OPERA PARALLLE PRESENTS

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF ANYA17

JUNE 20, 21 AND 22 AT MARINES MEMORIAL THEATER

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2014 Opera Parallle presents the North American premiere of Anya17,
composer Adam Gorb and librettist Ben Kayes gut-renching! real-life story of omen caught and destroyed
in the se" trade# $ed by %onductor and Artistic &irector Nicole Paiement! performances ta'e place at ( p#m#
)une *+ and *, and - p#m# )une **! at .an /ranciscos 0arines 0emorial 1heater#

21hese same tragedies are happening here in the Bay Area# Bringing Anya to
life is a ay for Opera Parallle to use art to focus attention on this urgent
issue as ell as introduce audiences to a onderful artistic e"perience
through the music and poetry of Adam Gorb and Ben Kaye!3 said Nicole
Paiement# 2Anya17 illuminates four classic operatic themes in much the same
ay as many ell-'non masterpieces4 the betrayal of Alban Bergs
Wozzeck! the e5il Goli6o5 incarnated in Ainadamar! the 6ustice )a'e 7eggie
illustrated in Dead Man Walking! and the heartbrea' of Puccinis Madama
Butterfly#3

8sing cinematic techni9ues and nightmare-li'e flashbac's to con5ey the
feeling of capti5ity and ensla5ement that per5ades the se" trade! :esident
%oncept &esigner and .tage &irector Brian .taufenbiel brings the music to
life# &escribed by the The Sunday Times as a 2mar5el of boisterous
in5enti5eness! albeit ith a sa5age snap!3 Anya17 ill be performed ith the orchestra on stage! alloing
specific instruments to propel the narrati5e at crucial moments in the opera# Brian .taufenbiel collaborates
once again ith a strong artistic team4 set designer &a5e &unning; 5ideo designer &a5id 0ura'ami; lighting
designer 0atthe Anta'y; costume designer %hristine %roo'; pro6ection designer /r<d<ric Boulay; and ig
and ma'e-up artist )eanna Parham#

Opera Parallle has 6oined forces ith Bay Area anti-traffic'ing groups including the .an
/rancisco %ollaborati5e Against 7uman 1raffic'ing! the .AG= Pro6ect! and the National %ouncil of )eish
>omen! to raise aareness of the issue# 7uman traffic'ing is a ?@* billion industry! second in siAe only to the
drug trade! and the 8. .tate &epartment estimates that beteen *+!+++ and -+!+++ people are traffic'ed into
the country each year for in5oluntary ser5itude or modern-day sla5ery# .an /rancisco and the Bay Area ran'
among the top *+ destinations! according to the /BB#

Bn addition! the company has organiAed a series of e5ents in the community to emphasiAe the interaction of
opera and social issues# 1hese include a forum presentation featuring musical e"cerpts from Anya17 ith a
community panel con5ersation on ho music and art can address issues of in6ustice and suffering on )une @ at
Grace %athedral! and a panel discussion ith Opera Parallles artistic leaders and composer Adam Gorb on
)une ,( at 0arines 0emorial 1heater#

Ne Cor' soprano Anna Noggle! ho is 'non for her dramatic stage presence and 2poerful rich 5oice!3
portrays Anya! an innocent girl sold into the se" trade# Acclaimed German baritone Dictor Benedetti! hose
stunning Ne Cor' %ity Opera debut in the title role of Don Gioanni garnered him the companys &ebut
Artist of the Cear Aard! portrays Di'tor! the main traffic'er# 0s# Noggle is 6oined by coloratura soprano
.hanette .ul'er as 0ila! a teenage mother ho finds herself among the traffic'ed girls! and meAAo-soprano
$aura Krumm as =lena! a oman ensla5ed for many years! ho e5entually becomes instrumental in Anyas
emergence from the underorld# 0eAAo-soprano %atherine %oo' sings the dual roles of Natalia! a girl
originally traffic'ed ho turned traffic'er! as ell as the role of %arole! a counselor ho pro5ides care and
hope of rehabilitation to the 5ictims# 1enor Andres :amireA returns to the stage ith Opera Parallle after his
heart-renching appearance in the companys production of Goli6o5s Ainadamar! in the dual role of 8ri!
Anyas apparent sa5ior! ho betrays her! and Gabriel! the antithesis of 8ri ho truly lo5es Anya#

1he public is in5ited to pee' behind the scenes in ad5ance of the production as the company offers three free
pre5ie e5ents4 a snea' pre5ie at E p#m# )une F at the Kanbar %enter! -- Page .treet! .an /rancisco!
featuring musical insights and a li5e performance and an open rehearsal at -4@+ p#m# on )une ,@ at 0arines
0emorial 1heater! E+F .utter .treet! pro5iding an insiders glimpse at the process of theatrical staging by
%oncept and .tage &irector Brian .taufenbiel# 1he companys final dress rehearsal on )une ,F is open to an
in5ited group of community-based organiAations from the anti-traffic'ing community free of charge#

1ic'ets to Opera Parallles production of Adam Gorbss Anya17 held )une *+! *, and ** at 0arines
0emorial 1heater are on sale priced from ?@G to ?(+# 1ic'ets can be purchased at citybo"office#com! or
through Opera Parallles ebsite! #operaparallele#org#

About O!"a Pa"a##$#!

