1977 was the year that the Wolf Trap Company reflected its more targeted focus in its name, and playbills and other written references began to refer to the Wolf Trap Opera Company. Young artists sang most featured roles in the July 1977 four-performance run of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Roles were double cast, with each
Read MoreBlog
Archives
Wolf Trap Company 1976: Overview
The Wolf Trap Company continued to refine and reinvent itself in the summer of 1976. There was no production at the Madeira School, but young artists were increasingly featured in the productions at the Filene Center, singing all supporting roles in La traviata and all featured roles except Oberon and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s
Read MoreWTC 1976: La traviata
Beverly Sills returned for her third consecutive season as a guest artist, this time as Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata. Joining her were Henry Price as Alfredo and Richard Fredericks as Germont. Supporting roles were sung by members of the young artist roster. Julius Rudel conducted and Tito Capobianco directed, in a production from the
Read MoreWTC 1976: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A daring new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream kicked off the 1976 WTC season at the Filene Center. Directed by David Alden and conducted by John Moriarity, it featured all 16 members of the Company roster. (Guest artists were engaged for Oberon and Puck.) Young artists making their Wolf Trap debuts included John Cheek
Read MoreWolf Trap Company 1975: Overview
Summer 1975 comprised three productions at the Filene Center (Roberto Devereux, Kismet and The Crucible), and one at the satellite venue at Madeira School (Albert Herring). The Company’s young artists also had the privilege of performing excerpts from Copland’s The Tender Land with the National Symphony under Antal Dorati. Throughout the mid-70’s, the Company young
Read MoreWTC 1975: Albert Herring
During the previous summer, the Company mounted its first production at the nearby Madeira School (a double bill of Pasatieri’s Calvary & Signor Deluso). This collaboration continued in 1975 with Britten’s Albert Herring. The four performances were double-cast, and the Wolf Trap Company young artists handled all roles. Sadly, there don’t seem to be any
Read MoreWTC 1975: The Crucible
The August 1975 performances of Robert Ward’s The Crucible at the Filene Center didn’t rely as heavily on the presence of guest stars as did the summer’s two previous productions (Kismet and Roberto Devereux). Four roles were taken by visiting professional artists (with asterisk below), but this production was largely driven by members of the
Read MoreWTC 1975: Roberto Devereux
Beverly Sills returned in July 1975 for a memorable performance of one of her Donizetti Queen roles: Elizabeth in Roberto Devereux. Her castmates included John Alexander, John Lankston, and Susanne Marsee. And, as was the WTC custom at the Filene Center in 1975, young artists sang supporting and chorus roles. Julius Rudel conducted, and Tito
Read MoreWTC 1975: Kismet
The previous season was strictly operatic, but in 1975, the Wolf Trap Company turned again to musical theatre. Kismet featured guest artists John Reardon, Jane Johnston and Richard Bauer, and the young artists of the Company filled out the supporting roles and ensembles. John Conklin was scenic designer. This production included the Wolf Trap stage
Read MoreWolf Trap Company 1974: Overview
The 1974 season seems to have been a landmark in two very different ways. First, the productions of Daughter of the Regiment and War and Peace at the Filene Center brought national attention to opera at Wolf Trap. Big name casts and the subsequent video release of Daughter shone a new light on our organization.
Read More