WNO: Songbird Mar. 9, 2024 Digital Program

Sat. Mar. 9, 2024 7p.m.

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Mon. Mar. 11, 2024 7p.m.

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Fri. Mar. 15, 2024 7:30p.m.

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Isabel Leonard and Ramin Karimloo in WNO's *Songbird*. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Timothy O’Leary, General Director

Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director

Presents

Songbird

Adaptation by Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe, and Kelley Rourke
Musical arrangement and orchestration by James Lowe English lyrics and book by Kelley Rourke
Based on La Périchole by Jacques Offenbach, Henri Meilhac, and Ludovic Halévy
Originally commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival, 2021

In French and English with projected English titles

This performance is approximately one hour and 29 minutes, with no intermission.

#SongbirdWNO

Copyright © Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe, and Kelley Rourke.
Produced by arrangement with Eric Sean Fogel, James Lowe, Kelley Rourke, The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc., Magnum Opus Artists, LLC.

Patrons are requested to silence cell phones and other electronic devices during performances.

The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not allowed in this venue.
Program order and artists are subject to change.

All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

Welcome Letter

Dear Friends,

We welcome you to this special experience of Songbird. As you know, we are trying to expand the horizons of how we produce opera, whether it be in content, casting, interpretation, or the actual production. The genesis of this project shows the true collaborative nature of how we are doing so.

As many of you know, comedies are in short supply in opera. In a conversation during the pandemic, Isabel Leonard told ’Cesca how much she loved and wanted to do the comic opera La Périchole by Offenbach. Who doesn’t love this charming story about a slightly down-at-the-heels performer and her partner trying to find work? Offenbach and his librettists set the story in a fantasized Peru, but it seemed a fun idea to change it to a more familiar location. In conversations with dramaturg and librettist Kelley Rourke and conductor Jim Lowe, we landed on New Orleans, a place where the lyrics could be in French, as the original libretto, and also in English—a hybrid Franglais. Of course, New Orleans opened up a pantheon of music, and with that came the idea of a jazz vibe to enhance Offenbach’s music.

Offenbach, the reigning composer of his day at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, no doubt would have been thrilled with the option of bringing his work into the Prohibition era in the U.S. and mixing in a jazz sound. With that came the notion of creating a cabaret or café setting, to which we welcome you tonight in the Eisenhower Theater.

As we look ahead to the rest of season, we hope you will be able to join us for the grand opera Turandot, which we are presenting with a brand-new ending by composer Christopher Tin and screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton. We will also soon announce our thrilling lineup for the 2024–2025 season, which further expands our horizons. The biggest change will be four works in the Opera House, plus a more spread-out schedule. Please take time to read about it on our website and reach out to us with your thoughts and questions.

Have fun tonight!

Timothy O’Leary
General Director of WNO

Francesca Zambello
Artistic Director of WNO

Cast

SongbirdIsabel Leonard

PiquilloRamin Karimloo*

Don AndrèsEdward Nelson

GuadalenaTeresa Perrotta†

BerginellaKresley Figueroa†

MastrillaCecelia McKinley†

CelesteTaylor-Alexis DuPont

PanatellasSahel Salam†

A PriestJonathan Pierce Rhodes†

Don PedroJonathan Patton†

A Mobster/The GuideJustin Burgess†

PianistJo Ann Daugherty*

Washington National Opera Orchestra

Creative Team

Conductor, Orchestrator, and ArrangerJames Lowe

DirectorEric Sean Fogel

LibrettistKelley Rourke

Original Co-DirectorFrancesca Zambello

Set and Props DesignerJames F. Rotondo III

Costume DesignersMarsha LeBoeuf, Timm Burrow

Original Costume DesignerChristelle Matou*

Lighting DesignerRobert Wierzel

Sound DesignerMark Rivet*

Assistant Conductor and Diction CoachKen Weiss

Assistant ConductorMichael Baitzer

Cover ConductorKamna Gupta*

Assistant DirectorFrances Rabalais

Stage ManagerGina Hays*

* Washington National Opera Debut
† Current member of the Cafritz Young Artist Program

Synopsis

It is Mardi Gras, and the speakeasy owned by Don Pedro is busier than usual. The café is run by three cousins, known as the “Three Muses.” Songbird and Piquillo, a couple of struggling artists, take the stage for a vaudeville number. As they count their paltry tips, Piquillo tells Songbird he is getting weary of life on the road and would like to settle down. Songbird argues that they can’t afford a wedding when they barely make enough to feed themselves. Piquillo goes off to find food.

