A rollicking, frolicking, character-driven comedy full of slapstick humor and philosophical truth.
Falstaff
Characters:
| Sir JOHN FALSTAFF: | Gregory Watts  | Baritone |
| FORD, Alice's husband: | Daniel Tuutau  | Baritone |
| FENTON, a young lover: | Garrett Medlock  | Tenor |
| Dr. CAIUS: | Daniel McDonnall  | Tenor |
| BARDOLFO, a follower of Falstaff: | Elijah Hancock  | Tenor |
| PISTOL, a follower of Falstaff: | Nelson LeDuc  | Bass-baritone |
| ALICE FORD: | Felicia Lundie  | Soprano |
| NANNETTA, her daughter: | Serena Mackerell  and Jessica Benson  | Soprano |
| Dame QUICKLY: | Aubrey Odle  | Contralto |
| MEG PAGE: | Lynnette Owens  | Mezzo-soprano |
| Ballet Dancer: | Tiffani Barney (choreographer) and company  | Ballet dancer |
| Ballet Dancers: | Caitlin Vance  Maren Dall  Eden Peterson  | Ballet dancers |
| HOST of the Garter Inn: | Super | |
| ROBIN, Falstaff's page: | Super | |
| Villagers: | Deborah Siddoway  , Sarah Seamons  ,Sonja Jensen  , Sue Sohm  , Jamie Forchic  , T.J. Hansen  , Catherine Seagrave  , Yanyan Chen Li  ,Joshua Jensen  , Jerry Li  , Jesse Toftum | Chorus |
| Stage Manager: | Kaden Pigsley  |
Synopsis:
The action takes place in Windsor during the reign of Henry IV (1399-1413). The plot revolves around the thwarted, farcical, efforts of the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff, to seduce two married women to gain access to their husbands' wealth.
Act 1, Part 1 - Inside the Garter Inn: Sir John Falstaff, an aging, fat rogue, is drinking with his two henchmen, Bardolfo and Pistola. Dr. Caius bursts in accusing Falstaff of burgling his house and Bardolfo of picking his pocket. They deny it and eject him. Falstaff thinks up a clever scheme for financial gain. He decides to seduce two wealthy married women, Alice Ford and Meg Page, at the same time to get access to their money. He writes two identical letters in which he professes his love for each of the women and dispatches his page to deliver them.
Act 1, Part 2 – Ford's garden: Alice and Meg show each other Falstaff's "wicked" letters and discover that they are identical. Together with Mistress Quickly and Alice's daughter, Nannetta, they vow to punish Falstaff. Meanwhile, Ford has been warned of the letters by Bardolfo and Pistola. All three are thirsty for revenge, and are supported by Dr. Caius and Fenton, a young gentleman. Fenton and Nannetta are in love and find a moment to be alone. The women return on one side of the stage and the men on the other all plotting revenge on Falstaff.
Act 2, Part 1 - Inside the Garter Inn: Falstaff is alone. Bardolfo and Pistola, now in the pay of Ford, enter and pretend to beg for forgiveness. They introduce Mistress Quickly who delivers an invitation to go to Alice's house that afternoon between the hours of two and three. Quickly leaves and Falstaff celebrates his potential success. Ford, disguised as "Signor Fontana," is now introduced. He feigns admiration of Alice and offers money to the fat knight to seduce her as a prelude to his own advances. Falstaff accepts, divulging that Alice has already agreed to meet him at two o'clock – the hour when Ford is always absent from home. Falstaff goes off to change into his best clothes. Ford is consumed with jealousy. When Falstaff returns, they leave together with elaborate displays of mutual courtesy.
