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Scalia/Ginsburg
July 08, 2021 - August 05, 2021
Chautauqua Opera Company presents

An Opera by Derrick Wang

Inspired by the opinions of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia and by the “operatic precedent” of Händel, Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, Offenbach, Bizet, Sullivan, Puccini, Strauss, et al.

“We are different. We are one.”

Scalia/Ginsburg  is a one-act comedy about the close and unlikely friendship between U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. Created by composer-librettist Derrick Wang and inspired by the Justices’ own words, this “buoyant show with a serious core” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) was first introduced at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013, ushering in the era of Supreme Court-themed art.

opera.chq.org

A Message from General & Artistic Director
Production Dedication

This production of Scalia/Ginsburg is dedicated to the entire Chautauqua Institution staff, who have worked without pause over the past 16 months. It is through your unrelenting energy, and the constant leadership of Michael E. Hill, that we find ourselves able to bring live opera and theater to an entirely new venue this summer. May the laughter that fills the Performance Pavilion, along with a few empathetic tears, be a testament to your "tireless” efforts. Thank you!

Cast, Creative & Production

Cast

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Kelly Guerra**

Justice Antonin Scalia
Chauncey Packer**

The Commentator  
Michael Colman**

 

Creative 

Conductor
Steven Osgood

Stage Director
Cara Consilvio**

Set Designer
Efren Delgadillo, Jr.

Director of Production & Resident Lighting Designer/ Video Designer
Michael Baumgarten

Resident Costume Designer & Costume Shop Supervisor
B. G. FitzGerald

Wig and Makeup Designer
Martha Ruskai

Audio Engineer for Performance Pavilion on Pratt & Sound Designer
E. M. Gimenez

Assistant Director
Diane Machin

 

Production

Technical Director
John P. Woodey

Production Stage Manager
Valerie K. Wheeler**

Assistant Stage Manager
Emily Barber**

Properties Master/Scenic Artist
Theresa Granger

Assistant Costume Supervisor
Cristine A. Patrick

 

Stage Operations

Head Video / Steward
Graham Riggle

Head Electrician
Jeff Emory

Head Audio
Colin Braeger

Head Carpenter
John Oberg

Head Properties
Kevin Kyser

Stagehands
Eric Oberg
Jeremy Warsitz
Jim Jones
Steve Bush
Daryl Damcott
Casey Nellis
Steve Swank

 

Credits

Orchestral materials and supertitles by arrangement with Consequent Music

Synthesizer programming by William Congdon

Scenery constructed by Local @66 I.A.T.S.E.

Sound and staging supplied by Advanced Production Group

Lighting supplied by 4 Wall

Video supplied by Grise Visual Center

 

Crew is represented by I.A.T.S.E. 266
**The noted artists are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists

Chautauqua Opera Orchestra

Violin 1
Vahn Armstrong

Violin 2
Karen Lord-Powell

Viola
Eva Stern

Cello
Igor Gefter

Bass
Caitlyn Kamminga

Percussion
Thomas Blanchard

Piano/Synthesizer
Emily Jarrell Urbanek

Personnel Manager
Marian Tanau

Principal Librarian
Lara Sipol

Leadership & Staff

General and Artistic Director
Steven Osgood

Music Administrator/Chorus Master
Carol Rausch

Director of Production & Resident Lighting Designer/ Video Designer
Michael Baumgarten

Managing Director
Daniel Grambow

Arts Marketing Specialist
Makayla Santiago-Froebel

Company Manager
Amanda Seal

Coach/Accompanist, Company Scheduler, COVID Safety Supervisor
Rick Hoffenberg

Coach/Accompanist/Diction/Supertitles Operator
Allison Voth

Coach/Accompanist
Emily Jarrell Urbanek

Arts Marketing Associate
Suzanne Olson

Young Artist Program

Chautauqua Opera provides Young Artists with performance tools essential to establishing a professional career in opera. All Young Artists receive extensive musical coaching from nationally recognized coaching staff drawn from the finest universities, conservatories, and houses in the US. They are offered classes in movement, combat, makeup, and acting, while appearing in our mainstage productions.

Read more about our program.

