ENCOMPASS Main Stage Production
2014
About the Artists
Marie Anello (Ambrosia)
Lyric Mezzo-Soprano. In the years since her graduation from the University of Redlands, Marie has performed in several productions with the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera including Madama Butterfly as Kate Pinkerton and Gianni Schicchi as La Ciesca. As a frequent participant of Susan Morton’s SingThrough Central program, she has coached the roles of Siebel in Gounod’s Faust, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck, and Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte.
She also recently appeared as Mercedes in the Belleayre Summer Music Festival’s production of Carmen under the direction of Don Westwood. Marie has had the pleasure of performing at several events with the Encompass New Opera Theatre, including their gala honoring Alan Menken and Sheldon Harnick’s 90th Birthday Celebration, and is thrilled to be involved in A Wake or a Wedding.
Alison Davy (Deirdre)
Praised by Opera Orchestra of New York conductor Eve Queler for her “beautiful expression and style,” soprano ALISON DAVY has appeared in opera and oratorio both nationally and internationally. She has performed with Washington National Opera, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Centro Musica Antica in Italy, Parma Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington, D.C. outreach program. Ms. Davy was featured as a guest artist at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, singing Spohr’s Sechs Deutsche Lieder and was selected to perform at the White House for President and Mrs. Clinton.
This season Ms. Davy appears as Serpina in La Serva Padrona with Kingston Opera and in concerts with classical saxophonist Javier Oviedo and pianist Gene Rohrer. She recently appeared in the Opera Showcase at the National Opera Center, portrayed La Cercatrice in Suor Angelica with New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Downtown Symphony Orchestra.
Joy Hermalyn (Marcella Sorella)
Joy Hermalyn has been seen on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, Cyrano, Candide, A Christmas Carol, Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme and Off-Broadway at the Roundabout in Death Takes a Holiday and numerous Encores! productions at City Center. She has performed numerous times at Carnegie Hall including an appearance as Sister Berthe in The Sound of Music and in Kristina, by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA). Equally comfortable on the operatic and concert stages, Joy has sung leading roles with companies from Austin to Lincoln Center to Spoleto to Utah.
Recent credits include: Sweeney Todd (NY Philharmonic); Sound of Music Live! on NBC; The Seven Deadly Sins at New York City Ballet (standby for Patti LuPone), Gypsy (Rose), Into the Woods (Witch), Annie Get Your Gun (Annie); & Gianni Schicchi (Zita) with Queens Symphony. Joy is a Voice Professor at Kean University, and maintains a private studio in her home.
Scott Lindroth (Jack Highstraw)
Opera News, reviewing baritone Scott Lindroth as Valentin in Faust, described him as “sonorous” and possessing a “pleasant baritone, good phrasing and strong top that made his aria a highlight”. Mr. Lindroth’s operatic roles also include Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Marcello in La Bohème, Malatesta in Don Pasquale and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte.
His musical theater roles include Javert in Les Misérables and Chip in On the Town. He has appeared as a soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, and most recently in Beethoven's The Ruins of Athens with the Astoria Symphony. In competition, he placed second in the Opera Theater of Connecticut Voice Competition, and was a finalist in the Lieder Division of the Liederkranz Vocal Competition. This season, he will perform the roles of Belcore in L’elisir d’amore and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly as a Resident Artist with Dicapo Opera in New York City.
Caroline Bassett Miller (Velena-Sue Davenport)
A consummate singer, actor and budding writer and composer, she has a particular interest in contemporary opera and theater. In fact, she most recently covered the lead soprano for Chelsea Opera’s double bill of Winnersby Richard Wargo and La Pizza con Funghi by Seymour Barab, and both of the composers were in attendance at the performance.
Before that, Caroline worked with the Ohio Light Opera for two years appearing as Phyllis in Iolanthe, Mascha in The Chocolate Soldier and Bellabruna in Blossom Time. Blossom Time was also released as an album by Albany Records and Caroline was praised by Opera News for “project[ing] all the confident insouciance of a pampered prima donna” and handling the recorded dialogue particularly well. Caroline holds a Masters degree from the Eastman School of Music and a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis where she learned her love of theater.
Lindsay Rider (Miss O’Dell)
She is honored to be a part of this extraordinary evening. An active performer (soprano) and teacher, Ms. Rider was most recently seen at The Triad Theater in NYC, where she premiered her one-woman show "Uncharted". Other roles include Petra in Stephen Sondheim's “A Little Night Music” with the Michigan Opera Theatre (debut); Adele in Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus”; Valentina Scarcella in John Musto’s New York Premiere of “Later the Same Evening”; Greta Fiorentino in Kurt Weill’s “Street Scene”; Season 11 of "American Idol" on Fox; and as a soloist for the Philadelphia Phillies. Ms. Rider has worked with Marianne Barrett, Christiana Stancescu, Glenn Morton, Victoria Clark, Leslie Uggams, Lisa Vroman, Ron Raines, Dona Vaughn, and Carolyn Marlow, to name a few.
Ms. Rider has served as Assistant Director for the Manhattan School of Music’s Musical Theatre Program; has taught at the Broadway Dance Center; teaches privately and is on the Board of Directors for NYSTA. Originally from just outside Philadelphia, Ms. Rider is an alumna of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music (MM) under the tutelage of Arthur Levy. Member AGMA/AEA www.LindsayRider.com
Adrian Rosas (Smelt)
Hailed by critics as a “mellifluous bass-baritone, with theatrical flair” (Opera News), Adrian Rosas is an emerging young artist with “impressive experience and talent” (The Boston Globe). As a Gerdine Young Artist, Mr. Rosas made his Opera Theatre of St. Louis debut in the role of The Captain in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, as well as understudying the roles of Willy Wonka in a world premiere of Peter Ash’s opera, The Golden Ticket and the title role in Don Giovanni. He made his Seattle Opera debut as the Sergeant in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and as part of Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program performed the roles of Procolo in Donizetti’s Viva la Mamma, as well as Masetto and Il Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
In concert, Mr. Rosas has made his Carnegie Hall debut as the Angel Gabriel in Oh My Son, an opera by Spanish composer Marcos Galvany and has performed on multiple occasions with the acclaimed New York Festival Of Song. Mr. Rosas holds a Master’s Degree in vocal performance, from The Juilliard School.
Eapen Leubner (Vecchiofaraone)
With impressive reviews from Opera News, the New York Times and Musical America, Eapen Leubner is indeed one of opera's rising stars. Eapen's roles range from traditional to cutting-edge modern opera. As Younger Thompson, Opera News called Eapen "ardent and striking" (Chelsea Opera; Glory Denied by Tom Cipullo). The Fairbanks News-Miner praised him for a "pleasing tenor... [that] brought insight and tenderness to the aria "Dalla sua pace" in Mozart's Don Giovanni (Opera Fairbanks). Musical America called him "a charming Don Gaston"who was "the opera's most engaging character, or so it would appear from Eapen Leubner's deft portrayal, sung with a trim, attractive tenor voice" (Bronx Opera; Die Drei Pintos).
Eapen's recent artistic energies have focused on expanding his modern opera repertoire. He performed the role of Samuel in Rorem's Three Sisters who are not Sisters and Ab in Charles Fussell's The Astronaut's Tale, both with Encompass New Opera. In November, 2012 Eapen sang the role of Abraham in Chelsea Opera’s staged production of Britten’s Canticle ii. Demonstrating breadth beyond opera, Eapen performed a new art song as part of a composer showcase at The Stone, an avant-garde performance space in New York City (composer Andy Laster).
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