The Critics on "La Cenerentola"

Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX and Operatic Saint Louis, Harrison Kaplan of BroadwayWorld.com and Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have seen Union Avenue Opera's La Cenerentola. Here's a sampling of what they had to say (to read full reviews, click on the reviewer's name):

Chuck Lavazzi:

"[Abigail] Fischer’s performance is pure brilliance — as is that of everyone else in this remarkable cast ... Bass Adam Fry gives us a delightfully pompous and brilliantly sung Don Magnifico, while bass Kenneth Mattice is all wry amusement as Dandini. Their second-act duet is a classic combination of physical and vocal comedy ... Baritone E. Scott Levin has less interesting material to work with as Alidoro...but he makes the most of it. It’s a fine performance, sung with complete conviction ... [Kara Cornell and Gina Galati] get the characters’ comic bitchiness just right ... Principal Director Jolly Stewart creates decent stage pictures and — unlike so many directors of comic opera — understands that her performers don’t need to be in constant motion to be interesting ... Union Avenue Opera has produced another winner in La Cenerentola."

Harrison Kaplan:

"Both [Abigail Fischer and Keith Boyer] prove capable of handling the demands of Rossini’s score which weaves vocal parts in and out and together in sometimes confusing, but ear-pleasing fashion ... Kenneth Mattice plays the part of Dandini...with a broadness that appeals ... Adam Fry is also over the top as Don Magnifico, with his rich bass voice punctuating a number of hilarious punchlines ... Elizabeth Hastings conducts the orchestral ensemble with considerable aplomb, making excellent work of Rossini’s bouncy and exhilarating score ... Union Avenue Opera's production of La Cenerentola (Cinderella) is an enchanting and mirth-filled production sure to please audiences."

Sarah Bryan Miller:

"Abigail Fischer made an appealing heroine. She's a real coloratura mezzo, with an attractively dark sound and a good technique. To go with it, she has a pre-Raphaelite abundance of red-gold curls, a pretty face, slender figure and likeable persona ... [Keith] Boyer has a big, ringing tenor that negotiated Rossini's demanding lines easily ... [S]oprano Gina Galati and mezzo Kara Cornell were nicely differentiated in their characters, and very funny ... Kenneth Mattice's Dandini, prince for a day, looked good and played the part of the impostor well ... Anthony Heinemann, Nathan Ruggles and Joshua J. Stanton sang well and earned plenty of laughs."

La Cenerentola continues its run this weekend on Saturday, August 6 at 8pm and Sunday, August 7 at 3pm (matinée). Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children’s General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

"La Cenerentola" at Union Avenue Opera July 29 through August 7

The cast of La Cenerentola
© Ron Lindsey, 2011, All rights reserved.

Rossini’s romantic comedy La Cenerentola, based in part on the classic fairy tale Cinderella, was your prototypical rush job. He threw it together in three weeks at the end of 1816 when the libretto he was supposed to set was rejected by the Papal Censor. By way of contrast, mezzo Abigail Fischer spent months learning the elaborate flourishes of the title role for the current Union Avenue Opera production.

In both cases, it was time well spent. The score is a charming cornucopia of elaborate coloratura arias, rapid-fire patter songs, and the kind of layered ensembles that earned Rossini the nickname “Signor Crescendo”, while Ms. Fischer’s performance is pure brilliance — as is that of everyone else in this remarkable cast.

The role of Cenerentola is something of a rarity — a leading coloratura part written for a contralto — but Ms. Fischer sounded completely comfortable with both its range and ornamentation. She has power and flexibility to burn and respectable acting chops as well — a fine performance all the way around.

Rossini was generous to the lower male voices as well, with choice roles for two basses and a baritone — the social-climbing stepfather Don Magnifico, the Prince’s wise tutor Alidoro (substituting for the fairy godmother because Rossini hated supernatural elements in opera), and the wily valet Dandini, who spends most of the opera masquerading as Prince Ramiro so the latter can get an unvarnished look at the Magnifico family.

