DIE WALKÜRE ACT 1 PRESENTED BY NJ OPERA THEATER

NJ Opera Theater Presents DIE WALKÜRE ACT 1

Sunday, February 11
4 PM

This staged opera performance of DIE WALKÜRE is presented by New Jersey Opera Theater.

Before there was The Lord of the Rings, there was The Ring Cycle, a series of four operas by Richard Wagner, based loosely on Norse mythology.

The story revolves around a magic ring that grants the power to rule the world, forged by the dwarf Alberich from the gold he stole from mermaids in the River Rhine. Crushed by his loss, Alberich lays a curse on the ring: until it returns to him, it will inspire restless jealousy in those who won it and murderous envy in those who don’t, thus condemning all the possessors of the ring.

Several mythic figures struggle for possession of the ring, including Wotan (Odin), the chief of the gods. Wotan’s scheme spanning generations, to overcome his limitations, drives much of the action of the story. DIE WALKÜRE is where all of Wotan’s earthly and celestial children get caught up in his mess from the curse of the ring. During DIE WALKÜRE Act 1, we get to meet Wotan’s earthly love children and learn of their cursed past. Yes, Wotan had an affair with a mortal woman, which really upset his Goddess wife, Fricka, but we will save THAT story for another day!

Did you know? Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music over the course of approximately 26 years, from 1848-1874, and although the individual operas (DAS RHEINGOLD, DIE WALKÜRE, SIEGFRIED AND GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG) are performed as standalone shows, Wagner wanted them to be performed as a series.

About the Cast of Wagner’s DIE WALKÜRE ACT 1

HUGH KEELAN – Music Director/Pianist – has conducted throughout the world, from the Residentie Orchestra (conducted by Toscanini) in The Hague, Holland, to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (in pioneering recordings of seminal American symphonies by Roy Harris, William Schuman), the Saint Louis Symphony (a world premiere by Robin Holloway), and the Windham Philharmonic (recently performing Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate). He has collaborated with the great artists of our times, including Solti, Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Shura Cherkassky, Maurice Sendak, Tom Stoppard, Hilary Hahn. In 2017 he was soloist in Brahms’ Piano Concerto no.1 with the Windham Orchestra. In the same year Maestro and Jenna Rae founded the company TUNDI, standing for Tristan UND Isolde, in order perform that work. 2018 saw our first performances, and the company and audience voices were loud and clear in calling for a Ring Cycle. In TUNDI’s future is the completion of a Ring Cycle in 2025 (we perform our first Götterdämmerung in August 2024), and a return to Tristan und Isolde. Please visit http://www.tundiproductions.org for all information, and for an understanding of why TUNDI and Maestro consider Wagner’s major works essential for a shared exploration of what it is to be human. For Maestro, ‘Life’ and ‘Art’ are not distinct, just different words for a committed exploration of beauty and transcendence. Performance is a locus of sharing, in which we can attention to the dreams, wishes and unfulfilled yearnings of all of us.

DENNIS OLIVEIRA – Stage Director – is a current student at Columbia University’s MFA Directing program. He is an alumnus of Florida State University’s Grad Opera Directing program, the Institute for American Musical Theatre, the Stella Adler Studio, and he holds his BFA in Acting from Montclair State University. He thanks his parents and his partner for their constant support of his work. Other directing credits include Amahl and the Night Visitors (New Jersey Opera Theater), Drought (New York Theatre Festival), Mavra, The Magic Flute (Florida State Opera), and The Wild Party (Old Library Theatre).

ELISABETH SHOUP – Sieglinde – hailed by Parterre Box as “a deep and powerful soprano of great solidity up to the top of the staff,” who “sang… with great force and bite and a strong, even sound,” Elisabeth Shoup is excited to return to the stage with New Jersey Opera. Pre-pandemic, Elisabeth sang Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with New Jersey Opera Theater, Sieglinde in Die Walkure with Manhattan Opera Studio, and performed the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Utah Vocal Arts Academy. Other notable credits include title roles in Strauss’ Elektra with Create Opera and Ponchielli’s La Gioconda with Opera Company of Brooklyn. Formerly a mezzo, Elisabeth performed title roles in Carmen and Hansel and Gretel, and Stephano in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. Elisabeth is originally from Cleveland, OH and completed the Double Degree program at Oberlin College and Conservatory, earning degrees in Voice Performance and Theater. She currently teaches and performs in the New York City Area.

JOSEPH MAYON – Siegmund – has performed in opera, concerts, oratorios, recitals, and musical theater internationally and throughout the United States. A Rahway, NJ resident and Louisiana native, Mayon attended Interlochen Arts Academy, Louisiana State University, University of Denver, and Brooklyn College Conservatory. Mayon has performed with New Jersey Opera Theater, Taconic Opera, Rome Festival Opera, Hudson Opera Theater, New York Dramatic Voices, TUNDI’s Wagner in Vermont Festival, New York Opera Forum, West Side Opera, Underworld Opera, Harmony Project NYC, and Vera Musica. Roles include Siegmund (DIE WALKÜRE), Florestan (FIDELIO), Parsifal (PARSIFAL Act 2), Pollione (NORMA), Siegfried (GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG Prologue), Luigi (IL TABARRO), Idomeneo (IDOMENEO), Carlo (GIOVANNA D’ARCO), & Loge (DAS RHEINGOLD). Upcoming performances include Siegfried in (SIEGFRIED ACT 3 & GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG ACT 3), Pollione (NORMA), and Siegmund (DIE WALKÜRE). Mayon is the Founder and Artistic Director of NEW JERSEY OPERA THEATER at The Union County Performing Arts Center. He is also the founder of THE MAYON SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS LLC, teaching musical theater after school programs and private voice. Mayon is the choral director at St. John the Apostle School in Clark, NJ.

