Boston Professional Stage Premiere Of The Pearl Fishers May 4, 2007

Opera Boston’s season concludes with the Boston professional stage premiere of Georges Bizet’s lyrical and exotic The Pearl Fishers, presented May 4 and 8 at 7:30 pm, with a May 6 matinee at 3 pm, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, in a production incorporating puppetry by Eric Ting and choreography and dance by Prometheus Dance. Individual tickets, ranging from $24-$99 are on sale through Telecharge at (800) 233-3123, www.telecharge.com, and at the Cutler Majestic Theatre box office.

The Pearl Fishers was selected to honor and showcase one of Boston’s most renowned singers, baritone Robert Honeysucker, who will appear as Zurga, the chief of a Ceylon fishing village. His renewed rivalry with beloved friend Nadir over the priestess Leïla threatens their friendship and their community. Mr. Honeysucker has previously appeared with Opera Boston in Luisa Miller, La vie parisienne, and L’étoile. Armenian-born tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan appears as Nadir; Mr. Manucharyan’s most recent appearance with Opera Boston was as Rodolfo in 2004’s Luisa Miller. Soprano Jee Hyun Lim makes her company debut as Leïla. In the 2005-06 season, Ms. Lim appeared as Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with the New York City Opera, and with the Austin Lyric Opera. She has also recently sung Mimi in La Bohême with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera, and Minnesota Opera. Bass George Cordes returns to Opera Boston as Nourabad. Mr. Cordes’ previous appearance with Opera Boston was as Reverend Hale in The Crucible in 2005.

Puppeteer Eric Ting makes his Opera Boston debut with The Pearl Fishers. He is an Artistic Associate at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, and a co-founder of Company Ajar, a provocative physical theatre company combining puppetry, mask, and music with original and found text. Ting’s work has been presented in the United States and internationally, including France, Canada, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Taiwan and Bali. Prometheus Dance, led by co-Artistic Directors Diane Arvanites-Noya and Tommy Neblett, returns to collaborate with Opera Boston for the third time; previous productions include Nixon in China in 2004 and Alceste in 2005.

The production will be directed by James Marvel, an emerging opera stage director who will make his company debut. His previous engagements in Boston include Romeo et Juliette and Glass’s Galileo Galilei for the Boston University Opera Institute. Mr. Marvel is also a frequent collaborator with the Utah Festival Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and Asheville Lyric Opera. Scenic designer Susan Zeeman Rogers returns for her fourth Opera Boston production. Her previous work with the company includes Nixon in China, Alceste, and L’étoile. Costume designer Nancy Leary completes the season with Opera Boston. Resident Lighting Designer Christopher Ostrom completes his ninth season with the company and marks his 30th production as lighting designer for Opera Boston.

The Pearl Fishers (Les Pêcheurs de Perles) Georges Bizet Libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michael Carré Premiere: September 30, 1863, Paris Friday, May 4 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 6 at 3:00 pm Tuesday, May 8 at 7:30 pm
Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts Zurga: Robert Honeysucker, baritone Nadir: Yeghishe Manucharyan, tenor Leïla: Jee Hyun Lim, soprano Nourabad: George Cordes, bass
Conducted by Gil Rose Directed by James Marvel Scenic Design by Susan Zeeman Rogers Costume Design by Nancy Leary Lighting Design by Christopher Ostrom
Puppetry by Eric Ting
Dancers and Aerialists from Prometheus Dance
Diana Arvanites-Noya and Tommy Neblett, co-Artistic Directors
About Opera Boston
Founded in 1980, Opera Boston presents innovative repertoire and rarely-heard works. Over twenty-six seasons, Opera Boston has presented more than 70 concerts and staged 34 regional premieres and two world premieres.

Official Website: http://www.operaboston.org