presents Violetta and her Sisters: Season Preview
at Cornelia Street Café on July 26, 2016 at 6pm
dell’Arte Opera Ensemble presents the company’s August 2016 Season Pre-Season Events. Prepare to revel in a world of festivity, sensuality, and high drama in Paris’s storied past with fun and engaging activities leading up to the company's season entitled Violetta & her Sisters. For more information visit: http://www.dellarteopera.org/season.php5?p=74.
Violetta and her Sisters: Season Preview
Tuesday, July 26 at 6pm, Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St.
TICKETS: $10 cover/$10 minimum.
Talented cast members perform excerpts from August festival programming, hosted by Lisa Flanagan.
The season continues with Violetta & her Sisters featuring Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata, Jules Massenet’s Manon, a semi-staged Scenes from the demi-monde, with excerpts from Puccini’s La Rondine and Leoncavallo’s La bohème, and a recital featuring the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, with settings by Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Vierne, d’Indy, Loeffler and others.
Violetta & her Sisters will be performed in The Rose Nagelberg Theater at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, with 14 performances from August 13-28, 2016. La traviata will be performed on August 13-14, 25, and 27 at 7:30pm, and August 20-21 at 2pm; Manon on August 20, 22, 24, 26 at 7:30pm and August 28 at 2pm; Scenes from the demi-monde on August 19 and 23 at 7:30pm and a very special recital Chansons de Baudelaire August 27 at 2pm.
“This season promises to be our very finest, as we institute a new Opera Leaders Mentorship Program, through which our young stage directors, stage managers, designers, conductors, and pianists will receive expert guidance ‘on the job,’" said Chris Fecteau, artistic director of dell’Arte Opera Ensemble. “Our vocal artists will enjoy a larger orchestra and more generous coaching allotments than in previous years. We know our audiences will feel the difference.”
Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata (libretto by Francesco Maria Paive) will be conducted by John Spencer IV and directed by Kyle Pfortmiller, featuring Bonnie Frauenthal, Margaret Newcomb, Jeremy Brauner, Jose Heredia, Jeremiah Johnson, Paul Khoury, Magda Gartner, Hillary Grobe, Natasha Nelson, Ileana Santamaria, Ting Li, Chris Lilley, Nobuki Momma, Kofi Hayford, and Nick Webb; Jules Massenet’s Manon (libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille) will be conducted by Chris Fecteau and directed by Victoria Crutchfield, featuring Olivia Betzen, Sean Christensen, Stan Lacy, Nick Webb, Ting Li, Nobuki Momma, Kristina Malinauskaite, Perri Sussman, Magda Gartner, and Kofi Hayford; Scenes from the demi-monde will be directed by Joule Voelz and Brittany Goodwin, and conducted by David Štech. Scenic design for the season by Courtney Nelson, costume design by Carly Bradt (Traviata) and Nina Bova (Manon), and lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins.
About dell’Arte Opera Ensemble
The gap between academic training and a flourishing career is wide, and few singers can bridge it without the kind of assistance that dell’Arte Opera Ensemble has been providing in New York City at no cost to singers for the past twelve years. The company’s dual mission is to nurture emerging opera artists through rehearsal and performance opportunities, seminars, and master classes, and to attract new audiences by offering them high-quality opera presentations featuring exciting young artists at little-or no-cost. Our emphasis is on ‘learning by doing,’ backed by the philosophy that only superior craft creates great art. dell’Arte is committed to the essential building blocks of opera: great singing, great music, and great acting. Singers working with dell’Arte range from those who have just exited school to those pursuing regional careers and even to those performing on the roster of The Metropolitan Opera. Participating singers attend master classes, receive private coaching, enjoy the support of enthusiastic and talented colleagues, and collaborate with professional instrumentalists, culminating in a highly enriching performance experience. Audiences enjoy the fresh excitement of experiencing role debuts and witnessing important landmarks in each singer’s artistic process. www.dellarteopera.org
Charismatic comedian and former stripper, Lisa Faith Phillips is bringing her new show How to Be a Bad Girl to Cornelia Street Downstairs for Valentine’s Day. After a sold-out tour of her popular self-help parody 7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Mistresses, she was sued for trademark infringement by the Franklin Covey Corporation, owners of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People trademark.
Now she’s back with How to Be a Bad Girl. Through the character of Dr. Faith, accompanied by the gifted Mistress Ethel (Ellen Mandel) on piano, Lisa gives the "411 on romance, love and security in this entertaining off-the-wall performance" (Time-Out New York). Updating with the latest current events and highlighting the 7 ½ secrets of how to be a bad girl with a riding crop, maracas and witty original songs, such as "How To Be A Bad Girl" and “The Fellatio Tango”, this “outrageously funny” (Newyorkcool.com) seminar “is fun for wives, for husbands, for everybody" (Pagina 12).
Drawing on her colorful experiences, working as a stripper to pay her way through graduate school at the London School of Economics, and her background in stand-up comedy and music, Lisa weaves topical humor and song into a clever, thought-provoking and ultimately touching show. Part comedy, part cabaret, part two-woman theater piece, it all adds up to an evening of sophisticated, fun entertainment.
The performance features original songs by Phillips and Mandel from the winning anthem “Help Me Dr. Faith” to the hilarious “I Can Not Get Enough” and Ellen’s touching ballads “Wasn’t Such a Big Affair” to her bring-down-the-house blues “Smile When You Say Good-bye”. A sing-along with a touch of discipline for Jule Styne’s "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and a clever twist on Porter’s “Everytime We Say Good-bye" top off the entertaining evening.
DAVID L. METH is an O'Neill finalist who has been produced nationally. For more information, please visit: http://web.mac.com/dlm67
TREZANA BEVERLEY: Winner of the 1976 Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway show "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rain Is Enuf". Among the highlights of her distinguished acting career are: Mother Courage, A Raisin In The Sun, Flyin' West, Peer Gynt and Macbeth. In film: Beloved, Resurection, Carolina Skeletons and Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies. Among her directing credits are: Spell# 7, Native Son, In The Blood, From The Mississippi Delta, Pecong, The Trojan Woman, Salome, String Of Pearls, and The Bluest Eye.
FARAH BALA origninated the role of "Nadeema" and resides in New York City. She is a founding member of Q Theatre Productions in her hometown Bombay, India. Theatre credits include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Sylvia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Letters to Baghdad, Fear Up, and 9/12. Film credits include Karma, Confessions and Holi. She is affiliated with Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation.
L.A. Weekly called Todd Conner "...a masterful storyteller with a body that twists into vivid physical images...." The Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote that "...Conner proves that you don't need lots of fancy, special effects to create an atmosphere." Entertainment Weekly in L.A. described Metamorphoses as "...an absolute pleasure and perfect way to spend a night. A grand combination of art and entertainment, this play is as magical as the characters it portrays...this play is delivered from the gods."
Todd Conner, in addition to being a performer, is an award-winning playwright and accomplished stage director. He was a recipient of the L.A. Weekly Award for his acting work in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? at the Greenway Court Theatre in Hollywood, CA. His screenplay (with director Miguel Rueda) and performance in the film One Two Three... helped to merit an official selection and finalist mention in both the 2003 Hollywood Film Festival and Showtime Latino Filmmakers' Showcase.
RESERVATIONS STRONGLY URGED at 917.294.8310
Busby currently lives and composes at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Since 1975, he has garnered acclaim for his collaborations with Paul Taylor, Craig Lucas and Robert Altman (see details in the below biography). In December, he will present a concert of new music to celebrate the occasion of his 70th birthday.