Northside SF  
     
   

Frederica von Stade stars in new chamber opera by local composer
Jake Heggie
By Bruce Bellingham


Frederica von Stade, the Bay Area’s favorite mezzo-soprano, again joins forces with local composer Jake Heggie (they worked together on his Dead Man Walking) for the West Coast premiere of Three Decembers, libretto by Gene Scheer, based on a play by Terrence McNally.

Heggie wrote the part for von Stade, known affectionately to her friends as Flicka. Three Decembers will be presented at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall for three performances in December.

Three Decembers follows the mercurial relationship between famous stage actress Madeline Mitchell (von Stade) and her two adult children, Beatrice (sung by Kristin Clayton) and Charlie, a gay man whose partner is dying of AIDS (sung by baritone Keith Phares). The chamber opera features Broadway-style solo numbers and an 11-piece orchestra led by Houston Grand Opera director Patrick Summers. Summers and Heggie will also be at the piano.

The Houston Grand Opera in association with San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances commissioned Three Decembers.

Three Decembers: Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; Thursday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m.; & Sunday, Dec. 14, 3 p.m.; tickets $48–$86 at the San Francisco Opera Box Office, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue (at Grove), 415-864-3330, www.sfopera.com and Cal Performances Box Office, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 510-642-9988, www.calperformances.org.

Bookmark and Share Print Page

     
September 2011 Issue

 

Horse Shoe Tavern Amici's East Coast Pizzeria

 

Alfreds Alfred's Steakhouse
 
Grateful Dog SF
       

Getting to know the Reillys June Top Picks
HOMEspacerADVERTISEspacerCONTACTspacerARCHIVESspacerMEDIA KITspacerSEARCH

Copyright © 2005 - 2008 NorthSide San Francisco