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T O U C H (World Premiere)
Fri, January 19, 2024 | 7:30 P.M. Sun, January 21, 2024
Welcome from the General Director

This weekend marks a major milestone for Opera Birmingham:  Opera Birmingham’s first commissioned opera and world premiere, and the culmination of four years of development work.  This has been such an exciting journey watching this story come to life, and now we can celebrate this monumental achievement.

Helen Keller had a huge impact on the world through her advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities, women’s suffrage, and labor rights.  Through the play and movie The Miracle Worker, most people are aware of her early life and how Anne Sullivan came to be Helen’s instructor and lifelong companion.  But there is so much of Helen and Anne’s story that tends to be overlooked – their personal stories, how interconnected (and in many ways codependent) their lives were, and the relationships they each had with other people in their lives.  And that is the story we are telling with TOUCH, the human story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

For me, that is where the power of opera lives – elevating human stories, amplifying the emotions into song when words just aren’t enough.  Imagine the feelings of betrayal and fear of being left alone when Helen finds out that Anne is engaged.  We can hear Helen’s joy as she starts to fall in love with Peter Fagan, and her emotion is brought to life with a soaring love theme.  TOUCH takes us into the world of Helen and Anne in a way that only opera can accomplish, by combining story and song.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.  I hope you enjoy the world premiere of TOUCH!

 

Sincerely,

Keith A. Wolfe-Hughes
General Director

Program

Presents

Music by Carla Lucero
Libretto by Carla Lucero and Marianna Mott Newirth

Friday, January 19, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 2:30pm
RMT Arts Campus - Main Theatre

Mary Chun * conductor
Sara E. Widzer * stage and intimacy director

CAST
(in order of vocal appearance)

Anne Sullivan ........ Michelle Allie Drever *
Helen Keller ........ Alie B. Gorrie *
Helen’s Voice ........ Catherine Goode *
Arthur Keller ........ Hunter Enoch
Kate Keller ........ Emily Pulley *
James Keller ........ David Morgans *
John Macy ........ Caleb Clark
Peter Fagan ........ Patrick Bessenbacher *
Polly Thompson ........ Sarah Coit *

*Opera Birmingham debut

Note about Helen’s Ensemble:
An important aspect of this opera is that Helen Keller’s “voice” is expressed by a choir of four singers (Helen’s Choir). The choir is modular, sometimes changing from scene to scene, with the exception of the soprano, who is Helen’s principal voice. At times, the choir is not only voicing Helen’s communication with the outside world, but also expressing her inner thoughts.

LEAD SPONSORS

 


Opera Birmingham’s commission of TOUCH was generously supported by UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinic, UAB Medicine, Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsas, and Martin Jeiven, with additional support from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

 

The world premiere production of TOUCH is funded, in part, by Lois A. Gaeta, the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education, and The Honorable and Mrs. J. Scott Vowell.  The education sponsor for TOUCH is the Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

......

TOUCH will be performed in two acts with one intermission.

Approximate runtime is two hours.

 

PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 
NO TEXTING DURING THE PERFORMANCE.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND RECORDING OF ANY KIND ARE PROHIBITED. 
THANK YOU!

 

Please join us following the performance for a conversation about the production featuring members of the cast and guest speakers.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Production Stage Manager ........ Brett Finley *
Scenic Designer ........ Lynne Hutton
Costume Designer ........ Alexa Behm *
Lighting Designer ........ Annie Wiegand *
Makeup/Hair Designer ........ Holly McClendon
Fight Choreographer ........ Chelsea Reynolds *
Technical Director ........ Christopher Crews
Rehearsal Pianist ........ Neill Campbell *
Assistant Stage Managers ........ Kristen Janice Aragon and Neal Hunter Hyde *
Props Manager ........ Craig Etheridge
Accessibility Consultant ........ Alie B. Gorrie *
Lead ASL Interpreter for Lighting ........ Cara Schwartz *
ASL Interpreter for Lighting ........ Sydni Sikes *
Supertitle Cueing ........ Keith A. Wolfe-Hughes
Production Photographer ........ Stewart Edmonds

