COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS ADMINISTRATION Robert A. Kvam, dean

Michael O’Hara, associate dean

SCHOOL OF MUSIC ADMINISTRATION

Ryan Hourigan, director Rebecca Braun, assistant to the director

Linda Pohly, coordinator of graduate programs in music Kevin Gerrity, coordinator of undergraduate programs in music

SCHOOL OF MUSIC VOICE FACULTY

Meryl Mantione, mezzo-soprano & voice area coordinator Cara Chowning, opera/vocal coach Kathleen Maurer, mezzo-soprano

Craig Priebe, bass-baritone Yoko Shimazaki-Kilburn, soprano

Elizabeth Truitt, soprano Jon Truitt, baritone & director of opera

Mei Zhong, soprano

UPCOMING OPERA THEATRE EVENTS

Third Annual Opera Gala Saturday, February 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Sursa Hall

Mozart’s Don Giovanni Friday, March 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Sursa Hall Sunday, March 31 | 2 p.m. | Sursa Hall

Series LXXIII – Number 67a & 67b In keeping with copyright and artist agreements, use of recording and

photographic devices are permitted only by approved university personnel. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls; we request your cooperation.

bsu.edu/music

This performance of Hansel and Gretel is a Papermoon Opera Production:

Jefferson Ridenour, sets

Maureen Thomas, costumes Brian B. Moore, lights

Kris Kirkwood, projections Joyce Merrill, props

Fenlon Lamb, artistic director Alayna Powell, director of production

Hansel and Gretel

Libretto by Adelheid Wette

Composed by

Engelbert Humperdinck

Production by Papermoon Opera Productions

Saturday, November 17, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 18, 2018 | 2 p.m.

SURSA PERFORMANCE HALL

Sometimes in the world of opera the stars align and you have to just trust that reality. That’s what happened for this production of Hansel and Gretel and our association with the great team at Papermoon Opera Productions. Our new coach Dr. Cara Chowning told me that she had worked with them on a previous production of the opera AND that it happened to coincidentally be stored nearby AND that a member of the technical staff had recently been hired by Ball State’s Department of Theatre and Dance. In the world of theatre when that many things line up without you doing anything it’s pretty much a sign! We’re very pleased with the innovative design that they’ve brought to us, made almost entirely of PAPER (even the costumes!). Keep an eye out for all the creative uses of the material tonight. Hansel and Gretel is a great piece because it works on so many levels. Children enjoy it, of course, because of its familiar story and relatable characters. Adults can also appreciate its message that faith in something outside ourselves can be a refuge in our darkest hour, that even though the woods are scary there can also be forces of good looking out for us, and that sometimes your own ingenuity can be the answer to your prayers. It holds a special place for me also as the first opera I saw in person in the 4th grade. I loved it then and I love it now. I hope you do too!

JON TRUITT has established a national presence as a stage director and operatic baritone in the United States, having recently directed professional productions of Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, South Pacific, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Hansel and Gretel, Pagliacci, Suor Angelica, the Merry Widow, Le nozze di Figaro, La Boheme, Don Giovanni, The Elixir of Love, and Die Zauberflöte. His professional production of Die Zauberflöte was featured in Opera America magazine and his award-winning script translation has been remounted multiple times around the country. Dr. Truitt also appears regularly with professional

opera companies across the United States, including the New Orleans Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, Mobile Opera, Pensacola Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Opera Illinois, the Crested Butte Music Festival, Jacksonville Opera, Soo Opera Theatre, and the Jefferson Performing Arts Society. He has appeared as Germont in La Traviata, Figaro in Barber of Seville, Marcello in La Boheme, Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Ford in Falstaff, and more than forty other roles in the baritone repertoire. On the concert stage, he has sung with many regional symphonies and in numerous public solo recitals. Dr. Truitt additionally serves as the Director of Opera and Associate Professor of Music at Ball State University. Recently, he was a semi-finalist for the American Prize in Stage Directing for his work at the University. He also co-directs an opera young artist program each summer with his wife, soprano Elizabeth Truitt, for Asheville Lyric Opera in North Carolina and was the founder of the Crested Butte Opera Young Artist Program. He is a two-time apprentice artist with the Des Moines Metro Opera, a Metropolitan Opera Regional finalist, and a NATSAA Indiana State Winner.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE & ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Rebekah Willson.................................................................Gretel

Julianna Shamel*................................................................Gretel

Alexandra Billhartz................................................(cover) Gretel