Act 2, Part 2 – A room in Ford's house: The three women plot their strategy. Alice, after assuring Nanetta that she will not have to marry Dr. Caius as Ford is demanding, prepares the room for Falstaff's visit. Falstaff arrives. He attempts to woo Alice but is cut short when Quickly rushes in warning of Meg's approach. Falstaff is forced to hide. Meg rushes in warning of Ford's arrival. Ford bursts in with a band of men to catch his wife's lover and starts searching. In the meantime Fenton and Nannetta have hidden behind a screen. The men hear the sound of a kiss behind it and assume it is Falstaff with Alice, but instead they find the young lovers. Ford orders Fenton to leave. Falstaff had been forced to hide in a hamper where he is almost suffocating. While the men resume the search of the house, Alice orders her servants to throw the hamper through the window into the River Thames, where Falstaff is compelled to endure the jeers of the crowd. Ford realizes his error in suspecting his wife.
Act 3, Part 1 – A square outside the Garter Inn: The drenched Falstaff orders a glass of warm wine and curses the world. Quickly enters and delivers another invitation to meet Alice. Falstaff wants nothing to do with it, but she persuades him. For mystery's sake, he is to meet Alice at midnight at Herne's Oak in Windsor Forest dressed up as Herne the Hunter. Quickly and Falstaff go inside the inn. Alice, who has been eavesdropping with Meg, Nannetta, Ford, Caius and Fenton, prepares her accomplices for the coming evening's masquerade - Falstaff's final punishment. Dressed as supernatural creatures, they will ambush and torment him at midnight. Ford privately plans a separate plot to marry Dr. Caius to Nannetta. Quickly overhears, and quietly vows to thwart Ford's scheme.
Act 3, Part 2 – Windsor Forest: Fenton arrives at the oak tree and sings of music and kisses. Nannetta joins him. The women arrive with a host of villagers disguised as forest nymphs. They instruct them in their roles, then hide. Falstaff enters with antlers tied onto his head. He meets Alice and attempts to seduce her but is interrupted by a distant cry that nymphs are approaching. Alice runs away and Falstaff tries to hide. The nymphs come out and enact a fairy ritual. They discover Falstaff and torment him. He soon realizes his tormentors are human and accepts his punishment with good humor. Ford announces that a wedding shall ensue. The disguised Dr. Caius and the Queen of the Fairies come forward to be married. Alice asks Ford to give the same blessing for a second disguised couple as well, which he does. Everyone unmasks. Ford finds he has unwittingly married Fenton to Nanetta and Dr. Caius to Bardolfo. Ford admits that he, too, has been duped and blesses his daughter's marriage. All join in a fugue singing that everything in the world is a jest.
About:
Opera composer Giuseppe Verdi and playwright William Shakespeare are two of the all-time greats in their fields. Put them together and you have operatic gold. Verdi's voice finds its most brilliant expression in this delightful comedy. The work has a score that is intriguing, exciting and funny, and the libretto is filled with twists and turns. The character Falstaff made his first appearance in Shakespeare's Henry IV history plays, and quickly became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. Verdi's Falstaff employs the memorable character to incite a comedic plot taken from another of the Bard's classic plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor. Written in 1893 when the composer was in his 80s, it is the culmination of Verdi's life work.
Detailed Singer Info:
Falstaff in Falstaff
Gregory Watts, Baritone, holds a Bachelor of Arts from Westminster College. He has sung numerous oratorio and concerts, and excelled in various roles from grand opera to Gilbert & Sullivan, and even on the classical stage. Mr. Watts has performed over a dozen operatic roles, some of his favorite roles have included Sir John Falstaff in Falstaff, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, and Javert in, Les Miserables. Some of the organizations he has performed with include Utah Opera, High Desert Opera, the Orchestra of Southern Utah, Utah/Idaho Performing Arts Company, and Utah Lyric Opera.
Ford in Falstaff
Daniel Tuutau, Baritone, is originally from Los Angeles, California. He holds BA & MM degrees in music from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Utah in Vocal Performance. He frequently sings with the Lyrical Opera Theater in Midvale, Utah, and is currently a regular member of the Utah Opera Chorus. He has worked as an adjunct professor in voice at the University of Utah in the Theater Department and also teaches private studio voice lessons throughout the Salt Lake Valley. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Brandy, and their four children.
