Chicago Opera Theater's (COT) 2005 season opens in spectacular style Wednesday, March 2, with 'La Resurrezione,' marking the first fully staged production of Handel's brilliant oratorio by an American opera company. Originally written as an oratorio, this innovative production, fully re-imagined for the opera stage, will play March 2 through March 12 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Dr.
"La Resurrezione" welcomes the return of stage director Lillian Groag, whose triumphant COT production of "Agrippina" in 2003 garnered critical and popular acclaim, while Chicago favorite and Baroque music expert Jane Glover conducts. A stellar cast includes: Nathalie Paulin, who returns from her performances in "Acis and Galatea" and "Semele" to sing the role of Mary Magdalene; Sarah Coburn, making her COT debut in the role of Angel; and Derrick Parker, returning from his noteworthy performance as Claudio in 'Agrippina' to sing the role of Lucifer.
COT's season 2005 season continues with "Le nozze di Figaro,' Mozart's joyously boisterous masterpiece; "A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Shakespeare's magical tale of desire and devotion; plus 'Finding Yolanda," COT's Outreach Opera, a special musical event for the whole family.
Ticket holders are invited to join members of the COT's artistic team as they take part in Onsite Insights, a special series which takes place one hour before each main stage performance. Director Lillian Groag provides "La Resurrezione" insights on Wednesday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m. COT is also pleased to announce a new series of pre-opera lectures for Spanish-speaking audience members, hosted by the Fairmont hotel on Friday evenings at 6 p.m.
"La Resurrezione" features music by George Frideric Handel and libretto by Carlo Sigismondo Capece. It is sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Shrouded in myth and mystery, the resurrection of Christ has been a source of religious and dramatic inspiration for two centuries. Depictions of the resurrection are common in Baroque art—whether painted on canvas, written in poetry, or composed in music.
Originally written as an oratorio at a time when opera was officially banned in Rome, Handel's "La Resurrezione" was first performed at the Palazzo Bonelli in Rome on April 8, 1708. Counted among the works that established the young composer's international reputation, he would return to the score throughout his career as a source of musical material for his later compositions.
Whether composing for the opera stage or the church, George Frideric Handel was a master of dramatic music, and his many oratorios on religious subjects exhibit the same depth of character and narrative complexity as his operas.
His "La Resurrezione" tells the story of the resurrection in a brilliantly theatrical manner, focusing on the human side of the story: from the greed and ambition of Lucifer summoning the legions of hell to rise up in rebellion; to the pity and suffering of Mary Magdelene and Mary Cleophas as they mourn the death of Christ; to the calm reassurance of Saint John, the prophet of redemption. Through the orchestra and chorus, Handel creates a shifting cosmos of sound that accompanies the action from the depths of hell, to the struggles of life on earth, to the promise of a world beyond.
Stage director Lillian Groag uses the sacred text of "La Resurrezione" as rich source material for COT's innovative new production, transforming it into a dramatic piece by setting it in a chapel in New Mexico, where the laity is rehearsing a traditional passion play.
The COT artistic team includes: conductor Jane Glover, stage director Lillian Groag, scenic designer John Conklin, costume designer Martha Hally, lighting designer Robert Wierzel, and assistant director Andrew Eggert. The complete cast includes: Nathalie Paulin (Maddalena), Sarah Coburn (Angelo), Eudora Brown (Cleofe), Mark Le Brocq (Giovanni), and Derrick Parker (Lucifero).
La Resurrezione Performance dates are Wednesday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 6, at 3 p.m.; Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for main-stage productions range in price $30 - $105. Students receive a 50 percent discount. Rush tickets at a 50 percent discount are available at the Harris Theater Box office two hours before each performance. All performances are at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Dr.
To purchase tickets or for more information on all performances, contact the COT Box Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call (312) 704-8414, fax (312) 704-8421, or visit chicagooperatheater.org. Tickets are also available through the Harris Theater Box Office by phone at (312) 334-7777 or by visiting madtchi.com. |
