MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM SUMMER FESTIVAL

PRESENTS ANDRE PREVINS

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE JULY 10 AND 12

SAN FRANCISCO, June 17, 2014 The Merola Opera Program
presents Andr Previns opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, at 7:30 p.m.
on Thursda, !ul "0, and # p.m. $aturda, !ul "#, at %verett
Auditorium, &'0 (hur)h $treet in $an *ran)is)o.

The )ast +eatures soprano Jule A!"#$ as ,lan)he -u,ois. tenor
C"$e% C"n!e&"' as /arold 0Mit)h1 Mit)hell. soprano A!el"!e
()e!e*+e, as $tella 2o3als4i. 5aritone T-)#"$ Gun'-e, as $tanle
2o3als4i. me66o7soprano El." ()ne' as %uni)e ,u55ell. tenor
(en/"#n 0e,le% as $teve /u55ell. me66o7soprano S-,n
E$+"n!"n as the Me8i)an 9oman. and tenor Mn1e Le as a :oung
(olle)tor. (ele5rated stage dire)tor J)$e M"," C)n!e# ;a Merola
alumnus +rom "<<< and #000= and a))laimed )ondu)tor M",+
M),"$- ;a Merola alumnus +rom "<>?= 3ill lead the produ)tion.

Andr Previns A Streetcar Named Desire, 3ith a li5retto 5 Philip @ittell 5ased on the pla 5
Tennessee 9illiams, premiered at $an *ran)is)o Opera in "<<>. The stor +ollo3s ,lan)he
-u,ois, a +ading $outhern 5elle 3ith a +rail veneer, 3ho retreats to her sisters home onl to +ind
hersel+ un3anted and a5used. $e8ual tension simmers in this )laustropho5i) atmosphere. /arold
0Mit)h1 Mit)hell, ,lan)hes 3ould75e suitor, and $tanle 2o3als4i, ,lan)hes 5rother7in7la3,
shatter ,lan)hes romanti)i6ed vie3 o+ her li+e through a series o+ a)ts, driving her to madness.
Previns Aa667in+luen)ed s)ore provides a +resh ta4e on this )lassi) stor o+ a retreat into the past
dar4ened 3ith se8ual a5use and +amil disloalt.

This produ)tion o+ A Streetcar Named Desire premieres in $an *ran)is)o as one
o+ three )o7produ)tions per+ormed a)ross the nation 3ith su5seBuent runs at
Opera $anta ,ar5ara and 2entu)4 Opera 3ith !ose Maria (ondemi dire)ting
all three. Argentinean !ose Maria (ondemi 3as a +irst7time Adler *ello3 in
$tage -ire)tion at the $an *ran)is)o Opera and a *ul5right *ello3. /e is
)urrentl the Artisti) -ire)tor o+ Opera $anta ,ar5ara 3here he oversees artisti)
planning and the $tudio Artists Program. /is dire)torial 3or4, 3hi)h has 5een
presented 5 )ompanies in Corth Ameri)a and a5road, en)ompasses an e)le)ti)
range o+ stles and repertoire and he has 5een )onsistentl praised +or his
)reative theatri)al and innovative approa)h.

(ondu)tor Mar4 Morash )urrentl serves as the -ire)tor o+ Musi)al $tudies
+or $an *ran)is)o Opera (enter. /e re)eived )riti)al praise +or )ondu)ting the
Merola #0"3 produ)tion o+ ,rittens The Rape of Lucretia: $an *ran)is)o
(lassi)al Doi)e said, 0/e 3as +aith+ul to the spirit and letter o+ the s)ore, and
et im5ued it at times 3ith an unusual, and ver 3el)ome, intensit and
romanti) a5andonment.1 En addition to Merola produ)tions, he also )ondu)ted
+or the Adler *ello3 $ho3)ase and 9estern Opera Theater.

The Merola Opera Program is dedi)ated to the )ontinuing edu)ation and
training o+ the +inest oung operati) talent and the development o+ this talent
into pro+essional opera singers, )oa)hes and stage dire)tors o+ the highest artisti) )ali5er. Merola
operates in )lose artisti) )olla5oration 3ith $an *ran)is)o Opera 5ut is an independent nonpro+it
organi6ation. Foverned 5 a separate 5oard o+ dire)tors, Merola is responsi5le +or its o3n long7
term +inan)ial sta5ilit and +undraising, and is grate+ul to the hundreds o+ loal mem5ers, donors
and +oundations 3ho support the program.

A&)u' A Streetcar Named Desire
A+ter losing her home and her Ao5, delusional southern 5elle ,lan)he -u,ois arrives in Ce3
Orleans, ta4ing a street)ar named 0-esire1 to live 3ith her sister $tella and $tellas 5rutish
hus5and, $tanle. $e8ual tension Bui)4l develops 5et3een ,lan)he and her 5rother7in7la3, until
slo3l her dar4 se)rets and lies )ome to light.

