A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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Come to the forest and be magically swept away in a midsummer’s night. Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears adapted this opera’s libretto from Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, telling its story of dreams and desires. A quartet of young lovers find themselves lost in the magical woods, a land ruled by the fairies. Puck, the mischievous fairy, makes two men fall in love with the same woman. The lovers explore the forest, pursuing each other while Puck helps his master, Oberon, play a trick on the fairy queen, Titania. Conductor Andrew Bisantz and director David Gately transform the recently renovated Huntington stage into the woods of a midsummer’s night.
This performance has been selected as part of Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s spring 2024 Center Stage collection.
This performance is made possible, in part, by the generous support of The Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.
Program Information
Welcome Note
Now in its second year, the Conservatory’s educational and artist development partnership with our neighbor, Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) is in full swing. The partnership unlocks incredible opportunities for Boston Conservatory students and members of BLO’s Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artists, and includes the Opera Innovators Series—a curated collection of talks and master classes that engage some of the most innovative and sought-after figures in the opera world. Additionally, Vocal Arts Department classes in art song, vocal pedagogy, and the choral arts, encompass an exceptional lineup of visiting clinicians, each of whom brings their own powerful and distinct voice to bear on our season’s productions and curricula.
I am so grateful to our generous donors whose giving provides access to the tools and resources our students need to succeed, here and beyond. Providing a transformative, high level of training is the Conservatory’s reason for being. Our faculty and administration are deeply committed to fostering a genuine sense of community which defines the Conservatory’s learning and performance environments. There is an ethic of care here that champions people’s goals and aspirations in ways where they feel creative, safe, powerful, and courageous, in and through the learning. We’re helping students build a life for themselves through music that has purpose and that could actually change the world. With a faculty of international renown, an impressive annual lineup of important visiting artists, and a strong commitment to a meaningful list of civic and global initiatives, Boston Conservatory’s Vocal Arts Department is an exciting place to be!
I hope you enjoy your experience with us today, and welcome you to join us again often.
—Sara Goldstein, Interim Chair of Vocal Arts
Synopsis
In the woods outside Athens, Oberon, King of the Fairies, is quarreling with Titania, his queen. Oberon sends his servant Puck to find a magic flower whose juice, when sprinkled on Titania’s eyelids, will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees upon waking. Meanwhile, Lysander and Hermia have escaped from the city. Demetrius chases after her, himself pursued by Helena. Oberon witnesses their argument and orders Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena using the magic juice. Six men have also left the city to discuss a play they hope to perform at the wedding of Theseus to Hippolyta. Bottom and Flute agree to play Pyramus and Thisbe, star-crossed lovers. Lysander and Hermia lie down to sleep and Puck mistakenly sprinkles the flower’s juice on Lysander’s eyes. Demetrius appears and abandons Helena, who wakes Lysander. Lysander immediately falls in love. Helena runs off, Lysander follows, and Hermia awakes to find herself alone. In the heart of the forest, the fairies help Titania to sleep, and Oberon puts the juice on her eyes.
Act 2
Later that night, Quince and his men meet to rehearse while Puck amuses himself by turning Bottom into an ass. At the sight of this transformation, the others run off. Bottom sings to keep his courage up, waking Titania, who immediately falls in love with him. With the help of the fairies, she manages to coax him to bed. Oberon is delighted, but when Demetrius arrives, still in pursuit of Hermia, he realizes Puck’s mistake. Demetrius falls asleep, and Oberon pours the juice on his eyes. Helena and Lysander’s arrival wakes Demetrius, who now declares his love for Helena. Lysander rejects Hermia, convincing Helena that the men are mocking her. The four quarrel furiously, and Oberon gives Puck an antidote for Lysander. Puck leads the lovers into the forest until they fall asleep, and he puts the remedy on Lysander’s eyes.
Act 3
Oberon releases Titania from the spell. Daybreak rouses the four lovers, finally reconciled. Bottom, restored to human shape, wakes from what he thinks was a strange dream and returns to his friends. The four lovers ask Theseus’s forgiveness for their disobedience. Theseus decides that they will marry, together with him and Hippolyta. Quince and his players perform their play, and the three couples retire. Oberon, Titania, and the fairies bless the sleeping household, and Puck has the last word.
Cast
TITANIA – Tess Levine, Molly McDonough* (Cover: Laura Santamaria)
PUCK – Alex Georgopoulos, Madeline Lee*
LYSANDER – Robert Kleinertz, Nick Alessi*
DEMETRIUS – Jason Edelstein, Joel Clemens^*
HELENA – Kayla Kovacs, Nina Evelyn* (Cover: Ericka Fox)
HERMIA – Grace Heldridge, Julia Janowksi* (Study covers: Madeline Lee, Aoife Schenz)
THESEUS – Austin Martin^
HIPPOLYTA – Lucy Martindale, Nina Gojcaj*
BOTTOM – Alec House-Baillargeon, Marcus Schenck^* (Cover: Jovanni Ferrer)
QUINCE – Raphael Laden-Guindon^
FLUTE – Sam Crosby-Schmidt, Corey Mann*
SNOUT – Jayson Banton, Thomas Valenti*
STARVELING – Vaughn Nesmith
SNUG – Jovanni Ferrer
COBWEB – Yu Pan, Aubrey Bosse*
PEASEBLOSSOM – Olivia Pike, Linhuan Wei*
MUSTARDSEED – Laura Santamaria, Molly Flynn*
MOTH – Erin Rute, Isabella Abbrescia*
CHORUS – Jenny Baena-Brito, Claire Burreson, Chirbee Dy, Natalie Hansel, Klara La Guardia, Rachel London, Sarah Mesibov, Maisy Parker, Alex Roges, Aoife Schenz
*Friday/Sunday cast
^Alumni/Guest artist
Orchestra
Devon Sowry, B.M. '24
Shion Suzuki, G.P.D. '24
OBOE
Jesse Myers, B.M. '26
CLARINET
Andrew Coleman, M.M. '25
Chase Oliveri, B.M. '25
BASSOON
Haoyu Li, M.M. '25
HORN
Amber Dai, M.M. '24
Marina Krickler^
TRUMPET
Liz Jewell^
TROMBONE
Aidan Davidson, B.M. '24
PERCUSSION
Dustyn Carter, B.M. '27
April Ong, B.M. '24
HARP
Chanling Bai, M.M. '25
Lishan Tan^
PIANO/CELESTA
Maja Tremiszewska+
VIOLIN 1
Rose Barranco, B.M. '26
Kristen Barrett, M.M. '24
Marta Dorovic, M.M. '24
Stella Feliberti, B.M. '27
Annabelle Lee, B.M. '27
VIOLIN 2
Luis Estrada, M.M. '25
Annali Wirtz, B.M. '26
Nataliia Yeremeichuk, B.M. '27
VIOLA
Andrew Gretzinger, M.M. '24
Webb Hiaasen, B.M. '27
Zeynep Yigitoglu, B.M. '25
CELLO
Casey Johnson, M.M. '24
Lauren Roberts, M.M. '25
BASS
Nicolette Kindred, B.M. '24
Joe Holt^
Randy Zigler^
"^Alumni/Guest Artist"
+ Faculty
About the Artists
David Gately, director, joined the faculty of Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2022 as associate professor of opera. He previously served as guest faculty of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts and as director of the opera studio at Texas Christian University. He maintains an active professional career, which includes more than 300 productions at over 60 opera companies, symphony orchestras, theater companies, and opera training programs worldwide. Learn more about Gately.
Kira Weaver, student assistant director, is excited to step into this new role, finding her joy in taking care of a production. Last summer, she completed an apprenticeship with Wolf Trap Opera after previously having worked for Opera Omaha, Odyssey Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera. This summer, she’s looking forward to joining the Santa Fe Opera’s 2024 season as a technical apprentice.
Evan Adamson, scenic design, is an award-winning set designer for theater and live entertainment, with 20 years of experience in the industry. He has designed productions throughout the United States and has worked extensively abroad in both Europe and Asia. He is delighted to be welcomed into the Boston Conservatory at Berklee community. Adamson is an adjunct professor at Purchase College and a credited contributor to the textbook Designer Drafting and Visualizing for the Entertainment World. Learn more about Adamson.
Zoë Sundra, costume design, is thrilled to be designing at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Regional design credits include John Proctor Is the Villain at Huntington Theatre Company, Chicken and Biscuits with Front Porch Collective, and The Addams Family at Wheelock Family Theatre. Sundra lives in Watertown, Massachusetts with her animals and spouse. Learn more about Sundra.
