May 15, 2008
The Festival Opera production of A Midsummer Nights Dream will feature countertenor William Sauerland as Oberon, soprano Marnie Breckenridge as Tytania, Kurt Krikorian as Puck (spoken), bass Kirk Eichelberger as Bottom, baritone Igor Vieira as Theseus, mezzo-soprano Lauren Groff as Hippolyta, tenor Jorge Garza as Lysander, baritone Nikolas Nackley (Demetrius), mezzo-soprano Jessica Mariko Deardorff as Hermia, and soprano Stacey Cornell as Helena.
“There are so few countertenors today that this will be a rare opportunity to see one in performance,” says Helen Sheaff, executive director of Festival Opera, about the type of male vocalist who can sing in the range of a contralto, mezzo-soprano or soprano. “And Britten’s opera is one of the most famous countertenor roles, but most companies are limited to using a contralto or female soprano. So this will be a treat for Bay Area opera lovers.”
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