OPERADELAWARE 824 North Market St. Suite 200, Wilmington, DE 19801-3024 Phone: (302) 658-8063 Fax: (302) 658-4991 Box Office: (302) 652-5577 or 1-800-37-GRAND Email: opinfo@dcanet.com – Website: www.operadel.org Contact: Sean Kriner, Marketing Manager (302) 658-8063 For Immediate Release – August 28, 2000 La Bohème Opens OPERADELAWARE’s 56th Season Wilmington, DE – OPERADELAWARE will stage the production of Giacomo Puccini’s well-loved opera La Bohème on October 28, November 2, 4, and 5, 2000, at The Grand Opera House, 818 North Market St., Wilmington, DE. This marks OPERADELAWARE’s first production of La Bohème since 1992. La Bohème will be directed by General Director Leland Kimball, and David Wroe will conduct in his OPERADELAWARE debut. Barton Green will sing the role of Rodolfo, Kelly Kaduce will sing the role of Mimi, Erin Windle will sing the role of Musetta, and Jeffrey Ray plays Marcello. Tickets are $65.00, $55.00, $22.00, $18.00 for full-time students, and can be purchased through The Grand Box Office at 1-800-37-GRAND. "This opera is particularly exciting," said Julie Van Blarcom, Managing Director of OPERADELAWARE, "because it’s been more than 10 years since we have been able to take full advantage of Lee Kimball’s artistic vision as a director in a main stage production. We have been working hard these past three years to get the Company positioned so that Lee can take on a much greater artistic role. It is exciting to see us reach this new level." La Bohème tells the story of four struggling young artists living in loft apartments in Paris on Christmas Eve in the 1800’s. Together, these best friends struggle through the heartbreaks of life, friendship, and love with bittersweet humor and emotion. La Bohème was Puccini’s first smash hit, and has made a major influence on contemporary musical theatre with such hits as the musical play Rent. "I'm looking forward to working with a talented cast that is ideally suited to play youthful Bohemians. They will look the part and sing it beautifully as well," said Leland Kimball, General Director. The cast, which was handpicked in New York auditions, includes national competition winners and singers with the New York City Opera, as well as some promising new stars of tomorrow. David Wroe, Conductor, is the Music Director of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra of New Jersey. His guest conducting engagements include the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the New York City Ballet. He is the recipient of the First Choice award in the Bernstein International Conducting Competition. Mr. Wroe will serve as Judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council New Jersey Regional Auditions. Kelly Kaduce, Mimi (10/28, 11/2, 11/4), began her 1999-2000 season singing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni on tour across the United States with the Western Opera Theater. She is the winner of the 1999 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and has spent the summer of 1999 with Glimmerglass Opera. Ms. Kaduce’s other operatic roles have included Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Musetta in La Bohème, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and the Widow in Argento’s The Boor. Michelle Mattalina, Mimi (11/5), has made a triumphant European debut in the title role of Suor Angelica, which was telecast nationally throughout Italy. She has also been seen on PBS Great Performances creating the role of Harriet Mosher in the world premier of Emmeline. Other roles include Violetta with the Greenville Lyric Opera, and Micaela in La Tragedie de Carmen with Des Moines Metro Opera. Ms. Mattalina is also a 1999 New York District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Vocal Competition. Barton Green, Rodolfo, made his New York City Opera debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. He returned to New York City Opera in 1999 as Rodolfo in La Bohème, and appeared as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opéra de Québec. Upcoming engagements during the 2000-01 season include the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Syracuse Opera. Erin Windle, Musetta, is a Newark, Delaware native, and has been heralded by Opera News as having a "fine soprano," with "superb intonation, remarkable coloratura." Among her recent opera appearances are Don Pasquale’s Norina with Cincinatti Opera and The Tales of Hoffmann’s Olympia with the Madison Opera. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in John Rutter’s Requiem conducted by the composer. Additionally, she can be heard on Newport Classics newly released CD of Menotti’s Help, Help, the Globolinks! Jeffrey Ray, Marcello, received his opera training at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s prestigious young artists program, The Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. Last season, Mr. Ray’s roles included Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in Don Giovanni with Opera Grand Rapids, Harry Easter in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene in Berlin, and his debut at Carnegie Hall singing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem. Rounding out the cast will be Ed Bara of West Chester, Pennsylvania, as Colline, Alan Wagner, also of West Chester, as Benoit and Alcindoro, and the University of Delaware music faculty’s own Patrick Evans as Schaunard. La Bohème will be accompanied by members of The Delaware Symphony Orchestra. This OPERADELAWARE program is funded in part by the Delaware Division of the Arts, a non-profit organization committed to enhancing and supporting the Arts in Delaware.