San Francisco Opera

August 23:

OPERA: SAMSON AND DELILAH (in French)
COMPOSER: Camille Saint-Saens
LIBRETTO: Ferdinand Lemaire

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours

CAST:
Delilah Olga Borodina
Samson Clifton Forbis
High Priest of Dagon Juha Uusitalo
Old Hebrew Oren Gradus
Abimélech Eric Jordan
Philistines’ messenger Noah Stewart
First Philistine Richard Walker
Second Philistine Jere Torkelsen

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

August 30:

OPERA: TANNHÄUSER (in German)
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner

APPROX. LENGTH: 4 hours

CAST:
Tannhäuser Peter Seiffert
Elisabeth Petra Maria Schnitzer
Venus Petra Lang
Wolfram von Eschenbach James Rutherford
Hermann, Landgrave of
Thuringia Eric Halfvarson
Walther von der
Vogelweide Stefan Margita
Biterolf Gregory Reinhart
Reinmar von Zweter Ricardo Lugo
Heinrich der Schreiber Matthew O’Neill
Shepherd Ji Young Yang

CONDUCTOR: Donald Runnicles
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

September 6:

OPERA: IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE
COMPOSER: Christoph Willibald Gluck

details available at a later date...

September 13:

OPERA: MADAMA BUTTERFLY (in Italian)
COMPOSER: Giacomo Puccini
LIBRETTO: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

APPROX. LENGTH: 2 hours 45 minutes

CAST:
Cio-Cio-San Patricia Racette
B.F. Pinkerton Brandon Jovanovich
Suzuki Zheng Cao
Sharpless Stephen Powell

CONDUCTOR: Donald Runnicles
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

September 20:

OPERA: APPOMATTOX (in English)
COMPOSER: Philip Glass
LIBRETTO: Christopher Hampton

APPROX. LENGTH: 2 hours 30 minutes

CAST:
Robert E. Lee Dwayne Croft
Ulysses S. Grant Andrew shore
Julia Dent Grant Rhoslyn Jones
Mary Custis Lee Eliza van den Heever
Mary Todd Lincoln Heidi Melton
Elizabeth Keckley Kendall Gladen
T. Morris Chester Noah Stewart
Abraham Lincoln Jeremy Galyon
Brig. Gen. Edward
Alexander Chad Shelton
Julia Agnes Lee Ji Young Yang
Edgar Ray Killen Philip Skinner

CONDUCTOR: Dennis Russell Davies
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

September 27:

OPERA: DAS RHEINGOLD (in German)
COMPOSER: Richard Wagner

APPROX. LENGTH: 2 hours 35 minutes

CAST:
Wotan Mark Delavan
Loge Stefan Margita
Alberich Richard Paul Fink
Fricka Jennifer Larmore
Erda Jill Grove
Mime David Cangelosi
Fasolt Andrea Silvestrelli
Fafner Günther Groissböck

CONDUCTOR: Donald Runnicles
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

October 4:

OPERA: ARIODANTE (in Italian)
COMPOSER: George Frideric Handel

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours 30 minutes

CAST:
Ariodante Susan Graham
Ginevra Ruth Ann Swenson
Polinesso Ewa Podles
Dalinda Veronica Cangemi
Lurcanio Richard Croft
The King of Scotland Eric Owens

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

October 11:

OPERA: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (in Italian)
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti
LIBRETTO: Salvatore Cammarano

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours 15 minutes

CAST:
Lucia Natalie Dessay
Edgardo Giuseppe Filianoti
Enrico Gabriele Viviani
Raimondo Oren Gradus

CONDUCTOR: Jean-Yves Ossonce
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

Houston Grand Opera

Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 pm

OPERA: A MASKED BALL (in Italian)
COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi

APPROX. LENGTH: 3 hours 30 minutes

CAST:
Riccardo Ramón Vargas
Amelia Tamara Wilson
Renato Carlo Guelfi
Ulrica Ewa Podles
Oscar Lyubov Petrova
Tom Nikolay Didenko
Samuel Ryan McKinny
Silvano Liam Bonner
Magistrate Beau Gibson

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA, CHORUS & CHILDREN’S CHORUS

Thursday, October 30 at 8:00 pm

OPERA: THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT (in French)
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti

APPROX. LENGTH: 2 hours

CAST:
Marie Laura Claycomb
Tonio Barry Banks
Sargeant Sulpice Bruno Praticò
Marquise de Berkenfeld Ewa Podles
Hortensius Liam Bonner
Corporal James J. Kee

CONDUCTOR: Riccardo Frizza
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

Thursday, November 13 at 8:00 pm

OPERA: THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO (in German)
COMPOSER: W.A. Mozart

CAST:
Konstanze Pamela Armstrong
Belmonte Paul Groves
Osmin Andrea Silvestrelli
Blondie Heidi Stober
Pedrillo Nicholas Phan
Pasha Selim Richard Spuler