Kevin Fulton, lighting design, is a theater artist originally from Denver, Colorado. Recent work includes Let the Right One In, Mankind, and COLOSSAL at Boston University School of Theatre; Così fan tutte at Boston University Opera Institute; and The Silence and The One You Feed at MIT Theater Arts. He is currently an M.F.A. candidate in lighting design at Boston University. Learn more about Fulton.
Angie Jepson, fight choreographer, teaches in the Theater and Opera departments at Boston Conservatory; and she is a fight choreographer and intimacy director in the Boston area. Recent credits include fight and intimacy direction for POTUS at SpeakEasy Stage Company and Private Lives at Gloucester Stage Company, as well as intimacy direction for Bluebeard’s Castle/Four Songs (directed by Anne Bogart) with the Boston Lyric Opera. Learn more about Jepson.
Daniel Pelzig, choreographer, recently directed City of Angels at Boston Conservatory and choreographed The Band’s Visit at the Huntington. Broadway credits include 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda, and A Year with Frog and Toad. He has directed or choreographed at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. Theater credits include work at the Guthrie, Alliance, Goodman, and Shakespeare theaters. He served five years as resident choreographer for Boston Ballet. Learn more about Pelzig.
Rachel Padula-Shufelt, wig design, has Broadway credits that include Glass Menagerie and Waitress. Her regional credits include Life of Pi, Macbeth in Stride, Moby Dick (Elliot Norton Award winner for Best Design), Black Clown, Waitress, Fingersmith (Elliot Norton Award winner for Best Design), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Elliot Norton Award winner for Best Design), Marie Antoinette, and Crossing at American Repertory Theater; as well as Joy & Pandemic and The Colored Museum at the Huntington. She is the hair and makeup supervisor for Boston Ballet and the resident hair and wig designer for North Shore Music Theatre.
Miguel Flores, production stage manager, is LA-born and -raised, and has been a theater professional for the last 20 years. Versatile in working as an educator and stage manager, he has worked throughout the United States. He currently is the associate director of production at the Huntington Theatre Company and continues to work with local opera companies as a production stage manager.
Isabella Abbrescia (M.M. '25, opera), soprano, enchants with recent roles including La Marquesita in El Barberillo de Lavapies and First Spirit in Die Zauberflöte. A CS Music competition semi-finalist in 2023, Abbrescia is pursuing her master’s in opera performance under Rebecca Folsom’s guidance. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2023 with a B.M. in vocal performance.
Nicholas Alessi (M.M. '24, opera; B.M. '22, voice) is a Boston-based tenor. His principal opera credits include Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring (title role), and Elder Gleaton/Sam (cover) in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Alessi currently studies in the voice studio of Frank Kelley.
Jenny Baena-Brito (B.M. '25, vocal performance) is a soprano from Miami, Florida. This is her first opera role, and she also will perform as Mother in the upcoming student opera After Eve, produced by Fenway Opera Club. She currently studies with Sara Goldstein-Gall.
Jayson Banton (M.M. '25, vocal pedagogy) is a zwischenfach from Kissimmee, Florida who received his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College. His most recent credits include both Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. He currently studies with Kerry Deal. This summer, Banton will be headed to Chicago Summer Opera to perform the role of Mr. Upfold in Britten’s Albert Herring.
Aubrey Bosse (M.M. '25, opera) is a mezzo-soprano from Dallas, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Texas Christian University. Her recent credits include the Mezzo in Voir Dire, Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, and the Hostess in Speed Dating Tonight! She currently studies with Rebecca Folsom.
Claire Burreson (B.M. '24 voice, opera emphasis) is from Seattle, Washington. She has recently worked with Seattle Opera as well as the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Burreson received first place at NATS Boston and the Calliope’s Call Young Singer Competition. She currently studies with Angela Gooch.
Lucas Ludwig Coura, guest artist, is a countertenor based in Boston. Recent opera and concert appearances include the Storyteller in Boston Opera Collaborative’s pastiche horror opera Whispers: Echoes from the Hall and Phanor in Handel’s Joseph and his Brethren. He frequently collaborates with Boston’s Nightingale Vocal Ensemble and is a regular member of the Choir of the New Jerusalem. Learn more about Coura.
Joel Clemens (M.M. '22, opera) is a baritone from Ashburn, Virginia. This season, he has been featured in productions with the Boston Pops, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, White Snake Projects, Boston Opera Collaborative, and West End Lyric. In May, Joel will return to Chautauqua Opera for a teaching artist residency. He currently studies with Rebecca Folsom.
