The UNCG Opera Theatre
presents
Albert Herring
Libretto by Eric Crozier
Music By Benjamin Britten
November 14, 15 &17, 2013
Aycock Auditorium
Cast
(in order of vocal appearance)
Lady Billows, an elderly aristocrat Bridget Moriarty
Florence Pike, her housekeeper Sarah Zielinski
Miss Wordsworth, the school teacher Kari Ringgenberg
Mr. Gedge, the Vicar Derek Gracey
Mr. Upfold, the Mayor Nicholas del Prince
Superintendent Budd, Police Superintendent Richard Hodges
Emmie Adrienne Leggett
Cis village children Georgia Smith
Harry Donovan Elliott
Sid, the butcher’s shophand Jacob Kato
Albert Herring Jonathan Ray
Nancy, the baker’s daughter Lydia Pion
Mrs. Herring, Albert’s mother Gretchen Krupp
Production Staff
Producer / Music Director / Conductor David Holley
Stage Director Donald Hartmann
Stage Manager Jessica Johnson
Principal Coach /Rehearsal Pianist Benjamin Blozan
Rehearsal Pianists Emily Russ, Shih Ping Wang
Technical Director / Lighting Designer Jeff Neubauer
Scene Designer Donald Hartmann
Costumes Eastern Costume
Make-up Supervisor/Wigs Trent Pcenicni
Supertitles Jonathan Ray, David Holley
Supertitle Operators Emily Russ, Shih Ping Wang
By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.
SYNOPSIS
ACT I, Scene i – The Solarium in Lady Billows’ House, April 10, 1900
Florence is discovered busily cleaning up from breakfast while Lady Billows shouts
orders from upstairs, as usual. The committee, made up of Mayor Upfold, Police
Superintendent Budd, Vicar Gedge, and the music teacher, Miss Wordsworth, arrives
at Lady Billows’ house for the final meeting of the May Day committee. But alas, the
evidence Florence has uncovered about every nominee for May Queen is both
comprehensive and damning. Not a single local girl is found fit to be honored.
What seems a hopeless situation is saved by Superintendent Budd. If there is no
Queen available - why not have a May King? And why not Albert Herring? His
reputation is spotless; his shyness and his fear of girls is notorious. The Vicar agrees;
why should virtue be a prerogative of the female sex alone? Lady Billows, first
incredulous, jumps at the chance of snubbing the unforgivable Loxford girls, and the
whole committee sets off to break the news to Albert and his Mum.
ACT I, Scene ii – Herring’s Greengrocer Shop, the same day
The Herrings keep a greengrocer’s shop next door to the butcher’s. We see Albert
first on this normal workday morning, after Sid from next door has chased away
several troublesome kids. They are soon joined by Nancy, Sid’s girl, and the flirting
between her and Sid makes Albert extremely uncomfortable. He is glad when they
leave but wonders if their lifestyle might be preferable to his. Albert is made still
more uncomfortable by the arrival of Florence, a forerunner of the whole Committee,
and objects strongly to their plan of crowning him King of the May. He is overruled
by Mum, who is eager for the prize money and chases him upstairs in a fury.
*********INTERMISSION*********
ACT II, Scene i – A party Tent on the Church Grounds, May 1, 1900
Florence and Nancy are making last minute preparations for High Tea when Sid
arrives. Everyone else is at the service in the parish church celebrating Albert’s
impending Coronation. Sid persuades Nancy to help him in a practical joke: they fill
all the glasses with lemonade, and dose Albert’s glass with plenty of rum. Miss
Wordsworth leads a final rehearsal of the ode she has written for the children to sing
at the party, and the guests begin arriving. Albert is last of all, in a white suit and
wearing a crown of orange blossoms, symbolic of his purity. Bouquets are presented,
speeches made and applauded, the purse of guineas delivered, and all join in a toast
to their May King, concluding with the hope that Albert will be elected year after
year, again and again. Albert mutters an embarrassed thank you, takes a long swig
from his glass, demands more “lemonade” and becomes immediately much happier.
His attack of the hiccups is solved through a variety of traditional methods and the
curtain falls with everyone digging into the feast.
