"Siegfried" Opens Tomorrow at Union Avenue Opera

Clay Hilley
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2014
All Rights Reserved

Union Avenue Opera's four-year journey through Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle continues after the critically lauded Die Walküre from last season with the third opera in the cycle: Siegfried.

Swords are re-forged, dragons slain, a sleeping maiden awakened, treasures reclaimed, and justice dispensed as the power of the gods continues to dwindle. The fearless hero Siegfried, grandson of Wotan, is destined for greatness as he faces a multitude of challenges, including winning the love of Brünnhilde. Siegfried is a wonderful fairytale with the requisite happy ending ... for the moment at least. Siegfried is reduced and adapted by English composer Jonathan Dove. His masterful cuts condense the opera in length to under three hours and will be enhanced by video projections befitting the magnificent grandeur of the Ring Cycle.

Jordan Shanahan and David Dillard
Photo © John Lamb, 2014
All Rights Reserved

THE CAST

Tenor Clay Hilley makes his UAO debut in the title role. He comes to us after engagements as Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking and Radames in Aida. Soprano Alexandra LoBianco, joins him onstage, making her return to the role of Brünnhilde. Last seen as Goro in last season's Madama Butterfly, Tenor Marc Schapman sings the role of Mime, a dwarf that raises the story's hero. Also returning from the Butterfly cast, Baritone David Dillard portrays The Wanderer--the head god Wotan in disguise. Bass Nathan Whitson, Hunding in last season's Die Walküre, returns in the role of the giant-turned-dragon Fafner. Two artists return to roles previously sung in 2012's Das Rheingold: Mezzo Soprano Cecelia Stearman as Erda and Baritone Jordan Shanahan as Alberich. Soprano Kate Reimann sings the role of the Forest Bird.

Cecelia Stearman
Photo © Teresa Doggett, 2014 | All Rights Reserved

THE CREW

UAO Artistic Director and Conductor Scott Schoonover leads the orchestra. Stage Director Karen Coe Miller returns after Das Rheingold and Die Walküre to continue her work on the reduced Ring Cycle. Allyson Ditchey serves as Stage Manager. The design team includes Set and Lighting Designer Patrick Huber, Video Projection Designer Michael Perkins, Costume Designer Teresa Doggett and Production Manager Sean Savoie. Pianist Nancy Mayo serves as repetiteur.

Alexandra LoBianco
Photo © Teresa Doggett, 2014 | All Rights Reserved

FRIDAY NIGHT
LECTURE SERIES

Glen Bauer, Ph.D., Associate Chair of the Webster University Music Department, will give a lecture one hour before each Friday performance (August 1st and 8th at 7:00pm) in the Fellowship Gallery of Union Avenue Christian Church. Lectures are free and open to the general public; no ticket to the performance required. 

Marc Schapman and Clay Hilley
Photo © John Lamb, 2014
All Rights Reserved

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

Want a chance to eat, drink and schmooze with cast and crew of Siegfried on Opening Night? UAO hosts an Opening Night Reception on Friday, August 22nd after the performance at Tavern of Fine Arts. Click here for more information.

"SIEGFRIED" IN THE MEDIA

Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers the production, interviewing Clay Hilley.

Gerry Kowarsky and Marc Bretz of Two on the Aisle sit down with Karen Coe Miller and Alexandra LoBianco to discuss Siegfried and the Ring Cycle.

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Siegfried opens tomorrow, August 22nd, and runs August 23, 29 and 30 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

"Die Walküre" Opens Tonight at Union Avenue Opera

Alexandra LoBianco & Timothy Bruno
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013 | All Rights Reserved

Timothy Bruno
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
All Rights Reserved

Union Avenue Opera's four-year journey through Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle continues on the heels of 2012's successful mounting of Das Rheingold. The second installment, Die Walküre, showcases some of Wagner's most renowned music, including his famous "Ride of the Valkyries." UAO presents Die Walküre in a condensed and reduced version by composer Jonathan Dove. This will be the third time the Ring Cycle has been performed in St. Louis. Patricia Rice of the St. Louis Beacon reports that the last two were brought here in 1889 and 1930 by the touring German Opera Company.

Amber Smoke & James Taylor
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013 | All Rights Reserved

Wotan, ruler of the gods, wishes to protect his children, but is forced to forsake them when his twin offspring, Siegmund and Sieglinde, find themselves entangled in forbidden love. In an attempt to protect Siegmund, Brünnhilde, Wotan's Valkyrie daughter, disobey's her father's command and is duly punished: Wotan strips her of her immortality and puts her to sleep surrounded by a wall of flames that only the greatest hero can conquer.

