Long Leaf Opera - 2008

Tenth Anniversary Season June 11-29. Festival passes.* Performances with orchestra in Memorial Hall $40/$20; seniors, UNC & Duke employees, & groups of 10+ (-)10%; students w/ID/children $10. Other events priced as shown below. 919/834-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/

*Three levels of "Best Value Festival Passes
1. Prime: Includes Prime seating to all three mainstage operas, Table seating to Cabarets, general admission to other events: $215;
2. “A”: Includes reserved seating to all three mainstage opera, Table seating at Cabarets, general admission to other events: $160; &
3. “B”: Includes great seats to all events: $115.

• Saturday April 26
  LLO: National Vocal Competition
  Paul Green Theater, UNC, Chapel Hill. 8:00 p.m.
  Free. 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  Note: "Finalists will vie for cash prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 with an opportunity to perform in a future Long Leaf Opera production. Audience members have a chance to choose favorites by ballot vote!
  "The Vocal Competition was established to encourage young vocalists to pursue their art form; the finalists are from nine states across the country: Emily Ezzie, soprano, Maryland; Ted Federle, baritone, Ohio; Daniel Holmes, tenor, Virginia; Lori Lind, soprano, Virginia, Jacqueline Noparstak, soprano, New York; Marcy Richardson, soprano, Florida: Julie Celona-VanGorden, soprano, North Carolina; Marcella Smith, soprano, Indiana; Krista Leigh Wilhelmsen, soprano, South Carolina; & Heikyung Yu, soprano, New York."

• Note: The winners of this vocal competition were announced on 4/26 and in a 4/30 press release reprinted immediately below:
  
  Soprano Emily Ezzie Awarded First Prize in Long Leaf Opera Vocal Competition - Soprano Krista Leigh Wilhelmsen Awarded Second Place

  Chapel Hill, NC, April 30, 2008 --The second bi-annual Long Leaf Opera Vocal Competition took place on Saturday April 26 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Paul Green Theater. Soprano Emily Ezzie of Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded first prize for her performance. Ms. Ezzie will be invited to perform in a future Long Leaf Opera production and received a $1,000 cash prize. Ten finalists all under the age of 35 were judged on their technical and musical interpretive abilities, stage presence and professional attitude by a panel of judges..

  Emily Ezzie completed her Bachelor of Music Degree at Boston University where she was a recipient of the Ellalou Dimmock Award. Ms. Ezzie was recently seen in the title of role of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Washington DC’s Bel Cantanti Opera. Other engagements include appearances with Baltimore Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Boston, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Providence Singers and Boston Pops. She also performed as a Young Artist with Sarasota Opera where she received the Stuart R. Silver Scholarship, Opera North, Opera Works, and the Opera and Theater Music Festival of Lucca, Italy. This spring she can be seen as Mimì in Bel Cantanti's production of La Bohème in Washington DC.

  Soprano Krista Leigh Wilhelmsen, currently studying at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, was awarded a second place prize of $500. Third Prize of $250 went to Jacqueline Novarstak of New York City.

  Audience members were able to vote for their favorite performer and chose Julia Celona VanGorden, currently studying Voice Performance at UNC Greensboro, a lyric coloratura soprano.

  The Long Leaf Opera Vocal Competition began in 2006 and was established to encourage young vocalists to pursue their art form.

  Hosted by WCPE’s Ken Hoover, the event featured a distinguished judging panel including international opera star Christine Weidinger, (performing with Long Leaf Opera this summer as Regina Giddens in Blitzstein’s Regina); Robert Chumbley, former director of the Cleveland Opera; Robert Galbraith, former director, Opera Company of North Carolina; Alfred E. Sturgis, Principal Conductor, Carolina Ballet; Randolph Umberger: Artistic Director and Benjamin Keaton, Music Director for Long Leaf Opera.

• Wednesday-Thursday June 11-12
  Long Leaf Opera: Area High School Students.
  Program: Justine Chen*: Three, Two, One, Bang! (based on Macbeth) (premiere)
  ArtsCenter, Carrboro. 7:00 p.m.
  $10, children < 12 free. 919/929-2787. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  *LLO Composer-in-Residence