Bass Adam Fry gives us a delightfully pompous and brilliantly sung Don Magnifico, while bass Kenneth Mattice is all wry amusement as Dandini. Their second-act duet is a classic combination of physical and vocal comedy. Baritone E. Scott Levin has less interesting material to work with as Alidoro — the character is essentially a saintly fellow who delivers the libretto’s explicitly Christian message about the last being first — but he makes the most of it. It’s a fine performance, sung with complete conviction.

Tenor Keith Boyer is also completely invested in the role of Prince Ramiro, whether he’s mooning over Cenerentola or engaging in byplay with Dandini. He’s got a good, clear but not overpowering voice that serves him well.

Soprano Gina Galati and mezzo Kara Cornell are Cenerentola’s stepsisters Clorinda and Tisbe. In this version of the story they’re not so much wicked as foolish, superficial, and terminally self-involved. Both singers get the characters’ comic bitchiness just right and, along with their fellow cast members, navigate the elaborate score with ease.

For this small-scale production, Rossini’s chorus has been reduced to a trio of courtiers sung by Anthony Heinemann, Nathan Ruggles, and Joshua J. Stanton. All three are nicely delineated characters and their voices blend well.

That said, this Cenerentola is not without its issues. Patrick Huber’s set is a bit Spartan, to begin with, so that even the palace seemed threadbare. It also has, I think, too many levels and stairs for the available space, which cuts down on the usable playing areas. Many scenes are shoved off to platforms on the extreme left and right where viewing angles and acoustics are less than ideal, and actors are often left with no sensible way to relate to each other physically.

Given the physical constraints of the set, stage director and Union Avenue Opera Principal Director Jolly Stewart creates decent stage pictures and — unlike so many directors of comic opera — understands that her performers don’t need to be in constant motion to be interesting. Sometimes we just need to be able to enjoy the scintillating music.

Conductor Elizabeth Hastings does a respectable job with the score, but on opening night some of the playing was a bit scrappy, the big ensemble numbers did not always sound as tight as they should have, and the tempo for the famous overture was rather on the stodgy side. The lack of a percussion section also makes the overall sound a bit anemic to my ears, lacking that punch that is so much a part of the Rossini sound.

Still, when all is said and done, Union Avenue Opera has produced another winner in La Cenerentola. The evening, small flaws aside, is beautifully sung, smartly acted, and tremendously entertaining. This is not an opera that comes around often — the last local performance was by Opera Theatre back in 1987 — so it’s definitely worth your time.

La Cenerentola runs through August 7 at the Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union at Enright in the Central West End. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English titles that are easily visible throughout the theatre. If the relatively light attendance on opening night is any indication, there should still be good seats available for the remaining performances. For more information, you may visit unionavenueopera.org.

A Look At "Cenerentola" Costumes

The light comedy and elegance of La Cenerentola will be reflected beautifully in the costumes of Michele Siler, who has shared with Operatic Saint Louis renderings of her designs for all the characters in their various settings and disguises throughout the opera. Click on the images for a closer look.

Angelina/Cenerentola (at home)

Don Magnifico (at home)

Clorinda (at home)

Tisbe (at home)

Alidoro

Dandini (left) & Prince Ramiro (right, in valet disguise)

Prince Ramiro (left) & Dandini (right, in princely disguise)

Angelina/Cenerentola (at the ball)

Clorinda (at the ball)

Tisbe (at the ball)

Don Magnifico (at the ball)

All images ©Michele Siler. All Rights Reserved. Not to be re-posted or redistributed without permission.

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

"La Cenerentola" Opens Friday at UAO

Union Avenue Opera continues its season with Rossini's La Cenerentola, a sparkling rendition of the cherished fairytale Cinderella in this timeless story of the triumph of love. Rossini's interpretation is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Through a series of disguises and clever deceptions, Prince Ramiro aims to find his true love. Meanwhile, the gentle and kind spirited Cenerentola finds the courage within to defy those who stand in her way as she journeys from servants' quarters to a princess' throne.

St. Louis audiences last saw La Cenerentola at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 1987. The Metropolitan Opera recently broadcast its 2009 revival of the piece into movie theaters across the country. Click here for a full synopsis of the opera.