Elise Quagliata
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
All Rights Reserved

THE CAST

Three UAO veterans return for Die Walküre: Soprano Alexandra LoBianco, Leonora in 2009's Il Trovatore and the title role in 2011's Turandot, sings the role of Brünnhilde. Mezzo-Soprano Elise Quagliata returns to sing Fricka, the role she portrayed last season in Das Rheingold. Mezzo-Soprano Cecelia Stearman, who sang in Das Rheingold as earth goddess Erda, portrays the valkyrie Waltraute.

Six artists make their UAO debut. Bass Timothy Bruno sings the role of Wotan. Tenor James Taylor and Mezzo-Soprano Amber Smoke portray Siegmund and Sieglinde, respectively. Bass Nathan Whitson appears as Hunding, Sieglinde's husband. Soprano Melissa Sumner and Mezzo-Soprano Lindsey Anderson round out the cast as valkryies Helmwige and Rossweisse, respectively.

Alexandra LoBianco
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
All Rights Reserved

THE CREW

UAO Artistic Director and Conductor Scott Schoonover leads the orchestra. Stage Director Karen Coe Miller returns after staging Das Rheingold last season. Allyson Ditchey serves as Stage Manager. The Design team includes Set & Lighting Designer Patrick Huber, Projection Designer Michael B. Perkins, Costume Designer Teresa Doggett and Production Manager Sean Savoie. Pianist Nancy Mayo serves as rehearsal pianist.

FRIDAY NIGHT LECTURES

Audience members who missed Scott Stearman's August 8th lecture have another opportunity to learn more about Die Walküre. Glen Bauer, Ph.D., Associate Chair of the Webster University Music Department, will give a lecture one hour before each Friday performance (August 16/23) in the Fellowship Gallery of Union Avenue Christian Church. Admittance to this lecture is free and open to the general public.

Nathan Whitson
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
All Rights Reserved

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

Want a chance to drink and be merry with cast and crew of Die Walküre on Opening Night? UAO hosts an Opening Night Reception on August 16 after the performance at Tavern of Fine Arts. Click here for more information.

DIE WALKÜRE IN THE MEDIA

Steve Potter chats with Karen Coe Miller, James Taylor and Alexandra LoBianco on a recent episode of Cityscape on 90.7 KWMU.

Patricia Rice of the St. Louis Beacon interviews the cast and crew of Die Walküre.

Sarah Bryan Miller speaks with director Coe Miller, conductor Schoonover and lead soprano LoBianco on the Jonathan Dove reduction and the opera's challenges for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

OnStl contributor Chuck Lavazzi previews the production.

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Die Walküre opens August 16 and runs August 17, 23, 24 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

Need a 'Ring Cycle' Crash Course?

Worried about attending UAO's Die Walküre if you've never seen its predecessor Das Rheingold? Fear not! Classical music humorist Anna Russell will catch you up in her witty, famous and irreverent (but always loving) "analysis" of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

(The above embedded video is a playlist of three videos.)

Die Walküre opens August 16 and runs August 17, 23 and 24 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.

Free Wagner Lecture Tonight at UAO

Alexandra LoBianco (Brünnhilde) & Bass Timothy Bruno (Wotan)
Photo © Ron Lindsey, 2013
All Rights Reserved

Join Union Avenue Opera and Dr. Scott Stearman tonight for a free interactive presentation leading up to the St. Louis premiere of Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre, reduced and adapted by Jonathan Dove. Die Walküre is the second installment of Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle which the company started last summer with its production of Das Rheingold.

Dr. Scott Stearman

Stearman, senior pastor of Kirkwood Baptist Church and adjunct faculty member of Webster University and Missouri Baptist University, returns to UAO after his popular lectures last season to lead us on an exploration of themes in the Ring Cycle and Die Walküre. This lecture begins tonight at 7 p.m. on August 8 in the Fellowship Gallery at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd., and is FREE and open to the public. Attendees will be treated to a guest performance by select cast members of Die Walküre.

Power, Polytheism, Polyamory, & Impotence in Wagner’s Valkyrie.

Can you truly love more than one person? Does love oppose power? Why do leaders fall victim to seductive crass power instead of seeking mutual agreement? Does father really know best? In this talk, Stearman will address these questions as he leads us on an exploration of themes in the Ring cycle and Die Walküre. This second installment in the cycle deals with questions most of us face regularly: questions of love and marriage, sex and responsibility, power and politics, and parents and honor. Die Walküre is a rich, multi-layered work that touches on aspects central to our communal and personal lives. Mr. Stearman’s talk will highlight a few of these in anticipation of the enlightening and stirring performances of Wagner’s Valkyrian masterpiece. There will be a Q&A session following the lecture.

Die Walküre opens August 16 and runs August 17, 23 and 24 at Union Avenue Opera, 733 N. Union Blvd. Performances begin at 8:00pm. Production sung in German with projected English supertitles. Tickets may be purchased online at www.unionavenueopera.org or by calling 314-361-2881.