STEVEN FREDERICKS – Hunding – recently sang Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with New Jersey Opera Theater, Marke in Tristan und Isolde with Connecticut Lyric, Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Salt Marsh Opera, Filippo in Don Carlo with Fulham Opera (London), Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Mozart’s Requiem with Konzert Opera Firenze (Italy). Last season he performed Beethoven’s 9th with Eastern Connecticut Symphony and Haydn’s Creation with Paris/Le Mans Symphonie. Other credits include the title role in Fliegender Holländer with Connecticut Lyric, Boïto’s Mefistofele with Taconic Opera and Messiah at Carnegie Hall. Internationally, he has performed with the Chuvash State Theatre (Russia) as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Commendatore at Greve Festival (Italy) and Tod in Kaiser von Atlantis with Israel Chamber Orchestra.

ROSEANNE ACKERLEY – Sieglinde Cover – Hailed by critics as a singer with “commendable stage presence,” a “pleasingly intense, well-placed voice” and “personal sparkle,” soprano Roseanne Ackerley has distinguished herself with her exceptional singing and her flare for dramatic and emotional characterization. Recently, Ms. Ackerley twice sang the title role in Tosca, with New Rochelle Opera (NY) and Garden State Opera in NJ, respectively, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Amore Opera (NY) in January/February 2024. Future engagements include Helmwige in Die Walküre with New Jersey Opera Theater, Freia in Das Rheingold and Third Norn in Götterdämmerung with Tundi Productions Wagner Festival in August 2024 in Brattleboro, VT.

In previous seasons Ms. Ackerley has performed Sieglinde in Die Walküre with Tundi Productions (VT), Liù with New Rochelle Opera, Windham Orchestra (VT) and Union Avenue Opera (MO) and La nonna with Teatro Grattacielo in Riccitelli’s I Compagnacci at Lincoln Center. Ms. Ackerley has essayed the title role in Suor Angelica with both Miami Lyric Opera and Garden State Opera, Walter in an all-female production of Die Meistersinger with Opera Pomme Rouge (NY) and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Vocal Productions, NYC. Roseanne has also performed leading roles with Connecticut Grand Opera, Opera in the Heights (TX), New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera and Bronx Opera (NY), among many others. Her additional signature roles include Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Mimì in La bohème and Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow. Ms. Ackerley is a recipient of the Richard Gold Career Grant and the New York Foundation of the Arts Career Grant. She received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Mannes School of Music at the New School for Music in New York.

KEVIN COURTEMANCHE – Siegmund Cover – has performed extensively in New Jersey and in the Tri-State area, with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Hudson Opera Theater, New Rochelle Opera, Hubbard Hall Opera, Vertical Player Repertory, Long Island Opera, North Shore Music Festival, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, New York Grand Opera, Garden State Opera, Operanauts and Opera at Florham, among others. Mr. Courtemanche is a member of the repertory company of Newark-based Trilogy: An Opera Company and has portrayed several white characters (including J. Edgar Hoover and John Hammond!) in historical African American-themed operatic works and Loge, Siegmund and both Siegfrieds in the Jonathan Dove edition of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Among his firsts, Kevin has essayed the roles of John Twist Sr. in the North American Premiere of Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain at New York City Opera and the Brigadier General in the World Premiere of Glass’ Appomattox at San Francisco Opera. Kevin’s repertoire includes leading roles, such as Otello, Radamès, Duke of Mantua, Don Carlo, Ernani, Manrico (Il trovatore), Calaf, Cavaradossi, Dick Johnson, Canio, Turiddu, Andrea Chénier, Maurizio, Don José, Faust, Hoffmann, Werther (cover), Bacchus, Aegisthus, Alfred, Tamino and Kaspar, Florestan in Fidelio, Siegfried (cover), and comprimario roles, such as Jaquino in Fidelio, Froh in Das Rheingold, the Sailor in Tristan und Isolde, Goro in Madama Butterfly, Spoletta in Tosca, six roles in the expanded Oeser edition of The Tales of Hoffmann, Mime (cover – Siegfried), and Borsa in Rigoletto. Kevin has also performed with Sarasota Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera. Kevin recently sang the complete role of Siegmund in a series of Die Walküre concerts with New York Opera Forum. Future engagements include Tundi Productions’ Wagner Festival in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he will perform the role of Froh (and cover the role of Loge) in Das Rheingold. There Kevin will also give a comparative lecture recital of two adaptations of the German medieval epic Die Niebelungenlied. As part of the recital, he and others will perform excerpts of Ernest Reyer’s Sigurd and Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (August 2024).

NICHOLAS HAY – Hunding Cover – started singing at a young age in the American Boychoir and has not looked back since. He has sung in various venues such as Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Merkin Concert Hall, and the 92nd Street Y to name a few. Mr. Hay’s operatic roles include Zuniga in “Carmen”, Rocco in “Fidelio”, Antonio & Bartolo in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Samuel in “Un Ballo in Maschera” and Peter Quince in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to name a few. Mr. Hay has appeared with Opera Philadelphia, Baltimore Opera Company, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, Amore Opera, New York Lyric Opera Theatre, the Peabody Opera Theatre, Chelsea Opera and The Opera Festival of New Jersey. Mr. Hay is a graduate of the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where he earned his Bachelors and Masters of music degrees. While attending Peabody Mr. Hay studied with tenor and radio personality Wayne Conner. He is currently studying with bass Matthew Anchel. An active choral singer, and chamber musician, Mr. Hay sings with Musica Viva in New York City, New York Virtuoso Singers, Bard Festival Chorale, the Crossing, and other choral ensembles.

See all of UCPAC’s Upcoming Events