San Francisco Opera Presents World Premiere of Antony and Cleopatra by John Adams, September 10–October 5
Release date: 8/9/2022
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE OF
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA BY JOHN ADAMS, SEPTEMBER 10–OCTOBER 5
Commissioned for San Francisco Opera’s Centennial, New Work Features a Libretto Adapted from Shakespeare’s Drama by the Composer and Production by Director Elkhanah Pulitzer
Composer John Adams and Music Director Eun Sun Kim in rehearsal; Director Elkhanah Pulitzer visiting the Scene Shop,
Costume Supervisor Galen Till inspects a costume for one of Cleopatra’s soldiers
(Photos: Kristen Loken (left), Drew Altizer (center); Hardy Wilson/Drew Altizer Photography (right)
Music Director Eun Sun Kim Leads Cast Headed by Amina Edris as Cleopatra, Gerald Finley as Antony and Paul Appleby as Caesar
John Adams (composer); Eun Sun Kim (conductor); Amina Edris (Cleopatra); Gerald Finley (Antony); Paul Appleby (Caesar).
Photos: Deborah O’Grady, Kim Tae-hwan, Capucine de Chocqueus, Marshall Light Studio, Jonathan Tichler
Tickets Available at sfopera.com and (415) 864-3330;
September 18 Livestream Virtual Tickets On Sale Soon
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 9, 2022) — San Francisco Opera presents the world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra on Saturday, September 10, with performances through October 5. From the composer of Nixon in China, this new work is an international co-commission and co-production with the Metropolitan Opera and Barcelona’s Liceu Opera created especially for San Francisco Opera’s 100th season which opens September 9 with a gala concert and Opera Ball. The September 18 matinee performance of Antony and Cleopatra will be livestreamed and available on demand for 48 hours. Virtual tickets for the livestream go on sale later this month.
The libretto for Antony and Cleopatra is adapted from Shakespeare’s drama by the composer with consultation by Elkhanah Pulitzer and Lucia Scheckner. San Francisco Opera Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim will conduct this highly anticipated new work. The cast is headed by Egyptian soprano Amina Edris creating the role of Cleopatra and noted Adams collaborators bass-baritone Gerald Finley as Antony and tenor Paul Appleby as Caesar. Chorus Director John Keene prepares the San Francisco Opera Chorus to portray the peoples of Rome and Alexandria.
John Adams stated: “I am proud to continue my longstanding collaboration with the great San Francisco Opera with this, the fifth opera of mine the company has presented over the years. Antony and Cleopatra is a story that embraces not only the intimate and human but also the geopolitical and the clash of civilizations. As is always the case with Shakespeare, its themes mirror the realities of life even as we live it at this very moment.”
The production by director Elkhanah Pulitzer presents the story’s political battles and the famous love story of these figures from antiquity through an updated setting inspired by 1930s Hollywood glamor. The use of newsreel footage will enhance the characters’ larger-than-life public personas, while Cleopatra, Antony and Caesar are illuminated in their intimate interactions amid the mounting tension and fierce pulse of Adams’ score. Pulitzer heads a production team of Tony Award-winning set designer and MacArthur Fellow Mimi Lien, costume designer Constance Hoffman, lighting designer David Finn, projection designer Bill Morrison and sound designer and mixing engineer Mark Grey.
Antony and Cleopatra adds a new chapter to the storied connection between San Francisco Opera and one of the world’s most prominent composers. John Adams’ Doctor Atomic (2005) and Girls of the Golden West (2017) were commissioned by the Company and had their world premieres at the War Memorial Opera House, while The Death of Klinghoffer, a San Francisco Opera co-commission, and Nixon in China were presented here in 1992 and 2012, respectively. Now celebrating his 75th year, the composer and Bay Area resident was honored this summer with the Nonesuch Records release of John Adams Collected Works, a 40-CD boxed set featuring orchestral, chamber music and opera recordings spanning more than four decades.
Born in Egypt and raised in New Zealand, soprano Amina Edris is one of the most exciting young stars on today’s operatic stage. Following recent triumphs as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata for Canadian Opera Company and with the Paris Opera in Rameau’s Platée and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence as Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma, Edris returns to San Francisco Opera as Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. The former Merola Opera Program participant (2015) and San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow (2016, 2017) has performed many roles on the War Memorial Opera House stage, including an acclaimed 2019 Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, opposite the Roméo of her husband, tenor Pene Pati.
Edris is a featured artist in San Francisco Opera’s 2022 Webby People’s Voice award-winning video portrait series, In Song. Filmed on location in her native Cairo, In Song: Amina Edris follows the soprano’s journey from a childhood infused with Arabic music to her emergence as an operatic soprano. Watch the 19-minute episode for free here: sfopera.com/digital/in-song/amina-edris/.
