CYRANO Brings Ultimate In Sweeping French Romance To Philadelphia

The co-production with Michigan Opera Theatre and Florida Grand Opera is composed by David DiChiera with a libretto by Bernard Uzan and orchestration by Mark D. Flint, and features a magnificent, 17th Century, period production, running in five performances at the Academy of Music.

Based on Edmond Rostand’s celebrated 1897 stage drama Cyrano de Bergerac, the opera recounts the story of a swashbuckling, larger-than-life Frenchman who is equally adept with both sword and pen. While Cyrano is not blessed with the good looks of young, shy Christian, they are both in love with the beautiful Roxane. When Cyrano agrees to help Christian find the words to profess his feelings, Cyrano becomes a heartbroken accomplice to their love. Grand orchestration and flawless melodies abound – and Philadelphia is the only place you can see this historic East Coast Premiere.

Over eight years in the making, Cyrano is the first opera written by David DiChiera, founding General Director of the Michigan Opera Theatre. DiChiera, who was born in Pennsylvania, began his career as a composer after receiving a Masters Degree in composition and a PhD in Musicology at UCLA, and worked as a composer in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar. His many posts in academia and the arts eventually led him to Detroit, where he founded Michigan Opera Theatre in 1971 and established the Detroit Opera House in 1996. Throughout his career, he has continued to compose in his lush and melodic style, including his “Four Sonnets” with text by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which was premiered at the Kennedy Center and won him praise from The Washington Post as “a composer with great sensitivity and keen awareness of the beauties of the voice.”

DiChiera is reunited with long-time colleague, librettist Bernard Uzan, who first approached him about setting the story of Cyrano as an opera, and who ultimately authored the libretto for the new work. Uzan, whose prolific career in opera and theatre has seen him in posts as general director, artistic director, stage director, designer, actor, and most recently as a leading artist manager, is a native of France who has co-designed more than 75 productions and directed more than 300 productions throughout the world. Uzan directs the East Coast Premiere in Philadelphia this February, as he did at the Detroit World Premiere in October 2007. The lush 70-piece orchestration for Cyrano was created by Maestro Mark D. Flint, a seasoned conductor in the worlds of both opera and symphony who conducted the World Premiere of the opera this past fall.

Starring in the title role and OCP debut is Romanian baritone Marian Pop. A regular starring artist throughout Europe at houses such as the Vienna State Opera, Pop’s creation of the title role during the World Premiere of Cyrano garnered wide-spread critical acclaim. The Detroit Free Press said Pop brought to the role “…a supple range of color and a full-throated intensity balanced by sweetness that never felt forced.”

Two alumni of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts join Pop in leading roles. Soprano Evelyn Pollock, who made her OCP debut last year as Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff, sings the role of Roxane. Pollock also has recent performance credits as Micaela in Carmen and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland, and as the lead heroine in Romeo and Juliet with Michigan Opera Theatre. Fellow AVA alumni Stephen Costello stars as the young and dashing Christian. Costello makes his Opera Company debut on the heels of his exciting debut with the Metropolitan Opera first as Arturo and then as Edgardo in the new production of Lucia di Lammermoor under the direction of James Levine. The stellar supporting cast includes the seasoned voices of Peter Volpe, Daniel Teadt, Mark T. Panuccio and Gloria Parker. (See below for details.)

Director and librettist Bernard Uzan (Andrea Chenier, ’97) joins contemporary music specialist Maestro Stefan Lano (Porgy and Bess, ’07) to lead the production, which is sung in French. Celebrated English artist John Pascoe designed the elaborate 17th Century Period scenery and costumes which were hailed at the World Premiere as “a visual feast.” Pascoe, whose countless credits include productions for Royal Opera Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago, depicts numerous locations including a period theatre, an authentic French bakery, the famous balcony scene, and a doomed battlefield, each with lavish attention to detail. The stage is adorned with over 100 handmade, intricately designed costumes, from courtiers to musketeers. Donald Edmund Thomas creates the lighting design and expert fight choreographer Christopher Barbeau brings exciting swordplay to the Academy of Music stage. -- www.operaphilly.com