Singing the role of the rags-to-riches heroine, Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer makes her Union Avenue Opera debut as Angelina (nicknamed "Cenerentola" by her step-relatives). Tenor Keith Boyer, who most recently sang the role of Tchekalinsky in Pikovaya Dama and performed on the 2010 Gala Concert at UAO, sings the role of Prince Ramiro. (Singers pictured at left | photo: Ron Lindsey) Returning after his engagement last summer as Hortensius in La fille du Régiment, Baritone Scott Levin will portray Alidoro, the Prince's tutor. Soprano Gina Galati (Giorgietta in 2008's Il Tabarro) and Mezzo-soprano Kara Cornell (Zweiter Dame in 2007's Die Zauberflöte) sing the wicked step-sisters Clorinda and Tisbe, respectively. Two baritones make their UAO debut: Kenneth Mattice as Dandini, the Prince's valet, and Adam Fry as wicked step-father Don Magnifico. Tenors Joshua Stanton, Anthony Heinemann and Baritone Nathan Ruggles comprise a chamber chorus of courtiers.

UAO Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart stages the production. Conductor Elizabeth Hastings makes her UAO debut in the pit. The design team includes Patrick Huber (scenic) and Michele Siler (costumes). Sarah Rugo serves as Stage Manager and Vera Parkin serves as production répetiteur.

Dr. Glen Bauer of Webster University will be giving an Opening Night Lecture on the opera. The lecture begins at 7pm Friday, July 29th, one hour before curtain, in the Fellowship Hall of Union Avenue Christian Church. This lecture is free to the public.

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Where's the glass slipper?

Are you a little puzzled as to why the Prince (Pictured: Keith Boyer | photo: Ron Lindsey) in the picture is examining a bracelet instead of a glass slipper? It is fair to wonder why. Ones perception of the Cinderella story can be challenged by an adaptation such as La Cenerentola. By and large, our American understanding of the fairy tale is often influenced by adaptations derived from two tellings: Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm’s Aschenputtel (1815) and Charles Perrault’s Cendrillon (1697). The former largely influenced Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, while elements of the latter influenced Rodgers & Hammerstein, Walt Disney and Jules Massenet…and Perrault applies to Rossini as well.

Jacopo Ferretti’s libretto, for all of its quirks, has a general framework with the archetypes and symbolism in the Perrault (glass slipper, fairy-godmother, wicked step-parent). There has also been strong suggestion that Ferretti borrowed several characters (or at least an Italianization of their names) straight out of the earlier opera Cendrillon by Maltese composer Nicolas Isouard which debuted a mere seven years before Cenerentola. Nonetheless, the changes are worth a look.

Glass Slipper to Bracelet

Cinderella had lost some kind of footwear long before Perrault added the “glass” detail to the slipper. Rossini’s version replaces the slipper with two matching bracelets. When the opera premiered in Paris, some critics rudely suggested that the bracelet replaced the slipper because the original Roman Cenerentola—contralto Geltrude Righetti—had ugly feet. Signora Righetti fired back at these detractors, explaining that the bracelet was an exercise in good taste, since in Rome, the sight of a woman’s bare foot was considered indecent. “Signor Parisian Journalist,” she added, “should not think that I say this to defend my feet: he does not know me, and if he did, he might say that I have more to gain by adopting the original slipper than by clinging to the bracelet.” Though the bracelet has remained a unique quality of the Italianate Cinderella, it is worth noting that some G. Schirmer editions of the opera include an alternate recitative (in English only) that provides an ending with the glass slipper.

Fairy-godmother to Old Philosopher

The Alidoro figure was previously seen in Isouard’s Cendrillon. The character’s resurgence in Cenerentola might point to Rossini’s larger, overarching decision for the opera itself. Constrained by physical limitations in Italian theatres of the day, Rossini knew that this piece could not be a magical spectacle with an enchanted pumpkin-turned-carriage or helpful rodent-friends of the heroine. The presence of a philosopher fills the role of not only a friend to Cenerentola, but also the Prince’s tutor. Rossini also managed to depart from Isouard’s Alidor, who was far more magical, using an enchanted rose to transform Cendrillon for the ball. Nonetheless, it bears mentioning that Alidoro does have a slight measure of “magic” about him, given that he uses the art of disguise, appearing as an old beggar in order to elicit a response from the three daughters in Don Magnifico’s house.

