Opera Pacific, led by Artistic Director John DeMain, presents Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at Segerstrom Hall, Opera Pacific’s home opera house, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The production will be conducted by John DeMain and directed by A. Scott Parry. Scenery and costumes by Isabella Bywater, with lighting design by Jeff Harris. The scenery and costumes belong to New York City Opera. The production, a re-imagination by Jonathan Miller, is set in a west Texas diner in the 1950s.        

Jonathan Miller is a British physician, theatre and opera director, author, and television presenter. His innovative production was first seen at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm in 2004, and was presented by New York City Opera this past October. In regards to his practice of placing operas in other times and places, Miller gave a detailed explanation to the New York Times. He explained "18th and 19th century composers didn’t expect their operas to outlive them by much” and that “ When a work does live on it enters an ‘afterlife.’ It becomes something quite different than what it was written for and for what it was cherished at the time… The setting should closely reflect a truth about the original text.” The New York Times went on to describe the locale of Miller’s Elixir of Love as “Adina’s Diner…a Hopperesque scene with men in plaid shirts and overalls and Korean War-era uniforms, and women in waitress garb or low-cut, off-the-shoulder dresses. The women sway their hips; the men swagger.”

John DeMain, the company’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, says, "This story of a young country lad's pursuit of the woman he loves is an ideal opera to reexamine in a variety of locales. For these performances we've chosen Jonathan Miller's production that situates the opera in rural Texas circa 1950. We’ve put together a cast of outstanding singing actors, headlined by handsome Metropolitan Opera tenor William Burden making his debut with the company, along with Metropolitan Opera soprano Olga Makarina. Steven Condy, no stranger to Opera Pacific (Taddeo, The Italian Girl in Algiers 2006), returns as the wily peddler, Doctor Dulcamara. Baritone David Adam Moore, a Texas native who has leapt to international acclaim, makes his Opera Pacific debut as the arrogant Sargeant Belcore. The charming Tonna Miller makes her Opera Pacific debut as Giannetta. We add a special welcome to A. Scott Parry who makes his Opera Pacific debut as stage director for this production."

Of setting The Elixir of Love in a 1950s rural, West Texas diner, Director A. Scott Parry (who served as Miller’s assistant director at New York City Opera) says, “We are following the same idea he (Donizetti) had, but we are translating it into something everyone can understand. 1950s America is an era that is culturally recognizable to the audience. Either they lived through this period themselves, or they know the signs and signals from shows like Happy Days or films like Grease. It’s all part of our cultural understanding. I think it will engage the audience in a way that a more traditional setting would not….We can relate so much more to the bravado of the soldier, because we recognize the uniform that he wears. We see that Dulcamara is like the Harold Hill character from The Music Man: ‘Oh, we got trouble, right here in River City.’ Whereas, when you set him in pre-Romantic garb with flowing robes, you don’t have that same reference, and the character doesn’t resonate the same way.”

The Elixir of Love is one of Donizetti’s most popular operas. According to Opera America, it is one of the twenty most frequently performed opera in North America. Donizetti’s light-hearted confection is all about romance, love potions, the twists and turns of courtship, and happy endings. Elixir is a lively romp – the tale of a country bumpkin, Nemorino, who can’t quite catch the eye of the woman he adores. He turns to a traveling salesman who’s pushing the title’s love potion – and hilarity ensues.

William Burden, making his Opera Pacific debut in the role of Nemorino, opened the 2005-2006 San Francisco Opera season as Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri. He then returned to the Metropolitan Opera in December 2005 to create the role of Gilbert Griffiths in the world premiere of Tobias Picker's new opera, An American Tragedy, and to the Opéra National de Paris for the revival of Julietta. He also made his debuts at the Houston Grand Opera as Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Madrid's Teatro Real as the Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites.

Born in Archangel, Russia, Metropolitan Opera soprano Olga Makarina sings the role of Adina. She made her first New York appearances at New York City Opera as Lucia di Lammermoor and has performed there as Gilda in Rigoletto, Konstanze in Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio and Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Other roles in Ms. Makarina’s repertoire include Ilia in Idomeneo (Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival), Violetta in La Traviata (Kirov Opera) and Eudoxie in La Juive (Opera Orchestra of New York). Ms. Makarina has also appeared as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxoswith the Minnesota Orchestra and in Orff’s Carmina Burana as well.

Singing the role of the arrogant Sargeant Belcore is David Adam Moore, who was recently lauded for performances of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte full of “enviable swagger coupled with a subtle musicality and big, handsome voice” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). In the 2006-07 season, he repeats performances of Guglielmo in his return to New Israeli Opera as well as sings alternating performances of Maximilian and the title role of Candide at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Pilot in The Little Prince with Tulsa Opera, and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Annapolis Opera. In coming seasons, he also returns to Seattle Opera for Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and his first performances of Lescaut in Manon.

