HoustonGrandOpera
510 Preston Street Houston, Texas 77002-1594
Tel. (713) 546-0200 Fax. (713) 228-4355
www.houstongrandopera.org
David Gockley
General Director
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA'S FIRST PRODUCTION
OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM,
DONIZETTI'S
THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
RETURNS AFTER AN ABSENCE OF NEARLY TWO DECADES
HOUSTON, TX - Donizetti's light-hearted comedy, The Elixir of Love, returns to Houston
Grand Opera after an absence of nearly two decades. Infused with memorable melodies, the new
production by Stephen Lawless opens on Friday, January 21 with further performances on
January 23m, 26, 29, February 1, 4, 6m, 12(altemate cast), 2000.
The international cast includes Mexican tenor Ramon Vargas (Alfredo in last season's
La Traviata) as the love-sick peasant Nemorino and Puerto Pican soprano Ana Maria Martinez
(Layla in HGO's 1995 production of The Song of Majnun) as the village beauty Adina. The
Italian bass-baritone Alfonso Antoniozzi makes his HGO debut as the conniving Dr. Dulcamara
and American baritone Earle Patriarco makes his HGO debut as Nemorino's rival, Belcore.
Garnett Bruce makes his HGO directing debut staging the original Stephen Lawless
production. The Elixir of Love features sets and costumes by Johan Engels and lighting by Paul
Pyant. HGO's Music Director Patrick Summers will conduct the Houston Grand Opera
and the Houston Grand Opera Chorus.
The February 12 alternate cast performance features an ensemble of young American
singers including soprano Nicole Heaston (Zerlina in last fall's production of Don Giovanni) as
Adina; tenor Chad Shelton as Nemorino; and bass-baritone Dale Travis as Dr. Dulcarnara.
HGO's Assistant Conductor Leticia Austria will conduct.
Donizetti's The Elixir of Love (L'Elisir d'amore) premiered in Milan in 1832. The Elixir
of Love tells the tale of a peasant, Nemorino (Vargas), who, inspired by the story of Tristan and
lsolde, uses his last bit of money to buy a love potion from Dr. Dulcarnara (Antoniozzi) in the
hope of winning the village beauty, Adina (Martinez). But Adina seems to prefer Belcore
(Patriarco), a sergeant of the garrison. In truth, Adina is irritated by Nemorino's feigned
indifference towards her and retaliates by deciding to marry Belcore immediately. Convinced that
the elixir will take effect within 24 hours, Nemorino begs Adina to wait, but she refuses.
Desperate, Nemorino joins the army for the enlistment bonus to buy another bottle of the elixir.
Finding himself suddenly surrounded by admiring village girls, Nemorino assumes that the elixir
is working, unaware that a rumor of his uncle's death and his inheritance of a fortune has been
circulating. Adina feels intense jealousy and realizes that it is Nemorino that she really loves.
Adina buys Nemorino out of the army and the couple marry. Dr. Dulewnara capitalizes on the
apparent success of his elixir and does a roaring business.
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The Artists
Ramon Vargas (Nemorino) is one of today's most acclaimed tenors, having appeared in such
prestigious theaters as the Metropolitan, La Scala, Vienna State Opera and the Opera Bastille. He
appeared at HGO last season as Alfredo in La Traviata and in the title role of The Tales of
Hoffmann. Earlier HGO appearances include the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and the title role in
Faust. Born in Mexico City, Mr. Vargas began his international career appearing in several
productions at the Lucerne (Switzerland) Opera.
In l992, Mr. Vargas opened the Rom Opera season as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville.