Sam Crosby-Schmidt (M.M. '24, voice) is a tenor originally from Woodbury, Minnesota, currently in their second year of the Conservatory’s M.M. in Voice Performance program. Their previous Boston Conservatory roles include Patacha (L’Étoile), Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Little Bat (Susannah), as well as singing with the Conservatory Conductors’ Choir. Crosby-Schmidt is passionate about performing new works and music by composers with marginalized identities.
Chirbee Dy (B.M. '24, vocal performance) is from Quezon City, Philippines. Her most recent work includes performing the role of Lazuli in Chabrier’s L’Étoile and Harry in Britten’s Albert Herring. She will be playing Hansel in the opera workshop scenes performance of Hansel and Gretel. She currently studies with Kathryn Wright.
Jason Edelstein (M.M. '25, opera) is a baritone from Paramus, New Jersey who received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His recent credits include Baritone in Matthew Peterson’s Voir Dire, Prince Hérisson in Chabrier’s L’Étoile, Falke in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Giuseppe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, and Booth in Sondheim’s Assassins. He currently studies with David Small.
Nina Evelyn (P.S.C. '24, voice; M.M. '23, opera) is from Baltimore, Maryland. Her most recent credits include the title role in Susannah, La Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, and Micaela in Carmen. In January, she won the St. Louis District of the Laffont Competition. This summer, she covers Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel with the Aspen Music Festival.
Jovanni Ferrer (M.M. '25, voice) is a bass baritone, composer, and arranger currently studying voice performance at Boston Conservatory under the direction of David Small. He enjoys playing comic roles and characters with large personalities. His recent performances include Capitán in Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Pandolf in Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon, and Zalzal in Emmanuel Chabrier’s L’Étoile.
Molly Flynn (M.M. '25, vocal pedagogy) is a soprano from southern New Jersey. She earned her bachelor’s degree at New England Conservatory of Music. She has appeared in Boston Conservatory opera scene performances of Die Fledermaus and Street Scene. This summer, she will be performing as Donna Elvira in Boston Summer Opera’s Don Giovanni. She currently studies with David Small.
Ericka Fox (M.M. '25, opera) is a lyric coloratura soprano with a voice described as lush, silvery, and flexible. Her performances include Titania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lepido in Handel’s Lucio Cornelio Silla with Chicago Summer Opera, and Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with International Lyric Academy. Fox studied at the University of Iowa with Professor Stephen Swanson.
Nina Gojcaj (M.M. '25, voice) is a mezzo-soprano from Detroit, Michigan who received her bachelor’s degree from Oakland University. Her most recent roles include Polyphemus in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Jane in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience, and the First Prioress in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. She currently studies with Rebecca Folsom.
Alex Georgopoulos (B.M. '24, voice) is from Newburyport, Massachusetts, and this is his first mainstage production at Boston Conservatory. His most recent credits include Don Ottavio (cover) and chorus in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Vienna Opera Festival, and the Witch (study) and chorus in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel at the Vienna Opera Festival. He currently studies with Frank Kelley.
Natalie Hansel (B.M. '25, voice, opera emphasis) is looking forward to participating in this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is originally from Newport, Rhode Island, where she began taking voice lessons in high school and discovered her love of music. She now studies with Angela Gooch. She will be singing as part of the fairy chorus.
Grace Heldridge (M.M. '23, P.S.C. '24) is a mezzo-soprano from Omaha, Nebraska and a student of Rebecca Folsom. Highlights at Boston Conservatory include Le nozze di Figaro, As One, L’Étoile, Albert Herring, and La clemenza di Tito. After graduation, Heldridge joins Opera Maine as a studio artist for the summer and Komische Oper Berlin as a member of the opera studio for the following two seasons.
Alec House-Baillargeon (M.M. '25, opera) is from Gouverneur, New York, and received his bachelor’s degree from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. His most recent highlights include Prince Hérrison in Chabrier’s L’Étoile and the Baker in Sondheim’s Into the Woods. He currently studies with David Small.
Julia Janowski (M.M. '24, opera) is a mezzo-soprano currently studying with Rebecca Folsom. This season, she appears on the mainstage performing as Aloès in L’Étoile, Mezzo in Voir Dire, and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Last season, she sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and Mrs. McLean in Susannah. Janowski is a native of Marquette, Michigan.
Robert Kleinertz (M.M. '25, opera) is a tenor from Hopewell Junction, New York. Most recent credits include Tenor in Matthew Peterson’s Voir Dire and a role debut at Lincoln Center this summer in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi as Tebaldo. Kleinertz currently resides in Boston with his cat, Beef, who helps him prepare and practice his roles.
