Press Release

Revised 21 January 2014

UPDATE 21 January 2014: New cast and creative details confirmed for From Paris with Love. Please refer to pages 5 and 6 for full details.

WINTER 2014 AT OPERA NORTH

Press Nights at Leeds Grand Theatre

Tues 21 JanPuccini The Girl of the Golden West 7.30pmNEW Leeds

Fri 7 Feb Verdi Macbeth 7.00pmREVIVALLeeds

Fri 14 Feb Puccini to Piaf From Paris with Love 7.30pmNEWLeeds

Opera North’s 2014 Winter Season opens on January 21st 2014 with a long-awaited new production of Puccini’s thrilling The Girl of the Golden West, set during the heady days of the California Gold Rush and directed by Aletta Collins. Two weeks later February 7th,Tim Albery’s bleak, yet vividly energetic 2008 production of Verdi’s Macbeth darkly marks the bicentenary of the composer’s birth. And from February 14th, as a forerunner to Phyllida Lloyd’s much-loved production of La Bohème later in the year, conductor David Parry and director Annabel Arden, bring together leading soloists Jeni Bern, Peter Auty, Geoffrey Dolton and Gabriela Iştoc with the Orchestra of Opera North for atheatrical journey through the renowned city of Romance, with a brand new semi-staged performance entitled From Paris with Love: Puccini to Piaf.

Richard Mantle, Opera North’s general director commented:

“Not since the mid-1980s have Opera North audiences had the opportunity to revel in the exhilarating score Puccini created for the rip-roaring tale of The Girl of the Golden West, for which we are delighted to welcome back Aletta Collins, one of the most imaginative young British directors working in theatres today. For Tim Albery’s gripping production of Macbeth the central roles will be performed by Béla Perencz and Kelly Cae Hogan as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth respectively, who gave sensational performances as Wotan and Brünnhilde in our Die Walküre last year. Perfectly timed for Valentine’s evening and beyond, we look forward to whisking our audiences off to the quintessential city of romance in our musical love letter to all things bohemian – From Paris with Love: Puccini to Piaf.”

THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WESTNEW PRODUCTION

La fanciulla del West

Giacomo Puccini (1910)

Tuesday 21 January 2014 (11 performances)

Sung in Italian with English titles

This Western tale set in the California Gold Rush is directed by Aletta Collins, fresh from her critical successes with the double-bill of La voix humaine/Dido and Aeneas for the Company (2013) and Carmen at Salzburg with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. The intensely lyrical and human score reflects the maturity of Puccini’s characters, experienced in life yet unhardened by it. Filled with delicately poignant moments, this opera presents a dramatic and stunningly beautiful love story.

  • Amongst a host of familiar faces Opera North is particularly thrilled to welcome back soprano Alwyn Mellorto sing Minnie.After early appearances for the Company as Marenka in TheBartered Bride and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, she has more recently become an established international Wagnerian singing for Longborough, Leipzig and the Royal Opera House to name but a few. Her Sieglinde in Opera North’s Die Walkure (2012) was much celebrated and she is currently enjoying huge success singing Brünnhilde in Siegfried for Paris Opera.
  • Following his appearance as Balstrode (Peter Grimes) earlier in the season, Robert Hayward takes on the very different challenge of Jack Rance. This is his second major Puccini role for the Company after his chilling performances as Scarpia in Tosca(2008).
  • Rafael Rojas sings Dick Johnson. He returns to the Company where he has previously sung Ruggiero in LaRondine, the Duke in Rigoletto, Cavaradossi in Toscaand most recently Pickerton in Madama Butterfly.
  • Singing Nick, Bonaventura Bottone returns to the Company where he had many successes early in his career, including as Nemorino in l’Elisir d’Amore and Kudrjas in Katya Kabanova. He has subsequently sung regularly at ENO, Covent Garden and Glyndebourne and has recently sung the role for The Royal Opera House.
  • Following his Company debut in Albert HerringGraeme Danbymakes his role debut as Ashby. He sings regularly withENO, including as Sciarrone in Tosca (2011) and most recently as Zuniga in Carmen (2012).
  • Eddie Wade makes his Company debut as Sonora. He has sung the title role in Rigoletto in Glasgow and Nice and Gunther at Longborough.
  • Following his many roles for Opera North, in The Adventures of Mr Broucek, House of the Dead, Skin Deep andThe Makropoulos Case,Adrian Dwyer sings the role of Trin. His most recent roles include Adres in Wozzeck at ENO and der Steuerman in Der Fliegende Hollander in Belfast in 2013.
  • Opera North’s music director, Richard Farnes, recently nominated in the 2013 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards and the inaugural International Opera Awards will conduct the opera for the first time.

