Washington National Opera Premieres PENNY, About Woman With Autism, at the Kennedy Center This Weekend

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 2014-2015 season with the world premiere of the one-hour opera Penny by composer Douglas Pew and librettist Dara Weinberg, presented under the auspices of WNO's American Opera Initiative, this weekend, January 23-24, 2015 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Pew and Weinberg are alumni of the American Opera Initiative; their 20-minute work A Game of Hearts had its world premiere during the program's first season in November 2012. Penny is conducted by American Opera Initiative mentor Anne Manson and directed by Alan Paul, the Associate Director of Washington's Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Developed from an original story by Weinberg, Penny tells the tale of Penny Rutherford, a woman with a disability who discovers her talent for music, and the ensuing conflict with her family as she changes and grows more independent.

A Game of Hearts, the first collaboration of Pew and Weinberg, had its world premiere in November 2012 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The comedic opera depicted a group of widows in a Seattle nursing home as they reminisced about their pasts and faced their current situation. Following its critically acclaimed bow in Washington, A Game of Hearts was subsequently presented by Cincinnati's North American New Opera Workshop in May 2013 and was performed at the prestigious OPERA America New Works Forum in January 2014.

"When I first heard A Game of Hearts, I was struck by the sophistication of the storytelling in both the music and the libretto and I am thrilled that Doug and Dara are returning for this new commission," said Michael Heaston, the director of the American Opera Initiative for WNO. "I am proud that our program is achieving its mission-to continue to foster new American talent and to provide a forum for contemporary American stories and music."

The cast of Penny includes many current members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, including mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel, soprano Kerriann Otan?o, bass Wei Wu, and tenor Patrick O'Halloran. Rounding out the cast are baritone James Shaffran and baritone Trevor Scheunemann, an alumnus of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program who was seen earlier this season as Marcello in WNO's La bohe?me.

Penny opens on Friday, January 23, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. and will also be performed on Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. Immediately following both performances, members of the cast and creative team will participate in a Q&A session with the audience. Tickets are $32 and are available online, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467- 4600 or (800) 444-1324.

Washington National Opera's 2014-2015 season also includes an English-language production of Poulenc's 20th-century drama Dialogues of the Carmelites, a revival of Wagner's epic The Flying Dutchman, and an acclaimed new-to-Washington staging of Rossini's Cinderella. More information can be found in the 2014-2015 season press release. WNO's 2015- 2016 season, which will include three complete cycles of Wagner's Ring, will be announced in the coming months.

ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA - Washington National Opera (WNO) is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, the company presents a diverse season of grand opera -- including both classics from the repertory and more contemporary pieces -- plus an annual holiday family opera, several newly commissioned American works, and a variety of special concerts and events. The WNO Orchestra is led by Music Director Philippe Auguin. Founded in 1956 and an affiliate of the Kennedy Center since 2011, WNO has a storied legacy of world premieres, new productions, international tours, live recordings and radio broadcasts, and innovative education and community-engagement programs. Throughout its history WNO has been led by titans in the opera field, including the legendary Pla?cido Domingo, who headed the company from 1996 to 2011.

WNO contributes to the future of opera through two signature artist-development programs. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, now in its 13th season, has become one of the nation's most competitive and comprehensive professional training programs for young singers and collaborative pianists. Alumni of the program have won major competitions and gone on to successful careers at major operas houses in the U.S. and abroad. The WNO Opera Institute nurtures the ambitions of high-school-age singers from across the nation during an intensive three-week summer program held at American University in Washington.

Among the company's most successful recent programs is the 2012 launch of the American Opera Initiative, a comprehensive commissioning program that works to expand the American operatic repertory, to give WNO's young artists the chance to collaborate with living composers and librettists on new works, and to make American opera more relevant to 21st century audiences. The most popular of WNO's community-engagement programs is M&M'S® Opera in the Outfield, during which an opera is broadcast live from the Kennedy Center Opera House stage to the high-definition scoreboard at Nationals Park. Last season's simulcast drew more than 10,000 spectators to the ballpark. The company's other education programs include the Kids Create Opera program at local elementary schools, Look-In performances for students in grades 4-8, and the Student Dress Rehearsal Program for middle and high school students. The company also offers free Opera Insights programs before every performance in the Opera House.

To celebrate the company's 60th anniversary, Washington National Opera will present three complete cycles of Wagner's Ring in spring 2016. These performances, featuring an acclaimed production by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and conducted by Music Director Philippe Auguin, will be the first time the company has presented The Ring in complete cycles in its history.

For more information, visit the Washington National Opera website at www.kennedy-center.org/wno.