Don Andrès, the Mayor, has disguised himself—poorly—in order to keep tabs on the citizenry. He puts the moves on Songbird, offering to install her in his mansion. When Don Pedro and Panatellas tell Don Andrès it would not look right for him to employ a single woman, Don Andrès charges them with finding Songbird a sham husband. Meanwhile, the famished Songbird agrees to join Don Andrès for dinner, leaving a letter to explain the situation to Piquillo.

Piquillo, upon reading Songbird’s letter, is distraught and begins drinking heavily. Don Pedro and Panatellas seize the opportunity: the Mayor is looking for a sham husband for his would-be mistress, and Piquillo looks desperate enough to agree to anything. When Songbird returns from her dinner with Don Andrès, she is extremely tipsy. Moments before the arranged wedding, Songbird recognizes Piquillo. She is now wearing a costume for Mardi Gras, so he fails to recognize her. Encouraged by the crowd, the two say their vows. Don Andrès leaves a very drunk Songbird in the care of Mastrilla.

As Piquillo begins to sober up, he is horrified to learn he has been tricked into marrying, not realizing that his “bride” was none other than Songbird. A couple of bystanders mock him. Don Pedro and Panatellas, trying to salvage the situation, attempt to commiserate with him. When Don Andrès arrives to check on Songbird, Don Pedro and Panatellas hustle Piquillo out of the bar. Songbird, coming to, forcefully rejects Don Andrès, sending him into a rage.

The Mayor, donning his full regalia as “Rex, King of Carnival” prepares for the Presentation of the Bride. When Piquillo recognizes Songbird, he is furious that she agreed to take part in a sham wedding. She, in turn, is furious at his lack of trust. He responds by publicly insulting her. With that, Don Andrès and the crowd turn on Piquillo and lock him up.

As Piquillo languishes, a Guide appears to him, suggesting freedom is possible but not supplying any tangible help. Panatellas and Don Pedro arrive and tell Piquillo they admire his courage. When Don Pedro and Panatellas exit, Piquillo laments his position. He is near despair when Songbird visits and convinces him of her love. Don Andrès interrupts their reconciliation, but he is so overwhelmed by jealousy that the couple manages to turn the tables and lock him up. After a furious chase sequence, Songbird and Piquillo perform a last number for the customers about the power of love. Don Andrès agrees to bless the marriage of Songbird and Piquillo—for real, this time.

—Kelley Rourke created the English lyrics and book for this adaptation of Songbird.

Program Notes

To Life, Love, and Liberté: A Freewheeling Take on a Classic Operetta

By Kelley Rourke

The career of Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880) offers a case study of how limitations can beget inspiration. For his earliest operettas, the composer was restricted to one-act shows with only a handful of performers; in addition to writing the music, he was also responsible for recruiting every member of the theatrical company. By the time he was given an opportunity to compose his first full-scale work (Orphée aux Enfers, 1858), he had already cut his teeth on more than 30 operettas, and he was poised to make full use of the forces available to him. La Périchole (1868), written at the height of Offenbach’s career, is packed with the rapturous melodies, risqué humor, sharp satire, and infectious dance numbers that led Giacomo Rossini to dub him “the Mozart of the Champs-Elysées.”

Songbird was born out of coronavirus-imposed limitations. In the final days of 2020, the team at The Glimmerglass Festival, which was then led by Francesca Zambello, hatched a plan to reinvent its summer 2021 festival, despite a still-raging pandemic. We would build an outdoor stage; reduce cast and orchestra sizes to allow for social distancing; and keep running times under 90 minutes to avoid an intermission crush at the restrooms. Crazy? Maybe. But after a year of no live theater, we were ready to try anything.