 

Meet our 2021 Season Young Artists

Chasiti Lashay – Soprano
Kelly Guerra – Mezzo-Soprano 
Jared V. Esguerra – Tenor
Yazid Gray – Baritone
Michael Colman – Bass

Composers in Residence

Meet our Composer-in-Residence & Fellows

Frances Pollock – Composer-in-Residence
Jasmine Barnes – Composer Fellow
Sage Bond – Composer Fellow

Chautauqua Opera Guild

The Chautauqua Opera Guild serves as the advocacy group in support of the Chautauqua Opera Company. Memberships support our Young Artists, the Children’s Opera Education Program, and grant you access to events all summer long.

Join today!

 

The Chautauqua Opera Guild Board of Directors thanks the following members for their outstanding support of the 2021 Chautauqua Opera season.
(Current as of 7/7/2021)

Nancy Adams

Adele M. Thomas Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Philip and Susan Allen

Mark Altschuler

Anna Antemann

Edith Benson

Carolyn Benton

Nancy Bohn

Ann and Stan Borowiec

Christi and Rob Bowser

Jim and Barbara Brady

Joyce and Scott Brasted

John Burden

Carolyn l Byham

Paul E. Cawein

Judith Claire and Robert Van Every

Mary Clements

Tom and Kathy Clingan

Dr. and Mrs. William E. Cooley, Jr.

Virginia H. Cox

Sally Craig

Christopher, Roslyn and Charlotte Dahlie

Richard and Marty Davis

Jo Ann Deblinger

Jean and Sigo Falk

Paul and Judith Farber

Marwin L. Feldman

Gregory S. Ferriss

Deborah and Ted First

Christopher Gibbs

Marjorie Gingell

Marjorie Girth

Elizabeth A. Welch and Stephen E. Glinick

Joseph and Toni Goldfarb

Judy and Al Goldman

Cheryl Gorelick and Jake Zeigler

Arlene Gottlieb and Chaz Miller

Don and Kathleen Greenhouse

Mr. and Mrs. James Groninger

Arlene Hajinlian

Ellen Harmon

Terrie Vaile Hauck

Sallie L. Holder

John and Jill Hopkins

Carol and Bob Hopper

Catherine Jarjisian

Bob Jeffrey

Livia and Phil Kades

Herb Keyser

Patricia L. King

Doug Kreider

Susan Kuhn

Nancy Langston

Blossom Leibowitz

Sharon and Dick Levick

Rich and Karin Lewis

Dr. F. Palmer Lindblom

John Lloyd

Mike and Nancy Lott

Chris and Sue Martin

Susan Rowan Masters

Dr. Narwhals and Gina Mating

Ann Monastra

Lynn Moschel

Casey and Marilyn Neuman

Sanford and Margery Nobel

John and Esther Northman

Cynthia Norton

Susan D. Nusbaum

Hale and Judy Oliver

George and Melissa Orlov

Richard J. Osborne

Richard and Mary Lou Parlato

 Mary and Bob Pickens

Douglas Pohly

John and Sue Ann Power

Barbara Rait

Carole Reeder

Martha and Rich Reitman

Robin and Mark Robbins

Drs. Alice and Robert Rosenthal

Christopher Rupp and Sandy Sandoz

Carol Schaal

Nancy A. Seel

Suzanne Shull

Joreta and Richard Speck

Joan and Bob Spirtas

Rabbi Samuel and Lynn Stahl

Rosalind Stark

 Linda Steckley and Pete Weitzel

Drs. Jeanne E. Wiebenga and E. Jane Stirniman

Jenny and Tim Stitely

Suzanne Taub

Sue and Gary Tebor

Steve and Pat Telkins

Beth Thomas

John and Wilma Twinam

Angela M. Twist

Nancy Waasdorp

Ralph G. Walton, MD

Jo-an M. Webb

Katherine (Kay) White

Mary Louise Williamson

W. Jane Foster and Arthur S. Willson

Shirley Adams

Contributors

Chautauqua Institution and Chautauqua Opera acknowledge the generous support provided by the following contributors in support of opera through significant annual giving and sustained endowment funds.

The Amphion Foundation, Inc.

