World Premiere Composer Norman Dello Joio Librettist Gale Hoffman Based On a scenario by Norman Dello Joio Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1961 Language English Commission Commissioned by San Francisco Opera under the Ford Foundation Program for American Opera Creative/Crew Conductor Leopold Ludwig Stage Director(s) Dino Yannopoulos Production Rouben Ter-Arutunian Chorus Director Vincenzo Giannini Choreographer Lew Christensen Costumers Goldstein & Co. Cast Blind wanderer Joshua Hecht Cleo Lafont Irene Dalis First Policeman Richard Riffel Second Policeman Gino Leonetti Ninette, Cleo's daughter Mary Costa Young Man Donald Drain Raymond Nilsson Winther Andersen Raymond Bardac, a wealthy young Creole Albert Lance Edmee Le Blanc, a New Orleans actress Marguerite Gignac Madame Bardac, Raymond's mother Dorothy Cole Butler Colin Harvey Mr. Parker, a theater manager Andrew Foldi Tom Henney, a New York politician Claude Heater Sister Anne, a nun Janis Martin Alexandre Dumas, the writer Kieth Engen Voodoo dancer Roderick Drew Show Dates Mon, Sep 18 1961, 8pm Sat, Oct 7 1961, 8pm Time and Place 1859-61; New Orleans, New York and Paris Scenes Act I, Scene 1 -- Congo square and Cleo's cottage in New Orleans, winter 1859 Scene 2 -- Garden of the Bardac estate, spring 1860 Act II, Scene 1 -- Ninette's dressing room in a New York theater, autumn 1860 Scene 2 -- Living room of Ninette's apartment, later the same night Act III -- Ninette's Paris apartment, Epiphany 1861 Media Image Blood Moon, Norman Dello Joio. San Francisco Opera, 1961. Photographer: Carolyn Mason Jones/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Carolyn Mason Jones Document SFO_PUB_01_SFO_1961_02_compressed.pdf (8.36 MB) Acknowledgements "Blood Moon" is produced under the Ford Foundation Program for American Opera Notes To access the full production program, click the PDF link above. --------------------- WORLD PREMIERE Commissioned by San Francisco Opera under the Ford Foundation Program for American Opera --------------------- Jules Haywood Studio Choir San Francisco Opera Boys Chorus Madi Bacon, Director Kieth Engen's first name IS correctly spelled. He changed the spelling during his career in German opera houses. Dancers San Francisco Opera Corps de Ballet
Image Blood Moon, Norman Dello Joio. San Francisco Opera, 1961. Photographer: Carolyn Mason Jones/San Francisco Opera. Ensemble Credit Carolyn Mason Jones