Opera Laurier Presents Famiglia: From Chosen to Blood

Oct. 15, 2024

Friday, November 8th at 7:30pm
Saturday, November 9th at 7:30pm
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall

Cast appears in the following order: Friday/Saturday

Musical Director: Kate Carver
Stage Director: Mario Pacheco
VOX Vocal Director: Amanda Kind
VOX Teaching Assistants: Eric Da Costa, Dayna Manning
Technical Director: Laura Johnson
Wardrobe Coordinator: Nicole Del Cul
Stage Management: Lauren Deluca, Dana McCallum
Props: Priya Khatri (co-head), Amanda Jeffreys (co-head), Em Shepherd, Pilar Bianchini
Costumes: Annika Joy (head), Amye Buchan, Drew Aarssen, Sarah Hu-A-Kam, Naomi Schlegel, Kate Markwart, Em Shepherd, Alexander Muth
Makeup and Hair: Elaine Glinos Manay (head), Amye Buchan, Meghan Mair, Sarah Hu-A-Kam, Heather Jones
Technical and Set: Roland Kessler (head), Simone Lemieux, Kate Markwart, Priya Khatri
Marketing and Publicity: Delaney Dam (co-head), Emmanuel Dye (co-head), Amanda Jeffreys, Pilar Bianchini, Kate Markwart, Lindsay Scott
Surtitles: Nicole Hamilton (head), Alexander Muth, Heather Jones, Meghan Mair, Natalia Sawyer, Emmanuel Dye, Drew Aarssen

Opera Laurier and VOX Roster

We ask that patrons take photos only during intermission and/or after the show and refrain from recording audio or video unless otherwise announced at the beginning of the show.

Strobe warning: Please note that a strobe light effect will be used during Hänsel und Gretel, Act III, scene 3.

Program

Don Giovanni Act I, scene 5-7 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Don Giovanni: Roland Kessler/Drew Aarssen
Leporello: Alexander Muth/Connor King
Masetto: Connor King/Emmanuel Dye
Elvira: Elaine Glinos Manay/Nicole Hamilton
Zerlina: Naomi Schlegel/Kate Markwart
Chorus: All students
Piano/Music Director: Gavin Yeomans

The Glamorous Life from A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)
Frederika: Lindsay Scott/Heather Jones
Desiree: Priya Khatri/Annika Joy
Mme Armfeldt: Simone Lemieux
Liebeslieders
Mrs. Segstrom: Meghan Mair
Mr. Erlanson: Morgan Ballantyne
Mrs. Anderssen: Pilar Bianchini
Mrs. Nordstrom: Em Shepherd
Mr. Lindquist: Connor King
Piano: Natalia Sawyer

Hänsel und Gretel, Act III, scene 3 by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)
Hansel: Delaney Dam/Simone Lemieux
Gretel: Priya Khatri/Sarah Hu-A-Kam
Witch: Annika Joy/Amanda Jeffreys
Piano: Gavin Yeomans

Cosi fan tutte, Act I, scene 2 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Fiordiligi: Lucy Gill/Meghan Mair
Dorabella: Amye Buchan/Pilar Bianchini
Piano/Music Director: Natalia Sawyer

Cendrillon, Act III, scene 2 & 3 by Jules Massenet (1842-1912)
Mme de la Haltière: Delaney Dam/Simone Lemieux
Noémie: Naomi Schlegel/Lindsay Scott
Dorothée: Kate Markwart/Em Shepherd
Pandolfe: Drew Aarssen/Alexander Muth
Cendrillon: Sarah Hu-A-Kam/Nicole Hamilton
Piano: Gavin Yeomans

Ulysses, Act I, no. 1-7 by Drew Aarssen (b. 2002)
Galius: Emmanuel Dye
Eumaeus: Drew Aarssen/Roland Kessler
Nausicaa: Sarah Hu-A-Kam/Priya Khatri
Telemachus: Morgan Ballantyne
Penelope: Amanda Jeffreys/Delaney Dam
Ulysses: Roland Kessler/Drew Aarssen
Chorus: Lucy Gill, Lindsay Scott, Annika Joy, Alexander Muth
Piano: Gavin Yeomans

Carmen, Act III, no. 21 & 22 by Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Frasquita: Heather Jones/Pilar Bianchini
Mercedes: Nicole Hamilton /Naomi Schlegel
Carmen: Amanda Jeffreys/Amye Buchan
Micaëla: Meghan Mair/Elaine Glinos Manay
Chorus: Opera Laurier and VOX Vocal Ensemble
Piano: Natalia Sawyer

The Circle of Life from The Lion King by Elton John (b. 1947) and Hans Zimmer (b. 1957)
Soloists: Cameron Bauer, Joelle Bediako, Amy Huttema, Melanie Medeiros Cabral, Brendan Perera, Ciro Perono, Aaron Williams
Chorus: Opera Laurier and VOX Vocal Ensemble
Percussion: Myko Careng, Lenny Muth, Amanda Braam, EJ Fleming, Fiona Sinclair, Khaleal Thompson, Noah Parker, Neela Nirula,
Flutes: Megan Bryant, Rachael Harris
Bass: Daniel Silveira
Piano: Sonia Kagolovskaya

Special Thanks: Sylvanus Kwashie Kuwor (PhD), Visiting Professor (African Music & Dance) for leading percussion and movement in this piece. Brennan Connolly for assisting with the percussion coordination. Yaa Yaa, for support on learning the Zulu language pronunciation.

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge that Wilfrid Laurier University and its campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe (Anish-nah-bay) and Haudenosaunee (Hoe-den-no-show-nee) peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources and not to engage in conflict. From the Haldimand Proclamation of Oct. 25, 1784 this territory is described as: “six miles deep from each side of the river (Grand River) beginning at Lake Erie and extending in the proportion to the Head of said river, which them and their posterity are to enjoy forever.” The proclamation was signed by the British wit​h their allies, the Six Nations, after the American Revolution. Despite being the largest reserve demographically in Canada, those nations now reside on less than five percent of this original territory.