Fenton in Falstaff
Garrett Medlock is thrilled to be returning to Falstaff in his first season with Lyrical Opera Theater. Originally from central Illinois, Garrett studied vocal performance at Lawrence University before transferring to the University of Utah, where he received a Bachelor's degree in 2017. His favorite roles include L'elisir d'Amore's Nemorino, La Cenerentola's Don Ramiro, and Falstaff's Dr. Caius. Recently a young artist at the Ohio Light Opera's 2017 season, Garrett also appears regularly at the Capitol Theatre with the Utah Opera Chorus. In addition to his love of the stage, Garrett has a passion for choral singing and holds positions as a section leader in the Cathedral of the Madeleine Choir and as a member of the Utah Symphony Chorus.
Dr. Caius in Falstaff
Daniel McDonnall is excited to make his operatic debut with the Lyrical Opera Theater. He has appeared in musical theater roles, including: Music Man's Marcellus Washburn, Guys & Dolls' Nicely Johnson, Starmites' Herbie Harrison, and the Lion in the Wizard of Oz. He has 25 years of choral music experience singing with the Colorado and Utah Symphonies, Salt Lake Choral Artists, Viva Voce, and Jubilate. In addition to singing, Dr. McDonnall has performed improv comedy at the Off Broadway Theater and with the Neutrino Project.
Bardolfo in Falstaff
Elijah Hancock, tenor, is thrilled to return to the role of Bardolfo with the Lyrical Opera Theater, having previously performed it with the Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble at the University of Utah. Elijah came to the world of opera by unconventional means, beginning his musical study as a percussionist at Snow College. Since entering the world of voice, Elijah has been a part of projects involving an exceptionally wide range of musical eras and vocal requirements, from the role of Empress, Octavia's valet in Monteverdi's 1643 opera, L'Incoronazione di Poppea, (performed at La Musica Lirica Festival, Italy) to the world premiere of composer Jonny Stallings' 2017 opera, Open House (performed with the Deseret Experimental Opera Company, Salt Lake City). Elijah's roles have also encompassed Gilbert & Sullivan, music theater, and even video game music with the Utah and Mesa Symphonies.
Pistol in Falstaff
Nelson LeDuc has never been a stranger to music. He played clarinet in elementary school, bass guitar in a rock band in the late 1970s, and since 1988 has been a regular singer with Utah Opera Company. Besides singing a number of cameo roles with the opera company, Nelson has also been a featured soloist in the Mozart Requiem, Handel's Messiah, and with Utopia Early Music. He sang the title role in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado with Pages Lane Theater (predecessor to Centerpoint Legacy Theater) in 1991. More recently, he has performed the role of Simone in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi with Utah/Idaho Performing Arts Company in 2015, and has sung the roles of Lord Mountararat in Iolanthe (2011) and Dr. Tannhauser in The Grand Duke (2017), both Gilbert & Sullivan operettas presented by Holladay Performing Arts.
Nelson is currently pursuing a degree in music composition from the University of Utah. This is his first role with Lyrical Opera Theater.
Alice Ford in Falstaff
Felicia Lundie is a lyric soprano, who has been singing since she was 6. She is pleased to make her Lyrical Opera Theater debut after a time away from performing to be with her daughter, Elise, who is now 3. Felicia holds a BM in Vocal Performance from Northern Arizona University and an MM from the University of Utah. Felicia has performed with the Utah Opera, Utah Opera Chorus as well as the West Jordan Symphony. She has also performed internationally in Italy. Some favorite Opera roles include: Madame Butterfly in Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica in Suor Angelia, Beth in Little Women, The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and scenes from La Boheme (Mimi) and Cosi fan Tutte (Fiordiligi). Felicia is eternally grateful for the support of her wonderful husband, Steve.
