Bard SummerScape
Regina
July 29 – August 6, 2005
Bard SummerScape
July 29 – August 6, 2005
An opera in three acts by Marc Blitzstein
The American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director
Directed by Peter Schneider
Judy Pfaff, set designer
Garry Lennon, costume designer
Kevin Adams, lighting designer
Hope Clarke, choreographer
This American opera masterpiece by the composer of the celebrated The Cradle Will Rock tells the story of a Southern aristocratic family torn apart by greed, ambition, and breathtaking treachery. A gripping musical treatment of Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes, Regina portrays a provincial society in the throes of change around the turn of the 20th century and offers one of the most complex of modern opera heroines.
Marc Blitzstein’s brilliantly eclectic score embraces a wide range of musical styles, from spirituals, jazz, Dixieland, and ragtime to the dramatic passions of grand opera. As the composer explained: “I wanted to write something as real musically to Americans as Italian opera is to the Italians.” Since opening on Broadway in 1949, Regina has become a repertory classic, with this production honoring Blitzstein’s centennial.
Regina is directed by Peter Schneider, acclaimed for his directorial work in both the avant-garde and mainstream theater and producer of The Lion King. The production features sets by Judy Pfaff, Bard’s Richard B. Fisher Professor in the Arts and the recipient of a 2004 MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” Singing the lead role is American soprano Lauren Flanigan, “a forceful figure onstage, singing with scalding power” (New York Times).
Leon Botstein conducts the American Symphony Orchestra, “resplendent in its new home.” (New York Times)
Five Performances:
Friday, July 29, 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 31, 3:00 pm
Wednesday, August 3, 8:00 pm
Friday, August 5, 8:00 pm
Saturday, August 6, 8:00 pm
Tickets: $65, $50, $35
All seats reserved