Orange County, California's resident grand opera producing company

Four performances only – January 24, 26, 28, and 29, 2006
Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center

Opera Pacific, led by Artistic Director John DeMain, presents its first performances of Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers at Segerstrom Hall of Orange County Performing Arts Center. This production from the Santa Fe Opera will be conducted by DeMain, and directed by Edward Hastings, with scenery designed by Robert Innes Hopkins and costumes by David C. Woolard.

This effervescent “opera buffa” established Rossini’s career in 1813. His most popular comedy after The Barber of Seville, this story has been reset in the aviation era of the late 1920’s. The Italian Girl in Algiers tells the light-hearted tale of the resourceful Isabella who crash lands in Algiers, only to find her long lost fiancé and herself held captive by the lecherous Mustafà. Full of unexpected visual treats, director Hastings has created a highly original production of this beloved favorite that is spontaneous and infectiously fun.

With these performances, Opera Pacific continues to celebrate its 20^th season. Since its inception Opera Pacific has proudly performed at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for the entire history of the venue.

The cast includes Jossie Perez in her Opera Pacific stage debut as the Italian Girl, Isabella. Barry Banks (1/24, 1/26, 1/28) and Nicholas Phan (1/29) also are making debuts with the company, alternating as Lindoro. Richard Bernstein performs the role of Mustafà, Bey of Algiers.  The cast also includes Steven Condy as Taddeo in his Opera Pacific debut and Kristine Winkler as Elvira, the shunned wife of Mustafà’s harem, also an Opera Pacific debut.  Returning after appearing in Salome (2003) and Dead Man Walking (2002) and last season’s La Traviata (2005), Todd Robinson will sing the role of Haly. Kristin Rothfuss will make her Opera Pacific debut as Zulma. 

When she performed as Carmen at the Lyric Opera, The Boston Globe said, "Jossie Perez staked a claim on a role that could make her rich and famous.  The mezzo's got looks, charisma, confidence, humor and a voice to die for - resinously sexy at the bottom and blooming into a full soprano at the top.  She sang with subtlety, craftsmanship, and fire..." The Boston Herald said, “Years from now, we’ll be able to say we knew her when.”

Born in Puetro Rico, Ms. Pérez received her degree in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory in 1998. Opera Pacific audiences know her from her performance at Opera Under the Stars (2004).

Tenor Barry Banks (Lindoro) has established himself as one of the finest English tenors, particularly in the bel canto repertoire. He is much in demand on international opera stages performing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, Opéra National de Paris, English National Opera, Chatelet, Salzburg Festival, La Monnaie, The Santa Fe Opera, Teatro Communala di Bologna and Oper Frankfurt amongst others

His operatic appearances throughout Europe and North America include the roles of Lindoro (L'Italiana in Algeri), Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore), Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Oreste (Ermione), Tom Rakewell, Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia), both Belfiore and Libenskof (Il viaggio a Reims), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), L’Astrologue (Le coq d’or), Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni).

A committed concert artist, Barry Banks has sung Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Fidelio with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. His discography includes The Elixir of Love, Don Pasquale, Don Giovanni, The Thieving Magpie and The Magic Flute for the Chandos Opera in English series. His most recent recording is titled Barry Banks sings Bel Canto Arias.

American tenor Nicholas Phan (Lindoro 1/29) is a recent graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where he appeared in many productions including the world premieres of Daniel Catan's Salsipuedes and Mark Adamo's Lysistrata. Mr. Phan made his professional operatic debut with Glimmerglass Opera as a member of their Young American Artist Program. He was also one of two singers selected to represent the United States at the BBC Singer of the World competition in Cardiff, Wales in 2003, where he appeared with the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

Bass baritone Richard Bernstein (Mustafà) is a Mozart specialist. He has sung the role of Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro over 100 times in opera houses all over the world including the Metropolitan Opera (with which he has spent over 10 consecutive seasons), Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence, Seattle Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He previously sang The Marriage of Figaro (2000) and Don Giovanni (1997) with Opera Pacific. This will be his second production in the role of Mustafà. He spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Opera Resident Artist program.

Baritone Steven Condy (Taddeo), making his Opera Pacific debut, has performed with opera houses throughout the United States including the Washington Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, San Francisco Opera, Arizona Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera. He has become especially well known for his portrayals of the great “buffo” roles. In 1992 he was a winner of the Fourth Luciano Pavarotti International Voice competition and received a career grant in the 1994 Richard Tucker Music Foundation Competition.

Todd Robinson (Haly) has appeared with Opera Pacific in La Traviata (2005); Salome (2003); Dead Man Walking (2002).  He is a recent graduate of the Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Program in New York where he sang several major roles including Leporello in Don Giovanni, Mephistopheles in Faust, the Bonze in Madame Butterfly, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Oroveso in Norma, Crespel in The Tales of Hoffmann, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. Robinson was the winner of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant in 1999 and is also the musical director of the Tri-Cities Youth Theater Workshop.

German mezzo-soprano Kristin Rothfuss (Zulma) is making her Opera Pacific debut. A former member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist program, she was awarded the most outstanding apprentice with the Frederika Fischer Foundation Scholarship. She has also received first place honors in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Career Competition and was awarded “Young Artist of the Year” for 2000. She created leading roles in the world premieres of On Gold Mountain as Madame Matilde with the Los Angeles Opera and in Monticello as Patsy Jefferson with Grand Performances of Los Angeles.

Celebrating its 20^th Season, Opera Pacific has established itself as one of the finest professional opera companies in the nation. Opera Pacific's mainstage productions, extensive community outreach programs, and energetic Guild Alliance combine to create a cultural resource for all of Southern California. More than 670,000 people have enjoyed Opera Pacific's productions at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, while over 575,000 young people have discovered the world of opera through the company's in-school presentations, Student Previews, and nationally recognized Opera Camps.

In addition to the traditional opera repertory, Opera Pacific has responded to the need for strong, professional productions of classic American musical theatre and European operetta. Under the baton and dedication of John DeMain, opera is an event with the honest communication of the stories and musical values of the works, combined with exciting singers, and major opera house scale productions.

OPERA PACIFIC’S 20^th anniversary season (2005-2006) wlll conclude with Aida April 18, 20, 22, 23, 2006. All performances are at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Tickets for The Italian Girl in Algiers

The Italian Girl in Algiers will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. A preview of the performance with Opera Pacific’s chorusmaster Henri Venanzi is held one hour prior to each performance.