Boston Early Music Festival

Friday, June 21, 2013 at 7pm
Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 7pm
Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 2:30pm
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA
Purchase tickets now!

"Another triumph for the Festival," –The New York Times

"This meticulous production…honored the Baroque hunger for visual spectacle"
-The Boston Globe

"A new peak of sumptuousness," -The Hub Review

The fully staged operatic centerpiece of the June 2013 Festival comes to the Berkshires!
Written when Handel was only nineteen, Almira tells a story of intrigue and romance at the Court of Castile. The opera features a trio of love triangles as the newly crowned queen Almira and two princesses navigate the ever-shifting affections of a brave soldier, a loyal aide, and a mysterious foreign ambassador. These lovelorn characters must overcome misunderstandings, jealousies, duels, and dungeons on their way to a joyously happy ending.

A remarkable success when it was originally presented in Hamburg, the opera shows the early genius of Handel that would soon make him a star in Italy and London. DON’T MISS a rare opportunity to enjoy this dazzling parade of entertainment and delight combining German, Italian, and French influences in a crowd-pleasing spectacle of dance, comedy, and drama.

Ticket packages available through the BEMF Box Office now! Add a BEMF Yearbook with the full libretto and articles about the production for just $10. Individual tickets can be purchased from the Cutler Majestic Theatre Box Office at www.aestages.org or 617-824-8000. Additional handling charges may apply.

Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs,

Musical Directors

Gilbert Blin, Stage Director

Caroline Copeland & Carlos Fittante, Choreographers

Anna Watkins, Costume Designer & Supervisor

Gilbert Blin, Set Designer

Lenore Doxsee, Lighting Designer

Ellen Hargis, Assistant Stage Director
Melinda Sullivan, Ballet Mistress
Robert Mealy, Concertmaster
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer

CAST
Ulrike Hofbauer, Almira
Amanda Forsythe, Edilia
Christian Immler, Consalvo
Zachary Wilder, Osman
Colin Balzer, Fernando
Tyler Duncan, Raymondo
Valerie Vinzant, Bellante
Jason McStoots, Tabarco

BEMF Orchestra
Violin I
Robert Mealy, concertmaster
Cynthia Roberts
Julie Andrijeski
Johanna Novom

Violin II
Miloš Valent, principal
Daniel Elyar
David Douglass

Viola
Laura Jeppesen, principal
Sarah Darling

Violoncello
Phoebe Carrai, principal
Beiliang Zhu
David Morris

Double Bass
Robert Nairn

Oboe
Gonzalo X. Ruiz, principal
Kathryn Montoya

Recorder
Kathryn Montoya, principal
Gonzalo X. Ruiz

Bassoon
Marilyn Boenau

Percussion
Ben Grossman

Theorbo & Baroque Guitar
Paul O’Dette
Stephen Stubbs

Baroque Harp
Maxine Eilander

Harpsichord
Michael Sponseller
Kristian Bezuidenhout

Viola da gamba
Erin Headley

BEMF Dance Ensemble
Melinda Sullivan, Ballet Mistress
Caroline Copeland
Carlos Fittante
Mickaël Bouffard
Olsi Gjeci
Caitlin Klinger
Karin Modigh
Alexis Silver
Scott Weber

BEMF Young Artists Training Program
Gilbert Blin, Founder & Director, Young Artists Training Program
Ellen Hargis, Associate Director, Young Artists Training Program 2013
Corrine Byrne
David Evans
Patrick Kilbride
Noelle McMurtry
Nola Richardson
Corey Shotwell
Kathryn Summersett
Mark Williams

Odette

O'Dette

Stubbs

Blin

Copeland

Fittante

Watkins

Doxsee

Hofbauer

Forsythe

Balzer

Immler

Wilder

Duncan

Vinzant

McStoots

Production Credits
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
Mercedes Roman-Manson, Production Manager
Linda O’Brien, Production Operations Manager
Leslie Sears, Production Stage Manager
Gordon Manson, Technical Director
Sarah Hager, Company Co-Manager
Emma Gavenda, Company Co-Manager
Joel Turnham, Master Electrician
Rebecca Hylton, Wardrobe Mistress
Jason Allen, Wig Supervisor
Rachel Padula-Shufelt, Makeup Supervisor
Ian Thorsell, Props Master
James McCartney, Audio Engineer
Lorraine Fitzmaurice, Orchestra Manager & Instrument Move Specialist
Maria van Kalken, Assistant to the Executive Producer
Ryan Began, Assistant to the Stage Director
Rémy-Michel Trotier, Assistant Scenic Designer
Julie Streeter, Assistant Production Manager
Meriem Bahri, Assistant to the Costume Designer
Paul Bartlett, Assistant to the Lighting Designer
Jaclyn Fulton, Production Assistant
Alycia Marucci, 1st Assistant Stage Manager
Rachel Lucas, 2nd Assistant Stage Manager
Zak Fayssoux, Assistant Technical Director
Lauren Scattolini, Assistant Master Electrician
Mary Hurd, 1st Dresser
Fabian Aguilar, 2nd Dresser
Ricardo Roman, Stage Run Crew
Kat Nakaji, Stage Run Crew
Steve Manifold, Stage Run Crew
Anthony Fiorello, Stage Run Crew
Evan Prizant, Stitcher
Jennifer Nieling, Stitcher
Suzi Moncowski, Stitcher
Janey Meyers, Costume Crafts
Ryaan Ahmed, Intern, Assistant to the Artistic Co-Directors
Brianna Fogden, Intern, Assistant to the Choreographers and Ballet Mistress
Ellen Hargis, Supertitle Creator
Dan McGaha, Supertitle Supervisor