November 8, 2004
What: Oakland Opera Theater to produce
a fully staged version of Igor Stravinsky’s Rake’s
Progress.
When: Previews
Thursday, December 2. Runs Thursday – Sunday through December 19, 2004.
Time: *Thursday, Friday
& Saturday – 8:00pm / Sunday – 2:00pm
*Performance
on Thursday, December 9 will begin at 8:45pm, following reception.
Where: Oakland
Metro, 201 Broadway (at 2nd St. near Jack London Square)
(510)
763-1146 http://www.oaklandmetro.org
Venue
entry & seating are wheelchair accessible – restrooms are not.
Tickets: Friday
& Saturday
Advance -
$27.50/general & $22.00/students & seniors
Day of Show
- $32.00/general & $25.00/students & seniors
Advance -
$24.00/general & $18.00/students & seniors
Day of Show
- $28.00/general & $22.00/students & seniors
Advance
tickets are available online http://www.oaklandopera.org or by check
Additional: Doors &
box office open 1/2 hour prior to performance – all seats are general.
Photo(s) enclosed are also available online in color and black
& white as 300dpi downloadable jpeg files.
Oakland Opera Theater is thrilled to
produce Igor Stravinsky’s phenomenal masterwork, Rake’s Progress. Featuring
a libretto by W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman, Rake’s Progress includes
all the elements of an epic fable – an emotional battle between true love
and honest work versus easy money and the fast life, plus a deal with the devil
and eventual madness. Oakland Opera Theater’s version will be set in the
late 1970s, as our hero starts off in the humble surroundings of suburban New
Jersey, quickly moving on up to the fast lane of Manhattan. Stravinsky’s
original inspiration for the post-WWII opera came from a series of William
Hogarth’s panel engravings illustrating the rise and fall of a young man
searching for direction - an 18th century version of the cartoon
strip. Our set, designed by
Garrett Lowe, will honor and evoke this inspiration.
Musical Director Deirdre McClure
will join us from Portland, ME, conducting all performances, save for December
9 & 16, when local conductor Kelly Crandall will take up the baton. Tom
Dean, OOT’s artistic director, will provide stage direction; and in a
unique multi-disciplinary twist, Corey Action, founder and director of New
Style Motherlode Dance Company, will choreograph.
Principal roles are double cast, and feature the fine talents of the following: tenors, Alan Cochran and Jonathan Smucker in the title role; sopranos, Erina Newkirk and Fabienne Wood as Anne Trulove; Martin Bell and Jo Vincent Parks as the devilish Nick Shadow; mezzos Katherine Growdon and Alexis Lane Jensen as Baba the Turk; bass baritones Cliff Romig and Paul Tavernier as Trulove, along with a host of other exciting singers. Our 12-piece orchestra features Skye Atman, piano; Lylia Guion, violin; Darcy Rindt, viola; Shain Carrasco, cello; Sheldon Brown, clarinets; Sarah Holzman, flute, among others.
(OVER)
Bios
Musical Director/Conductor - Deirdre McClure
Dividing her time between here and Portland, ME, we're honored to
be working with Ms. McClure once again. She has conducted extensively
throughout the US & Canada, including Lincoln Center, the Knitting Factory,
the Smithsonian and Yerba Buena Center. Her career, spanning both traditional and
contemporary music, has included opera, dance, silent film performances, as
well as non-programmatic works.
Conductor, 12/9 & 12/16 - Kelly Crandall
Kelly Crandall was chosen by Ms. McClure to assist with this
production. He also worked with OOT on our 2002 production of Así Que
Pasen Cinco Años and we're pleased to work with him again.
Stage Director - Tom Dean
Artistic Director Tom Dean returns to his role as stage director,
previously directing company productions such as Three Sisters who are not Sisters, Four
Saints in Three Acts, Así Que Pasen Cinco Años, among
others. He is co-founder of Oakland Opera Theater and has composed numerous
operas, including OOTs upcoming May 2005 production White Darkness.
Choreographer - Corey Action
Oakland choreographer Corey Action is a multi-talented individual
with a gift for music, dance and teaching others. A co-founder of New Style
Motherlode Dance, he produces several shows a year with his professional company,
as well as his youth company, Diamond Dance. His dance studio of the same name
is the site of classes for all ages, ranging from hiphop to jazz to bellydance.
Assistant Musical Director - Skye Atman
Skye began her musical training at age 6, holding music degrees
from the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, Washington University and the USC
Graduate School of Music in Los Angeles. For the past 25 years, she has worked
throughout the US and the UK as a solo performer, composer, arranger,
accompanist, musical director, vocal coach and piano teacher. This is her
fourth season with OOT.
Scenic Artisan - Garrett Lowe
Garrett studied at New York University and Playwright's Horizon.
He has been designing and working in Bay Area theater for the past ten years.
This is his eighth production with OOT.