A
new production of the classic dark comedy, like you have never seen it
before. Artistic Direction and conducting by Mozart expert Isaac Selya,
who holds a doctorate with specialization in Mozart’s operas. A dark
comedy about a sleazy young nobleman who receives a supernatural
punishment for committing rape and murder.
The issues of consent and
sexual assault are central to this opera, so we are partnering with
Jewish Family Services and Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio to
present workshops on consent. There will be a workshop and discussion
one hour before each performance at the theater. Concessions will be
available for purchase from BLOC Coffee and Madisono’s Gelato.
Leporello: Derrell Acon
Derrell returns to QCO following his performance as a soloist in Handel’s Israel in Egypt. He is a recent graduate from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he completed a doctoral degree with a focus in 19th-Century Opera History and Performance. He is a 2013-2014 United States of America Fulbright Scholar to Italy, where he researched Verdian opera and lectured on the Black Experience in America.
Some of his operatic roles include Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. He recently debuted at Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, Israeli Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Deutsches Theater München, Kölner Philharmonie, and Alte Oper Frankfurt in Porgy and Bess as Jake and Jim, and as Principal Male Dancer.
Donna Anna: Alexandra Schoeny
With a voice hailed as “hauntingly beautiful” by Opera News, American soprano Alexandra Schoeny is swiftly gaining recognition on both sides of the Atlantic for her “crystal-clear voice.” In the 2016-17 season, Ms. Schoeny is soloist in Brahm’s Requiem with Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Cincinnati Opera. Her engagements in the 2015-16 season included Miss Lightfoot in the world premiere of Spears’ Fellow Travelers with Cincinnati Opera; Mrs. Julian in Owen Wingrave with Städtische Bühnen Osnabrück; Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Eugene Symphony; and Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater with New European Ensemble.
Ms. Schoeny is generously sponsored by Marilyn Z. Ott.
Don Giovanni: Michael Young
Michael returns to QCO following his appearance in Handel’s Israel in Egypt as a soloist and his performance in Siegfried of Alberich, a role he reprised in San Francisco at Valhalla Productions. He is a native of Cortland, Ohio and a graduate of The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He is a First Prize winner of the Palm Beach Opera International Vocal Competition, The CCM Undergraduate Vocal Competition, and a two time winner of the Corbett Competition.
Michael’s operatic engagements include Scarpia in Tosca and Marcello in La Bohème at Opera Western Reserve, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, and various supporting roles at Cincinnati Opera and Dayton Opera. Recent concert repertoire includes the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and baritone soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Engagements in 2017 include the Requiems of both Brahms and Mozart, and Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
Masetto: Adam Cioffari
Bass-baritone Adam Cioffari sang the role of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte in a return to the Teatro Municipal de Santiago as well as the role of Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Columbus, Colline in La bohème with Knoxville Opera, Masetto in Don Giovanni with Austin Opera, and Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos at The Glimmerglass Festival. Recent debuts include the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Theatre Capitole de Toulouse. Future engagements include return appearances with the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Akron Symphony. He recently joined the Staatstheater Stuttgart for a number of roles. He also joined Komische Oper Berlin as a member of its studio from 2010-2012. A former member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, he created the role of Stanley in the world premiere of Previn’s Brief Encounter, a recording of which has been released on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Other performances with the company include Elviro in Xerxes, both Angelotti and the Jailer in Tosca, and Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Tenor M. Andrew Jones return to Queen City Opera after his breathtaking performances in Siegfried as Mime, a role that he reprised at Valhalla Productions in San Francisco. His other performances include Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Queen City Opera, 1st Armored Man/Second Priest in Die Zauberflöte with Dayton Opera, The Messenger in Aida as well as the Innkeeper in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier with Cincinnati Opera, Benny “Kid” Paret/Benny Jr. from Champion, Sellem from The Rake’s Progress with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Spoletta in Tosca with Cedar Rapids Opera company, and Don José in Carmen at CCM Summer Opera.
Mr. Jones has a Master’s of Music in Vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where he performed the roles of Lennie in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men and Bardolfo in Verdi’s Falstaff. He received his Bachelor of Arts in music from Luther College where he performed the role of Monastatos in Die Zauberflöte.