Among the artists who enthusiastically signed on for the experiment was mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who mentioned a fondness for Offenbach’s La Périchole. With more than 20 named roles, a large chorus, and three overstuffed acts, it initially seemed like a tricky fit for “Glimmerglass on the Grass.” But at its heart, the story is an intimate one, easily focused on a handful of characters: a pair of starving artists; a corrupt Viceroy obsessed with the female half of the duo; and a parade of personalities are who are enlisted in the Viceroy’s increasingly ridiculous schemes to drive the lovers apart.

One of the first questions to settle was that of language. Offenbach’s comedies are most often performed in the language of the audience, not only to land the jokes, but also because of the extensive spoken dialogue. An English adaptation seemed like the obvious choice, especially since we were not initially sure if we would be able to rig supertitles for our sprawling outdoor venue. But when Francesca expressed some disappointment about the loss of the French, it occurred to me that a New Orleans setting would let us have it both ways. I was born and raised in Louisiana, and while my own upbringing was not a bilingual one, my mother remembers grownups speaking in French when they didn’t want the kids to understand what they were saying. A new “Franglais” libretto could land the jokes and the important plot points in English, but retain French lyrics for the most iconic musical numbers.

Setting the action in the midst of Mardi Gras provided a madcap atmosphere appropriate to the plot, which turns on disguises and debauchery. The “Trois Cousines” became the “Three Muses,” an anachronistic nod to the Krewe of Muses, the first all-female organization to parade in New Orleans. My home state has had no shortage of corrupt, womanizing politicians, so it made perfect sense to recast Don Andres, the Viceroy, as the Mayor. However, the operetta’s villain had direct power over people’s lives and livelihoods, giving his whims a menace that didn’t quite translate to a democracy—or at least, not until director Eric Sean Fogel suggested our story unfold in a speakeasy at the height of Prohibition.

When Glimmerglass Music Director Joe Colaneri heard the plans for the early 20th century New Orleans setting, his response was immediate: instead of presenting a “reduction” of Offenbach, why not go all out and reimagine the score for a site-specific combo? Conductor/arranger/orchestrator Jim Lowe ran with the concept and immersed himself in the music of Louis Armstrong’s Hot Seven, Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, and many others. From there, he identified stylistic approaches that suited the form and function of each of the operetta’s numbers—a blues ballad, a snappy vaudeville duo, a celebratory march.

Our ensemble for Glimmerglass included a rhythm section (piano, banjo, bass, drums) and a frontline of soloists (clarinet, trumpet/cornet, trombone), plus two percussionists and timpani for added emphasis on vaudeville comedy and dramatic effects. While Offenbach’s original melodic shapes and their harmonic underpinning remained in place, the rhythmic profile of many numbers shifted, and the overall effect is not a plush pad of sound but an exuberant assembly of soloists. “The music of that era has such a spontaneous and improvisatory feeling,” says Jim. “I think it’s a reaction to the stifling laws in place at the time.”

Songbird was our answer to a specific set of challenges, but as the show took shape, we all knew we had something special. We also knew it could be even better if we ever had a chance to revisit it under less challenging circumstances. This production for Washington National Opera opened up a host of new opportunities, starting with fresh designs for scenery, costumes, and lighting. We livened up the speakeasy setting by putting the band onstage. Jim added a sousaphone to the mix. WNO brought on the wonderful Jo Ann Daugherty, a Chicago-based jazz soloist, for the featured piano part.

In our haste to create a streamlined version of the story in 2020, Don Andrès, the corrupt politician at the heart of the story, was left with only one solo aria. As we considered the various bits we left on the cutting room floor the first time around, Jim found two melodies—one from a chorus number and one from a duet—that could be combined to make a dynamic star turn for the midpoint of the show. Eric Sean Fogel put it best: “If we learned anything that year, it’s that artists are resilient. In the face of politics, prohibitions, even pandemics, they will always find a way. In the story of Piquillo and Songbird, we see an ‘overnight sensation’ that has actually been years in the making, which feels pretty realistic to me.”

