Constantine Kitsopoulos To Conduct LA BOHEME At The Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory 2/2011

The Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory has announced that Constantine Kitsopoulos will conduct the production of Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème, which will be presented in repertory with Johathan larson's Rent in February, 2011.

Kitsopoulos has built an international reputation spanning opera, symphony and musical theatre. In his fourth season as music director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra, he also is the general director of Chatham Opera, which he founded in 2005. Among other commitments this season, he will guest conduct the Baltimore, Detroit and New Jersey symphonies as well as the Westchester Philharmonic. He also has conducted the Blossom Festival Orchestra. Kistopoulos has conducted operas in the U.S. and in China and also was the musical director and conductor of Baz Luhrmann's highly acclaimed Broadway production of La Bohème as well as the 2008 Tony-nominated musical, A Catered Affair.

His full biography may be found at http://kitsopoulos.com/home.html.

Victoria Bussert, director of the music theatre program, will serve as the stage director for both La Bohème and Rent, utilizing the talents of music theatre and voice performance majors on stage and student instrumentalists in the orchestras. To our knowledge, these two pieces have not been performed together previously said Bussert who has directed La Boheme for Piedmont Opera and Puccini's Madame Butterfly for Cleveland Opera among others. Her music theatre credits include regional, off-Broadway and national tours. She also is on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance of Music Theatres
"This project will provide a unique opportunity for our undergraduate vocal and instrumental musicians who would ordinarily not be exposed to this repertoire in an undergraduate-only setting," said Conservatory Director Peter Landgren. "At the same time, we hope to encourage our enthusiastic music theatre audiences to experience this beautiful opera and see another side of our Conservatory's talent."

Bussert is particularly interested in illuminating the connections between the two pieces and celebrating the work of Puccini and Larson. Using a single set for both productions, La Bohème will be set in the ‘30s and Rent in current times. The creative team for both productions includes Anna Maria D'Antonio, choreographer; Jeff Herrman, set designer and Charlotte Yetman, costume designer, all members of the B-W faculty. The music director for Rent will be Ryan Garrett. Garrett, a music theatre major who will be a junior in 2010, was the assistant music director for last spring's production of [title of show] at PlayhouseSquare. He came to B-W from San Antonio where his composition "Return to the City Overture" won the Future Classics Competition in 2008, and was premiered by the San Antonio Symphony.

Landgren added, "For fans of Puccini's hallmark opera La Bohème, be prepared...this will not be the same production that you have seen previously. Accept that the rules have been changed. We have a responsibility to our young vocalists to train them for careers that will last many years past commencement. This will be a creative, educational and innovative approach to an opera that should be sung by these young musicians, and we believe that our faculty has the intelligence and experience to make magic and education happen in perfect harmony."

La Bohème and Rent are scheduled to run for two weeks, February 15 - February 27, 2011. The Saturday and Sunday schedule will include both productions, one beginning at 2 p.m.; the other, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale at the B-W theatre box office in September, 2010. Ticket prices will be announced at a later date.

For more information, call 440-826-2322.