CONDUCTOR: William Lacey
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA & CHORUS

Thursday, November 20 at 8:00 pm

OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE (in German)
COMPOSER: W.A. Mozart

CAST:
Pamina Rebekah Camm
Tamino Eric Cutler
Papageno Patrick Carfizzi
Queen of the Night Albina Shagimuratova
Sarastro Raymond Aceto
Monostatos Jon Kolbet
Papagena Alicia Gianni
Speaker of the Temple Chen-Ye Yuan
First Lady Tamara Wilson
Second Lady Maria Markina
Third Lady Jamie Barton

CONDUCTOR: Steven Sloane
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA, CHORUS & CHILDREN’S CHORUS

Thursday, November 27 at 8:00 pm

OPERA: BILLY BUDD (in English)
COMPOSER: Benjamin Britten

CAST:
Billy Budd: Daniel Belcher
Edward Fairfax Vere Andrew Kennedy
John Claggart Phillip Ens
Mr. Redburn Liam Bonner
Mr. Flint Ryan McKinny
Red Whiskers Joseph Evans
Donald Phillip Cutlip
Dansker Gwynn Howell
Novice Chad Freeburg
Novice’s Friend James J. Kee
Maintop Beau Gibson
Squeak Rodell Rosel

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA, CHORUS & CHILDREN’S CHORUS

Thursday, December 11 at 8:00 pm
(World Premiere Double Feature!)

1st Opera

OPERA: LAST ACTS (THREE DECEMBERS) (in English)
COMPOSER: Terrence McNally

CAST:
Madeline Frederica von Stade
Beatrice Kristin Clayton
Charlie Keith Phares
Pianists Patrick Summers & Jake Heggie

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA, CHORUS & CHILDREN'S CHORUS

2nd Opera

OPERA: THE REFUGE (in English)
COMPOSER: Christopher Theofanidis

CAST - AFRICA: CAST - VIETNAM
Albina Shagimuratova, soprano Faith Sherman, mezzo-soprano
Faith Sherman, mezzo-soprano Beau Gibson, tenor
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano Ryan McKinny, bass-baritone
Beau Gibson, tenor
Liam Bonner, baritone Julie Trinh Dang, dan bau and dan tranh
Ryan McKinny, bass-baritone

CAST - MEXICO CAST - PAKISTAN
Albina Shagimuratova, soprano Albina Shagimuratova, soprano
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Spanish Choir, Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral Beau Gibson, tenor
Singers - Miriachi Hermosura Juvenil Ryan McKinny, bass-baritone

CAST - INDIA CAST - SOVIET-ERA JEWISH
Albina Shagimuratova, soprano Albina Shagimuratova, soprano
Faith Sherman, mezzo-soprano Faith Sherman, mezzo-soprano
Liam Bonner, baritone Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Beau Gibson, tenor
Chandrakantha Courtney, sitar Liam Bonner, baritone
David Courtney, tabla Ryan McKinny, bass-baritone

Vadim Angerov, bayan

CAST - CENTRAL AMERICA
Rebekah Camm, soprano

CONDUCTOR: Patrick Summers
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ORCHESTRA, CHORUS & CHILDREN'S CHORUS

The Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera

2008

November 29 LA DAMNATION DE FAUST* (Berlioz) at 12:30 pm

December 6 TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Wagner) at 11:00 pm

December 13 THE QUEEN OF SPADES (Tchaikovsky) at 12:30 pm

December 20 THAÏS* (Massenet) at 12:00 pm

December 27 THE MAGIC FLUTE (Mozart) Abbreviated version (in English) at 1:00 pm

2009

January 3 LA BOHÈME (Puccini) at 1:00 pm

January 10 LA RONDINE* (Puccini) at 1:00 pm

January 17 DOCTOR ATOMIC* (Adams) at 1:00 pm

January 24 ORFEO ED EURIDICE (Gluck) at 1:00 pm

January 31 RIGOLETTO (Verdi) at 1:00 pm

February 7 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Donizetti) at 1:00 pm

February 14 EUGENE ONEGIN (Tchaikovsky) at 1:00 pm

February 21 ADRIANA LECOUVREUR (Cilea) at 1:00 pm

February 28 IL TROVATORE* (Verdi) at 1:00 pm

March 7 MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Puccini) at 1:00 pm

March 14 RUSALKA (Dvorák) at 1:00 pm

March 21 LA SONNAMBULA* (Bellini) at 1:00 pm

March 28 DAS RHEINGOLD (Wagner) at 1:00 pm

April 4 L'ELISIR D’AMORE (Donizetti) at 1:00 pm

April 11 DIE WALKÜRE (Wagner) at 12:00 pm

April 18 SIEGFRIED (Wagner) at 12:00 pm

April 25 GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (Wagner) at 12:00 pm

*New Production