T) !)2nl)"! ",'$' 3*'u,e$, 4$' 2225&)65ne'7#e,)l"5

C"$'n1 8), '-e Jul% 10 "n! 12 A Streetcar Named Desire $ "$ 8)ll)2$9

,lan)he -u,ois Jule A!"#$
/arold 0Mit)h1 Mit)hell C"$e% C"n!e&"'
$tella 2o3als4i A!el"!e ()e!e*+e,
$tanle 2o3als4i T-)#"$ Gun'-e,
%uni)e /u55ell El." ()ne'
$teve /u55ell (en/"#n 0e,le%
Me8i)an 9oman S-,n E$+"n!"n
A :oung (olle)tor Mn1/e Le

This produ)tion is gra)iousl under3ritten, in part, 5 the !a)4 /. @und (harita5le Trust, the
,ernard Osher *oundation, and the *ran)es 2. and (harles -. *ield *oundation. !ose Maria
(ondemi is sponsored in part, 5 Mr. Ferald ,. Gosenstein. Mar4 Morash is sponsored in part,
5 ,ar5ara 2. !a)4son, -oroth !e++ries, Miss Divienne %. Miller and /iro4o Prather.

CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE9 2014 Me,)l" Su##e, Fe$'4"l C"len!", )8
Pe,8),#"n*e$

Me,)l" O3e," P,)1,"# P,e$en'$
A Streetcar Named Desire
Andr Previn
7:30 p.m. Thursda, !ul "0
# p.m. $aturda, !ul "#
Ti)4ets: H?0IH&0IH#'

Me,)l" O3e," P,)1,"# P,e$en'$
S*-2"&"*-e, Su##e, C)n*e,'
7:30 p.m. Thursda, !ul "7
Ti)4ets: H&0IH#'

Me,)l" O3e," P,)1,"# P,e$en'$
S*-2"&"*-e, Su##e, C)n*e,'
# p.m. $aturda, !ul "<
:er5a ,uena Fardens, Mission $t. 5et3een 3rd and &th $treets
*G%%

Me,)l" O3e," P,)1,"# P,e$en'$
Don Giovanni
9.A. Mo6art
7:30 p.m. Thursda, !ul 3"
# p.m. $aturda, August #
Ti)4ets: H?0IH&0IH#'

Me,)l" O3e," P,)1,"# P,e$en'$
Me,)l" G,"n! Fn"le "n! Re*e3')n
7:30 p.m. $aturda, August "?
Ti)4ets: H&' Frand Tier J Or)hestra PrimeIH3' Or)hestraIH#' -ress (ir)le
Ge)eption 5egins at "0 p.m. in the Opera /ouse (a+
KGe)eption ti)4ets are an additional H'0 ea)h
*or in+ormation on ho3 to 5e)ome a Merola mem5er, please )all ;&"'= '?'7?&#7 or visit
333.merola.org.

A +estival pa)4age dis)ount o+ #0 per)ent applies through !une #>, #0"& i+ ti)4ets +or all +estival
per+orman)es o+ A Streetcar Named Desire, $)h3a5a)her $ummer (on)ert, Don Giovanni and
the Merola Frand *inale are pur)hased together.

Ti)4ets +or all per+orman)es ma 5e pur)hased 5 )alling $an *ran)is)o Opera ,o8 O++i)e at
;&"'= >?&73330 open +rom "0 a.m. to ' p.m. Monda and "0 a.m. to ? p.m. Tuesda through
*rida.

P:OTOGRAP:Y CREDIT

!ulie Adams and Thomas Funther I 2risten @o4en
Thomas Funther as $tanle 2o3als4i I 2risten @o4en
!ulie Adams as ,lan)h -u,ois I 2risten @o4en

PRESS AND MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT9

2aren Ames (ommuni)ations
2aren Ames 4arenL4arenames.)om
2ristin $)hellinger 4ristinL4arenames.)om
;&"'= ?&"77&7&

Merola Mar4eting, PG and %vents Asso)iate
2ell $epi)h 4sepi)hLs+opera.)om
;&"'= ''"7?#<<

MMM
@ed artisti)all 5 $an *ran)is)o Opera (enter -ire)tor and internationall a))laimed soprano
$heri Freena3ald, the Merola Opera Program is an independent nonpro+it organi6ation 3hi)h
operates in )olla5oration 3ith the $an *ran)is)o Opera. *ounded in "<'7 and named +or $an
*ran)is)o Operas +ounder, Faetano Merola, the Program is re)ogni6ed as one o+ the most
prestigious operati) training programs in the 3orld. The Merola Opera Program tpi)all
re)eives more than >00 appli)ations +or appro8imatel 30 positions. Throughout the summer,
Merola artists parti)ipate in master )lasses and private )oa)hings 3ith opera luminaries.
Parti)ipants 3ho in)lude singers, apprenti)e )oa)hes and an apprenti)e stage dire)tor also
re)eive training in operati) repertor, +oreign languages, di)tion, a)ting and stage movement.