Kayla Kovacs (M.M. '24, opera) is currently based in Boston and studies with Rebecca Folsom. Her recent performances include opera scenes and covering for Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro at Boston Conservatory. She has also performed with contraBAND and as a guest soloist with Berklee Chamber Choir. Kovacs advocates for neurodiversity in opera and inclusivity in the classical music community.
Klara La Guardia (B.M. '25, vocal performance) is a soprano from Half Moon Bay, California. Favorite recent credits include Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Nigel Williams’s Lord of the Flies. They currently study in the studio of Monique Phinney.
Madeline Lee (B.M. '25, voice, opera emphasis) is a mezzo-soprano from Kingsland, Georgia. Her recent engagements include Boston Lyric Opera’s La Cenerentola (2023) and Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Albert Herring (2022), and she will be performing in Trentino Music Festival’s production of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro this summer. She is a student of Marilyn Bulli.
Tess Levine (M.M. '25, opera) is a coloratura soprano who has performed notable roles such as Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Amore in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Levine received her bachelor’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Boston Conservatory as a student of Rebecca Folsom.
Rachel London (B.M. '25, voice, opera emphasis) is a soprano from Boca Raton, Florida. Her recent credits include Suor Genovieffa and La Sorella Infermiera in Suor Angelica in Varna, Bulgaria and Italy; Fortune Teller in Mondo Novo in Vienna, Austria; and the cover for Liesgen in Bach’s “Coffee Cantata” in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently studies with Kathryn Wright.
Corey Mann (M.M. '24, voice) is a tenor originating from Kansas City, Kansas, entering the second year of his master’s degree in vocal performance. He studied at Emporia State University under Scott Wichael for his bachelor’s degree before coming to Boston Conservatory where he is currently studying with David Small.
Austin Martin (M.M. '22, opera) has appeared previously in Boston Conservatory’s productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Albert Herring, La clemenza di Tito, and Don Pasquale. He has also performed with the Bar Harbor Music Festival, Painted Sky Opera, Bay View Music Festival, and Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. Martin earned his B.M. in Vocal Performance at Oklahoma City University.
Lucy Martindale (B.M. '24, voice, opera emphasis) will be graduating in May with a B.M. in Vocal Performance with opera emphasis. Their performance credits include Mezzo Pig in Ching’s Three Pigs Remix, ensemble in Floyd’s Susannah, Adza in Chabrier’s L’Étoile, and Hippolyta in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as several cover and chorus roles. They currently study with Angela Gooch.
Molly McDonough (M.M. '25, opera) is a soprano from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Drake University. Recent performances include La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi with Cedar Rapids Opera, Papagena (cover) in Die Zauberflöte with Des Moines Metro Opera, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Drake University. She currently studies with Rebecca Folsom.
Sarah Mesibov (B.M. '25, vocal performance) is a mezzo-soprano from New York. She is a junior vocal performance major with minors in songwriting and dance. She is a founder and the president of Boston Conservatory’s Fenway Opera Club. She currently studies with David Small.
Darya Narymanava (P.S.C. '24, voice) is a mezzo-soprano from Borisov, Belarus. She currently studies with Monique Phinney. Her most recent credits include Boston District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Arbate in Mitridate, and Lazuli in L’Étoile. This summer, Narymanava will make her role debut as Dorabella in Così fan tutte with Opera Neo. For the 2024–2025 season, she will join Tri-Cities Opera as a resident artist.
Vaughn Nesmith (B.M. '24, voice, opera emphasis) is a baritone from Florence, South Carolina. He is a current senior majoring in vocal performance with an emphasis in opera, and he studies with Michael Hanley. His recent credits include Elder Ott in Susannah, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, and Wolf in the children’s opera Three Pigs Remix.
Yu Pan (M.M. '24, voice) is from China and received her bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In the summer of 2023, she attended the Opera Viva program in Italy, where she performed operatic scenes and sang sacred music. Currently, she is studying with Professor Monique Phinney.
Maisy Parker (B.M. '25, voice, opera emphasis) is a mezzo-soprano from Indiana. She is a junior at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she studies voice with Kathryn Wright and recently sang the role of Mezzo Pig in Three Pigs Remix by Michael Ching. This summer at Trentino Music Festival in Italy, she will sing the role of Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart.
