Set Designer

Just under the surface, every family has its unresolved problems and mysteries. Verdi’s Il trovatore embraces this complexity ––a Romani curse, disappeared children, mislaid identities, deadly fires, unfathomable loss. But something elemental emerges from the shadows and the embers, rekindled by Verdi’s thrumming, thrilling score––an extended family coming to terms with its secret history. In a politically divided Spain, the royalist Count di Luna and the revolutionary leader Manrico love the same woman, Leonora. As the men face off, they become ensnared in a larger web of lies, murder, and revenge, spun in part by the fascinating Romani woman Manrico knows as his mother: Azucena, whose own mother’s death set the story in motion many years earlier. Azucena holds all the cards and plays them, with eerie certainty, right up to the last moment.

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Il Trovatore

Wortham Theater Center

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of opera this summer at The Glimmerglass Festival with the 2024 production of Francesco Cavalli's "La Calisto." This captivating performance, under the artistic and general direction of Rob Ainsley, brings to life a sparkling early opera that masterfully combines comedy, pathos, gods, mortals, and even a few rutting satyrs. Ainsley's 2013 realization of the score expands Cavalli’s original continuo and strings with original parts for winds and brass, promising a rich and immersive auditory experience.

"La Calisto" weaves together two myths of transformation, delivering a hilarious caper filled with mistaken identities, raunchy trysts, and celestial magic. Set in the midst of Cavalli's career, the opera was designed to entertain and amuse the discerning Venetian public. This bold take on the classic opera will be conducted by Ainsley, directed by Mo Zhou, and choreographed by Eric Sean Fogel, featuring set design by Charlie Corcoran, costume design by Carlos Soto, and lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker.

The opera, sung in Italian with projected English text, runs for approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes. Performances are scheduled from July 23 to August 17, 2024, offering multiple opportunities to experience this magnificent production.

The story follows Jove's attempts to seduce the beautiful nymph Calisto, a follower of the goddess Diana who has taken a vow of chastity. The plot thickens with mistaken identities, unrequited loves, and divine interventions, leading to unexpected transformations and celestial destinies.

Generously sponsored by Allison and W. Keyes Hill-Edgar, the cast features Emilie Kealani as Calisto, Taylor Raven as Diana/Jove as Diana, Eve Gigliotti as Juno, Craig Irvin as Jove, and a talented ensemble that brings this mythological world to life.

Don't miss your chance to be part of this myth, mystery, and adventure at The Glimmerglass Festival. Secure your tickets now for a summer filled with unforgettable opera experiences.

La Calisto

Alice Busch Opera Theater

Molly has happily experienced the world differently since she was ten months old. When Frank, her restless, unemployed, and enthusiastic husband, makes her blindness his latest cause, he recruits Mr. Rice, a once-famous surgeon who, despite his struggles, agrees to attempt to restore Molly’s sight.

Molly Sweeney

Irish Repertory Theatre

Set in 1962, this classic bittersweet comedy revolves around the young Gar O’Donnell on the eve of his departure from Ireland to America. Gar’s heartache from losing his girlfriend to a successful businessman propels him to accept an invitation to go and live with an aunt in Philadelphia. Despite the wild fantasies of what life in America might hold, and his yearning to escape the tedium of small town Ballybeg, a kind word from his taciturn father could change his mind.

Philadelphia, Here I Come!

Set in Ballybeg Hall in County Donegal, Brian Friel’s Chekhovian masterpiece chronicles the decaying home of District Justice O’Donnell, where the family congregate for a wedding, but stay to attend a funeral. Friel’s tale of three sisters and their ‘eccentric’ brother reveals the way in which the ache of one family becomes the microcosm for the ache of a society.

Aristocrats

Irish Repertory Theatre will produce its debut production of Brian Friel’s Translations as the first installment of The Friel Project. In 1833 Baile Beag, County Donegal, a hedge schoolmaster gives his Irish-speaking students a classical education, versing them in Ancient Greek and Latin—but not in English. Meanwhile, the British Army arrives to create a new map of Ireland that will “standardize” the Irish place-names to English. When the schoolmaster’s son returns home from Dublin to serve as the Army’s translator, the fate of the Irish locals and their native tongue is cast into uncertainty. The play is a captivating exploration of the power of language to kindle romance, ignite tensions, and inflame the human heart’s yearning to understand.

Charlie Corcoran

Set Designer

Events

Past events

Oct 18 - Nov 3, 2024

Il Trovatore · Houston Grand Opera

Jul 23 - Aug 17, 2024

La Calisto · Glimmerglass Festival

About

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