Role Reversals

A common thread through almost all versions of Cinderella is role reversal: the poor girl becomes a princess, the wicked relatives are undone, etc. The Ferretti libretto adds even more role reversals. Usually, Cinderella only meets the prince after being magically transported to the castle, but in this version, the Prince actively seeks out Cinderella at the outset of the drama. In doing this, Ramiro and his valet embark on yet another role reversal by having Dandini swap clothing with him in order to do some important reconnaissance on the daughters in the Don Magnifico household. Possibly the most striking role reversal occurs at the ball. Cenerentola approaches the Prince, gives one of the bracelets to him and promises that if he really cares about her, he shall find her.

These changes are but a few made by Rossini and Ferretti. Composer and librettist certainly give the new listener a fair amount to chew on, and why not? Themes, archetypes and symbols have been visited and revisited often in literature and film. Why should Opera be any different? Composer and librettist have managed to provide the inevitable “happy ending” just as in other adaptations, but by a decidedly unique journey.

—Phil Touchette

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Interview with "Cenerentola" Director Jolly Stewart

Operatic Saint Louis interviewed Union Avenue Opera's Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart about the company's upcoming production of Rossini's La Cenerentola. Stewart most recently worked with young artists at the Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. La Cenerentola marks her fourteenth production with the company.

Operatic Saint Louis: You have sung the role of Clorinda in La Cenerentola numerous times and used the opera as a scene study with voice students at Washington University. How do your past experiences with the opera inform your vision of this full production?

Jolly Stewart: An intimate knowledge of the music is of course very important, but when one has sung it and felt it in one's own body, the experience is much more visceral on some level than just hearing a piece.

As far as my vision is concerned, it is a fairy tale, but there is a reason that most of the world could tell you this tale. We can all relate at some point to feeling unappreciated or downtrodden about something in our lives. The wishes generated from this state are not always realized, but we recognize the unspoken hopes that things will get better. Although there are many comic moments in this opera, most of them are born of real human behavior we see in ourselves or others.

OSL: Rossini's librettist Jacopo Ferretti includes the character of Dandini, the prince's valet, an archetype rarely found in the Cinderella story (though there is a Dandin in Nicolas Isouard's Cendrillon of 1810). How does Dandini add spice to the Cenerentola plotline?

JS: It is always amusing to see a valet or butler who is more rules- and etiquette-oriented than the person he is serving. I imagine that it was barrels of fun for Dandini to be given full permission to imitate his master. In our production, Dandini and Ramiro have more or less grown up together as buddies, except Ramiro just happens to be a prince and Dandini becomes his valet. Having the sisters think that they are falling for Dandini, only to discover that he is not the prince at all and hearing the extreme snub they have given Ramiro, which later comes back at them, makes for lots of laughs. Keeping Dandini busy with the sisters also allows more time between Ramiro and Cenerentola.

OSL: How does Alidoro, the philosopher, influence the course of events?

JS: We refer to him as the "fairy-godfather." He serves three purposes in this opera. First of all in his appearance as the beggar, we discover Cenerentola's charity towards someone in need. Later we observe the prince asking for advice from his tutor and mentor. The third role of the philosopher with powers to help people change things in their lives is probably the most important role.

OSL: In terms of character, what traits of Rossini's Angelina/Cenerentola do you believe set her apart from other Cinderellas of Massenet, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and so on?

JS: Although I love the music Massenet wrote for Cendrillon, I find the character of Cenerentola vastly more interesting and fleshed out. We see her "goodness" acted out in many ways. Two of the most obvious ones being her interaction with Alidoro, where she gives "the beggar" bread and coffee; the other happens at the end of Rossini's piece, when despite all the despicable abuse taken from her step-father and step-sisters, she wants to reach out to them and share her wealth and happiness.