Steven Condy sings the role of Dulcamara. Winner of numerous awards and competition prizes, Condy has appeared with opera companies throughout North America and has become especially well known for his portrayals of the great “buffo” roles. In addition to his turn as Taddeo in Opera Pacific’s The Italian Girl in Algiers last season, other recent engagements include debuts with Opera Theater of St. Louis as Monterone in Rigoletto, and Sir Robert Cecil in Britten’s Gloriana, with Lyric Opera of Kansas City the roles of Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola; Stankar in Stiffelio with Chautauqua Opera; the title role in Gianni Schicchi with the OK Mozart Festival; Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Portland Opera and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Arizona Opera and Hawaii Opera Theater.

Opera Pacific Artistic Director and Conductor John DeMain will lead the orchestra in Donizetti’s delightful and melodious operatic score, with a libretto by Felice Romani. DeMain has appeared with many major companies around the world including the venerable La Scala, the New York City Opera, Los Angeles Opera, The Washington Opera, and the Paris Opera. Maestro DeMain made his Opera Pacific debut during its inaugural season at The Orange County Performing Arts Center with Porgy and Bess. Maestro DeMain is also the Music Director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor of the Madison Opera.  

A. Scott Parry, who directs The Elixir of Love has garnered critical praise for his work in both Opera and Musical Theatre. He has served on the faculty of Indiana University in Bloomington and headed the Musical Theatre faculty at Mesa Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Continuing associations include the Dallas Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Dorset Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and many other opera companies, festivals, and academic institutions. Scott is currently on the staging staff of New York City Opera and on faculty at New England Conservatory, most recently designing/directing a new production of The Magic Flute for them. Upcoming: La traviata for Sugar Creek Symphony and Song Festival. As a composer, Scott recently had the première of his theatrical song cycle based on the poetry of Dorothy Parker and Oscar Wilde. He has also written an adaptation of Beaumarchais’ La mère coupable, which he is setting to music.

Opera Pacific’s The Elixir of Love Prologue Lecture will take place at the Performing Arts Center at Concordia University in Irvine, March 25 at 2:00 p.m. Opera Pacific’s Prologues provide an introduction to the opera for all audiences, and feature a lively lecture with arias sung by cast members and an informal question and answer session. The Prologue speaker will be Ron Shaheen, who lends his insight into the history, music and plot intricacies as intended by the composer. Audience members have the opportunity to ask questions of and engage in discussions with the speaker, and hear excerpts from the upcoming production performed by cast members.

The Elixir of Love had its world premiere at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan on May 12, 1832. An amazingly prolific composer, at the age of 34 this marked Donizetti’s fortieth opera to date. He literally wrote the opera in two weeks. The Italian biographer Gianandrea Gavazzeni quoted a letter in which addressing librettist Felice Romani, Donizetti said, “I am obliged to write an opera in fourteen days. I give you a week to do your share.” The rest as they say, is history. Among its many charms, The Elixir of Love possesses one of the most famous arias in all opera, “Una furtiva lagrima” (“A furtive tear”). In fact, Caruso’s lauded rendition of the aria led to The Elixir of Love being revived at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House in 1904.

The Elixir of Love begins as Adina, the owner of a local diner, her waitress Giannetta, and a group of rural workers are enjoying their lunch break. Young Nemorino laments he has nothing to offer Adina but love. The laborers urge Adina to read them her book – how Tristan won the heart of Isolde by drinking a magic love potion. No sooner has Adina done so than Belcore swaggers in from his military unit. The sergeant’s conceit amuses her, but he is not dissuaded from asking her hand in marriage. Adina chooses to think it over. When she and Nemorino are left alone, he awkwardly declares his love. She tells him his time would be better spent looking after his ailing uncle than mooning over her, for she is as fickle as the breeze.

Things take a prophetic turn as the traveling quack doctor Dulcamara arrives and proclaims the virtues of his cure-all medicine. Nemorino asks if he sells the elixir of love Adina described in her story. Pulling out a bottle of wine, the charlatan declares it to be the very draught, but warns that its effects won’t be felt for 24 hours – long enough for him to get out of town. At this point mayhem truly sets in. Nemorino buys the elixir and hastily drinks it. Confident of his success, he ignores Adina. To punish him, Adina flirts with Belcore, who, now informed that he must return to his garrison, persuades her to marry him at once.

Crestfallen as the situation rapidly escalates, Nemorino begs Dulcamara for another bottle of elixir; his pleas are rejected because he has no money. Belcore returns annoyed that Adina has now postponed the wedding until later that night, and upon seeing Nemorino, asks why he is so sad. The youth explains his financial plight, whereupon the sergeant persuades him to join the army to receive the bonus that awaits all volunteers. Nemorino enlists, getting the money to buy more of the doctor’s elixir.

Next, the town girls hear from Giannetta that Nemorino’s uncle has died and willed him a fortune. Besieged with attention and unaware of his new wealth, Nemorino is led to believe the elixir has finally taken effect. Adina, shocked that Nemorino has sold his freedom to Belcore, grows determined to win back his attentions through her wily charms. With Nemorino now feigning disinterest, Adina ultimately confesses she bought back his enlistment papers because she loves him, and gives him her heart. Belcore accepts the situation philosophically. Attributing Nemorino’s success to his elixir, Dulcarmara sells all his wares before making a triumphant departure.

About Opera Pacific

In just twenty-one seasons, 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. An audience of more than 670,000 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.