Katharine Wilhelm…......…...............................................Hansel

Heather Reed*…......…......................................................Hansel

Isis Carvalho............................................Gertrude, The Mother

Marcel Ramalho..............................................Peter, The Father

Rachel Lesh.......................................Sandman, The Sleep Fairy

Cheyenne Johnson*..........................Sandman, The Sleep Fairy

Sylvie Dowd..................................................................Dew Fairy

Aasia Sampley*............................................................Dew Fairy

Maegan Pollonais.........................................................The Witch

Mindy Wesley*.............................................................The Witch

* denotes Sunday cast

Seth Allen Claudia Armbruster Zac Biddle Joseph Bloom Cameron Clevenger Sylvie Dowd Stephen Fernung

Lindsay Fields Alex Gushrowski Aaron Holloway Cheyenne Johnson Alix Latta Rachel Lesh Gabe McGill

Erin Moody Carrington Neal Emily Reed Jordan Rieser Aasia Sampley Nicole Stewart

CHORUS/BALLET

Emma Andersen++, vln. I Taylor Matthews, vln. I Grace Marshall, vln. I Tian Li, vln. II Emily McCroskey, vln. II Alex Karker, vln. II Miranda Blevins, viola Megan Grady, viola

David Pira, cello John Woodward, cello Ian Elmore, bass Paola Cubillos, flute Sarah Loos, oboe Liz Felsted, clarinet Luke Vasilarakos, cl. Sierra Watson, bassoon

Corinne Edom, hn. Emily Schroeder, hn. Gilmar Cavalcante, tpt. Austin Hinkle, tbn. Maria Brown, harp Aaron Kaluza, perc. Peter Douglas, piano

ORCHESTRA

BURRIS LAB SCHOOL STUDENTS

Olivia Barber Keira Greiner Greta Hannon Paige Harris

Catherine Kinsella Cameron Milleman Katelyn Moudy Nola Mullins

Vivian Papandria Gabby Park Madelyn Pearce Lilly Sloan

CAST, CHORUS, & ORCHESTRA

++concertmaster

SYNOPSIS

ACT 1: At Home Gretel stitches a stocking, and Hansel is making a broom. Gretel sings to herself as she works. Hansel mocks her, singing to the same tune a song about how hungry he is. He wishes for mother to come home. Gretel tells him to be quiet and reminds him of what father always says: “When past bearing is our grief, God the Lord will send relief.” Hansel complains that one cannot eat words, and Gretel cheers him up by telling him a secret: A neighbor has given mother a jug of milk, and tonight she will make a custard for them to eat. Hansel, excited, tastes the cream on the top of the milk. Gretel scolds him and tells him he should get back to work. Hansel says that he does not want to work, he would rather dance. Gretel agrees, and they begin to dance around. Just then Mother enters, and she is furious when she finds that Hansel and Gretel have not been working. As she threatens to beat them with a stick, she knocks over the jug of milk. Mother sends Hansel and Gretel to the haunted Ilsenstein forest to look for strawberries. Alone, she expresses her sorrow that she is unable to feed her children and asks God for help.

From far off, Father sings about how hungry he is. He bursts into the house, a little tipsy, and tries to kiss Mother. She pushes him away and scolds him for being drunk. He surprises her by taking a feast from his pack, including half a pound of tea just for Mother. He explains to her that beyond the forest, it is almost time for a festival, and everyone is cleaning in preparation. He went from house to house and sold his brooms at the highest prices. As father and mother celebrate, he suddenly stops and asks where the children are. Mother changes the subject to the broken jug, and after she finishes telling him the story, he laughs, then asks again after the children. She tells him that they are in the Ilsenstein forest. Suddenly scared, father tells her that the forest is where the evil Gingerbread Witch dwells. She lures children with cakes and sweets, pushes them into her oven, where they turn to gingerbread, and then eats them. Father and mother rush to the forest to search for their children.