ACT II, Scene ii – Herring’s, that evening
Later that evening Albert comes home in a state of considerable exhilaration. Mum is
off visiting her sister, and Albert reminds himself of the magnificent party. He is
interrupted by Sid whistling for Nancy, planning a rendezvous. They stop to chat
under the lamppost outside the shop, laugh at how funny Albert looked in his white
suit, but soon forget him in their own flirtation, which Albert overhears with horrific
fascination. When they have gone, Albert’s excitement, embarrassment and
indignation combine in a wild desire for escape. He “flips for it” (using one of the
coins he won as a prize) makes up his mind to enjoy one night’s freedom, and slips
out into the night, whistling as he goes. Mum returns, locks up, and trudges wearily
off to bed, thinking Albert is already upstairs asleep.
*********INTERMISSION*********
SYNOPSIS (cont.)
ACT III – The following morning
The next day the whole town is feverishly alarmed by the May King’s disappearance.
Business stops, the search spreads wider and wider throughout the district, and
rumors abound. Nancy feels guilty while Mum is broken-hearted at the loss of her
darling boy. Lady Billows calls on Scotland Yard for help. Suspicion hardens into
dreadful uncertainty when a solemn procession arrives at the shop bearing the wreath
of orange-blossoms Albert wore at the Coronation. It has been found on the road,
crushed by a cart. All join in a threnody of lamentation around the wreath, a mood
which is broken only by the surprising return of Albert himself - filthy, disheveled
and defiant. The committee interrogates him, and his explanation of his whereabouts
is both exaggerated and appalling. He has plunged into unforgivable excesses - but at
least he has learned something from his night on the town. Albert politely but firmly
escorts the committee from the shop, sends his mother upstairs in tears, and receives a
huge kiss from Nancy. He picks up the orange blossom wreath, symbol of his past,
and flings it away, all to the delight of Sid, Nancy and the local children, who have
witnessed the whole scene. Albert is a man new-made.
Orchestra
David Holley, conductor
Violin I
Janet Orenstein
Violin II
Wayne Reich
Viola
Gizem Yücel
Cello
Roman Placzek
Bass
Rebecca Marland
Harp
Grace Lutke
Piano
Ben Blozan
Flute/Piccolo/Alto Flute
Janet Phillips
Oboe
Hannah Senft
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Sara Hunt
Bassoon
Mark Hekman
Horn
Kate Hopper
Percussion
Justin Bunting
Artist Biographies
Nicholas Del Prince (Mr. Upfold), tenor, was a Young Artist in Residence at the
Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado where he performed as a featured
recitalist. Operatic credits include Nanki Poo in The Mikado, Timothy in Menotti's
Help, Help, the Globolinks!, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Cochenille in Les Contes
d'Hoffmann, and the 1st Sailor in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Scene credits include
Nemorino in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. Mr. Del Prince earned his BM in Vocal
Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia and is in his
second year of graduate work at UNCG, studying under the tutelage of Dr. Robert
Wells.
Donovan Elliott (Harry), soprano, is a classical saxophonist, organist, and an eighth
grade Honor student at Caldwell Academy. In the summers of 2012 and 2013, he was
invited to study at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. Past UNCG Opera Theatre
performances include playing the title role in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors
and Teddy in Menotti’s Help, Help, the Globolinks! His most recent vocal solo
performances were Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Choral Society of Greensboro and
Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living” with the Bel Canto Company. Donovan
studies voice with Jeff Carlson and hopes to become a performer, conductor and
music educator.
Derek Gracey (Mr. Gedge), baritone, holds a BM in Music Education and Vocal
Performance from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, where he studied with
Alissa Rose. There, he performed several leading roles including Papageno in The
Magic Flute, Mr. Oakhurst in The Outcasts of Poker Flat (performed for the composer,
Sam Adler), and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, a role he will reprise with the
UNCG Opera Theatre in the Spring. Mr. Gracey is studying with Carla LeFevre while
pursuing his MM in Vocal Performance.
Richard Hodges (Superintendent Budd), baritone, is a native of Greensboro and is
pursuing an MM in Vocal Performance at UNCG, where he is a student of Levone
Tobin-Scott. Richard sang the role of the Father in the 2007 production of Hansel and
Gretel with Greensboro Opera. His other roles have included the title role in Porgy and
Bess and Bob in Highway 1 USA by William Grant Still with the N.C. Central
Operatorio Performance Program. As a featured soloist and recitalist, Richard
recently performed in Wine, Women and Song, the 2013 Greensboro Opera Gala. Mr.
