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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2015
Media Contacts:
John Michael Kennedy or Nisa Kiang
Goodman Media/Boston
Boston: 857.317.2964 NYC: 212.576.2700
[email protected]
HELL$HATH$NO$FURY:$BLO’S$FEMALE2FOCUSED$DON$GIOVANNI$
PREMIERES$MAY$1$
Boston, MA — An unrepentant, serial
womanizer finds his undoing at the hands
of the women he wronged in Boston Lyric
Opera’s new production of Mozart's Don
Giovanni. Helmed by a female-led creative
team and starring Australian baritone
Duncan Rock -- making his U.S. lead-role
debut as the doomed titular playboy – this
production is “a Don Giovanni for today,”
says BLO General and Artistic Director
Esther Nelson. International Opera Awards
finalist Jennifer Johnson Cano stars as
(l.-r.) Duncan Rock and Jennifer Johnson Cano star in Boston Lyric
Donna Elvira.
Opera’s new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni May 1-10.
Evocative production design sets the story in a quasi-modern time, replete with Giovanni’s
centerpiece party awash in Hollywood-style glamour. Stage director Emma Griffin (a native of
western Massachusetts, making her BLO debut) envisioned the new production as powered by
two key women in Giovanni’s life – Donna Anna, whom he attempts to seduce and whose father
he kills in a duel; and Donna Elvira, whom Griffin sees as Giovanni’s match, out for revenge for
his treatment of her. But she says “the production also explores Giovanni’s personality and the
motivations that underscore his actions, including why this sociopathic George Clooney-type is
still so compelling.”
“In this new production, audiences see Don Giovanni from the point of view of his conquests,”
says BLO General and Artistic Director Esther Nelson. “The machismo sometimes celebrated in
other productions is definitely a liability here. And the talented, beautiful, young cast, along with
the production design, propels a 230-year-old opera right to the heart of today’s important social
issues.”
BLO’s new Don Giovanni follows the traditional narrative: After failing to seduce Donna Anna
and killing her father while masked and cloaked, Giovanni eludes capture while encountering
and fending off scorned female conquests, and hosts a decadent party in which he attempts to
seduce even more women. Followed by the put-upon Leporello, whom he humiliates and
compensates in equal measure, Giovanni exhibits an arrogance toward those around him that
leads to his downfall.
Boston Lyric Opera presents new Don Giovanni, May 1-10, 2015
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“Don Giovanni is usually done from the title character’s point of view. But Lorenzo Da Ponte’s
libretto, which is so theatrically vibrant…funny, complicated and enjoyable…has many deeply
drawn characters,” says Griffin. “We wanted to look at the piece from a different perspective: the
stories of Anna and Elvira are more front and center here. Anna’s Act One assault alters her
psyche – she’s distraught and grapples with crisis, grief and misery the rest of the night. Elvira
finds Giovanni compelling, despite the wrong he’s done to her. She’s hell-bent on revenge and
wants reparations. I think they are well-matched, and that’s an exciting dynamic to play with.”
Australian-born baritone Duncan Rock is a rising star on the international opera stage. His
recent engagements include: Tarquinius in actress/director Fiona Shaw’s production of The
Rape of Lucretia for the Deutsche Oper Berlin and at the Glyndebourne Festival; Papageno in
The Magic Flute at the English National Opera; Novice’s friend in Billy Budd at the
Glyndebourne Festival, the BBC Proms and Brooklyn Academy of Music; Marcello in La
Bohème for Opera North (U.K.); and Billy Bigelow in Carousel at the Théâtre du Châtelet in
Paris. Rock has performed in concert with many of the world’s best orchestras, and broken
boundaries with edgy productions like the all-male Don Giovanni staged in a London nightclub.
He also has made a splash with opera fans on the tongue-in-cheek Barihunks website.
The trio of female leads in the production include Jennifer Johnson Cano, making her BLO
debut as Donna Elvira, BLO Emerging Artist alumna and Cohasset native Meredith Hansen as
Donna Anna and BLO Emerging Artist and Boston resident Chelsea Basler as Zerlina.
Critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, known for her profound
musicianship, is currently a finalist for the 2015 International Opera Awards in the “Young
Singer” category. She is a 2012 Richard Tucker Career Grant recipient and George London
Winner who joined the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan
Opera in 2008 and made her Met debut in 2009/10. Over the last two seasons, Cano has
bowed at the Met as Meg Page in Falstaff, Mércedès in Carmen, Emilia in Otello, and as both
Wellgunde and Waltraute in The Ring Cycle.
Cohasset, Massachusetts native and soprano Meredith Hansen has found much success
domestically. Hansen returns to BLO after a Boston Symphony appearance in 2014 as soloist in
Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Prior, Hansen joined the Metropolitan Opera roster in the 2012/13
Season for their productions of Carmen, Das Rheingold, and Götterdämmerung. Hansen has
also appeared with BLO as First Lady in The Magic Flute, Beatrice in The Inspector, Gretel in
Hansel and Gretel and Frasquita in Carmen.
Soprano Chelsea Basler joined BLO as an Emerging Artist in the 2013/14 Season when she
appeared as Papagena in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and sang the roles of Margret in Lizzie
Borden and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. For BLO’s 2014/15 Season, Basler has performed
Flora in La Traviata, Isolt in The Love Potion and Glasha in Kátya Kabanová. Basler was
awarded the Richard F. Gold Career Grant by the Shoshana Foundation in 2012 and in 2011
won the Peter Elvins Vocal Competition and Boston University’s Kahn Career Entry Award.