OSL: For a comedy, there are a few moments of the Ferretti libretto which are decidedly dark. For example, the step-sisters hurl insults such as alma di fango (literally, "soul of mud") and step-father Don Magnifico at one point claims Cenerentola is dead when Alidoro attempts to establish the existence of a third child in the house. How do you deal with presenting these darker moments in an otherwise sophisticated comedy?

JS: Sometimes insults are hurled out of habit. Even though there is no love at all from the other members of Cenerentola's household, I feel that she has learned to live with it, because it is part of what happens daily. She turns it off. Therefore she is able to recover quickly from Magnifico's declaration of "morì" (dead) and only a few measures later contradict her step-father. A page or so later he insists again that the "third" sister is dead. This time she ignores him and is amused and amazed at her family's confused state.

OSL: Rossini's scores never hurt for exciting coloratura and ensembles. What arias, duets and ensembles do you most enjoy bringing to life onstage?

JS: It is all so witty and full of bubbles and spritz. One of my favorite duets, however, is between Magnifico and Dandini, where the valet informs Magnifico of his humble state. Some of the large ensembles are astounding. The composer is able to repeat long coloratura passages in different characters all the while keeping the characteristic momentum of the Rossini "train" going at an amazing clip.

OSL: Can you recommend musical moments audiences should definitely look out for?

JS: There is one seven measure passage where Cenerentola is begging her step-father to allow her to go to the ball. The music is an ascending phrase which to my mind foreshadows some of Verdi's beautiful melodies. One of the ensembles I was describing earlier is what I call "gruppo." It comes pretty close to the end. Also the tenor aria rivals the "high C" aria from Donizetti's La fille du Régiment. At the very end of course Ceneretola sings one of the great lyric mezzo coloratura arias "Non più mesta."

OSL: The Cinderella story has taken place in a variety of times and settings, giving the director a number of possibilities. In working with your design team, what concept did you arrive at for sets and costumes?

JS: We debated between the Empire and Biedermeier periods and decided that especially for the sisters, the Biedermeier costumes would lead to more comedy. Without a curtain it is difficult to go back and forth between Magnifico's house and the palace/castle. So we are asking the audience to buy into the idea of having the set changed in front of their eyes during musical numbers. It becomes more and more part of the story. I won't give away more than that.

Operatic Saint Louis: Some folks might be flummoxed by a Cinderella without the familiar glass slipper, wicked step-mother, fairy-godmother and magical spectacle...how would you convince them into attending La Cenerentola?

Jolly Stewart: First and foremost, the music is absolutely delicious. It sweeps you off your feet. The glass slipper is not nearly as important as the actual thing which draws the two lovers together. They both find each other so appealing and full of goodness and joy, that even without a slipper or a bracelet, I feel they would have found each other again.

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

From One Fairytale to the Next...

Just as Union Avenue Opera heads into its second weekend of the Chinese fairytale of Turandot, the company readies itself for quite possibly the most-told fairytale of them all with Rossini's La Cenerentola ("Cinderella"). The cast and crew arrived in town earlier this week and rehearsals are fully underway.


Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer (pictured above | photo: Ron Lindsey) sings the title role with Tenor Keith Boyer as Prince Ramiro. Several UAO veterans and newcomers fill out the cast. Jolly Stewart directs alongside debuting conductor Elizabeth Hastings. Be sure not to miss this charming, effervescent, Italianate take on the Cinderella story. Don't forget to bring the kids, too!!

La Cenerentola opens Friday, July 29 and will run for three more performances on July 30, Aug 6 & 7(M). Performances begin 8pm, except for 3pm Matinee on August 7. Production sung in Italian with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church; 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis, 63108.

Tickets range $30-52. Children's General Admission Tickets (ages 12 and under) are available for $15. Student Rush Tickets are $15 with valid Student ID (cash only) for any remaining seats available 15 minutes before curtain. To purchase Tickets or find more information about Union Avenue Opera, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

Union Avenue Opera: 17th Season Overview

Union Avenue Opera prepares to raise the curtain on its 17th Festival Season. After great success with last season’s local premiere of Tchaikovsky’s psychological drama Pikovaya Dama (Queen of Spades), the comedic operetta The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan, and the romance of La fille du régiment (Daughter of the Regiment) by Donizetti, the company brings two well-loved operas and one local premiere to the stage.

