As the Così Crumbles: A Company-Developed Piece is a one-act production that explores the following questions: “What would happen if singers let us know what they really think about the characters they play? If given free rein, what arias and roles would they choose, and which would they throw off?”
These are the questions that Chautauqua Opera Company’s Young Artists have explored, led by Chauncey Packer (Director), Steven Osgood (Conductor), and the composer team of Frances Pollock (Composer-in-Residence), Sage Bond (Composer Fellow), and Jasmine Barnes (Composer Fellow).
As the Così Crumbles reimagines beloved arias and ensembles from opera’s greatest hits in bold, surprising, and genre-bending adaptations that you will not hear on any other operatic stage.
This production is dedicated to all twenty of Chautauqua Opera Company’s 2020 Young Artists—Samina Aslam, Zachary Barba, Eric Botto, Michael Colman, James Eder, Jared V. Esguerra, Celeste Godin, Yazid Gray, Kelly Guerra, Nicole Heinen, Shafali Jalota, Chasiti Lashay, Daniela Magura, Michael Miller, John David Nevergall, Max Potter, Aaren Rivard, Jake Skipworth, Hilary Grace Taylor and Wan Zhao. Seeing the artistic agency each of these singers took last summer, in the face of extraordinary challenges, was a source of endless inspiration to me. In fact, it was the catalyst for this piece. While we were able to invite only five of these twenty singers to join our company this summer, it is their collective spirit and their voices which live and breathe in As the Così Crumbles.
Cast
Soprano
Chasiti Lashay*
Mezzo-Soprano
Kelly Guerra*
Tenor
Jared V. Esguerra*
Baritone
Yazid Gray*
Lyric Bass
Michael Colman*
Creative
Composer/Arrangers
Frances Pollock, Composer-in-Residence
Jasmine Barnes, Composer Fellow
Sage Bond, Composer Fellow
Conductor
Steven Osgood
Director
Chauncey Packer*
Assistant Director
Diane Machin
Set Designer
Efren Delgadillo, Jr.
Lighting & 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
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
Credits
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
Violin
Diane Bruce
Piano
Emily Jarrell Urbanek
Personnel Manager
Marian Tanau
Principal Librarian
Lara Sipols
General and Artistic Director
Steven Osgood
Music Administrator/Chorus Master
Carol Rausch
Director of Production and Resident Lighting & 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
Emily Roller
Zach Stahlsmith
Rachael Fox
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 opera houses in the US. They are offered classes in movement, combat, makeup, and acting, while appearing in our mainstage productions.
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.
The Chautauqua Opera Guild Board of Directors thanks the following members for their outstanding support of the 2021 Chautauqua Opera season.
(Current as of 7/26/2021)
Archangel ($1,000+)
Jack Connolly and Peg Barrett
Gregory S. Ferriss
Chris and Sue Martin
Joreta and Richard Speck
Ralph G. Walton, MD
Drs. Jeanne E. Wiebenga and E. Jane Stirniman
Angel ($500-$999)
Adele M. Thomas Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Virginia H. Cox
Joseph and Toni Goldfarb
Arlene Gottlieb and Chaz Miller
Brad and Deanna Johnson
Patricia L. King
Lynn Moschel
Richard J. Osborne
Linda Steckley and Pete Weitzel
Steve and Pat Telkins
Beth Thomas
Katherine (Kay) White
Mary Louise Williamson
Benefactor ($250-$499)
Paul E. Cawein
Richard and Marty Davis
Deborah and Ted First
Mr. and Mrs. James Groninger
Nancy Langston
Cynthia Norton
Mary and Bob Pickens
Robin and Mark Robbins
Carol Schaal
Jana Stone
Sue and Gary Tebor
Barbara Turbessi
Angela M. Twist
Sponsor ($125-$249)
Nancy Adams
Shirley Adams
Philip and Susan Allen
Edith Benson
Carolyn Benton
Loretta Bower
Judith Claire and Robert Van Every
Mary Clements
Dr. and Mrs. William E. Cooley, Jr.
Sally Craig
Paul and Judith Farber
Marwin L. Feldman
Cheryl Gorelick and Jake Zeigler
Terrie Vaile Hauck
Sallie L. Holder
John and Jill Hopkins
Carol and Bob Hopper
Susan Kuhn
Blossom Leibowitz
Sharon and Dick Levick
John Lloyd
Mike and Nancy Lott
Dr. Narwhals and Gina Mating
Sanford and Margery Nobel
George and Melissa Orlov
Richard and Mary Lou Parlato
John and Sue Ann Power
Christopher Rupp and Sandy Sandoz
Nancy A. Seel
Rabbi Samuel and Lynn Stahl
Jenny and Tim Stitely
John and Wilma Twinam
Nancy Waasdorp
Elizabeth A. Welch and Stephen E. Glinick
Member ($50-$124)
Mark Altschuler
Anna Antemann
Nancy Bohn
Ann and Stan Borowiec
Christi and Rob Bowser
Jim and Barbara Brady
Joyce and Scott Brasted
John Burden
Carolyn Byham
Tom and Kathy Clingan
Christopher, Roslyn and Charlotte Dahlie
Jo Ann Deblinger
Jean and Sigo Falk
W. Jane Foster and Arthur S. Willson
Christopher Gibbs
Marjorie Gingell
Marjorie Girth
Judy and Al Goldman
Don and Kathleen Greenhouse
Arlene Hajinlian
Carol and John Hardenburg
Ellen Harmon
Catherine Jarjisian
Bob Jeffrey
Livia and Phil Kades
Herb Keyser
Doug Kreider
Rich and Karin Lewis
Dr. F. Palmer Lindblom
Susan Rowan Masters
Ann Monastra
Casey and Marilyn Neuman
John and Esther Northman
Susan D. Nusbaum
Hale and Judy Oliver
Douglas Pohly
Barbara Rait
Carole Reeder
Martha and Rich Reitman
Drs. Alice and Robert Rosenthal
Suzanne Shull
Joan and Bob Spirtas
Rosalind Stark
Suzanne Taub
Jo-an M. Webb
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.
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
Ms. Laura Miller Voice Scholarship
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
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
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.