*Opera Birmingham debut

ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

FIRST VIOLIN
Paul Halberstadt
Mayumi Masri
Esther Roestan

SECOND VIOLIN
Tara Mueller
Liuwenji Wang

VIOLA
Chris Lowry
Rene Reder

CELLO
Lauren Peacock
Peter Garrett

BASS
Richard Cassarino

BASSOON
Cameron Bonner

HORN
Adam Pandolfi

PERCUSSION
Mark Libby

HARP
Judy Sullivan Hicks

 

AUDIENCE ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES
ASL Interpreters…Emily Cain * and Lydia Lovan *
Audio Description…Ben Payne *
Braille and Large-Print Programs…Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind

*Opera Birmingham debut

Program Notes

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF
t o u c h

 

Dear Audience,

Thank you for joining us here in Birmingham for the World Premiere of our opera, t o u c h ! 
We are thrilled to present this work to you, sharing our own glimpse into the fascinating relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

This is a story about communication, love and forgiveness. Many assume communication happens through the use of eyes and ears. In Helen’s world, this was not the case. With this understanding, we use unconventional methods within the field of opera to honor and explore new ways of reaching beyond predictable storytelling, making it more accessible for everyone. In this production, American Sign Language and ProTactile Language is conveyed throughout the opera by professional translators as well as our extraordinary performers. Today’s program, along with the opera’s synopsis, includes enhanced visual description and is printed in Braille for our Low Vision, Blind and DeafBlind audiences.

One of the unconventional methods of portraying Helen Keller is our use of a soprano leading a small chorus (Helen’s Choir) to voice her communications with the outside world. Helen was an outspoken individual who communicated through many and varied methods. One of the magical elements we employ is having Helen’s Choir voice her inner thoughts. We experience Helen talking to herself as she assesses a person or a situation. We are privy to her deepest thoughts and feelings, sometimes expressed through her own exquisitely written poetry.

Another method of telling this many-faceted story is demonstrating how communication evolves between Helen and the people in her life. Fingerspelling is established quickly in this opera and then just as quickly becomes something else, focusing on different parts of the body that represent a significant person in her life. This mirrors our experiences as we relax in the presence of others and “sense” what they may be feeling or even second guess what they may say, without a word exchanged. It’s an area of the human condition that is only understood on a deep level. It is intimacy.

Helen’s musical motif is based on the notes D-E-A-F. This is in the spirit of embracing our Deaf audience members. Through the symbiosis of music and words, her poetic voice is embedded into the very fabric of the opera. The Low Vison, Blind, Deaf and DeafBlind communities are present in every note and word of this score and libretto, as well as in the directorial choices, set, costume and lighting design of an amazing creative team. t o u c h is a rare opportunity for opera to expand into untapped realms and foster greater representation of disability and agency on stage. 

Today, we celebrate Helen and Anne. In this spirit, we ask that you please immerse yourself in their world for the next 90 minutes, letting go of the expected to allow for the unexpected. 

 

- Carla Lucero, Composer/Librettist
- Marianna Mott Newirth, Co-Librettist
- Sara E. Widzer, Stage Director/Intimacy Director
- Mary Chun, Music Director/Conductor

Synopsis

TOUCH opens as Helen Keller prepares to graduate from Radcliffe College in 1904, with teacher and mentor, Anne Sullivan, by her side. We experience the extraordinary and codependent connection between these two strong women, as they navigate through a shared triumph, not without challenges. A flashback shows the struggle Helen’s parents went through before Anne Sullivan came into Helen’s life. As Helen becomes a celebrated writer, the relationship between her and Anne is stressed when Anne marries the drunken and philandering John Macy.