ACT 2: In the forest. Sunset. Gretel weaves a crown of flowers as she sings to herself. Hansel searches for strawberries. As Gretel finishes her crown, Hansel fills his basket. Gretel tries to put the crown on Hansel, but, saying that boys do not play with things like these, he puts it on her head instead. He tells her that she looks like the Queen of the Wood, and she says that if that’s so, then he should give her a bouquet, too. He offers her the strawberries. They hear a cuckoo calling, and they begin to eat the strawberries. As the basket empties, they fight for the remaining strawberries, and finally, Hansel grabs the basket and dumps the leftovers in his mouth. Gretel scolds him and tells him that mother will be upset. She tries to look for more, but it is too dark for her to see. Hansel tries to find the way back, but he cannot. As the forest darkens, Hansel and Gretel become scared, and think they see something coming closer. Hansel calls out, “Who’s there?” and a chorus of echoes calls back. Gretel calls, “Is someone there?” and the echoes reply, “Where!” Hansel tries to comfort Gretel, but as a little man walks out of the forest, she screams. The Sandman, who has just walked out of the forest, explains that he loves children dearly, and that he has come to put them to sleep. He puts grains of sand into their eyes, and as he leaves they can barely keep their eyes open. Gretel reminds Hansel to say their evening prayer, and after they pray, they fall asleep on the forest floor. As they sleep, angels come out and arrange themselves around the children to protect them as they sleep.

ACT 3: In the forest. Morning. The Dew Fairy comes to wake the children. Gretel wakes first, and wakes the sleepy Hansel. Suddenly they notice behind them a glorious gingerbread house. The roof is slated with cakes, the windows are of licorice, and the walls are decorated with cookies. On the left side is an oven, on the right side is a cage, and around it is a fence of gingerbread children. Unable to resist temptation, they take a little bit of the house and nibble on it. As the children nibble, a voice calls out, “Nibble, nibble, mouse-y! Who’s nibbling at my house-y?” Hansel and Gretel decide that the voice must have been the wind, and they begin to eat the house. As Hansel breaks off another piece of the house, the voice again calls out again. Hansel and Gretel ignore the voice, and continue eating. The witch comes out of the house and catches Hansel with a rope. As the children try to escape, the witch explains that she is Rosina Daintymouth and that she likes to feed children sweets.

Hansel and Gretel are suspicious of the witch, so they begin to run away. The witch takes out her wand and calls out, “Stop!” Hansel and Gretel are frozen to the spot where they stand. Using the wand, the witch leads Hansel to the cage. The witch leaves him stiff and slow of movement. She tells Gretel to be reasonable, and then the witch goes inside to fetch raisins and almonds with which to fatten Hansel. Hansel whispers to Gretel to pretend to obey the witch. The witch returns, and waving her wand, says, “Hocus pocus, elderbush! Rigid body, loosen, whoosh!” Using the wand, the witch forces Gretel to dance, then tells her to go into the house and set the table. Hansel pretends to be asleep, and the witch, overcome with excitement, describes how she plans to cook and eat Gretel. The witch wakes up Hansel and has him show her his finger. He puts out a bone instead, and she feels it. Disappointed that he is so thin, the witch calls for Gretel to bring out raisins and almonds. As the witch tries to feed Hansel, Gretel steals the wand from the witch’s pocket. Waving it towards Hansel, Gretel whispers, “Hocus pocus, elderbush! Rigid body, loosen, whoosh!” As the witch turns around and wonders at the noise, Hansel discovers that he can move freely again. The witch tells Gretel to peek inside the oven to see if the gingerbread is done. Hansel softly calls out to her to be careful. Gretel pretends that she does not know what the witch means. The witch tells her to lift herself a little bit and bend her head forward. Gretel says that she doesn’t understand, and asks the witch to demonstrate. The witch, frustrated, opens the oven and leans forward. Hansel springs out of the cage, and he and Gretel shove the witch into the oven. They dance. The oven begins to crackle and the flames burn fiercely.

Around Hansel and Gretel, the gingerbread children have turned back into humans. They are asleep and unable to move, but they sing to Hansel and Gretel, asking to be touched. Hansel is afraid, but Gretel bravely starts to touch each child and Hansel joins in. Hansel and Gretel touch all the children, then Hansel takes the witch’s wand and, waving it, calls out the magic words, freeing the children from the spell. Father is heard in the distance, calling for Hansel and Gretel. He and mother enter and embrace Hansel and Gretel. Meanwhile, the gingerbread children pull out from the ruins of the oven the witch, who has turned into gingerbread. Father gathers Hansel, Gretel, and the other children around and tells them to look at this miracle. He explains that this is heaven’s punishment for evil deeds and reminds them, “When past bearing is our grief, God the Lord will send relief.”