Hodges has also given recitals for the Greensboro Opera Companions and a special
performance for the Carolina Men’s Chorus.
Jacob Kato (Sid), baritone, is a lyric baritone from Fairfax, Virginia. He is currently
pursuing his MM in Vocal Performance at UNCG, where he will sing Figaro this
spring in Le nozze di Figaro. Performance highlights include the title role of Mozart’s
Don Giovanni, Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, and Papageno in Mozart’s Die
Zauberflöte. He recently graduated with his BM in Vocal Performance from
Shenandoah Conservatory. This past summer, Jacob was a member of the Janiec
Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center, where he covered the role of Ford in
Verdi’s Falstaff. Mr. Kato is a student of Dr. Nancy Walker.
Gretchen Krupp (Mrs. Herring) mezzo-soprano, recently sang Katisha in Greensboro
Light Opera and Song’s production of The Mikado. She also sang Little Buttercup in
HMS Pinafore and Miss Newkirk in Greensboro Opera’s production of Help, Help the
Globolinks! Last spring, she won The Euterpe Vocal Scholarship Award and also
placed first at NC NATS for the second consecutive year. Ms. Krupp has participated
in programs with Washington National Opera and Westminster Choir College, is a
Shirley and Bert Lynch Music Scholarship recipient, and a junior pursing a BM under
the tutelage of Dr. Carla LeFevre.
Adrienne Leggett (Emmie), soprano, is a first year graduate student at UNCG. She
recently received a BM in Vocal Performance from Mercer University, where she
studied with Dr. Martha Malone. Her stage credits include Peep Bo in The Mikado,
Phyllis in Iolanthe, the Bird in A Muskrat Lullaby, Jou Jou in The Merry Widow, Woman
1 in Idomeneo, Novitia in Suor Angelica, and Gherardino in Gianni Schicchi. She
performed in the 2013 Greensboro Light Opera and Song Festival and in the 2011
Harrower Summer Opera Workshop of Georgia State University.
Bridget Moriarty (Lady Billows), soprano, has performed with the Syracuse
Symphony, Greensboro Opera, Syracuse Opera, Oswego Opera, and the Society for
New Music for whom she created the title role in the new opera, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Bridget was most recently seen in Greensboro Opera’s 2013 Gala, Wine Women and
Song. Other credits include Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Lucette (Cinderella) in
Cendrillon, and Madame Euterpova in Help, Help, the Globolinks! A native of Syracuse,
NY, Bridget received an MM in Vocal Performance from Syracuse University and is
pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UNCG, studying with Dr. Robert
Wells.
Lydia Pion (Nancy), soprano, most recently created the role of Cindy in Jacks are Wild!
with Greensboro Opera in the 2013 “Opera at the Carolina” educational outreach.
She has sung Nedda (I Pagliacci), Marianne (Tartuffe), and Agathe (Der Freischutz) in
scenes with the Crittenden Summer Opera Workshop. In addition, she appeared in
Don Giovanni, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Cendrillon with the UNCG Opera
Theatre, as well as H.M.S. Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado with
Greensboro Light Opera and Song. Ms. Pion studies with Clara O'Brien while
pursuing a BM in Vocal Performance at UNCG, where she will sing the Countess in
Le nozze di Figaro this spring.
Jonathan Ray (Albert Herring), tenor, graduated from Arkansas Tech University with
a degree in Music Education. There, he performed the roles of Rinuccio (Gianni
Schicchi), the title role in Candide, Frederic (Pirates of Penzance), and Henrik (A Little
Night Music), as well as Britten’s Serenade for Horn, Tenor, and Strings. At Opera in the
Ozarks he played Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), and Madame
Armfeldt (A Little Night Music). He currently studies with Carla LeFevre and is a
Graduate Assistant at UNCG, where his roles include Kaspar (Amahl and the Night
Vistors) and Dr. Stone (Help, Help, The Globolinks!).
