Opera San Jose Presents LA TRAVIATA

Opera San José continues its 28th season with the romantic tragedy La traviata. An unequivocal masterpiece based on the short life of the most famous of all Parisian courtesans, this is Verdi's most popular opera. Opera San José founding music director, David Rohrbaugh conducts with stage direction by José Maria Condemi, whose international credits include most of the major companies in the U.S. and dozens of titles from Orfeo to Tristan. La traviata is sung in Italian with English supertitles. Eight performances are scheduled from February 11 through 26 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San José Box Office, by phone at (408) 437-4450 or online at www.operasj.org. La traviata is sponsored by the Applied Materials Foundation and made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José.

Adapted from the 1852 stage play La Dame aux camélias, by Alexandre Dumas fils, with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, Giuseppe Verdi's opera La traviata is the story of a famed courtesan, Violetta Valéry. Opera San José's production opens in the Paris of 1889, and the celebrated beauty is hosting a lavish party where she meets a young admirer, Alfredo Germont. For the past year, he has loved her without yet having met her. On this night, when they do meet, she is so taken with his sincerity that despite the impossibility of the situation, she abandons caution and her life of luxury, retreating to the country to be with him. But when met with the sharp disapproval of Alfredo's father, Violetta ends the affair and, broken hearted, returns to Paris. A jealous Alfredo humiliates her publicly, but when he learns of her sacrifice he returns to beg her forgiveness, only to discover that he has waited too long.

Verdi's timeless tragedy La traviata is one of the best-loved and most-performed operas of all time. His melodies, rich in passion and drama, made him the acknowledged Italian master of his time and this endearing work has touched the hearts of both the opera novice and long-time opera lover for generations. The story of this glamorous and fragile courtesan has been popularized in the classic film Camille, starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor, and inspired the Baz Luhrman blockbuster movie-musical, Moulin Rouge!, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.

David Rohrbaugh, Opera San José's founding Music Director and Principal Conductor, will conduct La traviata. Dr. Rohrbaugh has conducted more than 60 productions and 600 performances, including company premieres of La rondine, Der fliegende Holländer, Falstaff, Un ballo in maschera, and Werther. He is a professor emeritus of voice and opera from San José State University, where he taught for 30 years and co-directed the Opera Workshop with Opera San José General Director, Irene Dalis. The February 19 and 21 performances will be conducted by Joseph Marcheso. Previous Opera San José productions for Marcheso include La bohème, Manon, La Cenerentola, The Elixir of Love and Lucia di Lammermoor. He has conducted more than 30 operas with Amato Opera in his native NYC where he was appointed Music Director, and served as conductor and coach at both the Shaker Festival/Albany Symphony and at the Dartington Festival in Dartington, England.

José Maria Condemi, who recently staged Bizet's Carmen for San Francisco Opera, returns to Opera San José as stage director for La traviata. Condemi earned rave reviews for his stage direction of last season's The Barber of Seville and the company premiere of Puccini's La rondine in the 2009-10 season. Other directorial credits with Opera San José include The Magic Flute (2008), Don Pasquale (2003), and L'elisir d'amore (2000). Condemi is the artistic director for Opera Santa Barbara. His other directing venues include Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Portland Opera, Minnesota Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Lake George Opera, Festival Opera, Western Opera Theater, Houston Grand Opera and Teatro Colón in his native Buenos Aires.

La traviata features current members of Opera San José's resident company in principal roles as well as returning and first-time guest artists. Resident sopranos Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste and Jasmina Halimic alternate in the role of the famed courtesan, Violetta. Jean-Baptiste and Halimic previously shared the role of Nedda in Opera San José's recent production of Pagliacci and both earned rave reviews in the title role of David Carlson's Anna Karenina in the 2010-11 season. Resident tenors Alexander Boyer and Michael Dailey share the role of Alfredo, Violetta's young lover. Earlier this season, Boyer played the title role in Opera San José's company premiere of Mozart's Idomeneo and Canio in Pagliacci. Dailey recently appeared as Beppe in Pagliacci and thrilled audiences last season in The Barber of Seville. Resident baritone Evan Brummel plays the role of Giorgio Germant, Alfredo's father. He shares the role with former resident artist Torlef Borsting. Rounding out the cast are mezzo-sopranos Wendy Buzby and Cathleen Candia as Violetta's friend, Flora; resident bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala as Baron Douphol; resident bass Silas Elash as Dr. Grenville; and guest artists Rebecca Krouner and Tori Grayum alternating as Violetta's devoted maid, Annina. Justin Marsh and Mete Tasin make their company debut as Gastone and Bradley Kynard debuts as Marquis D'Obigny.

Opera San José's production of La traviata includes set designs by Erik Flatmo, costume designs by Elizabeth Poindexter, lighting design by Chris Maravich, and wig and makeup designs by Jeanna Parham. Scenery and costumes for this production of La traviata were co-produced by Opera San José and Opera Santa Barbara.

About Opera San José
Opera San José, performing at the historic California Theatre in downtown San José, is a professional, regional opera company that is unique in the United States. Maintaining a resident company of principal artists, Opera San José specializes in showcasing the finest young professional singers in the nation. In addition to mainstage performances, Opera San José maintains extensive educational programs in schools and in the community at large, and offers Preview lectures and Introduction to Opera talks for all mainstage productions.

La traviata
In Italian with English Supertitles

Cast: February 11, 16, 19, 24 February 12, 18, 21, 26

Violetta Valéry Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste• Jasmina Halimic•
Alfredo Germont Alexander Boyer• Michael Dailey•
Giorgio Germont Torlef Borsting Evan Brummel•
Flora Bervoix Cathleen Candia Wendy Buzby †
Baron Douphol Isaiah Musik-Ayala• Isaiah Musik-Ayala•
Gastone Justin Marsh† Mete Tasin†
Marquis D'Obigny Bradley Kynard† Bradley Kynard†
Dr. Grenville Silas Elash• Silas Elash•
Annina Tori Grayum Rebecca Krouner †

• Resident Company † Company Debut

Tickets: $51–$101 (includes city facility usage fee) from Opera San José Box Office, 2149 Paragon Dr., San José, CA 95131; 408-437-4450; 408-437-4455 fax; www.operasj.org
Available 90 minutes prior to curtain at the California Theatre box office only: Seniors (65 and older) 10% discount; Students 25 and younger (with current student ID) $11