LA TRAVIATA | GIUSEPPE VERDI
THREE PERFORMANCES:
Thu 14 Dec 2017 8pm - Buy tickets
Sat 16 Dec 2017 8pm - Buy tickets
Sun 17 Dec 2017 3pm - Buy tickets
VENUE: The Annex
ESTIMATED RUN TIME : 90 mins
BUY NOW TO ENJOY EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT
Have you ever felt intimidated by opera? If so, you are not alone, and More Than Musical may just have the remedy. In keeping with More Than Muscial’s goal of making opera more accessible, we have reduced the runtime from the usual 2.5 hours to about 100 minutes, with no intermission.
Verdi’s original was set in “modern” times, 1853, the year of the premiere, as Verdi wanted the audience to relate to the characters without the filter of “a time longpast”. We, too, have set out production in the present.
La Traviata is a story about social and religious hypocrisy. In 19th century France, wealthy men were permitted to have mistresses, but insisted on virginal behaviour from women in their family circles. Violetta is the embodiment of this dilemma: a courtesan who trades physical intimacy for financial gain.
Then, however, she falls in love and gives up her lucrative and licentious lifestyle. But can a person be forgiven for their mistakes, however heinous? And can a woman be forgiven? This is the critical question of the piece. Verdi’s answer, or rather that of society’s as he saw it, is a resounding “no”.
Allow yourself to be offended by the behaviour of some of the characters, to sympathise with Violetta’s plight, to struggle with Germont’s request, to pity Alfredo’s rage.
Cast & Porduction Crew
Stage Director and Production Design
Nic Muni
Music Director and Pianist
Wei-En Hsu
Violetta Valéry
Lei Xu
Alfredo Germont
Ji-Min Park
Giorgio Germont
Zhou Zhengzhong
Annina & Flora Bervoix
Etta Fung
Doctor Grenvil
Stefan Gordon
Stefan Gordon (Baritone)
Stefan Gordon has performed in operas, theaters, churches, and in concert in productions in Germany, Austria, Italy, Hong Kong, and across America. He has created two leading roles in American opera premieres, participating in both Arizona Opera workshops of Craig Bohmler’s new opera Riders of the Purple Sage as the villainous Elder Tull. With Ohio Light Opera he premiered the role of romantic lead James Paradene in the first complete performance of Jerome Kern’s “The Cabaret Girl” in the United States, a role he recorded with Albany Records. As an administrator and director, Dr. Gordon led casting and helped in the creation of a new opera production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with over 200 productions in Vienna, Austria. He directed Rapides Symphony’s production of Die Zauberflöte, and created the Northwestern Opera Theater Ensemble at NSULA. Dr. Gordon is also on faculty at the Vienna Summer Music Festival in Austria, and worked as a musical coach and assistant in their production of Don Giovanni. Dr. Gordon received his Doctor of Musical Arts at Arizona State, holds a Master in music from Florida State, and a Bachelor in music from the University of Utah. When he’s not performing or directing, Dr. Gordon teaches with American Vocal Studio in Hong Kong
Baron Douphol
Jack Wu
Violin
Nina Vitarniya
MTM Founder
Rumiko Hasegawa
MTM Co-founder:
Lucy Choi