Nannetta in Falstaff
Serena Mackerell has been singing since she was a child and has since matured to become a member of the Utah Opera Company, Utah Symphony Chorus, and a 3x champion at NATS. She is proud to now be performing with the Lyrical Opera Theater. Serena is currently serving as Mrs. Utah providing support to the infertility community with her nonprofit Footsteps for Fertility Foundation. She is a coloratura soprano and enjoys singing opera/classical most but is well rounded in musical theater as well. Key roles include, Phantom's Christine, Mermaid's Ariel, West Side Story's Maria, Crazy for You's Tess, Beauty and the Beast's Madame de la Grande Bouche, Brigadoon's Fiona, and Martha in Lamb of God. But her favorite roles are wife to Travis, and mother to their 4-year-old triplets, Vivian, Harrison, and Dean!
Nannetta in Falstaff
Jessica Benson gave her first, award winning performance at age six in her original home of Seattle. Ever since, she's continued to sing and act in concerts, theater and opera. Favorite roles performed include Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Casilda in Gondoliers, Rapunzel in Into The Woods, and Antonia in Man of La Mancha. She has performed abroad in Italy and Canada as well as local stages including Kingsbury Hall for a public appearance of Stephen Sondheim. Other venues include Centerpoint Legacy Theater, Libby Gardner, The Tabernacle, Abravanel, Capitol Theater, and Eccles Theater. She's a member of the Utah opera Chorus and holds a BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Utah. Jessica's grateful for the love and support of her wonderful husband and daughter.
Dame Quickly in Falstaff
Aubrey Odle was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She was involved in music, choirs and piano lessons starting at a young age. Aubrey graduated from Snow College (AA) and Utah State University (BM), both with degrees in vocal performance. Currently, she is pursuing her Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Brigham Young University, studying with Darrell Babidge. She has an active performance history including La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica and Zita in Gianni Schicchi this Fall at BYU. In 2016, she won BYU's Female Singer of the Year Competition and the Utah Valley Symphony Young Artist's Competition and performed as a featured soloist with the Utah Valley Symphony. She has enjoyed numerous operatic roles, including the title role of Carmen, Prince Orlofsky in Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Rosette in Massenet's Manon, and she was fellowshipped at the Atlantic Music Festival to perform Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. She currently resides in Orem with her husband Wayd, and son, Grant.
Villager in Falstaff
Carnegie Hall's packed house gave a 10-minute standing ovation and welcoming shouts when Lynnette Owens soloed in Mozart's Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore. She has thrilled audiences and critics alike with her operatic performances that have included Madama Butterfly in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Minnie in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème, and Tosca in Puccini's Tosca amongst numerous others. She has performed with the Lyrical Opera Theater, Rome Festival Opera, Utah Symphony & Opera, Bleeker Street Opera in NYC, Amici Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Sarasota Opera, MidAmerica Productions, the American West Symphony and the Da Camera Choir and Symphony of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Tiffani Barney, Ballet dancer, choreographer and company in Falstaff
Tiffani Barney grew up training with Children's Ballet Theatre; later taking classes from RDT, Ballet West and more. She's danced full-length ballets including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and in productions at Disney Land, Knott's Berry Farm, with the Utah Symphony and at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
She has a BFA in Musical Theatre and Minor in Modern Dance from the U of U where she performed lead dancing roles in The Wild Party (Jackie), Songs for a New World (principle dancer) and Pomp and Circumstance (Tiffani). She now performs with the Dinner Detective and is the Ballet Director at Synergy Dance Academy.
Tiffani is excited to work with Lyrical Opera Theater for the first time and thanks Sonja Jensen, Lynnette Owens, her parents and husband, Mike.
Caitlin Vance, Ballet Dancer in Falstaff
Caitlin Vance studied at the Children's Ballet Theatre for thirteen years. She enjoyed training in ballet, character dance, jazz, and other dance forms. Some of her favorite ballets she performed in include Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, The Secret Garden, Molly Mouse, Swan Lake, and Coppelia.
Caitlin is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree at the University of Utah in Health Promotion and Education with a Minor in Modern Dance. She has enjoyed her experiences teaching ballet at the Children's Ballet Theater and Razz & Rhythm as well as choreographing for Upstage Theatre for Youth. This is Caitlin's first year with Lyrical Opera Theater and she is excited to work with these great artists.
