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The Ballad of Baby Doe

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Librettist
Company
San Francisco Opera Association
Location
San Francisco, CA
Venue
War Memorial Opera House
Season
2000-2001
Language
English

Creative/Crew

Conductor
Production
Set Designer(s)
Costume Designer(s)
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Chorus Director
Choreographer
Musical Preparation
Prompter
Assistant Stage Director(s)
Stage Manager(s)

Cast

Old Silver Miner
Saloon Bouncer
Horace Tabor, Mayor of Leadville
Sam, associate of Tabor
Bushy, associate of Tabor
Barney, associate of Tabor
Jacob, associate of Tabor
Augusta, wife of Horace Tabor
Sarah, friend of Augusta
Mary, friend of Augusta
Emily, friend of Augusta
Effie, friend of Augusta
Mrs. Elizabeth (Baby) Doe, a miner's ex-wife
Kate, a dance hall entertainer
Meg, a dance hall entertainer
Samantha, a maid
Clerk at the Clarendon Hotel
Albert, a bellboy
Mama McCourt, Baby Doe's mother
Father Chapelle
Footman at the Willard Hotel
President Chester A. Arthur
Elizabeth, child of Horace and Baby Doe
Silver Dollar, younger child of Horace and Baby Doe
The (later) Mayor of Leadville
William Jennings Bryan, Democratic presidential candidate
First newsboy
Second newsboy
Stage doorman
Denver Politician
Silver Dollar (adult)

Show Dates

Time and Place

Late 19th-century Colorado

Scenes

Act I, Scene 1 -- Outside the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, 1880
Act I, Scene 2 -- The Clarendon Hotel, later that evening
Act I, Scene 3 -- The Tabor apartment, 1881
Act I, Scene 4 -- The Clarendon Hotel, shortly thereafter
Act I, Scene 5 -- Denver, 1882
Act I, Scene 6 -- The Willard Hotel, Washington, D.C., 1883
Act II, Scene 1 -- The Windsor Hotel, Denver, 1893
Act II, Scene 2 -- A gambling club in Denver, 1895
Act II, Scene 3 -- The Matchless Mine, summer, 1896
Act II, Scene 4 -- Augusta's apartment, November, 1896
Act II, Scene 5 -- The stage of the Tabor Opera House, April, 1899

Media

Sponsors

The production of "The Ballad of Baby Doe" is designated in honor of George and Leslie Hume's membership in the Triple Diamond Circle.

The performance of October 11th is sponsored by Bank of America.

Acknowledgements

This presentation is made possible, in part, by a gift from Jane Bernstein and Bob Ellis.

Notes

New production

Scenery, props, costumes and wigs constructed in the San Francisco Opera workshops

Supertitles are taken from the original libretto