He also made his Metropolitan Opera debut that year as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
opposite June Anderson. Mr. Vargas made his La Scala debut in 1993 as Fenton in a new
production of Falstaff conducted by Riccardo Muti and appeared as the Duke of Mantua in
Rigoletto at the Teatro de Bellas Artes in his native Mexico City. Since then, Mr. Vargas has
appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in Rigoletto, The Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola; the
Royal Opera in La Traviata; Los Angeles Opera in The Elixir of Love;
English National Opera in Rigoletto; Op4ra Bastille in Paris in La Traviata and Vienna State Opera
in Lucia di Lammermoor. This season, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera for a new production
of Lucia di Lammermoor and returns to Los Angeles Opera for the tide role in Werther. His
discography includes Falstaff for Sony Classics, Otello for ENG, Zaira for Nuova Era and
Tancredi for BMG.
Ana Maria Martinez (Adina) was described by The Baltimore Sun as, "The highlight of the
superb cast," after her 1997 Washington Opera debut as Solea in Penella's El Gato Montez.
Following that success, the Puerto Rican soprano went on to make debuts at the Vienna State
Opera as Adina in The Elixir of Love; Stuttgart Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflote; and Los
Angeles and New York City operas as Mimi in La Boheme. Ms. Martinez returns to Houston
Grand Opera as Adina, a role she will sing in her Seattle Opera debut this season and has sung at
Michigan Opera Theatre and Palm Beach Opera.
Highlights from last season include a return to Vienna for performances of La Boheme and Die
Zauberfl6te, a debut at the Liceo in Barcelona as Pamina, and role debuts as Desdemona in Otello
at the Minnesota Opera and the title role of Manon at Palm Beach Opera. Orchestral engagements
include concerts with the Netherlands Radio Orchestra, the Puerto Rico Symphony, and the
Dresden Festspiele with Placido Domingo. Ms. Martinez won the Pepita Embril Award in the 1995
Placido Domingo International Voice Competition, Operalia II. Other awards include being a
national finalist in the 1993 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and first-prize winner
of the 1994 Elmor McCollum Competition. While a member of Houston Grand Opera Studio, Ms.
Martinez made her HGO debut as Micaela in Carmen.
Performing most frequently in comic opera roles, Italian bass-baritone, Alfonso Antoniozzi (Dr.
Dulcamara) has has been highly acclaimed for his interpretations of Dr. Dulcamara in Donizetti's
The Elixir of Love, Dr. Bartolo, Don Magnifico and Taddeo in Rossini's The Barber ofseville, La
Cenerentola, and The Italian Girl in Algiers, Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and Melitone in
Verdi's Laforza del destino.
Recent seasons have been highlighted with five productions at San Francisco Opera (Barber of
Seville, Don Giovanni, The Italian Girl in Algiers, Laforza del destino, and Britten's Death in
Venice), productions at La Scala and the Wiener Staatsoper and the opera companies in Dallas,
Venice, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo, Sydney, and the festivals in Edinburgh and Bregenz. Upcoming
plans include four new productions at La Scala (Laforza del destino, Barber of Seville, Elixir of
Love and Italian Girl), a return to San Francisco for Die Meistersinger and Don Giovanni, and
debuts at the Opdra Bastille in Italian Girl, Houston Grand Opera in The Elixir of Love, and Seattle
Opera in the title role of Don Pasquale. Mr. Antoniozzi may be heard on recordings by EMI,
Telarc, Arts, and Ricordi.
Baritone Earle Patriamo (Belcore) began his relationship with the Metropolitan Opera when he
sang the title role in Rossini's The Barber of Seville following his house debut as Turandot's Ping in
January 1996. He has since returned as Belcore in The Elixir of Love, Falke in Die Fiedermaus and
Marcello in La Boheme. This season Mr. Patriarco makes debuts at Munich's Bayerische
Staatsoper as Marcello, Seattle Opera as Figaro, and Houston Grand Opera as Belcore. He also
returns to San Francisco as Marcello and to the Boston Lyric Opera for his first Papageno in The
Magic Flute. in recent seasons Mr. Patriarco has been heard as Figaro, Marcello, and Flake in San
Francisco, Ping in Chicago, and Ping, Figaro, and Falke in Boston. Since making his European
debut in 1996 as Marcello in La Boheme at the Stuttgart Staatsoper, Mr. Patriarco has appeared
as Valentin in Faust at the Ophra Bastille, as Figaro at the Welsh National Opera, as Marcello at
the Berlin Staatsoper, and Belcore at Madrid's Teatro Real.