As the marriage inevitably unravels, Helen discovers her calling as an anti-war and women’s suffrage activist, while an emotionally drained Anne becomes ill. Peter Fagan, a young interpreter, is hired to fill in while Anne recovers. A passionate love affair blossoms between Helen and Peter. The romance is doomed, as the Keller family and Anne plot to end it without Helen’s knowledge, leaving her with the impression that Peter has abandoned her. Helen is devastated and only finds strength in being extraordinarily productive as a celebrity advocate for her humanitarian causes. She pushes Anne at a fever pitch until Anne succumbs to her illness and must stop. The opera ends with the two women together as Anne gives her dying confession, that she took part in sabotaging the relationship with Peter. Helen, feeling the sharp pains of love lost all over again, chooses to forgive before her teacher and lifetime companion takes her last breath.

Creative Development Information

Carla Lucero, composer and librettist
Marianna Mott Newirth, co-librettist
Cori Ellison, developmental dramaturg
Gregory Moomjy, disability consultant and assistant to the librettists
Alie B. Gorrie, accessibility consultant

 

Libretto Reading (February 19, 2021)

  • Helen Keller – Alie B. Gorrie
  • Anne Sullivan – Michelle Allie Drever
  • Narrator – Sammi Grant
  • Jack Reynolds – Spencer Frankenberger
  • Dean Agassiz/Polly – Marilee Talkington
  • Kate Keller – Elyse Kakacek
  • Arthur Keller/James Keller – Johnny Link
  • John Macy – Caleb Clark
  • Peter Fagan – Blake Stadnik

 

Music Workshop (August 24-29, 2022)
Special Thanks to Seagle Festival and the American Center for New Works Development

  • Helen Keller *
  • Anne Sullivan – Shannon Richards
  • Dean Aggasiz/Helen’s Voice – Tiffanie Trujillo
  • Kate Keller – Lindsey Polcyn
  • Arthur Keller – Nicholas Fahrenkrug
  • James Keller – Sergio Mandujano
  • John Macy – Patrick Bessenbacher
  • Polly Thompson – Grace Reberg
  • Peter Fagan – Brandon Snook

 

* In staged productions, the role of Helen Keller will be portrayed by a non-singing actress, with her voice sung by a small choir.  For this reading, Helen’s choir was seated on stage.

 

Music Reading (September 25, 2022)
TOUCH was further developed at Red Mountain Theatre’s Human Rights New Works Festival in Birmingham, AL.  Keith Cromwell, Executive Director

  • Helen Keller – Alie B. Gorrie
  • Anne Sullivan – Allison Sanders
  • Dean Agassiz – Zoe Wirt
  • Kate Keller – Heather Thaxton
  • Arthur Keller – Won Cho
  • James Keller – David Tayloe
  • John Macy – Caleb Clark
  • Polly Thompson – Alexis Davis-Hazell
  • Peter Fagan – Roderick George

 

World Premiere Covers
The following artists are understudies for the world premiere.

  • Anne Sullivan – Kathleen Buccleugh
  • Helen’s Voice – Zoe Wirt
  • Kate Keller – Heather Thaxton
  • Arthur Keller – Chris Farley
  • James Keller – David Tayloe
  • John Macy – Philip McCown
  • Polly Thompson – Alexis Davis-Hazell
  • Peter Fagan – Roderick George
Touch Contributors

COMMISSION SPONSORS

 

LEAD COMMISSION SPONSORS

Marty Jeiven
Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsas

Additional support from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

 

MUSIC WORKSHOP SPONSORS
William Baxley
Wanda Elkourie
William and Susan Field
Mary Field
Lois A. Gaeta
Deane Giles
Heyward Hosch
Margaret Jones, in memory of David Baker
John Manginelli, in honor of Marianna Mott Newirth
Maynard Nexsen
Teresa Percy
Tracey G. Riese
Steven Schreiber, in honor of Marianna Mott Newirth
Scott and Nicki Sturgill
Securitech Group, Inc, in honor of Marianna Mott Newirth

 

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION LEADERSHIP SPONSORS

Lois A. Gaeta, in honor of Andrew S. Duxbury, MD, for his vision of comprehensive patient care, and in memory of David R. Baker
The Honorable and Mrs. J. Scott Vowell

