Die Lustige Witwe II

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The Merry Widow
Composer
Franz Lehár
Librettists
Victor Léon

and

Leo Stein
Based On

Henri Meilhac's comedy "L'attaché d'ambassade"

Company
San Francisco Opera Association
Location
San Francisco, CA
Venue
War Memorial Opera House
Season
2001-2002
Language
English

Creative/Crew

Conductor
Erich Kunzel
Production
Lotfi Mansouri
Set Designer(s)
Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer(s)
Thierry Bosquet
Lighting Designer
Jennifer Tipton
Sound Designer
Roger Gans
Chorus Director
Ian Robertson
Choreographer
Lawrence Pech
Musical Preparation
Adelle Eslinger
Bryndon Hassman
Robert Wood
Ernest Fredric Knell
Svetlana Gorzhevskaya
Prompter
Robert Wood
Assistant Stage Director(s)
Brenda Nuckton
José Maria Condemi
Stage Manager(s)
Rachel Henneberry

Cast

Baron Mirko Zeta, Pontevedrian Ambassador
Carlo Hartmann
Valencienne, his wife
Isabel Bayrakdarian
Camille de Rosillon, a Parisian gentleman
Gregory Turay
Vicomte Cascada, a Latin diplomat
Curtis Sullivan
Raoul de St. Brioche, a French diplomat
Jonathan Boyd
Kromow, Pontevedrian Military Councillor
Bob Amaral
Olga, his wife
Marnie Breckenridge
Pritschitch, Pontevedrian consul
William Saetre
Praskowia, his wife
Jayne Taini
Bogdanovitch, Pontevedrian military attaché
Peter Strummer
Sylviane, his wife
Colleen McGrath
Njegus, an embassy secretary
Elijah Chester
Anna Glawari, the merry widow
Frederica von Stade(1/11)
Nicolle Foland(1/13, 15, 17, 19)
Count Danilo Danilovitch, first secretary to Baron Zeta
Rodney Gilfry
Lady Guest
Virginia Pluth
Maitre d'hotel
Matt Logan
Sugar Mama
Claudia Siefer
Sugar Daddy
James Croom
Zozo
Janice Lynde
Lolo (grisette)
Cynthia Drayer
Dodo (grisette)
Ann Greene
Jou-jou (grisette)
Debra Rose
Frou-frou (grisette)
Jodi Allen
Clo-clo (grisette)
Juliann Rhodes
Margot (grisette)
Nora Heiber
Solo Dancer(s)
Amanda McKerrow
John Gardner

Show Dates

Time and Place

Early twentieth-century Paris

Scenes

Act I -- The Pontevedrian Embassy, Paris
Act II -- The garden of Anna Glawari's mansion
Act III -- At Maxim's

Media

Sponsors

The performance of January 11 is sponsored by the San Francisco Opera Guild, East Bay Chapter

The performance of January 17 is sponsored by Bank of America

Acknowledgements

This production is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from Mrs. Gorham B. Knowles.

Corporate support generously provided by Andersen.

Educational activities associated with this production are sponsored, in part, by generous support from the Koret Foundation.

Supertitles made possible by a generous grant from The Stanley S. Langendorf Foundation.

Notes

English translation of lyrics by Christopher Hassall

"Love, Live Forever" from "Paganini" -- Music by Franz Lehár. Book and lyrics by Paul Knepler and Bela Jenbach

Additional lyrics by Ted and Deena Puffer

Dialogue script by Wendy Wasserstein. Script commissioned by San Francisco Opera.

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

Supernumeraries:
Cray Bauxmont-Flynn
John Brown
Todd Calvin
Brian Copperstein
Jeff Kohler
Scott Sanford
Louis Schilling
Michael Schoenig