Maren Dall, Ballet Dancer in Falstaff
Maren Dall has been dancing ballet her entire life. She was trained in classical ballet at the Children's Ballet Theatre in Salt Lake City under the direction of Stacey Orlob-Richins and Julie Orlob for 15 years, with an additional 10 years of jazz and modern training. She was also a principle dancer and President of the Wasatch Youth Ballet Company for two years and later taught for CBT for four years. Maren was able to travel to New York City and take classes from renowned ballet dancers Maria Calegari and Bart Cook. Her choreography has been featured in several student concerts in Salt Lake City, and one of her favorite dancing opportunities was being a dancer for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert for two years. Maren has an Associates degree in Dance and is currently finishing her Bachelors degree in Exercise Science at Utah Valley University.
Eden Peterson, Ballet Dancer in Falstaff
Eden Peterson began her classical ballet training at age five studying with Julie Orlob and Stacy Orlob-Richins at the Children's Ballet Theatre in Salt Lake City. In high school she was a principle dancer with the Wasatch Youth Ballet Company and was also accepted into the prestigious Ballet West Academy training program. She attended summer intensives at Ballet West, the University of Utah and Brigham Young University and later trained in ballet at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. She has trained and performed in Los Angeles and New York City as well as all over the Salt Lake Valley including performing yearly in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concerts. In addition to Ballet, she studied ballroom dance at BYU and was a member of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company. She also currently performs folk dance with the Heart of Utah International Performing Group.
Villager in Falstaff
Deborah Siddoway, soprano has worked collaboratively and individually on a variety of concerts. As a classically trained musician, her primary performance focus is Opera and Broadway. Her performances include Kate Pinkerton & Mama in Lyrical Opera Theater's Madama Butterfly, chorus in Carmen and Tosca and Gretchen in Beth Bruner's, The Grand Duke. Her concert soloist performances include singing Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" and Rossini's "Duetto buffo di due gatti" with Lyrical Opera Theater soloing in the Matsumoto, Japan/Salt Lake City sister city Gala and Lyrical Opera Theater Heart Song concert. She has been featured in the Italian festival "Ferragosto" and West Valley City, Mayor Mike Winder's Gala concert and enjoys singing at local church events and senior living centers. Her vocal repertoire includes, English, Italian, German, French and Latin. Although she holds a Master's in Business and certification in Human Resources her passion is in the arts. She is living proof you are never too old to follow your dreams.
Villager in Falstaff
Sarah Seamons grew up in Ogden Utah and was part of High School and Community Theater. Sarah has also sung with the Mormon Youth Chorus and is currently taking voice lessons with Lynnette Owens. This Sarah's first opportunity to sing in an opera, and she is excited to be part of the chorus of Falstaff.
Villager in Falstaff
It has been said of Sonja Jensen, soprano, that she was "born for the stage. She has been involved in the performing world for many years thrilling audiences with vivid character portrayals and sultry singing. She recently performed the roles of Desdemona in Mad Mahoney and Rosy in Justice at the Gold Dust with Poison Ivy Mysteries and has been a concert soloist with Lyrical Opera Theater singing on their Heart's Song concert and in the Italian Festivals, Ferragosto and Festa Italiana.
Villager in Falstaff
Sue Bown Sohm, a native Californian, was most recently seen in HMS Pinafore. She has sung in the Livermore Valley Opera, Livermore CA, and Utah Opera. She has studied under David Power (Utah), Harriet Aloojian and Karen Schipper (California). Upcoming productions include The Consul and The Grand Duke, both in Summer 2017.
Villager in Falstaff
Jamie Forchic, Soprano, is eleven years old and has been singing and playing the piano under the tutelage of Lynnette Owens for four years. She sang the roll of the Shepherdess in Lyrical Opera Theater's Tosca. She has also been dancing since the age of four. Jamie loves all forms of artistic expression and is a talented visual artist as well. She is currently in sixth grade, a disciplined student who also loves animals, being out in nature, reading and spending time with her family.
Villager in Falstaff
Teri- Jo "TJ" Hansen began singing in junior high. While running track she was called in to audition because someone heard her singing on her way home. She became the only second soprano in the choir and received Best Female Voice award. She performed in the women's choir and Madrigals for two years singing second alto while also singing soprano solos. She performed as a nun in The Sound of Music at the Grand Theater. She performed with the Sterling Singers for seven years before taking a break to complete her studies in Integrated Rehabilitation and recover from multiple surgeries due to car accidents and athletic endeavors. She's excited to be singing and performing again in her first performance with the Lyrical Opera Theater.
Villager in Falstaff
Catherine Elizabeth Seagrave is a very talented young singer who has already been a soloist at a funeral and takes weekly lessons for singing. She took piano lessons for 4 years. She loves her dog Twilight, ice-skating, art, choir, and hanging out with her friends at Rowland Hall-Saint Marks.
Villager in Falstaff
Yanyan Chen Li is a talented young musician who has already been a soloist at a Senior Living Center and who takes weekly lessons for piano, voice and guitar. She also enjoys ice-skating and hanging out with her friends at Eastwood Elementary School.
Villager in Falstaff
Joshua Jensen, baritone, started singing at the age of 11, studying Italian Opera. When he was featured on Park City TV's morning show, the news team declared him the "8th wonder of the world." He sang the roles of the Imperial Commissario and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly and Sciarrone in Tosca with Lyrical Opera Theater. He has been a concert soloist in the Italian Festival, "Ferragosto" for ten years. He has sung for the Naturalization Oath Ceremony in Salt Lake City and sings frequently for military retirement ceremonies at Hill Air Force Base including for Colonel Christopher Kleinsmith, Master Sergeant Nicole Shinn and Master Sergeant Bernd Tripps. He appeared at the Hill Air Force Base assistance fund kickoff event with Miss Utah USA 2009 and with Miss Utah Teen USA 2009, the Community College of Air Force graduation and recently sang for the Mayor of West Valley City, Mike Windor, March 2013.
Villager in Falstaff
Jerry Li is a classical pianist with an eccentric and unusual musical background. He began studying the piano at age 13, when he was first captivated by the music of Russian composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Inspired by the composer's Second Piano Concert, Jerry became determined not only to learn the piano, but to one day perform Rachmaninoff's masterpiece and share its magnificent beauty. Jerry struggled to find a teacher who would support his ambitious goals and ultimately concluded that his joy in music would not be founded in a competitive environment. Instead, he found humility in the form of an old grand piano under the stairwell in the auditorium; he found academic discipline in his music theory classes and musical discipline in practicing with his peers in the orchestra; most significantly, he found love and support in befriending other musicians who acted as constant teachers, motivators, and role-models throughout his four-year journey. Jerry is also an opera singer with the Lyrical Opera Theater, a bassist/guitarist, and avid worshiper of Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman, who he deems as the greatest pianist to have ever lived. Jerry aims to work in medicine and has planned to do so for as along as he's played piano, as he sees both aspects of his life as conceptually synonymous. Currently, Jerry is working toward national certifications as a Clinical Medical Assistant, an EMT, and a Phlebotomist. Jerry would like to thank Mr. Adam Larson for his patience and guidance, Lynnette Owens for her unyielding support and encouragement and finally, Bernard Li for being a friend, an inspiration, and an enduring voice of confidence.
Stage Manager in Falstaff
Kaden Pigsley is excited to be a part of this production with Lyrical Opera Theater and hopes to grow and inspire others from this experience. He is a junior who is attending Hillcrest High School and has been a member of technical stage crew for a year and a half. His best memories of working with the Hillcrest High School Theatre Department are Mary Poppins stage technician, Husbands and Sons light designer/technician, Hamlet assistant to the stage manager, Mirrors projections technician, Les Miserable Light technician, and The Farnsworth Invention stage manager. He discovered the technical side of theater in 8th grade in middle school when his class and several others attended a production of In The Heights performed by Hillcrest High and has been crazy about it ever since.
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