Financially supported by the Friends of Opera North

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MinnieALWYN MELLOR Conductor RICHARD FARNES

Jack RanceROBERT HAYWARD DirectorALETTA COLLINS

Dick JohnsonRAFAEL ROJAS Set DesignerGILES CADLE

NickBONAVENTURA BOTTONE Costume DesignerGABRIELLE DALTON

AshbyGRAEME DANBY Lighting DesignerANDREAS FUCHS

SonoraEDDIE WADE

TrinADRIAN DWYER

Jack Wallace GAVAN RING

José CastroDEAN ROBINSON

Sid JEREMY PEAKER

HandsomePETER BODENHAM

HarryPAUL RENDALL

JoeGRAHAM RUSSELL

HappyPAUL GIBSON

Jim LarkensNICHOLAS BUTTERFIELD

Billy JackrabbitCALLUM THORPE

WowkleKATHRYN WALKER

MACBETHREVIVAL

Giuseppe Verdi (1865)

Friday7 February 2014 (11 performances)

Sung in Italian with English titles

Tim Albery’s “bloody and energetic” 2008 production returns filled withall of Verdi’s musical “extravagance and originality”, of which the famous chorus “Patria opressa!” is just one of the many highlights. “More like a staged graphic novel” this excitingly dramatic, modern-dress production depicts the vivid world of the supernatural through the “bleak and elegantly styled” design of Johan Engels.

  • The Hungarian baritone Béla Perencz, who regularly performs with the Hungarian State Opera, returns to Opera North to sing Macbeth after his critically acclaimed performance as Wotan in Die Walküre last year.
  • Opera North is very pleased to invite American soprano Kelly Cae Hoganto take on a role of Lady Macbeth having flown in at extremely short notice to sing Brünnhilde for the first two performances of Die Walkure. Kelly works extensively in Europe and her roles include Blanche Du Bois in A Streetcar named Desire for Norfolk (2013), Leonore in Fidelio (2012) for Kassel and the title role in both Norma (2012) in Bonn and Salome in Phoenix (2009).
  • Opera North continues to nurture young talent with Korean tenor Jung Soo Yun making his Company debut in the role of Macduff. He has sung the title role in Werther in Nice (2011) and was acclaimed as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at HollandPark (2012).
  • Bass baritone Paul Whelan makes his debut at Opera North singing Banquo. He sang Ramfis in Aida in Sydney (2012) and has recently sung in an All-Wagner programme with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (2013), as well as engagements with the ENO and Glyndebourne.
  • Tobias Ringborg, one of Sweden’s most prolific musical talents, is equally at home as a violinist or conductor. He has conducted Rigoletto for Stockholm Royal Opera (2010) and most recently Madama Butterfly in Auckland (2013). He is welcomed back to Opera North to conduct after his success with the Company’s productions of La Bohème (2010) and Don Giovanni (2012).
  • Martin Pickard conducts 18 and 20 March.

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Lady MacbethKELLY CAE HOGAN ConductorTOBIAS RINGBORG (ex 18, 20 March)

MacbethBÉLA PERENCZMARTIN PICKARD (18, 20 March)

MacduffJUNG SOO YUN Director TIM ALBERY

BanquoPAUL WHELAN Set Designer JOHAN ENGELS

MalcolmROBYN LYN EVANSCostume Designer BRIGITTE REIFFENSTUEL

Lighting DesignerBRUNO POET

ChoreographerMAXINE BRAHAM

FROM PARIS WITH LOVENEW

Puccini to Piaf

Friday 14 February 2014 (4 performances)

In a programme devised by conductor David Parry andAnnabel Arden, From Paris with Love explores the music that helped create the iconic images of Paris as the city of romance and the heart of all things bohemian.

In a theatrical evening of two halves, leading soloists Jeni Bern,Peter Auty, Geoffrey Dolton and Gabriela Iştoc join forces withthe ladies of the Chorus of Opera North to delve into familiar favourites and neglected gems of theoperatic repertoire by composers including Puccini, Massenet, Charpentier, Leoncavallo and Offenbach.We then leave the glamour of the operatic world to discover themore intimate cabarets of the Latin Quarter and bustling bars of Monmartre, infused with cigarettesmoke and with the songs of love and heartbreak popularised by Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. James Holmes leads the café band.