A. Chace & Josephine B. Anderson Opera Endowment Fund

John E. Anderson Opera Endowment

The Peggy and Andy Anderson Family Fund for Opera

The Cynthia Auerbach Fund for Opera

Bemus Endowment for Opera

Mr. and Mrs. Stacey Berger Scholarship

Joel Brandwein Memorial Scholarship

The Anne C. Britton Memorial Scholarship

The Indiana-Peggy Hoover Bryan Voice Scholarship

JoAnn and Gene Buffo Voice Scholarship

The Edwin L. Bullock Scholarship

The Lillian B. Bullock Scholarship

The Anne and John Burden Opera Fund

Burden-Staples Music Scholarship

Chautauqua General Scholarship

Chautauqua - NFMC Dorothy Dann Bullock Award

Chautauqua Opera Endowment Fund

The Chautauqua Opera Guild Endowment Fund

The Chautauqua Opera Guild Endowment for Connolly Residence Hall

The Chautauqua Voice Scholarship

Chautauqua Women's Club Award

Clarkson Family Scholarship

The Thomas and Kathleen Clingan Fund for Opera

The Connolly Family Fund for Opera

Connolly Residence Hall Endowment

The John A. and Emily McKnight Corry Opera Fund

Eleanor B. Daugherty Scholarship Fund

The Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Opera Fund

Diamond Jubilee Class of 1948 Scholarship

The Mardelle Dressler Dobbins Scholarship

David and Miriam Yanes Eddleman Voice Scholarship

Ms. Eleanor C. Eisenmenger

Mary Cummings Paine Eudy Scholarship

The Walter F. Ferchen Opera Fund

Beverly and Marvin Fiegelman Scholarship Fund for the Performing Arts

The Luella Morris Forney Memorial Scholarship

Wilbur D. Forney Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Eleanor B. Franks Fund for the Opera

Sheila Gitlitz Scholarship Endowment

Toni and Joseph Goldfarb Scholarship

The Toni and Joseph Goldfarb Scholarship Fund for Fine & Performing Arts

Bluie & Kitty Greenberg Voice Scholarship

The James and Elisabeth Groniger Fund for Opera

The Jane A. Gross Opera Endowment

Grover Family Scholarship Fund

Hebrew Congregation Voice Award

Heitzenrater Family Voice Scholarship

Lillian B. Hersh Music Scholarship

The Kay Frantz Israel Fund for Opera

The Lucinda Ely Johnson Scholarship

The Max and Edythe Kahn Scholarship Fund

Naomi Kaufman Voice Scholarship

Audrey and Kenny Koblitz Scholarship

The John and Mary Lou Kookogey Scholarship

The Kullberg Scholarship

Felicia and Andy Landis Memorial Fund

The Mildred Lesenger Fund for Opera

The Kay H. Logan Opera Fund

The Martha Marcks Mack Award

The Annette Pickens Malvin Memorial Fund for Opera

The Christopher and Susan Martin Opera Fund

The Margaret Clark Mercer Fund for Opera

Laurie Miller Voice Scholarship

The Ralph E. Miller and Paul E. Cawein Fund for Opera

Ralph E. Miller Memorial Scholarship for Music

The Sylvia Lucas Miller Scholarship in Music

The Steve Z. and Mary G. Mitchell Family Fund

The Reverend Lloyd V. Moffett Opera Endowment Fund

The Augusta L. Ebert Molyneaux Scholarship

The Elmer G. Molyneaux Scholarship

The Mary Louise Molyneaux Scholarship

Moore Scholarship Fund for Music

National Endowment for the Arts

National Federation of Music Clubs Award

The Marian A. Neubauer Scholarship

New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

The Robert G. and Lillian Vitanza Ney Family Opera Fund

Lily Lee Nixon Fund

I. Hale and Judy Oliver Endowment for Connolly Residence Hall

Mary Elizabeth Peffer Music Scholarship

Pennybacker Memorial Scholarship

The Joseph A. and Anne T. Prezio Opera Endowment Fund

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Rait Scholarship

The Richards Family Opera Fund

The Molly Rinehart Fund for Opera

Mary McQueen Ross Scholarship

The Richard B. Rubin Scholarship Fund

James Scamman Memorial Scholarship

The Charles G. Schwartz Scholarship

The Sabina Mooney Seifert Memorial Scholarship

The Suzanne Gaider Sroka Scholarship

Alfredo Valenti Scholarship Fund

The Wadsworth Fund

Charles Weaver and Family Fund for Opera

Donald Welch Memorial Scholarship Fund

Dr. Fred R. Whaley and Helen A. Whaley Fund for Opera

Katherine Karslake White School of Music Scholarship

The Robert & Virginia Young Opera Fund

Zemsky Endowment for Opera

Guest Experience Survey

Thank you for attending our performance at the new Performance Pavilion on Pratt. We value our patrons and ask that you provide feedback on your experience with us today.

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