Audiences will experience the passion and pageantry of ancient China in Puccini's Turandot, laugh through a whimsical Italianate telling of the Cinderella story in Rossini's La Cenerentola and plumb the depths of human evil and goodness in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.

IN THE PIT AND BEFORE THE FOOTLIGHTS...

Artistic Director and Conductor Scott Schoonover is set to conduct both Turandot and Dead Man Walking. Conductor Elizabeth Hastings makes her UAO conducting debut with La Cenerentola.

Chicago-based Stage Director Mark James Meier returns to stage the upcoming Turandot. UAO Principal Stage Director Jolly Stewart will return next month to stage La Cenerentola. Stage Director Tim Ocel returns to stage Dead Man Walking.

Set Designer Patrick Huber has designed a festival set for the summer season. Costume Designer Teresa Doggett is at the helm for Turandot and Dead Man Walking, and Michele Siler will make her costume design debut with UAO on La Cenerentola.

THOSE BASKING IN THE FOOTLIGHTS...

Union Avenue Opera welcomes back artists from past seasons:

Cast of Turandot: Alexandra LoBianco (Turandot), Christia Starnes (Liù), Todd von Felker (Ping), Clark Sturdevant (Pang), Andrew Papas (Pong), Jon Garrett (Emperor) and Nathan Ruggles (Mandarino).

Cast of La Cenerentola: Keith Boyer (Prince Ramiro), Kara Cornell (Tisbe), Gina Galati (Clorinda), and Scott Levin (Alidoro).

Cast of Dead Man Walking: Jordan Shanahan (Joseph De Rocher), Debra Hillabrand (Mrs. Patrick De Rocher), Marlissa Hudson (Sister Rose), Robert Reed (Warden George Benton), Cecelia Stearman (Jade Boucher), Jon Garrett (Howard Boucher), David Dillard (Owen Hart), Stephanie Tennill (Kitty Hart), Victoria Carmichael (Sister Lillianne), Joy Boland (Sister Catherine), Clark Sturdevant (Father Grenville), Philip Touchette (Motor Cop), Thomas Sitzler and Nathan Ruggles (Guards).

Several artists will make their UAO debut:

• Tenor Adam Herskowitz (Calàf, Turandot)
• Bass Aaron Stegemöller (Timur, Turandot)
• Mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer (Angelina, La Cenerentola)
• Baritone Kenneth Mattice (Dandini, La Cenerentola)
• Baritone Adam Fry (Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola)
• Mezzo-soprano Elise Quagliata (Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking)

WHEN, WHERE and WHITHER TICKETS?

Turandot runs July 8, 9, 15, 16. La Cenerentola runs July 29, 30, Aug 6, 7(Mat). Dead Man Walking runs August 19, 20, 26, 27. All performances at 8pm, except for the La Cenerentola matinée at 3pm. Turandot and La Cenerentola are performed in Italian. Dead Man Walking is performed in English. All operas will be presented with projected English supertitles. Venue: Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 N. Union Blvd, St. Louis.

To purchase tickets (running $30-52) and find more information about UAO, please call 314.361.2881 or visit http://www.unionavenueopera.org/

UAO Season One Month Away

In a month, Union Avenue Opera will commence its 17th summer festival season with Puccini's Turandot, followed by Rossini's La Cenerentola ("Cinderella") and concluding with the midwestern premiere of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Rehearsal for the season is fully underway, as artistic director and conductor Scott Schoonover has begun preparing the ensembles of all three productions as well as the children's ensembles of Turandot and Dead Man Walking. In two weeks, the cast and crew of Turandot will converge in St. Louis to begin a three-week staging process before the season opening.

Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets are currently on sale. 3-Opera Season Subscriptions run $85-$111. Single Tickets run $30-52. Student Rush Tickets ($15) will be sold 15 minutes before curtain time (cash only). Tickets may be purchased online at the UAO website or by calling the Box Office at 314.361.2881

Visit Operatic Saint Louis throughout the coming months to view further exclusive content and information on UAO's 17th season and special events surrounding each production. http://www.unionavenueopera.org/