  • Peter Auty returns to Opera North after his acclaimed performance singing the title role in Faust for the Company in 2012. He has been seen recently as Erick in Der fliegende Hollander in Auckland (2013) and as Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra for ENO in 2011.
  • Jeni Bern returns to the Company fresh from singing Tytania in its A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013). She was also recently seen in the Company’s Das Rheingold (2011) as Woglinde and as Musetta in La Bohème (2010).
  • Geoffrey Dolton has performed numerous roles for Opera North since making his professional debut for the Company as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte. More recent roles for the company include Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow (2010) and Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013). He returns to the Company as Alcindoro/ Benoit in La Bohème (2014).
  • Romanian soprano Gabriela Iştoc joins Opera North for the first time, ahead of joining the cast of La Bohèmefor April-May 2014, when she sings Mimi. A graduate of the National Opera Studio, she was a Glyndebourne Jerwood Young Artist 2011, and performed the role of Ludovina (The Yellow Sofa) with Glyndebourne on Tour.
  • David Parry is well known for his championing of important neglected music as well as for his consistently fresh approach to established repertoire in the opera house, on the concert platform, and through his numerous recordings. David Parry conducts the Orchestra of Opera North and James Holmes leads the café band.
  • Annabel Arden’s distinguished career encompasses opera, theatre and broadcasting as well as acting and devising new work. After graduating from Cambridge she co-founded the critically acclaimed Théâtre de Complicité. Her productions for Opera North include La Traviata and The Cunning Little Vixen. She co-directs with Rosalind Parker, director of Ardente Opera.

The programme for From Paris with Love includes:

Massenet

Manon: Prelude

Duet - Ah! Parlez-moi;Nous vivrions a Paris

Puccini

Boheme: Musetta’s Waltz

Leoncavallo

Boheme Act 3: Sei proprio tu

Massenet Méditation from Thaïs

Charpentier

LouiseAct 3: Depuis le jour

Act 2: Interlude - Act 2 Scene 2

Café songs

TrenetMoi, j'aime le music hall

PiafLa vie en rose

L'accordeoniste

BrelLes bonbons

PoulencLes chemins d'amour

SiniavineParis, tu na's pas change

PiafPadam, padam

Mon dieu

Offenbach

La Vie ParisienneOn va courir, on va sortir

Les Contes d’Hoffmann Barcarolle

Orpheus in the UnderworldMinuet Gallop

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Cast:*

SopranoJENI BERN

TenorPETER AUTY

BaritoneGEOFFREY DOLTON

Soprano GABRIELA IŞTOC

Conductor DAVID PARRY

Café band leader JAMES HOLMES

Director ANNABEL ARDEN and ROSALIND PARKER

Devised by DAVID PARRY, ANNABEL ARDEN and JAMES HOLMES

*N.B. Please note that Lesley Garrett has withdrawn from these concerts for personal reasons.

Winter Season

Leeds Grand Theatre

Tues21 JanThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu30 JanThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Fri7 FebMacbeth7.00pm

Sat8 FebThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu13 FebMacbeth7.00pm

Fri 14 FebFrom Paris with Love 7.30pm

Sat 15 FebFrom Paris with Love 7.30pm

Tue18 FebMacbeth7.00pm

Wed19 FebThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu20 FebMacbeth7.00pm

Fri21 FebThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Sat22 FebMacbeth7.00pm

The Lowry, Salford Quays

Wed5 MarchThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu6 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Fri7 MarchThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Sat8 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Tues11 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Wed12 MarchThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu13 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Fri14 MarchThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Sat 15 March From Paris with Love 7.30pm

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

Tues18 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Wed19 MarchThe Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Thu20 MarchMacbeth7.00pm

Fri 21 March The Girl of the Golden West7.30pm

Sat22 MarchFrom Paris with Love7.30pm

For further information and images, please contact:

Julia Gregg, Interim Press & PR Manager

0113 223 3526

Rebekah Wadham, Press Officer

, 0113 223 3528

Molly Fetherston, Communications Assistant, 0113 2233590

*Please note this press release is correct at time of publication.