Upcoming engagements include returns to the Metropolitan and Munich, as well as debuts as
Brussel's Monnaie Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Dallas Opera. He may be heard on the recent
EMI recording of Massenet's Manon with Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorgiu.
Houston Grand Opera Music Director Patrick Summers is known for his diverse operatic
experience and enthusiasm for a wide range of works including period scores, bel canto, late
romantic opera and contemporary music. Maestro Summers made his acclaimed HGO debut last
season conducting Christopher Alden's new production of La Traviata and later led the Houston
Grand Opera Orchestra in the world premiere of Tod Machover's Resurrection. Later this season
Maestro Summers conducts HGO's Little Women, the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Cold
Sassy Tree and Nobucco. He has been closely associated with San Francisco Opera since 1989,
where he has conducted a vast repertoire ranging from Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea to
Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire. He was recently named San Francisco Opera's
principal guest conductor and is scheduled to conduct SFO's world premiere of Jake Heggie's
Dead Man Walking next fall. Maestro Summers made his Metropolitan Opera debut last
season conducting Die Fledermaus and returned this season to conduct the Millennium Gala.
Maestro Summers has also enjoyed a close association with the Opera Australia in Sydney where
he conducts each season, most recently Handel's Rinaldo. He has also conducted at the Opera de
Bordeaux, Seattle Opera, Teatro San Carlos, conducted the first Tosca ever produced in China,
and led five opera tours in Asia and the Pacific Rim.
American director Garnett Bruce, who makes his official HGO directing debut, has worked
regularly at the company over a series of years. His credits at HGO include remounting Herbert
Ross's production on La Boheme, as well as assisting on La Cenerentola with Cecilia Bartoli and
Arabella with Renee Fleming. Mr. Bruce staged Turandot to open the 1998 San Francisco Opera
season and remounted Francesca Zambello's production of Madame Butterfly at San Diego
Opera. Other credits include staging Eugene Opera's Carmen and directing alternate casts of over
a dozen different productions in Washington, Dallas, Denver, and in Houston. Since 1993, Mr.
Bruce has been associated with the Aspen Music Festival's Opera Theater Center, where he was
recently named assistant director. He has assisted on productions in Santa Fe, Irvine, Detroit
Anchorage, Augusta, Portland, and Columbus, and toured Italy with Porgy and Bess. Upcoming
engagements include Aida for Eugene Opera and Madame Butterfly for Dallas Opera as well as
return engagements with the San Francisco and San Diego operas. He will assist director Bruce
Beresford on the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Cold Sassy Tree later this season.
Set and Costume Designer Johan Engels studied design and fine art at the University of Pretoria
and worked extensively in South Africa from 1972-80 in opera, ballet and theater. Since then he
has resided in the UK. Recent projects include designs for the world premiere of Johann Strauss's
last opera, Simplicus, for Zurich Opera and The Return of Ulysses for the Glimmerglass Opera
Festival. This production of The Elixir of Love originated with Los Angeles Opera, where it has just
been revived, and has also been seen in Washington, Geneva and Madrid. Other operatic credits
include set and costume designs for Pfitzner's Die Rose von Liebesgarten for Zurich Opera and Die
Walkure and Das Rheingold for Marseilles Opera, Hamlet for the Vienna Volksoper, Un Ballo in
Maschera for the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Simon Boccanegra for Bremen, and Rigoletto for the
Maggio Musicale in Florence. Mr. Engels is making his Houston Grand Opera debut.