**Setting Songbird in Place and Time**

This innovative revision of Offenbach’s La Périchole premiered at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2021, introducing jazz orchestrations by James Lowe and a 1920s New Orleans setting. Sort of. Pandemic-era restrictions meant that the production was moved outdoors for a socially distanced audience as part of the rejiggered Glimmerglass on the Grass season. The limitations of a lawn stage kept the set design spare: a bar, a couple of tables and chairs.

While the tables and chairs have made their way to the Kennedy Center, this WNO production adds layers of color and festivity to create a more fully realized vision of Prohibition-era New Orleans. It was a time when the city’s jazz scene was beginning to influence the world. At Glimmerglass, a small jazz ensemble was situated away from the stage, inside the main theater. For this Songbird, an 11-piece ensemble is part of the action, situated at the back of the set under a wall mural proclaiming “Best Live Music in All of New Orleans” (a boast indeed given that the city’s musicians included the likes of Louis Armstrong).

As conductor for these performances, Lowe leads the onstage ensemble including piano, bass, drum kit, banjo, timpani, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, plus a sousaphone, recreating what a club jazz orchestra might have looked and sounded like. He based Songbird’s instrumentation on the style of New Orleans greats like Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Kid Ory, the bands of King Oliver, and more.

The set design, by James Rotondo, virtually sings of its New Orleans locale. Look for the traditional Mardi Gras palette of purple, green, and gold on the floor, walls, and trim. The colors date back to the beginning of Mardi Gras parades in the late 1800s, and they continue to be seen today in the beads, costumes, and trinkets found everywhere during the celebration, as well as in the icing of ubiquitous king cakes. The colors are said to represent justice (purple), faith (green), and power (gold).

The exuberance of Mardi Gras is heightened by Costume Designers Marsha LeBouef and Timm Burrow, who pumped up the volume with a new wardrobe for this WNO production. LeBoeuf drew upon her own experiences with Carnival, as a Louisiana native, to pull together costumes for Songbird revelers and for the character of Don Andrès, who considers himself a master of disguise. Pointing out that Mardi Gras costumes of the time were usually homemade, LeBoeuf rummaged bits and pieces from the WNO costume department. The 1920s time period was also an opportunity to explore flashy flapper style for Songbird, with a nod to screen sirens of the silent movie-era in looks for the cafe’s Three Muses—Guadalena, Berginella, and Mastrilla. Women’s fashion was undergoing a sea change at the time: hemlines rose and the freedom of loose-fitting, low cut, and sleeveless garments, even trouser dressing, became synonymous with the rebellious spirit of the Jazz Age—good for dancing, too.

Dateline: New Orleans, 1920

The freewheeling spirit of music and merrymaking for which New Orleans is known today can be traced in many ways to the 1920s. After years of decline, the French Quarter buzzed as a center of bohemian life rivaling that of Paris or New York. Cheap rents and picturesque buildings had begun attracting artists, writers, and musicians following World War I; the city even encouraged studio conversions of buildings around Jackson Square. In 1926, artist William Spratling published the booklet Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles, with drawings of creative types who frequented the home of Anderson, an established author. It included an introduction by Spratling’s roommate, William Faulkner.

French Quarter street life, cafés, and especially its abundant speakeasies proved irresistible to visitors from near and far. Prohibition had not slowed the sale and consumption of liquor in New Orleans. As a major port city, it was a prime destination for rum runners, and served as a pipeline for distribution to the rest of the country. Legend holds that bootleggers even sold their goods out of parked cars, while more refined establishments served “small blacks”—liquor in demitasse cups. Federal agents trying to enforce the ban dubbed New Orleans “the wettest city in America.”

Also dispersing out from New Orleans were musicians of the city’s jazz scene, which had been developing as a new musical style since the beginning of the century. The first recording by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917 had stoked demand for more and New Orleans jazz legends like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Jelly Roll Morton soon began performing and recording in Chicago, New York, and in Europe. But of New Orleans, Jelly Roll Mortan said: “I have never seen such beautiful clubs as they had there...the Broadway Swells, the High Arts, the Orleans Aides, the Bulls and Bears, the Tramps, the Iroquois, the Allegroes...that was just a few of them, and those clubs would parade at least once a week. They’d have a great big band. The grand marshal would ride in front with his aides behind him, all with expensive sashes and streamers.”