Donna Elvira: Erin Keesy
Erin Keesy returns to QCO after appearing as a soloist in Handel’s Israel in Egypt. She is a recent graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music where she received her Masters and Artist Diploma degrees. In her 2015-16 season, she performed with Cincinnati Opera in Die Fledermaus, Fidelio, and Tosca. She also performed the role of the Countess in Cincinnati Opera Outbound’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. On the concert stage, she performed with the Louisville Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah. She also made her debut with the Cincinnati POPS orchestra in their season-opening concert singing Queen of the Night and other selections. She has also performed with Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, where she recently sang Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard. She is excited to be joining Cincinnati Opera this summer as a young artist.
Zerlina: Melisa Bonetti
Mezzo-Soprano Melisa Bonetti return to QCO after appearing as a soloist in Handel’s Israel in Egypt. She has been hailed by Opera Today as “a warm, supple mezzo that struck all the right impressions” and as “commanding a wonderful presence in the lower middle voice but also easily soaring heavenward with a well-schooled top.” Ms. Bonetti’s 2017 season proves to be exciting and diverse as it ranges from the premiere of a new opera with Nashville Opera and American Opera Projects in NYC to Mozart engagements with the Dayton Philharmonic. She will also perform in a Spanish recital with The Guitar Society of Cincinnati, and perform the role of Tyler in the NYC premiere of Three Way by Robert Paterson. Melisa’s most recent engagements include Mercedes in Carmen at Nashville Opera and Opera Columbus. Future highlights include covering Dalila in Samson et Dalila, and the role of Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor with Virginia Opera. She has also appeared with Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, the Lexington Philharmonic, Cincinnati Chamber Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera.
Stage Director: Josh Shaw
One of Musical America’s Top 30 Innovators in Classical Music in 2016, Josh is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Project (POP), a Los Angeles based company dedicated to producing affordable, accessible, and ENTERTAINING opera. He has directed 23 productions at POP including Ariadne auf Naxos, La calisto, Tosca, and La bohème. His reimagining of Die Entführung aus dem Serail as an episode of Star Trek has gained national attention and been produced by seven companies.
Costume Design: David Arevalo
David is thrilled to be working on his first production with QCO. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and a native of San Antonio, TX. He moved to the Queen City to work at CCM in 2008 where he built costumes for innumerable productions in the drama, musical theatre and opera departments. He currently splits his time between freelancing out of his home studio in Price Hill, working in regional theatres across the country, and spending his summers (2017 marks his 10th) at the Santa Fe Opera.
Production Design: Lizzy DuQuette
Lizzy DuQuette is a multimedia artist living in East Price Hill. This is her fifth time working with Queen City Opera. Past productions include design for Mozart’s Abduction, and Wagner’s Siegfried Act II and III. She created illustrated projections for QCO’s Israel in Egypt at the Mayerson JCC. In 2014, Lizzy collaborated with Lisa Tompkins to create WOBBLE, an interactive sculpture for the Contemporary Arts Center’s unMuseum. Lizzy recently apprenticed with the legendary Bread & Puppet Theater in Glover, VT.
Lighting Design and Technical Director: Larry Csernik
Larry Csernik is lighting designer for theatre and dance. Originally from Louisville, KY, Larry is a local lighting designer who stayed in Cincinnati after attaining his BA in Theater at Northern Kentucky University. At NKU he has designed many shows including Mud Nostalgia, The Divine Visitor, Dance, The Wedding Singer, Birds, Years: A Musical, As You Like It, The Heidi Chronicles, and most recently Angels in America: Part I. For the past four years he has designed for both The Commonwealth Theatre Company as well as The Contemporary Dance Theatre of Cincinnati. Other recent productions include The Full Monty and Willy Wonka (The Carnegie in Covington), the premier performance of Soldier’s Christmas (Blueline Editorial), and numerous shows at Thomas More College. He is pleased to return once again to Queen City Opera after designing for Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Rossini’s Cinderella.