Olivia Pike (G.P.D. '25, voice) is a New Zealand soprano and student of Kerry Deal. She holds a B.M. and M.M. from the University of Otago. In New Zealand, she had regular competition success. Credits include Good Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and Susanna in Susanna’s Secret, as well as singing chorus and comprimario roles with New Zealand Opera.
Alex Roges (B.M. '24, voice) is from Orange County, California. This is her first operatic role, and she has enjoyed every step of the process. She began performing musical theater but later studied classical music. She is currently applying for her master’s degree, and is excited about the next steps in her career. She studies with Kathryn Wright.
Erin Rute (M.M. '25, vocal performance) is a soprano from Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education at Susquehanna University. Her notable experiences include assistant music directing for Young Actors Theatre Strasbourg’s production of Guys and Dolls, her debut as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, and her most recent role as Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She currently studies with Kerry Deal.
Laura Santamaria (M.M. '25, opera; B.M. '23, vocal performance) is a Colombian American soprano from West Palm Beach, Florida, currently studying with Rebecca Folsom. She was a recent Florida District Winner in the Metropolitan Laffont Competition and will be a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the summer.
Aoife Schenz (B.M. '24, voice, opera emphasis) is from Santa Monica, California. She recently performed as Tisbe in a children’s version of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Ceres in Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers, and in the ensemble of Copland’s The Tender Land and Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. She currently studies with Kerry Deal.
Thomas Valenti (M.M. '24, opera) studies under the tutelage of Rebecca Folsom. He has a passion for collaboration and the conception of new music, and is a fierce advocate for equity in the arts. Upcoming engagements include Bunthorne in Patience and Charley Dalrymple in Brigadoon at College Light Opera Company in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Linhuan Wei (M.M. '24, voice) is from China and graduated from Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Her most recent credits are in opera scenes from Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor as Alice, Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera as Sandrina, and Verdi’s Falstaff as Nannetta. She now studies with Kathryn Wright.
Production Credits
Artistic Director – Isaí Jess Muñoz
Conductor – Andrew Bisantz
Stage Director – David Gately
Student Assistant Director – Kira Weaver
Assistant Conductor – Julian Gau
Choreographer – Daniel Pelzig
Intimacy/Fight Director – Angie Jepson
Scenic Designer – Evan Adamson
Lighting Designer – Kevin Fulton
Costume Designer – Zoë Sundra
Asst. Costume Designer – Kat Lawrence
Wig, Hair, and Make-Up Designer – Rachel Padula-Shufelt
Wardrobe Supervisor – Kiara Escalera
Props Manager – Molly Martin
Production Stage Manager – Miguel Flores
Production Assistant Stage Manager – Emily Hanson
Production Manager and Technical Director, Mainstage – Danielle Ibrahim
Props Manager – Molly Martin
Surtitle Designer – Francesca Mehrotra
Surtitle Operator – Emma Shelton
Coaching and Musical Preparation – Jean Anderson, Andrew Bisantz, Maja Tremiszewska
Rehearsal Pianists – Jean Anderson, John Elam, Maja Tremiszewska
PRODUCTION STAFF:
Director of Performance Services and Producer – Hanna Oravec
Assistant Director of Production – Becca Donald
Technical Director, Mainstage – Taylor Kaufman
Assistant Technical Director – Caleb Harris
Principal Stage Manager – Bethany Rachel
Lighting Supervisor – Baz Kouba
Production Electrician – Henry Vumbaca
Sound Supervisor – Steve Deptula
Sound Assistant – Maddy Poston
Costume Shop Manager – Alison Pugh
Assistant Costume Shop Manager – Leah Foley
Wardrobe Manager – Blue Barber
Stage Supervisor – Avery Hunt
HUNTINGTON THEATER STAFF:
Manager – Kat Herzig
Operations Supervisor – Katelyn Paddock
House Manager – Patrick Mahoney
Operations Associate – Esther Daube-Valois
Deck Lead – Andrew Wissmann
House Electrician – Sean Baird
Sound Engineer – Valentin Frank
Props Run – Andrew Deshazo
Wardrobe Manager – Christine Marr
Wig Room Supervisor – Susie Moncousky
STUDENT PRODUCTION STAFF:
Student Assistant Stage Manager – Alex Voss
Student Assistant Stage Manager – Dee Ypsilantis
CONCERT SERVICES STAFF:
Senior Manager of Concert Services – Luis Herrera
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
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