Carnival Royalty

The royal courts of Mardi Gras, suggested in Songbird by Don Andrès dressed as “Rex, King of Carnival,” are a traditional part of celebrations sponsored by New Orleans krewes. Some 80 krewes, social clubs that work throughout the year toward Carnival planning, operate in the city. Each brings its own distinctive rites, symbols, and traditions to parades and masked balls, where royal courts and the crowning of king and queen are common threads. In Songbird, Don Andrès as Rex references Mardi Gras celebrations in general, and gives a nod to the Krewe of Rex, an institution dating back to 1872. The Rex Ball, with its Meeting of Courts and crowning of the King and Queen of Carnival, remains a culminating event of the festivities.

Suggested Resources

To learn more about New Orleans in the 1920s, the emerging jazz scene, and Prohibition in America, check out these titles and videos:

Prohibition, a three-part documentary series by Ken Burns (2011). Available for streaming on various platforms.
“Gumbo,” Episode 1 from Jazz, the 10-part Ken Burns documentary (2001), focuses on the genre’s origins in New Orleans. Episodes available for streaming on various platforms.
Mardi Gras: The Passing Parade, documentary includes footage of the 1928 Rex Parade and other reminiscences and traditions. Available to stream through the PBS Passport app.
All on a Mardi Gras Day, a short documentary by director Michael Pietrzyk on the history of the celebration’s Black Indians (2019). Stream on Vimeo.
Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Jazz Band, Lawrence Gushee’s book explores the link between New Orleans and the spread of jazz throughout America in the 1920s (Oxford University Press, 2005).

Preview: Turandot

Princess Turandot turns 100 this year, which, to Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, means she can finally give her a makeover! “I directed Turandot for the first time in 1997,” says Zambello. “While I have always loved the score, and the incredibly powerful, enigmatic character of Turandot, I was always a bit disturbed by the fact that an uninvited kiss causes her to give up all her power.” Puccini died before he could finish the opera. The commonly performed Franco Alfano ending robs Turandot of her agency. So, Zambello put together a team of Asian-American artists to create a new ending to be premiered in May.

Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy^®-winning composer of concert and media music, collaborated with playwright/screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton, fresh off her award-winning work on the HBO series Succession, on a new ending that gives Turandot greater depth. Set designer Wilson Chin and costume designer Linda Cho executed a spectacular vision that is equal to Puccini’s monumental score, while stripping away the Orientalist cliches that have become associated with the piece. “I believe the core message of Turandot is more important than ever,” says Zambello. “This is, ultimately, a story about a powerful woman, who finds the will and the strength to break the cycle of abuse and authoritarianism, and to create a democratic future for her people. It is an extraordinary story.”

Turandot plays May 11–25 in the Kennedy Center Opera House.
Visit Kennedy-Center.org/WNO for tickets and information.

Music & Production

WNO Production Staff

Assistant Stage ManagersTracy D. Hofmann▲, Dustin Z West

Assistant Lighting DesignerPaul Callahan

Titles CoordinatorCorinne Hayes

Titles OperatorIsabel Martin

Production AssistantJordyn Fields

▲Washington National Opera AGMA production staff member with 10 or more seasons of service

Supernumeraries

Emily Gilson
Harry Denby
Mina Jurkiewicz
Manny Mendez
Ellen Schiavone
Vedant Sharma

Washington National Opera Orchestra

Evan Rogister, Principal Conductor

Violin 1
Oleg Rylatko, Concertmaster
Eric Lee, Associate Concertmaster
Ko Sugiyama, Assistant Concertmaster
Zino Bogachek +
Joan Cataldo
Michelle Kim
Karen Lowry-Tucker
Susan Midkiff

Violin II
Kayla Moffett, Principal
Najin Kim, Assistant Principal
Richard Chang +
Xi Chen
Jessica Dan Fan
Martha Kaufman
Timothy Macek
Victoria Noyes