SYNOPSIS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilsestein

CARA CHOWNING, conductor/vocal coach

Equally at home in vocal and instrumental repertoire, Cara Chowning is in demand as a coach and collaborative artist. She has performed extensively throughout the United States, South America, and Europe as duo partner, chamber musician, and orchestral pianist. She has served on the accompanying faculties of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the American Institute of Music Studies in Graz, Austria as well as the faculties of Simpson College, Oklahoma City University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and currently at Ball

State University. She returns this season to the Bar Harbor Music Festival and Illinois Theatre (UIUC) as pianist and music director and was the invited collaborative pianist for the 15th Festival International de Flautists ABRAF in Sao Paulo, Brazil this fall. As music director, conductor and pianist, Dr. Chowning has prepared opera and musical theater productions at the professional, young artist, and collegiate levels. She has served on the music staff of Cleveland Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera Cleveland, and the Bar Harbor Music Festival in the capacities of assistant chorus master, staff pianist, coach, and musical director. Dr. Chowning’s former students and singers from her private coaching studio can be heard in young artist programs, theater series, and opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Kansas Lyric, Union Avenue Opera, Minnesota Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Writers Theatre. Dr. Chowning is a frequent guest on recital series throughout the Midwest and Northeast Ohio and has been broadcasted on WFMT, WCLV, and Iowa Public Radio. She has performed at the National Flute Association’s Convention and the International Double Reed Society Convention as competition pianist and recitalist. Dr. Chowning holds performance degrees in piano and collaborative piano from Northwestern University and the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts in accompanying and vocal coaching from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

AUDRA SOKOL, choreographer

Audra Sokol received her Bachelor of Science from Ball State University. Upon graduation, she was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Iowa, where she received her MFA while continuing her training and education in dance. She has received awards from Regional Dance America, ACDA, and Dance Magazine for her performance and choreography. Her choreography has also been selected to be performed in festivals throughout the country including Harvest Dance Chicago, WaxWorks, Triskelion Arts, and Dance Under the

Stars in California. Audra has taught at Purdue and the University of Iowa and is currently an Associate Professor of Dance at Ball State University.

PRODUCTION STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

PETER DOUGLAS, répétiteur/pianist

Peter Douglas is thrilled to join Ball State Opera Theatre as Graduate Assistant serving as répétiteur for the 2018-19 season. He is a sought-after pianist for both instrumental and vocal collaborative work throughout Indiana and Ohio. Last summer, Peter was collaborative piano fellow (assistant coach

and rehearsal pianist) in the opera studio at Musiktheater Bavaria in Oberaudorf, Germany. In BSOT’s 2016-17 season, he served as substitute pianist for the productions of Béatrice et Bénédict and Le nozze di Figaro. Outside of opera, Peter maintains a busy schedule playing for instrumental and vocal studios at Ball State University. He received a Master of Music in piano performance from Ball State University and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. Peter is currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in piano chamber music and accompanying at Ball State University under the tutelage of Dr. Ray Kilburn.

ALVISE PASCUCCI, répétiteur/pianist

Italian pianist Alvise Pascucci has been defined by music criticists as “an outstanding young pianist who possesses a virtuoso technique as well as musicianship of a high order.” His repertoire covers a wide range from the Baroque to contemporary music. To date he boasts over 60 prizes obtained in

national and international competitions. In addition to the piano, Alvise started to learn the violin at the age of nine demonstrating his musical versatility. He is an active solo and chamber music performer having performed in various venues across Europe and beyond such as the Steinway Hall in London (UK) and Military Circle Hall in Ploieşti (Romania). He has played as soloist with several orchestras including the Taipei Philarmonia Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Ploiesti. He currently lives in Indiana where he is a Graduate Assistant at Ball State University perusing an Artist Diploma under the supervision of Dr. Robert Palmer.

PRODUCTION STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

REBEKAH WILLSON, soprano (Gretel)

Rebekah Willson is a soprano in Ms. Yoko Shimazaki-Kilburn’s studio at Ball State University, working toward her master’s degree in vocal performance. She graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in music from Grove City College, Pennsylvania as part of Dr. Sasha Piastro-Tedford’s studio. While there, she also studied at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy where she studied opera and performed in places like Casa di Riposo per Musicisti as well as other small locations in the city. She studied with Patrizia Zanardi. In 2017, Rebekah won Grove City’s annual

concerto/aria competition and sung with the orchestra the following semester. She was a part of the touring Choir of Grove City for four years and, through that, has performed all over the United States including Chicago and New York. Gretel is her first role in an opera and she is excited to explore the character!

JULIANNA SHAMEL, soprano (Gretel)

Senior, soprano Julianna Shamel is thrilled to join the performers of BSOT once again! She has been involved with BSOT since her sophomore year, and was last seen as La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi, Il Trittico). She is so humbled to be performing this Fall with the exceptional cast of Hansel and Gretel and her upcoming role of Donna Elvira in BSOT’s production of Don Giovanni. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in music media production and a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance at Ball State University where she is a student of Elizabeth Truitt. She

would like to thank her family and close friends for supporting her passions and endeavors!

ALEXANDRA BILLHARTZ, soprano (Gretel, cover)

An artist with a love for opera and Baroque music, soprano Alexandra Billhartz is a native of New Baden, IL. Most recently, she has performed the roles of Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Leonora (The Beautiful Bridegroom), Giulietta (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Kate and Isabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Sister Dolcina (Suor Angelica), and Nella (Gianni Schicchi). She was also the soprano soloist in a performance of Bach’s Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38 at Ball State University. A winner of the Vukovich Concerto Competition, she performed with the

University of Evansville Symphony Orchestra in April 2017. Ms. Billhartz has presented her literature review on opera adaptation at the Michigan Music Conference and the Ball State Research Symposium. Additionally, Ms. Billhartz has participated in SongFest, Land of Enchantment Opera, Rose Rock Opera Institute, Chicago Summer Opera, and the Midwest Institute of Opera. She is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Kappa Phi. Ms. Billhartz earned her Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the University of Evansville in 2016, graduating summa cum laude. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Music in vocal performance at Ball State University, studying with Dr. Jon Truitt.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

KATHARINE WILHELM, mezzo-soprano (Hansel)

Katharine Wilhelm is a junior currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. Originally from Indianapolis, Katharine has been studying voice for 3 years with Dr. Maurer, and has had numerous performance and master class opportunities over the course of her time at Ball State. She most recently appeared on Ball State’s stage as The Monitress in Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica and has performed in various chorus roles in Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S Pinafore and Berlioz’s Béatrice et Benedict. She will appear next year in Ball State’s Third Annual

Opera Gala, performing in a scene from Bizet’s Carmen. She is excited to play the role of Hansel in this production of Hansel and Gretel and is grateful to work and train with such knowledgeable faculty and staff.

HEATHER REED, mezzo-soprano (Hansel)

Heather is a senior voice student from Brownsburg, Indiana, and is graduating this December with her bachelor’s degree. In October of 2017, Heather received first place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition. Within her undergraduate career, Heather has performed two recitals consisting of arts songs, arias, and musical theatre pieces by Gluck, Handel, Fauré, Donaudy, Schumann, Rodgers, and more. This is Heather’s second production with the Ball State Opera Theatre. In April of 2018, she appeared as the Mistress of

the Novices and participated in the chorus in BSOT’s production of Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Heather is currently a student of Dr. Kathleen Maurer.

ISIS CARVALHO, soprano (Gertrude, The Mother)

Isis Carvalho is a Brazilian spinto soprano and first-year Doctor of Arts student at Ball State University studying voice performance with Dr. Jon Truitt. While in Brazil, she performed the title role of Maria Tudor by Antonio Carlos Gomes, The Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica by Puccini, Ernestina in L’occasione fa il ladro by Rossini, The Storyteller in Master Peter’s Puppet Show by De Falla, The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury, Katisha and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado by A. Sullivan, and in the Baroque Portuguese operas The Enamored Saloia and The Chimney Sweeper by Antonio Leal

Moreira and Marcos Portugal, respectively. Isis holds a master’s degree in voice performance from Indiana State University, as well as a Graduate Certificate in voice literature performance and bachelor’s degrees in voice and piano performance from the School of Music and Fine Arts of Parana, Brazil. Last spring, Isis became a member of the music honors society Pi Kappa Lambda and was granted the Silvio Hein Memorial Scholarship and the 2018 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award from Indiana State University for her academic achievements and services to that institution.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

MARCEL RAMALHO, baritone (Peter, The Father)

Marcel is a third-year doctoral student in music at Ball State University. A recipient of several academic awards and scholarships, Marcel was recently featured as Figaro and Don Pedro in BSOT’s productions of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict, respectively. Marcel has also recently appeared as the bass soloist in J. S. Bach’s cantatas Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (BWV 38), Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4), and Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen (BWV 12), W. A. Mozart’s Freimaurerkantante, and G. Fauré’s Requiem. Operatic roles include scenes from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Count

Almaviva), Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Dandini), Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Belcore), Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe (Horace Tabor), Copland’s The Tender Land (Top), and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (Grégorio). Marcel is a student of Dr. Jon Truitt.