Gerald Finley is the Roman general and ruler Antony, who clings to his passion for Cleopatra even as his political life falls apart. Finley made his 2005 San Francisco Opera debut in Adams’ Doctor Atomic as J. Robert Oppenheimer, a role he has performed around the world and which is preserved on DVD in two different productions and on a recent CD conducted by the composer. Known for his moving stage portrayals in a vast repertoire encompassing works by Mozart and Rossini to Wagner, Bartok, Debussy, and Adams, the Canadian bass-baritone is also an acclaimed lieder singer and recitalist. New York Magazine paid tribute to his consummate artistry, saying Finley “… sings with the mellow baritone of a man about to stride into legend.”
Tenor Paul Appleby made his Company debut in 2015 as Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and returned in 2017 as Joe Cannon in the world premiere of Adams’ Girls of the Golden West. A founding member of the American Modern Opera Company and graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists Development Program, Appleby has performed a diverse repertoire with the Metropolitan Opera, including the title role in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande and, most recently, Grimoaldo in Handel’s Rodelinda. Hailed for his “bold and ardent” (Mercury News) voice, Appleby takes on the role of the young Caesar, Octavius.
Bass-baritone Alfred Walker has appeared with San Francisco Opera in Strauss’ Elektra, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and Puccini’s Tosca. He returns as Antony’s confidante, Enobarbus. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong, who performed in Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under the composer’s baton, portrays Caesar’s sister, Octavia, who is married to Antony in a political alliance. DeShong’s previous San Francisco Opera appearances include Orsini in Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia and Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Baritone Hadleigh Adams is Caesar’s attendant, Agrippa, and tenor Brenton Ryan is Eros, a follower of Antony. Bass-baritone Philip Skinner portrays Lepidus, the third Triumvir with Caesar and Antony who ruled Rome before Caesar’s rise as dictator. Completing the cast are mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven as Cleopatra’s confidante, Charmian, and bass Patrick Blackwell as the Roman Maecenas, both in their Company debuts, and current San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows Gabrielle Beteag as Iras and Timothy Murray as Scarus.
Now in her second season as San Francisco Opera’s Music Director, Eun Sun Kim leads Orchestra, Chorus and cast. Named a New York Times 2021 Breakout Star, Kim’s work on the podium leading Tosca for the Company was praised by the San Francisco Chronicle: “New music director Eun Sun Kim seized control of the score and led a performance of heaving intensity, subtle mood shifts and piquant details.” Along with Antony and Cleopatra, she will conduct Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites (October 15–30) and new productions of Verdi’s La Traviata (November 11–December 3) and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (June 3–July 1, 2023) with the Company this season, along with multiple concerts including the Opening Night Concert (September 9).
Free opportunities to experience Eun Sun Kim conduct San Francisco Opera during the Centennial Season include the Opera in the Park concert at Golden Gate Park (September 11) and the live Opera at the Ballpark simulcast to Oracle Park of La Traviata (November 11). For more information about San Francisco Opera’s Centennial, visit sfopera.com.
The seven performances of Antony and Cleopatra are scheduled for September 10 (7:30 p.m.), 15 (7:30 p.m.), 18 (2 p.m.), 23 (7:30 p.m.), 27 (7:30 p.m.); October 2 (2 p.m.), 5 (7:30 p.m.), 2022.
LIVESTREAM: September 18 matinee performance
The Sunday, September 18 matinee performance of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra will be streamed live at 2pm PT. The performance will be available to watch on-demand for 48 hours beginning on Monday, September 19 at 10 am PT. Virtual tickets for the livestream and limited on-demand viewing will be available later this month for $27.50. For more information, visit sfopera.com/digital.
Dolby Family Opera for the Bay $10 Tickets
In celebration of 100 years, San Francisco Opera is partnering with the Dolby Family to provide a limited number of $10 tickets in prime seating locations for Bay Area residents with a home address zip code between 94000–95999 who have not purchased a San Francisco Opera ticket in the past three years. For more information or to purchase Dolby Family Tickets, visit sfopera.com/seasons/2022-23-season/dolby-familys-opera-for-the-bay.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Subscriptions to San Francisco Opera’s 100th Season are now on sale via the San Francisco Opera Box Office at (415) 864-3330 and online at sfopera.com.
Tickets for Antony and Cleopatra range from $26 to $408 and are available at the San Francisco Opera Box Office, by phone at (415) 864-3330 and online at sfopera.com. The San Francisco Opera Box Office window is located in the Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue. Box Office hours are Monday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (Saturdays phone only except during performance season). A $2 per-ticket facility fee is included in Balcony 1, 2 and 3 zone prices; all other zones include a $3 per-ticket facility fee.
Virtual tickets for the September 18 livestream of Antony and Cleopatra will be available later this month for $27.50. For more tickets and more information, visit sfopera.com/digital.
