Composer Gioachino Rossini Librettist Francesco Maria Berio di Salsa Based On tragedy by William Shakespeare Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1994-1995 Language Italian Creative/Crew Conductor Patrick Summers Production Laurie Feldman Designer Gerard Howland Costume Designer(s) Zack Brown Lighting Designer Thomas J. Munn Commedia scenarios by Fratelli Bologna Laurie Feldman Chorus Director Ian Robertson Musical Preparation Bryndon Hassman Kathleen Kelly Prompter Jonathan Khuner Assistant Stage Director(s) Paula Williams Gina Lapinski Stage Manager(s) Jerry Sherk Fight Director Michael Cawelti Supertitles Christopher Bergen Cast Otello Chris Merritt John X. Heart Doge Gregory Cross Iago Craig Estep Steven Kearin Rodrigo Bruce Ford Richard Dupell Elmiro Kevin Langan Letitia Bartlett Emilia Mika Shigematsu John X. Heart Desdemona Cecilia Gasdia William Hall Gondolier Hong-Shen Li Lucio Alfredo Portilla The Commedia Fratelli Bologna Show Dates Tue, Oct 4 1994, 8pm Sun, Oct 9 1994, 2pm Thu, Oct 13 1994, 7:30pm Tue, Oct 18 1994, 8pm Sat, Oct 22 1994, 8pm Tue, Oct 25 1994, 7:30pm Fri, Oct 28 1994, 8pm Time and Place Late 16th-century Venice Scenes Act I, Scene 1 -- Piazza di San Marco Act I, Scene 2 -- Desdemona's chamber Act I, Scene 3 -- Elmiro's palace INTERMISSION Act II -- Outside Elmiro's palace INTERMISSION Act III -- Desdemona's bedroom Media Image Ensemble, Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. At carnival time in Venice, the streets are full of revelers, all in the shadow of a large lion of St. Mark's Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Bruce Ford (Rodrigo), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona; Bruce Ford as Rodrigo, the Doge's son Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Mika Shigematsu (Emilia), Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Mika Shigematsu as Emilia; Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Craig Estep (Iago), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Craig Estep as Iago Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Chris Merritt (Otello), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Chris Merritt as Otello Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Kevin J. Langan (Elmiro), Chprus, Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona and Kevin J. Langan as her father Elmiro Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Chris Merritt (Otello), Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Chris Merritt as Otello and Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona in the opera's last scene Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Sponsors The performance of October 13th is sponsored by Sun Microsystems, Inc. The performance of October 18th is sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation. The performance of October 25th is sponsored by Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. Acknowledgements New Production This production is made possible by a generous gift from Sun Microsystems, Inc. Notes Scenery constructed in San Francisco Opera Scenic StudiosCostumes executed by San Francisco Opera Costume Shop Supernumeraries Dorothy Brown Regina Bustillos Brenda Czernysz Renée DeJarnatt Diana Kissil Andrea Kohlruss Marie McNulty Susan Mead Rebecca Metz Stephanie Salter Valentina Simi Kimberly Thompson Cecilia Valente Carolyn Waugh John Atkinson Steve Bauman Mark Burstein Clive Butler Peter Cannon Joshua Contreras David Dahlstrand Pedro Echeandia Milko Encinas Mark Fons Dean Johnson Richard W. Johnson T. C. McQueen Daniel Melia Ian Mishkin David Norton Tony Nugent Oliver Pollard Louis Schilling Tom Tillman Ron Wizelman
Image Ensemble, Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. At carnival time in Venice, the streets are full of revelers, all in the shadow of a large lion of St. Mark's Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Bruce Ford (Rodrigo), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona; Bruce Ford as Rodrigo, the Doge's son Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Mika Shigematsu (Emilia), Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Mika Shigematsu as Emilia; Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Craig Estep (Iago), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Craig Estep as Iago Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Chris Merritt (Otello), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Chris Merritt as Otello Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Kevin J. Langan (Elmiro), Chprus, Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona and Kevin J. Langan as her father Elmiro Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Chris Merritt (Otello), Cecilia Gasdia (Desdemona), Otello (Rossini), Gioachino Rossini. San Francisco Opera, 1994-95. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Chris Merritt as Otello and Cecilia Gasdia as Desdemona in the opera's last scene Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera