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Marc Blitzstein’s Regina at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

May. 03, 2018

Marc Blitzstein’s <em>Regina</em> at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents Marc Blitzstein’s Regina in a new production directed by OTSL Artistic Director James Robinson and conducted by Music Director Stephen Lord. Susan Graham makes her role debut as Regina Giddens, performing alongside James Morris as Ben and Ron Raines as Oscar. The cast also features Susanna Phillips as Birdie, Kristopher Irmiter as Horace, and Melody Wilson as Addie.

In a recent interview with Opera (“Vivat Regina!” by John Allison, April 2018), Graham described her attraction to the title role, “[S]he’s so bad! I’m always playing the boy next door and don’t usually get to do juicy parts like this…. She’s great operatic fodder…. I’ve never sung any Blitzstein songs, but I’m sure that after this adventure in Regina-land I will want to explore them further.”

The production runs in repertory May 26–June 20 as part of OTSL’s summer festival and marks the opera’s first major revival since Utah Opera’s 2009 production.
 

(Regina/Marc Blitzstein/New York City Opera/Sony Music Entertainment, 1958/
Samuel Krachmalnick, conductor)

Marc Blitzstein
Regina (1946-1948)
an opera in three acts
libretto (Eng) by the composer from Lillian Hellman’s play “The Little Foxes”
for 3 sopranos, contralto, 2 tenors, 4 baritones, bass, actors and SATB chorus
instrumentation (Original): 1(pic, cl).1(ca, cl).1(fl, Ebcl).1(cl, bcl)-2.1.1.0-timp.perc-hp.pno-str; [Angel Band (on stage): tpt,cl.banjo(gtr),tbn,washboard(drums)] - [Chamber Trio (on stage): pno, vn, vc]
instrumentation (Scottish Opera version): 1.pic.1.3.1-2.1.1.0-timp.perc-hp.pno-str; [Angel Band (on stage): tpt,cl.banjo(gtr),tbn,washboard(drums)] - [Chamber Trio (on stage): pno, vn, vc]
130’

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