Viola
Allyson Goodman, Principal
Johanna Nowik, Assistant Principal
Philippe Chao+
Leon Neal
Elizabeth Pulju-Owen
Uri Wassertzug

Cello
Amy Frost
Baumgarten, Principal
Danielle Cho, Assistant Principal
Ignacio Alcover +
Kristen Wojcik
Igor Zubkovsky

Bass
Robert D’Imperio, Principal
Frank Carnovale, Assistant Principal

Flute
Adria Sternstein Foster, Principal
Stephani Stang- Ferry, Assistant Principal
Sandra del Cid-Davies

Piccolo
Sandra del Cid-Davies

Oboe
Igor Leschishin, Principal
Emily Tsai, Assistant Principal

English Horn
Vacant

Clarinet
David Jones, Principal
Ashley Booher

Bass Clarinet
Ashley Booher

Bassoon
Joseph Grimmer, Principal
Christopher Jewell, Assistant Principal
Samuel Blair

Contrabassoon
Samuel Blair

Horn
Geoffrey Pilkington, Principal
Christy Klenke, Assistant Principal
Wei-Ping Chou
Peter de Boor
Robert Odmark

Trumpet
Tim White, Principal
Christopher Tranchitella, Assistant Principal
Michael Rossi

Trombone
Lee Rogers, Principal

Bass Trombone
Vacant

Tuba/Sousaphone
Seth Cook, Principal
Andrew Hitz*

Timpani
Jonathan Rance, Principal
Greg Akagi, Assistant Principal

Percussion
John Spirtas, Principal
Greg Akagi
Chris Barrick*
Joe Connell*

Harp
Susan Robinson, Principal

Banjo
Jim Roberts*

Librarian
Shelley R. Friedman

Orchestra Staff
Ashley Stonebraker, Director of Orchestra Personnel & Operations
Molly Jackson, Orchestra Assistant Manager
Elyse Ridder-Roe, Orchestra Operations Assistant

+ begins alphabetical listing of musicians who participate in a system of revolving chairs within the string section

* Guest musician
** On leave

Washington National Opera Orchestra musicians are represented by Metropolitan DC Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710.

Staff

Washington National Opera Staff

General DirectorTimothy O’Leary

Artistic DirectorFrancesca Zambello

Administration and Governance

Director of Administration and GovernanceKathleen Dean

Constituent Relations and Audience Development ManagerShiyana Valentine

Strategy and Operations CoordinatorKeely Fravel

Artistic Planning and Operations

Director of Artistic Planning and OperationsSamuel Gelber

Senior Manager of Artistic Planning and Operations Giuliana Zanoni

Assistant Manager of Artistic Planning and OperationsSophie Dolamore

Music Staff

Head of Music StaffMichael Baitzer

Chorus MasterSteven Gathman

Music AdministratorKen Weiss

Music Librarian Shelley Friedman

WNO Orchestra Staff

Director of Orchestra Personnel and Operations, KCOHO/WNOOAshley Stonebraker

Orchestra Personnel Manager, KCOHO/WNOOMolly Jackson

Orchestra Operations Assistant, KCOHO/WNOOElyse Ridder-Roe

Cafritz Young Artist Program & The American Opera Initiative

Director of the Cafritz Young Artists Program and the American Opera Initiative Christopher Cano