• Friday & Sunday June 13 & 15
  Long Leaf Opera with Carolina Chamber Symphony, Benjamin Keaton, conductor & Randolph Umberger, director
  Program: Marc Blitzstein: Regina*
  Memorial Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 6/13 @ 8p & 6/15 @ 2p
  $40/$20; seniors, UNC & Duke employees, & groups of 10+ (-)10%, students w/ID/children $10.. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  *Cast : Christine Weidinger (Regina Giddens), Danielle Telamantes (Alexandra “Zan” Giddens), Malcolm Smith (Horace Giddens), Rick Piersall (Ben Hubbard), Steven Jesup (Oscar Hubbard), Barbara Ann Peters (“Birdie” Hubbard), Kerry Jennings (Leo Hubbard), Michael Kilbridge (William Marshall), Denise Payton (Addie), Charles Streeter (Cal), Mitchner Beasley (Jazz), Dale Bailey (Manders) Geoff Zeger (John Bagtry), Brandy Corbett (Nora), James Cheeks (Rucker), & Allison Daniels & Wes Motley (dancers)

• Saturday June 14 & Saturday June 21
  Long Leaf Opera: Marcia Ragonetti & Janie Imperial, sopranos, Shannon French, mezzo-soprano, Stafford Wing & John Cashwell, tenors, & Charles Stanton, baritone, with Richard Wall, piano**
  Program: Marc Blitzstein & Kurt Weill: Cabaret* - includes excerpts from The Threepenny Opera & other selections t.b.a.
  Gerard Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 8:00 p.m.
  Table seating (includes wine, non-alcoholic refreshments, snacks) $35; Upstairs seating $20. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  *"Set in an elegant, vintage cabaret environment befitting of the musical time period of pre-war Berlin right up to New York in the 1950s, each performance at the lovely Gerrard Hall at UNC offers drinks and hors d’oeuvres within steps of the stage and performers. Two acts of songs by Weill and Blitzstein will include 'Alabama Song,' 'Green Up Time,' 'Berlin Im Licht,' 'Hard To Say,' 'Monday Morning Blues,' 'Mack The Knife,' 'Oh, The Rio Grande,' 'Lost In The Stars,' 'Girl of the Moment,' 'September Song,' 'Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed,' etc."
  **Other artists include Richard Banks, Evelyn McCauley, & Sharon Szymanski.

• Friday & Sunday June 20 & 22
  Long Leaf Opera with Carolina Chamber Symphony, Alfred Sturgis, conductor & Don Rierson, director
  Program: William Bolcom: Medusa; & Gian Carlo Menotti: The Medium
  Memorial Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 6/20 @ 8p & 6/22 @ 2p
  $40/$20; seniors, UNC & Duke employees, & groups of 10+ (-)10%, students w/ID/children $10. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  *Casts: Barbara DeMaio Caprilli (Medusa); & Marcia Ragonetti (Madame Flora), Deborah Engelsdofer (Monica), Charles Stanton (Toby), Robert Williams (Mr. Garbeneau), Ariel Reed (Mrs. Garbeneau), Katherine Atkinson (Mrs. Nolan), & with Boleyn Willis, choreographer, & Randolph Umberger, sets

• Tuesday June 24
  Long Leaf Opera: Scott MacLeod, baritone, with Carolina Chamber Symphony, Wayne Wyman, conductor
  Program: Dominick Argento: A Water Bird Talk*
  Gerard Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 8:00 p.m.
  $20. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/
  *"Freely adapted from 'On the Harmfulness of Tobacco' by Anton Chekhov and 'The Birds of America' by J.J. Audubon."

• Thursday June 26
  Long Leaf Opera: Shana Vatz (as Vinnie), Charles Stanton (as Verloc), Wade Henderson (as Stevie), & Michael Kilbridge (as Ossipon), with Wayne Wyman, piano, & Benjamin Keaton, conductor
  Program: Michael Dellaira: Secret Agent, a work in progress...
  Gerard Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 8:00 p.m.
  $10. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/

• Friday & Sunday June 27 & 29
  Long Leaf Opera: Elizabeth Futral (Euridice) & Todd Palmer, clarinet (Orpheus), with Simon Mulligan, piano, & Doug Varone and Dancers, Doug Varone, director
  Program: Ricky Ian Gordon: Orpheus and Euridice
  Memorial Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 6/27 @ 8p & 6/29 @ 2p
  $40/$20; seniors, UNC & Duke employees, & groups of 10+ (-)10%, students w/ID/children $10. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/

• Saturday June 28
  Long Leaf Opera: Jonathan Hayes, tenor, with Craig Ketter, piano
  Program: Jorge Martin: The Glass Hammer
  Memorial Hall, UNC, Chapel Hill. 8:00 p.m.
  $20. 919/843-3333. Information 919/240-8782 or http://www.longleafopera.org/