Kari Ringgenberg (Miss Wordsworth), soprano, is a second year MM student in
Vocal Performance at UNCG, where she studies with Dr. Carla LeFevre. Kari
received her BM in Vocal Performance from Millikin University, where she sang the
roles of Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Pamina in The Magic Flute, and in
many scenes. A 2012 winner of Millikin’s Concerto Competition, Kari was a featured
soloist with the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Ringgenberg appeared as
Emily in Help, Help, the Globolinks! with Greensboro Opera, Spirit in UNCG Opera
Theatre’s production of Cendrillon, and in the ensemble of Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Last fall, Kari performed in the UNCG Opera Theatre’s “Tour of the Schools” as
Goldilocks in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Georgia Smith (Cis), soprano, is a sophomore Vocal Performance major at UNCG. In
the summer of 2006, Georgia attended Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy, where she
played Prima Novizie and chorus (Suor Angelica) and Lolo (The Merry Widow). She
has sung in the ensembles of UNCG Opera Theatre’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, as
well as Greensboro Light Opera and Song’s The Mikado. Miss Smith is a student of
Professor Levone Tobin-Scott, and in the spring will sing the role of Gretel in Hansel
and Gretel in “Opera at the Carolina.”
Sarah Zielinski (Florence Pike), soprano, is in her second year of her MM in Vocal
Performance at UNCG. She has been touring this fall as the title character in
Carmenella, was seen this summer as Pitti-Sing in The Mikado (Greensboro Light Opera
and Song), and sang in the ensembles of Amahl and the Night Visitors and Cendrillon.
Ms. Zielinski received her BM in Music Education from St. Olaf College, where she
sang with the St. Olaf Choir and performed in Carmen and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. In
2012, she sang in the Junges Stuttgarten Bach Ensemble at the International
Bachackademie Stuttgart.
Emergency Exit Information & Concert Etiquette
Patrons are encouraged to take note of exits located in all areas of the auditorium. In
an emergency, please use the nearest exit, which may be behind you or different from
the one which you entered.
Please turn off cellular phones, pagers, and alarm watches. As a courtesy to other
audience members and to the performers, please wait for a break in the performance
to enter or exit the hall.
Photography or videography of any kind is strictly forbidden.
The UNCG Opera Theatre is grateful to the following for their assistance in
producing this show
Jeff Gillis
Chip Haas
DeDe Farrell
Jody Kaizen
Sherry Barr
Suzanne Williams
Peter Alexander
Kelly Burke
Rebekah Kates
Chris English
Recycles for Sid’s bicycle
Erin Stevie
The Elliott family
Debbie Merritt
Ann Doyle
Noah Hock
Miranda Freeman
Amanda Hughes
Neeraj Mehta
Elliott Stanger
Juanita Dunlap
Triad Stage
Kevin Geraldi
UNCG Music Move Crew
Amy Moore
Wyndell Earles
Jessica Johnson
Jonathan Ray
Brian Fuller
James Goins II
Dennis Hopson
Ben Blozan
Charlie Angel
John Locke
Beth Hens
Terri Relos
Special thanks to the Greensboro Opera for underwriting a portion of the musical
staff for Albert Herring and for providing generous marketing support!
Upcoming Opera Events at UNCG
February 11-13, 2014 “Opera at the Carolina” Carolina Theatre
April 3-4 & 6, 2014 Le nozze di Figaro Aycock Auditorium
More Events at the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance
DANCE: Prime Movers Concert
Nov. 15-16 8:00pm Dance Theater
$12 general / $9 seniors, children / $9 student / $6 UNCG Available at door
MUSIC: Sinfonia
Monday, Nov. 18 5:30pm Recital Hall
Free
MUSIC: Old Time Ensemble
Tuesday, Nov. 19 5:30pm Organ Hall
Free
MUSIC: Symphonic Band
Tuesday, Nov. 19 7:30pm Aycock Auditorium
Free
MUSIC: University Band
Wednesday, Nov. 20 7:30pm Aycock Auditorium
Free
MUSIC: Wind Ensemble
Thursday, Nov. 21 7:30pm Aycock Auditorium
Free
DANCE: Fall Dance Concert
Nov. 22-23 Dance Theater
$12 general / $9 seniors, children / $9 student / $6 UNCG Available at door
MUSIC: Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs, Fall Concert
Saturday, Nov. 23 5:30pm Aycock Auditorium
Free
MUSIC: Honors HS Jazz Band and UNCG Jazz Ensemble I,
featuring Jerome Jennings
Sunday, Nov. 24 1:30 Recital Hall
$10 general / $6 seniors / $4 students / $3 UNCG Available at door
MUSIC: University Chorale and Chamber Singers
Sunday, Nov. 24 3:30 Aycock Auditorium
Free
If any of these events interest you, more information is available at
http://performingarts.uncg.edu/events