100 Dolby Family Opera for the Bay tickets, offered in partnership with the Dolby family, will be available for all performances of Antony and Cleopatra at $10 each while supplies last. Eligible Bay Area residents (home address zip code between 94000–95999 who have not purchased a San Francisco Opera ticket in the past three years) may purchase two $10 tickets for one performance during the Centennial Season. For tickets and more information about Opera for the Bay, visit sfopera.com/seasons/2022-23-season/dolby-familys-opera-for-the-bay.
COVID-19 safety protocols will be in effect for all performances and events. For up-to-date information about San Francisco Opera’s safety measures, visit sfopera.com/safetyfirst.
The War Memorial Opera House is located at 301 Van Ness Avenue. Patrons are encouraged to use public transportation to attend San Francisco Opera performances. The War Memorial Opera House is within walking distance of the Civic Center BART/Muni Station and near numerous bus lines, including 5, 21, 47, 49 and F Market Street. For further public transportation information, visit bart.gov and sfmta.com.
All casting, programs, schedules and ticket prices are subject to change. For further information about San Francisco Opera’s 2022–23 Season, visit sfopera.com/buy-tickets.
CASTING AND CALENDAR
*San Francisco Opera Debut ♪Role Debut †Current Adler Fellow +Merola Opera Program Graduate
++Merola and Adler Fellowship Graduate
All performances take place at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco
WORLD PREMIER
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA by John Adams
September 10 (7:30 p.m.), 15 (7:30 p.m.), 18 (2 p.m.), 23 (7:30 p.m.), 27 (7:30 p.m.); October 2 (2 p.m.), 5 (7:30 p.m.), 2022
Opera in Two Acts. Libretto adapted by John Adams from Shakespeare with supplementary passages from Plutarch, Virgil and other classical texts. Libretto consultation by Elkhanah Pulitzer and Lucia Scheckner.
A co-commission and co-production between San Francisco Opera, the Metropolitan Opera and Liceu Opera Barcelona.
Approximate running time: 3 hours including one intermission
Sung in English with English supertitles
Cast:
| Cleopatra | Amina Edris ♪++ |
| Antony | Gerald Finley ♪ |
| Caesar | Paul Appleby ♪ |
| Enobarbus | Alfred Walker ♪ |
| Octavia | Elizabeth DeShong ♪ |
| Charmian | Taylor Raven *♪+ |
| Eros | Brenton Ryan ♪ |
| Agrippa | Hadleigh Adams ♪++ |
| Maecenas | Patrick Blackwell *♪+ |
| Iras | Gabrielle Beteag ♪† |
| Scarus | Timothy Murray ♪† |
| Lepidus | Philip Skinner ♪++ |
Creative Team:
| Conductor | Eun Sun Kim |
| Director and Libretto Consultant | Elkhanah Pulitzer |
| Set Designer | Mimi Lien * |
| Costume Designer | Constance Hoffman |
| Lighting Designer | David Finn |
| Projection Designer | Bill Morrison * |
| Sound Designer and Mixing Engineer | Mark Grey |
| Movement Director | Colm Seery |
| Dramaturg and Libretto Consultant | Lucia Scheckner* |
| Chorus Director | John Keene |
San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Chorus and San Francisco Opera Dance Corps.
San Francisco Opera is sponsored, in part, by Norby Anderson, Jerome L. and Thao N. Dodson, The Dolby Family, Carol and Dixon Doll, Bertie Bialek Elliott, Peter Fenton and Kate Greer, Keith and Priscilla Geeslin, Gordon Getty, John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn, Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson, Franklin and Catherine Johnson, Edmund W. and Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Fund, Steven M. Menzies, Bernard and Barbro Osher, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem, Dianne and Tad Taube, Phyllis C. Wattis Endowment Funds, Diane B. Wilsey, and Barbara A. Wolfe.
Antony and Cleopatra is made possible, in part, by Opening Weekend Grand Sponsor Diane B. Wilsey; Carol Franc Buck Foundation, Bertie Bialek Elliott; Bob Ellis; John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn; Jan and Maria Manetti Shrem; the Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for New Productions; and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Taube Media Suite is made possible in part, by Dianne and Tad Taube and John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn.
Yamaha is the official piano of San Francisco Opera.
San Francisco Opera is supported, in part, by a grant from Grants for the Arts.
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
San Francisco Opera is a member of
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PRESS PHOTOS: High-resolution, downloadable photographs, including artist headshots, set and costume renderings, and behind the scenes, for Antony and Cleopatra are available at sfopera.com/press.
For further press information, please contact San Francisco Opera Communications:
Julia Inouye (415) 565-6430 / jinouye@sfopera.com
Jeffery McMillan (415) 565-6451 / jmcmillan@sfopera.com
Teresa Concepcion (415) 565-6470 / tconcepcion@sfopera.com