Education Sponsor

 

PRODUCTION SPONSORS
William Baxley
Patrick Cather
Mark and Lynne Cohen
Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsas
Lois A. Gaeta, in honor of Suzanne Oparil, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASH, FAPS
Miller Gorrie Legacy Fund
The Honorable Inge P. Johnson and Mr. William T. Johnson, Jr.
F. Cleveland Kinney
Lisa Maher
Deborah Wood Medenica
Ninon and Richard Parker
William and Carolyn Ratliff
Lydia Cheney and Jim Sokol, in honor of Kathryn Ottensmeyer
Matthew and Deborah Valenti
Anonymous
Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation
Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation
The Hugh Kaul Foundation
Robert R. Meyer Foundation
Regions
Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust
South Arts, in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and Alabama State Council on the Arts

Special Thanks

Supertitle system generously provided by ConcertCue, developed by the Music Technology Lab at MIT. 
Visit concertcue.org for more information.

TOUCH promotional image courtesy of Helen Keller Public Library, from a portrait by artist Martha Carpenter

Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Adam Evans, executive chef & owner
Christopher Crews
The Delta Pawn, Gene Paul, owner (deltapawnbirmingham.org)
Gordon & Kathryn Gilbert
Ivy Green, Birthplace of Helen Keller, Sue Pilkilton, Executive Director
Ninon Parker
Red Mountain Theatre Staff
Samford University Department of Theatre
United-Johnson Brothers of Alabama, LLC

 

Housing Hosts
Cathy & Barry DeLozier
Andrew Duxbury
Liz Saunders
Ruth & Will Varnell
Keith & Kevin Wolfe-Hughes

 

 

Our season has been made possible, in part, by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, The Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Hugh Kaul Foundation, Robert R. Meyer Foundation, and Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

ASL interpreters are sponsored by Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman, in celebration of the 40-year anniversary of their first date.

Student tickets are supported by The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

Alabama Media Group is the Official Media Sponsor of Opera Birmingham.
Additional support provided by Bham Now.

About Opera Birmingham

Founded in 1955 as the Birmingham Civic Opera, the present day Opera Birmingham came into being due to efforts of a voice teacher at Birmingham-Southern College, Martha Dick McClung.  The first production of the company was a fully-staged performance of The Bartered Bride by the Czech composer Smetana.  The Bartered Bride was quickly followed up with a production of Madame Butterfly by Puccini.

Through the early years, the company continued to produce both unusual works and acknowledged standards of the repertoire.  Among the more unique contemporary works staged by the company were Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley, Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, Gian-Carlo Menotti’s The Consul, and Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe.  These works joined the popular masterpieces of Puccini (La Bohème, Tosca), Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte), Verdi (La Traviata, Rigoletto) and Bizet (Carmen) in making up the company’s more than sixty seasons. 

In 1986, Birmingham Civic Opera and Southern Regional Opera merged to form Birmingham Opera Theatre.  Birmingham Opera Theatre continued the Annual Vocal Competition started by Southern Regional Opera.  The Competition continues to play an important role in the mission of the company.  Not only has it fostered continued opera education, but it has also served as an important stepping stone in the careers of three generations of American opera singers.  Many of our recent winners – sopranos Leah Partridge and Melinda Whittington, mezzo Alyssa Martin, tenor Bryan Hymel, and baritone Corey McKern – have performed substantial roles in recent seasons.

The company’s Education Outreach Program expanded in 2000.  Seymour Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood was performed to over 26,000 area schoolchildren in some 70 performances in 2001 and 2002 using a cast of professional young singers from Birmingham, Knoxville, Montgomery, Jacksonville and Tuscaloosa.  Opera Birmingham’s commitment to education has continued with programs for adults and college students.  New programs, such as their Opera Shots pop-up concerts, provide unique ways for people to try opera in fun environments.

Opera Birmingham is a member of .