Opera Parallle is a professional opera company! in residence at .an /rancisco %onser5atory of 0usic and the
only organiAation in the Bay Area that presents contemporary opera e"clusi5ely# O5er the last fe years!
Opera Parallle has brought many superb productions of contemporary or's to the community# 0ost recently
the companys uni9uely staged production of Poulencs surrealistic opera buffa, !es mamelles de Tir"sias,
intertined ith >eills e5ocati5e Mahagonny Songs#iel, as hailed 2a small miracle of theatrical
in5enti5eness and musical delight!3 by the San $rancisco %hronicle& Other productions include4 Os5aldo
Goli6o5s Ainadamar' $eonard Bernsteins Trou(le in Tahiti in a double bill ith .amuel Barbers A )and of
Bridge' a public or'shop reading of the companys first commission! &ante &e .il5as Gesualdo, *rince of
Madness' the aard-inning orld premiere of )ac9ues &es6ardins re-orchestration of )ohn 7arbisons The
Great Gats(y' the Bay Area premiere of Philip Glass +r#h"e' the first >est %oast performances of
)ohn :eas chamber 5ersion of Alban Bergs *+th century masterpiece Wozzeck; the orld premiere of $ou
7arrisons opera ,oung %aesar in con6unction ith hat ould ha5e been the late composers F+th birthday;
and $our Saints in Three Acts by composer Dirgil 1homson and librettist Gertrude .tein! in combination ith
the orld premiere of $uciano %hessas A )eaenly Act in a collaboration ith ./0O0A# Bn prior years!
under the name =nsemble Parallle! ith its mission more broadly focused on contemporary instrumental
music! the company presented ,*G performances including *( orld premieres! released ,* recordings and
commissioned ,F ne or's#

/or more information on the company! 5isit #operaparallele#org#

CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE

O!"a Pa"a##$#! P"!%!&t% Anya17
0arines 0emorial 1heater! E+F .utter .treet
( p#m# )une *+! *,! *+,- and - p#m# )une **! *+,-
1ic'ets4 ?@G to ?(+ ith a ,+ percent discount for students
0usic by Adam Gorb and libretto by Ben Kaye

Anya17
Anya Anna Noggle
Di'tor Dictor Benedetti
NataliaH%arole %atherine %oo'
0ila .hanette .ul'er
8riHGabriel Andres :amireA
=lena $aura Krumm
/ull biographies of the artists and production team can be found on Opera Parallles ebsite!
#operaparallele#org#

A"t% a&' So()!ty* Co++u&)ty Fo"u+ P"!%!&tat)o&
0usical e"cerpts from Anya17 and a panel con5ersation on ho music and art can address issues of in6ustice
and suffering#
Grace %athedral! ,++ %alifornia .treet
E p#m )une @! *+,-
1ic'ets4 /ree and open to the public

S&!a, P"!-)!. o/ Anya17
Bnformal lecture by Artistic &irector Nicole Paiement and %oncept &esigner Brian .taufenbiel ith musical
e"cerpts from cast members#
Kanbar %enter for the Arts! -- Page .treet
E p#m# )une F! *+,-
1ic'ets4 /ree and open to the public

O!& Sta0)&0 R!1!a"%a# o/ Anya17
Dieers are in5ited to atch the director! conductor! and singers or' together in an actual staging rehearsal
folloed by a li5ely 9uestion and anser session ith Nicole Paiement! Brian .taufenbiel and the cast#
0arines 0emorial 1heater! E+F .utter .treet
-4@+ p#m# )une ,@! *+,-
1ic'ets4 /ree and open to the public
Note4 Pre-reser5ed seating is a5ailable for donors; the general public can attend on a first-come! first-ser5ed
basis#

Pa&!# D)%(u%%)o& o& Anya17
Attendees are in5ited to a panel discussion among Opera Parallles Artistic &irector and %onductor Nicole
Paiement! :esident %oncept &esignerH.tage &irector Brian .taufenbiel! and Anya17 composer Adam Gorb#
0arines 0emorial 1heater! E+F .utter .treet
E p#m# )une ,(! *+,-
1ic'ets4 /ree and open to the public

PHOTO CREDIT

Anna Noggle H .te5e &iBartolomeo

MEDIA CONTACT
Karen Ames %ommunications
Kristin .chellinger4 'ristinI'arenames#com

Karen Ames4 'arenI'arenames#com
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