Artistic Advisor, American Opera InitiativeKelley Rourke

Assistant Manager, Cafritz Young Artist ProgramCaitlin Oldham

Development

Vice President of Corporate EngagementEllen Palmer

Director of Foundation RelationsMaryvonne Neptune

Director, Individual Giving and OperationsNicole Woods

Manager of StewardshipHeather Whitpan

Major Gifts OfficerPhoebe Gor

Major Gifts OfficerKate Sainer

Major Gifts OfficerHannah Sparrow

Assistant Manager, StewardshipZoë Jones

Assistant Manager, Individual GivingKaty Crabill

Development Operations CoordinatorSimran Kaur

Education

Director of EducationWarren Williams

Manager, Music and WNO EducationAshi Day

Marketing and Advertising

Marketing

Vice President of MarketingDerek A. Johnson

Senior Marketing ManagerBritney Brewington

Advertising

Director, Creative and Brand StrategyScott Bushnell

Director, Advertising and ProductionSuanne Hall

Senior Manager, Advertising CommunicationsRebecca Kraybill

Manager, Advertising DesignFreeman Robinson

Senior Graphic DesignerDana Cohen

Advertising CoordinatorLizzie Stoltz

Office of the General Director

Executive Assistant to the General DirectorMelanie Leinbach

Production

Director of ProductionChelsea Antrim Dennis

Production Operations ManagerCayley Carroll

Senior Manager, Rehearsal DepartmentElizabeth Ventura

Production Stage ManagerDiane Lin

Assistant Manager Rehearsal: Studio OperationLee Cromwell

Assistant Manager Rehearsal: Artist ServicesCharlotte Cugnini

Rehearsal Department AssistantLiam Hurley

Intern, Cafritz Young Artist Program and Rehearsal DepartmentNicole Caracost

Production Office AssistantsRebecca Silva, Leigh DeWitte, Margaret Warner, Allison Bailey, Elle Sullivan, Esme Pierzchala, Mia Athey, Isabel McLane, Gabby Cramer, Sophia Symonowicz, Sommer Schaap, Miranda Lee, Mel Mader

Costumes

Costume DirectorMark Hamberger

Costume Design ManagerTimm Burrow

Costume Workroom ManagerAnaMarie Nelson

Assistant Costume CoordinatorMegan Repetski

Wig MasterSamantha M. Wootten

Costume CoordinatorKathleen Geldard

Costume Stock CoordinatorKatherine Blobner

DraperWilliam Nelson

First HandStella Pivnik

First HandStacey Thomann

StitcherAngela Marie McLean

StitcherAriana Peck

StitcherRose Peele

StitcherAutumn Rekus

StitcherLilliana Valentin

StitcherAmy VanderStaay

Crafts ArtisanJoshua Kelley

Technical

Technical DirectorPaul Taylor

Associate Technical DirectorChristy Blackham

Assistant Technical DirectorSean Miller

Lighting DirectorA.J. Guban

Properties Assistant ManagerRachel Witt

Public Relations

Senior Press Representative, ClassicalDavid Hsieh

Public Relations Coordinator, ClassicalKate Wyman

Program Book Editor-in-ChiefRebecca Winzenried

Kennedy Center Executive Leadership

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsDeborah F. Rutter

Vice President, Public RelationsEileen Andrews

Chief Information Officer Ralph Bellandi

Interim Vice President of Human Resources LaTa'sha M. Bowens

Senior Vice President, MarketingKimberly J. Cooper

Executive Director, National Symphony OrchestraJean Davidson

Senior Vice President, Artistic PlanningMonica Holt

Chief Financial OfficerStacey Johnson

Vice President, EducationJordan LaSalle

Vice President, Government Relations and ProtocolLaurie McKay

Senior Vice President, DevelopmentLeslie Miller

General Director, Washington National OperaTimothy O’Leary

Vice President, FacilitiesMatt Floca

Executive Vice President & General CounselAsh Zachariah

Staff for the Eisenhower Theater

Theater Manager

J. Bret Burzio, Sr.*
Production Operations Director

Melissa Santiago
Box Office Treasurer

Ronald Payne
Head Carpenter

Thomas M. Hewitt
Assistant Carpenter-Flies

John P. Green
Head Electrician

Thomas A. Benya
Assistant Electrician

Michael Cassidy, Jr.
Head Usher

Carol Anderson
Head Sound

Matthew P. Snyder
Head Properties

Matthew L. Roether
Head Wardrobe

Rebecca A. Gessert
Assistant Property Manager

Matthew M. Wooden

*Represented by ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.

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The box office at the Kennedy Center is represented by I.A.T.S.E, Local #868.

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The technicians at the Kennedy Center are represented by Local #22, Local #772, and Local #798 I.A.T.S.E., AFL-CIO-CLC, the professional union of theatrical technicians.