Board of Directors

T. Brooks Proctor
President

Tom Barnett
Treasurer

Mary K. Jackson
Recording Secretary

Martha Pezrow
Corresponding Secretary

Dr. Andrew Duxbury
Immediate Past President

Tracey Morant Adams
David P. Donahue
Sherri Hickman

Heyward C. Hosch III
Nicole King
Kathryn Ottensmeyer
Matthew Penfield
Keith Rogers III
Lee L. Woehle


Life Members
Jane M. Hinds
Dr. Julius E. Linn, Jr.
Dorinda Smith

Land Acknowledgement

Opera Birmingham acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Kosati speaking Mvskoke (Muscogee/Creek) People. Alabama has been home to the Alabama, Biloxi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Mobile Tribes—including the Abihka, Alabama-Coushatta, Coosa, Tallapoosa, and the Yuchi Peoples—and is home to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama, the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, the Machis Lower Creek Tribe, the Mowa Band of Choctaw, and the Star Clan of Muskogee Creeks. We honor and thank the Indigenous peoples connected to this territory and give gratitude to this land.

Support

Your donation will help us:

  • Provide tickets for students through our Seats for Students program
  • Expand partnerships with schools and universities throughout Alabama
  • Continue our Opera Shots concerts in neighborhoods, bars, and parks near you!

Please consider making a gift to Opera Birmingham, and help us create another successful year of amazing opera!

To find out ways to give, visit www.operabirmingham.org/give.

 

Individual Contributors

+ Giving for ten or more years


ANGEL
Anonymous +
Mrs. Dorinda Smith +
Mr. and Mrs. Brent Uptain +


FOUNDER'S CIRCLE
Martin Jeiven
Drs. Sandra Gianturco and William Bradley +
Lee McKinney
The Hon. and Mrs. J. Scott Vowell +
Lee Woehle


IMPRESARIO CIRCLE
Ms. Tracey Morant Adams
Mr. Tom Barnett
Mrs. Robert Bauman
Dr. William Baxley +
Dr. Tommy Bice and Ken Northrup
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Bone +
Babs Buchanan +
Mrs. Nanci Chazen +
Barry and Cathy DeLozier
Dr. Samuel Cherry III and Mr. Christopher Gagliano
Mr. David Donahue
Mr. Gregory Doody
Dr. Andrew Duxbury +
Ms. Wanda Elkourie +
Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsas +
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Freeman +
Ms. Lois Gaeta
Charles Gaston III
Miller Gorrie
Ms. Sherri Hickman
Mrs. Jane Hinds +
Mr. Heyward Hosch
Mrs. Mary K. Jackson +
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Johnson, Jr.
Drs. Amy and John Johnstone +
Dr. F. Cleveland Kinney +
Mrs. Mary Wills LeCroy +
The Alex W. and Sue A. Newton Foundation
Dr. Emily Omura +
Mr. Hobson Presley and Mrs. Kathryn Ottensmeyer +
Matthew and Emily Penfield
Teresa B. Percy
Mrs. Patricia Pritchett
Mr. T. Brooks Proctor
Mrs. C. Lee Reeves +
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Reich +
Liz Saunders
Steve and Amy Schreiber
James T. Stephens
Keith and Kevin Wolfe-Hughes