RACHEL LESH, mezzo-soprano (Sandman, The Sleep Fairy)

Rachel is a third year vocal performance major and is a voice student under the instruction of Dr. Craig Priebe. She has been in the chorus of Béatrice et Bénédict, Le nozze di Figaro, and HMS Pinafore. She had a small role in Suor Angelica, and this will be her first principal role. This is her third year with the BSOT.

CHEYENNE JOHNSON, mezzo-soprano (Sandman, The Sleep Fairy) Cheyenne is a sophomore vocal performance major who wishes to pursue a career as a classical singer. Since coming to Ball State, she has appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S Pinafore, Il tabarro, and “Lay sister” in Suor Angelica. She has also been a member of Opera Chorus, Concert Choir, and Women’s Chorus. Before coming to Ball State, she studied with Kathleen Myrick and Dr. Jeffery Ballard, and was a member of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. In 2014 and 2015 she performed in the George Smith’s Traditional Christmas Show at the Paramount Theater in Anderson, Indiana. In 2016 and 2017, she

performed Mrs. Amy Hughley’s arrangement of “Stille Nacht/Silent Night” as a soloist in The Indianapolis Children’s Choir’s Angels Sing. During her high school years, she attended summer vocal arts programs at DePauw University, the University of Indianapolis, and Butler University. In the Fall of 2017 she placed first in her division in the National Association of Teachers of Singing. As a lyric mezzo-soprano she has sung repertoire from George Gershwin to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

SYLVIE DOWD, soprano (Dew Fairy)

Sylvie Dowd is a sophomore at Ball State and will be playing the role of the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel. She is a vocal performance major and is very excited to have her first role within BSOT’s program. She would like to thank her friends and family for helping her get this far in performance, and would like to thank her wonderful directors for helping her grow more than ever before!

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

AASIA SAMPLEY, soprano (Dew Fairy)

Aasia Sampley is a senior general studies major. In her schooling, she is focusing on theatrical studies, vocal performance, and digital media production. Aasia has been in several opera choruses at Ball State and is thankful for many years of wonderful productions and learning experiences. This is her first role in an opera and she could not be more excited for this amazing opportunity. Her favorite part about her role as the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel is the growth and maturity she is finding in her voice and performance ability through this program. Aasia came from a musical theatre

background before coming to Ball State. Some of her roles include Millie from Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and Ti Moune from Once on This Island.

MAEGAN POLLONAIS, mezzo-soprano (The Witch)

Maegan Pollonais is a Caribbean mezzo-soprano from Trinidad and Tobago, hailed for her “shimmering, clarion vocals, never lacking in its equal parts which requires intensity and sweetness” (The Newsday Newspaper). Pollonais completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology and music in 2012. It was her performance prowess garnered at SUNY Plattsburgh, that afforded her the opportunity to pursue her master’s degree in vocal performance at Bowling Green State University. At Bowling Green State, she performed the roles of Lady Blanche in Princess Ida, and Ruth in Pirates of Penzance.

Pollonais made her Canadian debut in 2013, at the Vancouver Summer Opera Studio, as Marcellina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Later that year she attended the renowned OperaWorks’ Emerging Young Artist Program in Los Angeles. She is currently in her final year of the Doctor of Arts Degree in music at Ball State University, where she has performed the roles of Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the Ball State Opera Theatre. Her upcoming engagements include her professional debut performance this coming January, with Saltworks Opera in Virginia, as the Witch in their production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Later next year, she will also be presenting a reprised lecture recital of Dominique Le Gendre’s Caribbean Art Song Cycle, Songs of the Islands at Anderson University. She is a student of Dr. Mei Zhong.

MINDY WESLEY, soprano (The Witch)

Mindy is a second-year Master of Music student at Ball State studying voice performance with Dr. Jon Truitt. During her studies at Ball State she has performed the roles of Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Contessa Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Josephine in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, and Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. She is performing the role of The Witch in Ball State Opera Theatre’s production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel this

Fall, and will be performing as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, BSOT’s spring opera. Outside of Ball State, Mindy has performed the role of Pamina in the Ji Eun Lee Music Academy’s performance of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and the role of Security Officer in the Opera Steamboat Opera Artist Institute’s production of The Proposal by Milton Grainger.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES