2011/12 Young Artists Program Presents Fall Tour of Massenet’s Werther

Performances scheduled for Bellingham, Kirkland, Ellensburg, Courtenay, B.C., Walla Walla, and Seattle

Seattle—Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program will begin its annual fall tour on November 3, bringing its production of assenet’s masterpiece Werther to several communities around Washington, and—for the first time—to British Columbia.
Based on the famous novel by Goethe, which is said to have launched the Romantic movement in literature, Werther tells the story of a young man who is destroyed by unrequited love.  When Werther’s beloved Charlotte chooses to fulfill her dying mother’s wish and marry another man, Werther chooses death over impossible love.  A feast of melody and vocal beauty, Massenet’s opera is a brooding romantic tragedy, well-suited to the intense, intimate scale of the Young Artists fall tour. This staged production, a slightly abridged chamber version of the opera, will be sung in French with English captions, and will feature piano accompaniment.
Seattle Opera has previously presented Werther on the mainstage, in 1976, 1989, and 1997.
Performances for this Young Artists production begin at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, on November 3, and then move on to Kirkland on November 4, Ellensburg on November 9, Courtenay, B.C., on November 12, and Walla Walla on November 16, before returning to Seattle for a performance at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall on November 19. Venue and ticket information is listed below.

This year’s nine Young Artists are David Krohn, Christopher Lade, Sarah Larsen, Joseph Lattanzi, Amanda Opuszynski, Lindsay Russell, Jason Slayden, Andrew Stenson, and Michael Uloth.  YAP Artistic Director Peter Kazaras is the stage director of Werther; musical supervision is by YAP Music Director Brian Garman.  In addition to the fall tour, the Young Artists Program will present four performances of Donizetti’s comedy Don Pasquale this spring at University of Washington’s Meany Hall. For more information, visit seattleopera.org/yap.

CAST INFORMATION FOR WERTHER
(in order of vocal appearance)
Bailiff: Michael Uloth
Werther: Andrew Stenson/Jason Slayden
Charlotte: Sarah Larsen
Sophie: Amanda Opuszynski/Lindsay Russell
Albert: David Krohn/Joseph Lattanzi
Pianist: Stephanie Rhodes
About the Young Artists Program
Launched in 1998, Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program offers promising singers musical and vocal coaching and instruction in language, acting, movement, stage combat, and how to function effectively in the opera industry.  The new Seattle Opera Young Artists for the 2011/12 season were chosen from 584 applicants.  The Program has helped to launch the careers of many singers:  former Young Artists have gone on to perform on Seattle Opera’s mainstage as well as at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera Covent Garden, and many others.
Former Young Artists appearing on the mainstage at Seattle Opera this year include Mary Elizabeth Williams (in Porgy and Bess); Michael Todd Simpson and Caitlin Lynch (in Carmen); Julianne Gearhart (in Orphée et Eurydice); and Jennifer Hines (in Madama Butterfly).  Peter Kazaras became Artistic Director of the program in 2006 and Brian Garman became Music Director in 2008; Aren Der Hacopian, appointed Seattle Opera’s Artistic Administrator in July 2010, is Director of the Young Artists Program.