OPERA CLUB CIRCLE
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Adamo
Rebecca Adams
Mr. Kelly Allison
David Anderson
Mrs. John Anderson +
Ms. Lynn Ault +
Ms. Sue Bates-Watkins +
Mr. Thomas Bloetscher
Larry and Louise Brasher
Dr. and Mrs. James A. Briley +
Anne Brisendine
Laura Brooks Rice
Jessica Brooks Lane
E.T. and Caroline Brown
Sallie Bryant
Dr. and Mrs. G. William Bugg
Will Butler
Mrs. Anne Carey +
Mr. Patrick Cather +
Jim and Joyce Cauthen
Sheila Chaffin
Ms. Teresa Chandler
Marilyn Chiaramonte
Dr. and Mrs. Brian Christine
Peter Casten and Cecil Clark
Jon and Frances Clemmensen
Naomi Coffey
Mark and Lynn Cohen
Mr. Andrew J. Collins
Ms. Anna Cooper Cox +
Jill Crawford
Eddie and Sharon Dailey
Yolanda Davis
Katherine DeCola
Zak Dye
Jo Ann Eberlein
Mr. and Mrs. James Emison +
Mrs. Barbara G. Fant
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. Fox, Jr.
James and Mary French
Lisa Paden Gaines
Robert M. Gambrell, Jr. +
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gibson
Mrs. Deane Giles +
Jim and Alison Gorrie
Michael Hamilton
Ms. Judith Hayes Hand
Francis and Martha Hare
Mr. Edward Hardin
Mrs. Tallulah Hargrove +
Andrea Harrison
Mrs. Martha Hastings +
Lucy Hicks
Elizabeth Hicks
Dr. and Mrs. T. H. Hiett
John and Virginia Hornsby
Ms. Jenny Hudson +
Lynne Hutton
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ingram +
Kenneth Jackson
Mrs. Richardstein Jones +
Ms. Margaret Jones
Temperance Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Joyce +
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Keith
Margot Keller
Jaclyn Kirkpatrick
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Law
Daniel and Sharon Lawhon
Frances Lawlor +
Mrs. Mary Wills LeCroy
Randall and Mary Jean LaMay
Wayne and Joan Law
Robert and Joyce Lehmeyer +
Ms. Julie Levinson-Gabis
Dr. Walter L. Maddox
Merrill Mann
Lisa Maher
Carin Mayo
Jennie McQueen
Deborah Medenica
Cynthia Minnifield
Alexander Moomjy
Mrs. Dianne Mooney
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Mueninghoff
The Mure Family +
Marcos Marvaez
Daniel Neer
Mr. John Norris
Gary Northrup
Carol Nunnelley
Connie Nguyen
Lori Oswald
Kathryn Paras
Daisy Pardasani
Richard and Ninon Parker
Ms. Barbara Patterson
Mrs. Beverly Phillips
Mrs. Barbara Piper +
Cybill Powell
Patricia Powell
Susan Pretnar
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Price +
William and Carolyn Ratliff
Jacqueline Reed
Amy Gilbert Richardson
Sally Reilly
Bill Rigby
Madison Roberts
G. Keith Rogers III and Laura Fore Rogers
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rogers
Cantor Jessica Roskin
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Rossmeisl Jr. +
Alicia Russell
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Selman +
Ms. Leigh Sloss-Corra
Ms. Carol Ann Smith
Ms. Catherine Smith
Katherine Smith
Drs. Phillip Smith and Beverly Von Der Pool
George Solomon
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sprague
Ann Steves
Mr. and Mrs. Cris Stone
Mrs. Beth Stukes +
Vivienne Talbert
Kimberly Tate
Dr. James Taylor
Ross Tortorigi
Diane Tucker
Mr. Edward R. Uehling
Matthew and Deb Valenti
Dr. and Mrs. Will Varnell
Pam Varner
Mr. Peter Walsh and Ms. Linda Vernon +
Deborah Warnat
Ms. Cornelia W. Watts
Ms. Aimee Weaver
Ms. Martha Weber +
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Westfall +
Mrs. Joanne W. Weston +
Mr. and Mrs. Goodloe White
Mr. John T. Wideman +
Mr. Evan Williams +
Vaneta Windham
Lexie Wollums
Amanda Wright
JaneAnne Yager
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Yoder +
Ms. Janis T. Zeanah +
Esme Zupanick