Lighting Designer Paul Pyant's award-winning lighting design credits include worldwide
productions of opera, theater and ballet. Mr. Pyant's Houston Grand Opera credits include the
world premiere of Sir Michael Tippett's New Year, Tosca, the world premiere of Daniel Catan's
Florencia en el Amazonas, and Julie Taymor's production of The Flying Dutchman. He is a
graduate and associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and has had a long
association with Glyndeboume Opera. Recent operatic credits include The Queen of Spades for
the Metropolitan Opera; Don Pasquale, The Flying Dutchman, The Elixir of Love, and Il Trovatore
for Los Angeles Opera; Fedora and The Marriage of Figaro for Vienna State Opera; Stiffelio for
La Scala; Khovanschina and Salome for English National Opera; and Gawain and Stiffelio for the
Royal Opera. In ballet he has worked extensively with English National Ballet and Northern Ballet
Theater. He has designed lighting for the Royal Shakespeare Company's productions of Richard
III, The Tempest, and Julius Caesar. His theater awards include a Tony nomination for Best
Lighting for Arcadia and a Critics Circle Award nomination for his work on Carousel.
All performances of The Elixir of Love are held in the Wortham Center's Brown Theater, Texas at
Smith. The Elixir of Love will be sung in Italian with English surtitles projected over the stage.
The Southwestern Bell Pre-Curtain Lecture Series is 30 minutes before each performance. Guest
speakers present a 20-minute informal lecture on the sixth floor of the Grand Foyer. These
presentations, free and open to all ticket holders, are intended to enhance the audience's enjoyment
by preparing them for the production they are about to attend.
The Wortham Theater Center features easy wheelchair access to both theaters, with a choice of
seating locations and ticket prices. An infrared listening system, generously underwritten by
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, is available and free of charge at all performances. Please call
HGO Subscriptions at (713) 546-0246 or 1 (800) 346-4462 for details. Descriptive services for
persons with vision loss are available with 48-hour advance reservations. Please call HGO
Education and Outreach at (713) 546-0231 for details.
Single tickets for The Elixir of Love, priced from $22 to $182, go on sale Januaxy 3. Tickets are
available by telephone at (713) 227-ARTS, out of town at I (800) 828-ARTS, in person at the
Wortham Ticket Center located in the lobby of the Wonham Theater Center, or on the website at
http://www.houstongrandopera.org. Ticket prices include all city surcharges.
Subscription packages are still available by calling (713) 546-0246 or on the wcbsite at
http://www.houstongrandopera.org.
Student and senior citizen rush tickets are $26 (one ticket per ID) and go on sale at noon (12:00
p.m.) the day of performance, subject to availability. To check availability, please call (713)
227-ARTS or 1 (800) 828-ARTS.
Call Houston Grand Opera at (713) 546-0200, during business hours, for general information
The Elixir of Love is underwritten by TEXACO.
All performances of Houston Grand Opera's production of Donizetti's The Eair of Love are held in
the Wortham Center's Brown Theater, Texas at Smith, Houston, TX.
Sung in Italian with English surtides.
Performance Dates
Friday, January 21, 2000 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 23, 2000 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 26, 2000 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 29, 2000 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 1, 2000 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 4, 2000 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 6, 2000 at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 12, 2000 at 7:30 p.m. (alternate cast)
Ticket Information:
Single tickets for The Elixir of Love, priced from $22 to $182 (inclusive Of all city surcharges), go
on sale January 3.
• Single tickets are available by telephone at (713) 227-ARTS,out-of-town at 1 (800) 828-ARTS,
in person at the Wortham Ticket Center located in the lobby of the Wortham Theater Center, or on
the website at http://wwwhoustongrandoperaorg.
• Call (713) 546-0200 during regular business hours for general information.
• Subscription packages are still available by calling (713) 546-0246 or on the website at
http://www.houstongrandopera.org.
• Student and senior rush tickets are $26 (one per ID) and go on sale at Noon (12:00 p.m.) the
day of performance, subject to availability. Call (713) 227-ARTS or 1 (800) 828-ARTS the day
of performance to check on availability.
• Disabled access: (713) 546-0246 or 1-800-3464462; TDD: (713) 546-0246 or 1 (800)
346-4462; Descriptive Services: (713) 546-0231.
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