opera Philadelphia Composer in Residence Rene Orth, at the Perelman Theater on May 2 at 7:30 p.m., May 4 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and May 5 at 7:30 p.m. The production is driven by a female-led creative team, with conductor Daniela Candillari and director Mary Birnbaum. The culmination of Curtis’s 2018–19 season, these performances are presented in partnership with Opera Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Curtis Opera Theatre at the Perelman series.
This double bill production explores two stories of families in crisis. In Riders to the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a grief-stricken widow laments the loss of her many sons to the sea. It’s a poignant prelude to Empty the House, in which a daughter returns to her childhood home for a weekend with her mother and is confronted by painful memories. Both works explore the complicated relationships between mothers and children, brothers and sisters, the loved and the lost.
Empty the House was composed by Curtis Institute of Music alumna and Opera Philadelphia Composer in Residence Rene Orth, and features a libretto by Mark Campbell, whose works have won coveted awards including a Pulitzer Prize for Silent Night and a Grammy Award for The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Empty the House was premiered in the Curtis Opera Studio during the 2015–16 season, and Ms. Orth has expanded the orchestration from nine to 25 players for this new production.
“The women [characters] are more fleshed out in their stories,” elaborates Ms. Orth. “They’re more human. I’ve also added more sound design and electronics to mix in with the orchestra. I started out really conservatively…the first time around, knowing I’d want to explore more as I gained more experience and confidence in opera. The sound design helps with some extra ideas we’ve added in—for instance a theme of water runs through the piece now, which I think also helps tie it in with Riders to the Sea.” Curtis student Dennis Chmelensky originally premiered the role of Paul, and will reprise the role on May 2 and 4 with fellow students Sophia Hunt, Tiffany Townsend, and Patrick Wilhelm.
Tickets are available from Opera Philadelphia Guest Services at operaphila.org or (215) 732-8400.
Conductor Daniela Candillari leads members of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in this fully-staged double bill, sung in English with English supertitles, and presented without intermission. Both Ms. Candillari and stage director Mary Birnbaum previously worked with Rene Orth in Opera Philadelphia’s Double Exposure production in May 2018, and make their Curtis Opera Theatre debuts with this production.
Curtis Opera Theatre at the Perelman
in partnership with Opera Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Riders to the Sea
Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, libretto by Ralph Vaughan Williams and J.M. Synge
Empty the House
Music by Rene Orth, libretto by Mark Campbell
Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Fully-staged production with members of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Sung in English with English supertitles.
Tickets are available at operaphila.org or by calling Opera Philadelphia Guest Services at (215) 732-8400.
ARTISTIC TEAM
| Conductor: | Daniela Candillari |
| Stage Director: | Mary Birnbaum |
| Scenic Designer: | Grace Laubaucher |
| Costume Designer: | Amanda Seymour |
| Lighting Designer: | Anshuman Bhatia |
CAST (in singing order)
| Riders to the Sea | May 2 and 4 | May 4m and May 5 |
| Nora | Sage DeAgro-Ruopp | Merissa Beddows |
| Cathleen | Olivia Smith | Lindsey Reynolds |
| Maurya | Emily Damasco | Sophia Maekawa |
| Bartley | Patrick Wilhelm | Patrick Wilhelm |
| A Woman | Hannah Klein | Hannah Klein |
| Chorus | Merissa Beddows Ziyi Dai Hannah Klein Sophia Maekawa Lindsey Reynolds Anastasiia Sidorova |
Ziyi Dai Emily Damasco Sage DeAgro-Ruopp Hannah Klein Anastasiia Sidorova Olivia Smith |
| Empty the House | May 2 and 4 | May 4m and May 5 |
| Faith | Sophia Hunt | Sophia Hunt |
| Paul | Dennis Chmelensky | Patrick Wilhelm |
| Brenda | Tiffany Townsend | Tiffany Townsend |
Riders to the Sea and Empty the House are presented as part of Curtis Opera Theatre at the Perelman in partnership with Opera Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
The Curtis Opera Theatre season is sponsored by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation.
Empty the House is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency.
About the Curtis Opera Theatre
Under the artistic direction of Mikael Eliasen, the Curtis Opera Theatre has become known for imaginative productions, bold concepts, and absorbing theatre. Promising young singers work alongside established professional directors and designers, resulting in fresh interpretations of standard repertoire and contemporary works. All of Curtis’s 25 voice and opera students are cast repeatedly each season, receiving a rare level of performance experience on stage and appearing frequently with Opera Philadelphia, Curtis on Tour, and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. As a result Curtis graduates have sung with opera companies all over the world, including La Scala, Covent Garden, the Vienna Staatsoper, Houston Grand Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera.
About Opera Philadelphia
Opera Philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century. Described as “the very model of a modern opera company” by the Washington Post, Opera Philadelphia was the only American finalist for the 2016 International Opera Award for Best Opera Company and was a 2017 finalist for Best Festival. After opening its 2018–19 season with the immersive Festival O18, Opera Philadelphia closes the season with a revived production of Puccini’s La bohème (April 26–May 5, 2019). The company’s third fall festival, O19, will take place September 18–29, 2019. For more information, visit operaphila.org.
About the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center’s mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center Campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the Merriam Theater. The Kimmel Center is also home to eight Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2017–18 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.
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