Corporate, Foundation and Government Contributors

Alabama Power Foundation
Alabama State Council on the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
AGAV
Alabama Media Group
Ameriprise
Borland Benefield
The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
Champion Mechanical and Automation
Cumberland Pharma Foundation
Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
The Daniel Foundation
Dunn-French Foundation
EBSCO Industries, Inc.
Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation
Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education 
The Hugh Kaul Foundation
The Huisking Foundation
Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation
Jones Family Fund
Maynard Nexsen
Medical Properties Trust
Robert R. Meyer Foundation
Andrew W. Morris and Ingeborg M. Johnson Fund
Opera America
Pareto Health
The Pleiades Foundation
Protective Life Foundation
Regions
Renasant Bank
Renaissance Charitable
Securitech Group, Inc.
Simantel
The Solidarity Fund
UAB Health System
UAB Callahan Eye Hospital and Clinic
United Way of St. Louis
Viva Health aka Triton Health
VP Funds
Susan Mott Webb Charitable

Gifts in Memory

David Baker
by Mrs. Lois Baker
by Ms. Margaret Jones

Dr. Robert and Dr. Edith Bauman
by Mrs. Jane Hinds

Dr. James Briley
by Mrs. Mary K. Jackson

Joyce Heslip
by Babs Buchanan

Charles, Catherine, and Frank Huisking
by The Huisking Foundation

Melva Jones
by Mrs. Jane Hinds

Elizabeth H. Jones
by Elizabeth Hicks

Kelli Karazim and Mark Karazim and Amy Karazim
by The Mure Family

Patty McDonald
by Stephen and Nanci Chazen
by Mr. and Mrs. James Emison
by Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman
by Mrs. Jane Hinds
by Mrs. Mary K. Jackson
by Ben and Jessica Johnson
by Dr. Julius E. Linn, Jr.
by Martha Pezrow

Martha Dick McClung
by Ms. Jenny Hudson

Nan Werner Nash
by Dr. and Mrs. T. H. Hiett

Dr. John A. Smith
by Dr. Tom Broker and Dr. Louise Chow
by Mrs. Nanci Chazen
by Mr. Patrick Cather
by Mr. and Mrs. James Emison
by Alexander Feldman
by Mrs. Jane Hinds
by Mrs. Mary K. Jackson
by Amy and John Johnson
by Dr. Julius E. Linn, Jr.
by Martha Pezrow
by Mr. and Mrs. Steve Reich

Sara Sistrunk
by Wanda Elkourie

Mildred Allen Taub
by Mrs. Jane Hinds
by Dr. Edward Taub

Tommy Thompson
by Andrew Duxbury

Gifts in Honor

Zachary Banks
by Charles Gaston III

Mr. Gene Bone
by Mrs. Tonie Bone

Andrew Duxbury, MD
by Mrs. Lois Gaeta
by Mrs. Mary K. Jackson
by Jessica Brooks Lane
by Martha Pezrow
by Bruce and Kim Rogers

Jim and Kathy Emison
by Beth Stukes

Dr. Julius E. Linn
by Liz Saunders

Kathleen Pelliteri
by Eddie and Sharon Dailey

Martha Pezrow
by Larry and Louise Brasher

Patricia Pritchett
by Mr. Edward Hardin

Allison Sanders
by Yolanda Davis

Dorinda Smith
by Amy and John Johnson
by Katherine Smith

Ellen and Elender Wall
by Jim and Joyce Cauthen

Lee Woehle
by Patrick Cather

Cameron and Scott Vowell
by Patrick Cather

Eleanor Walter
by Richard and Ninon Parker

Thank You!

Thank you for your support. This donor list represents gifts made to Opera Birmingham between July 1, 2022 and January 12, 2024. We want to reflect all giving accurately, and deeply regret any errors or omissions. Please contact Lynne Hutton, Director of Development, at lynne@operabirmingham.org or 205-322-6737 with any corrections. Thank you!