Boston artist David Cushing plays Zerlina’s weak-willed fiancé Masetto. Artists returning to
BLO for this production include Kevin Burdette as Leporello, who was previously acclaimed for
his role as Death and The Loudspeaker in BLO’s 2011 production of The Emperor of Atlantis.
Steven Humes, who recently sang at the Bavarian State Opera and other international houses,
returns as Commendatore. John Bellemer, who starred as Sandy/Officer in The Lighthouse
and Don José in Carmen and Carmen on the Common, plays Don Ottavio.
Members of the Don Giovanni artistic team, all of whom make their BLO debuts with this
production, include Stage Director Emma Griffin (Out Cold & Zippo Songs; BAM Next Wave
Boston Lyric Opera presents new Don Giovanni, May 1-10, 2015
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Festival; Removable Parts, winner “Outstanding Performance Art Production,” NY Innovative
Theater Awards; The Cunning Little Vixen and Les Mamelles de Tirésias at Juilliard Opera;
Wozzeck at the Opera Philadelphia/Curtis Opera Theater; and Artistic Director of the OBIEaward winning Salt Theater); Set Designer Laura Jellinek (Dialogues of the Carmelites and
Owen Wingrave at Opera Philadelphia; The Cunning Little Vixen at Juilliard, Opera
Philadelphia, and Curtis Opera Theatre; and Romeo et Juliette at Palm Beach Opera); Costume
Designer Tilly Grimes (recent productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Trinity Repertory
Company; New World Stages; La MaMa; HERE Arts Centre and more); and Lighting Designer
Mark Barton (Off- Broadway: The Shipment; Chair; The Sound and the Fury; Paradise Park;
and No Child…; Gatz with Elevator Repair Service in Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna,
Seattle, Chicago and at New York Theatre Workshop). Wigs and makeup are designed by
Jason Allen, BLO’s resident designer since 2003. Fight Director is Andrew Kenneth Moss (I
Puritani).
BLO’s Music Director David Angus conducts the BLO Orchestra and Chorus.
RELATED ACTIVITIES
Boston Lyric Opera is planning a number of public events tied to Don Giovanni. Events are free
and open to the public unless otherwise noted and more details can be found at blo.org.
Apr 10, 7 p.m.
Opera at the Movies – The historic and beautiful Somerville Theatre
welcomes BLO for a celebration of Mozart including a special screening
of Miloš Forman’s Academy Award®-winning Amadeus (1984), the story
of Mozart’s music and life as told by his rival, Salieri. Included is a live
performance by Duncan Rock, BLO’s own Don Giovanni, raffles, and a
beer special by Somerville’s Aeronaut Brewery. Tickets ($10 adult/$7
senior) are available at the Somerville Theatre’s website.
Apr 22, 7-9 p.m.
Live Rehearsal at WGBH – 99.5 WCRB and BLO host a sold-out
rehearsal of Don Giovanni. Opera lovers can go behind the scenes to
watch the production come to life as BLO cast and crew rehearse music
and staging with some of the featured principal artists in front of a live
audience. Information is available at wgbh.org and images upon request.
Apr 25, 6 p.m.
Pop-up performances at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s annual “Art in
Bloom” Members’ Night. Information is available at
blo.org/learn/signature-series/.
DON GIOVANNI
A passionate new Boston Lyric Opera production
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte
Sung in Italian with projected English translation
Approximately three hours, performed in two parts with one intermission.
Performances:
Friday, May 1, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
7:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
Boston Lyric Opera presents new Don Giovanni, May 1-10, 2015
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Conductor
Stage Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Fight Director
Wigs and Makeup Designer
David Angus
Emma Griffin*
Laura Jellinek*
Tilly Grimes*
Mark Barton*
Andrew Kenneth Moss
Jason Allen
Don Giovanni
Donna Elvira
Leporello
Don Ottavio
Donna Anna
Commendatore
Zerlina
Masetto
Duncan Rock*
Jennifer Johnson Cano*
Kevin Burdette
John Bellemer
Meredith Hansen^
Steven Humes
Chelsea Basler#
David Cushing^
* Boston Lyric Opera debut
# Boston Lyric Opera Emerging Artist
^ Boston Lyric Opera Emerging Artist alumna/us
PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION:
Don Giovanni is presented at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont
Street, Boston, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are available online at blo.org/buy-tickets, by phone at 866.348.9738 (TTY
888.889.8587), and in person at the Citi Performing Arts CenterSM Box Office at 270 Tremont
Street, Boston, Box Office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. and at the
Shubert Theatre one hour before curtain. Group and student tickets available via BLO’s
Audience Services at 617.542.6772 or [email protected]. Learn more at blo.org.
ABOUT BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
Boston Lyric Opera is the largest opera company in New England. Now in its 38th season, BLO
celebrates the art of the voice through its mission of building curiosity, enthusiasm and support
for opera by creating musically and theatrically compelling productions, events, and educational
resources for the Boston community and beyond. Since its founding in 1976, the company has
staged world premieres, U.S. premieres, co-productions and co-commissions of note with
organizations such as The Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Scottish Opera, and continues to
be a destination for some of the leading artists, conductors, directors and designers from around
the world.
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Boston Lyric Opera presents new Don Giovanni, May 1-10, 2015
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