 

THERE IS ROOM FOR YOUR NAME TOO!  
Show your support:

Online: OperaBirmingham.org/give
Email:  info@operabirmingham.org
Call:  205-322-6737

Repertory 1955 – 2024

GEORGES BIZET
Carmen 1957, 1973, 1981, 1989, 2002, 2012


GEORGES BIZET / PETER BROOK
The Tragedy of Carmen 2018


SIDNEY MARQUEZ BOQUIREN & DANIEL NEER
Independence Eve 2020


BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Curlew River 1980


TOM CIPULLO
Glory Denied 2019


JOHN DAVIES
The Billy Goats Gruff, 2023
Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, 2022
The Three Little Pigs, 2021


GAETANO DONIZETTI
The Daughter of the Regiment 1990
Don Pasquale 1971, 1980, 1993
L’elisir d’amore 1977, 1982, 1995, 2005, 2017
Lucia di Lammermoor 2004, 2011
Rita 1986


CARLISLE FLOYD
Of Mice and Men 1988
Slow Dusk 1972
Susannah 1965


GEORGE GERSHWIN
Porgy and Bess 2008


GILBERT & SULLIVAN
HMS Pinafore 1984
The Mikado 1982, 1992
The Pirates of Penzance 2021
Trial by Jury 1961


CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK
Orfeo ed Euridice 2003


RICKY IAN GORDON
Green Sneakers 2016
Orpheus and Euridice 2016


CHARLES GOUNOD
Faust 1969, 1978, 2011
Romeo and Juliet 1972, 2018


JAKE HEGGIE
Three Decembers 2017


ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK
Hansel and Gretel 1967, 1981, 1982, 2023
Hansel and Gretel (children’s adaptation), 2018


SUSAN KANDER / ROBERTA GUMBLE
dwb (driving while black), 2023


FRANZ LEHAR
The Merry Widow 1966


RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO
I Pagliacci 1987, 2014. 2024


CARLA LUCERO / MARIANNA MOTT NEWIRTH
Touch, 2024 (World Premiere)


EVAN MACK / JOSHUA MCGUIRE
Lucinda y Las Flores de la Nochebuena (Lucinda and the Christmas Eve Flowers), 2019


PIETRO MASCAGNI
Cavalleria Rusticana 1964


GIAN-CARLO MENOTTI
Amahl and the Night Visitors 1976, 1979, 1985
The Consul 1969
Help, Help, The Globolinks! 1984
Introductions and Goodbyes 1972, 1974
The Medium 1974
The Old Maid and the Thief 1983
The Telephone 1987


CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
The Return of Ulysses 1977, 1979


DOUGLAS MOORE
The Ballad of Baby Doe 1976


WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
The Abduction from the Seraglio 1972, 1991
Cosi fan tutte 1960, 1994
Don Giovanni 1980, 1997, 2006
The Magic Flute 1990, 2002, 2013
The Marriage of Figaro 1961, 1985, 2001, 2010


CARLOTTO NICOLAI
The Merry Wives of Windsor 1970


JACQUES OFFENBACH
La Périchole 1979


THOMAS PASATIERI
La Divina 1972


GIOVANNI BATTISTA PERGOLESI
La Serva Padrona 1983, 1984, 1985


GIACOMO PUCCINI
La bohème 1958, 1967, 1986, 2000, 2007, 2015, 2022
Madama Butterfly 1956, 1961, 1979, 1999, 2006, 2013
Tosca 1963, 1976, 1990, 2008, 2019
Il trittico 1962
Turandot 1987, 2009
Suor Angelica 2014


SIGMUND ROMBERG
The Student Prince 1982


GIOACCHINO ROSSINI
The Barber of Seville 1965, 1981, 1985, 1993, 2000, 2008
La Cenerentola 1983, 2007


CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Samson and Delilah 2006


BEDRICH SMETANA
The Bartered Bride 1955


JOHANN STRAUSS
Die Fledermaus 1988, 1996, 2006


AMBROISE THOMAS
Hamlet 2015


GIUSEPPE VERDI
Aida 1975, 2005, 2010
Un ballo in maschera 1966
Rigoletto 1964, 1996, 2004, 2014
La traviata 1959, 1978, 1994, 2002, 2009, 2016
Il trovatore 1980


RICHARD WAGNER
Tannhäuser 1974
The Great Wagner Concert 2011


KURT WEILL
Down in the Valley 1960