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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

The sixth of Bellini’s professional operas, La Sonnambula is set in a tiny village on the Swiss Alps. Mary Zimmerman’s present-day version, however, is set in a rehearsal space where the actors are staging a production of La Sonnambula set in the Swiss Alps. The story begins as the village is preparing for the wedding of Amina, played by Dessay, and Elvino, played by Juan Diego Flórez (Dessay and Florez just returned from their sensational run together in La Fille du Régiment at opera houses around the world). Themes of jealousy, mistaken identity, and innocence prevail, as Bellini’s sleepwalking beauty is put to the ultimate test to prove her undying love for her betrothed to the hauntingly mysterious music of Bellini and libretto by Felice Romani.
Great Performances At the Met: La Sonnambula is the eighth of 11 productions airing this season on the series. The performance is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers.

Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information on this and other Great Performances programs. For the Met, Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.

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Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Joining Seeger for this extraordinary concert event were more than 40 artists, including Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, Ani DiFranco, Taj Mahal, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, and many others who performed songs inspired by Seeger’s music and activism. Concert highlights include Seeger leading the audience in a rousing sing-along of “Amazing Grace.” Other classic favorites compelling the enthusiastic audience to join in were “We Shall Overcome” and “This Land Is Your Land.”

Born to a large family of musicians, young Peter first learned to play the ukulele, graduating to the five-string banjo in the mid-1930s, ultimately mastering the instrument and, in the process, galvanizing the American folk music movement. A pioneer of protest music, Seeger’s anti-Vietnam War songs, including the now famous “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” as well his interpretation of the Civil Rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” garnered mainstream attention in the 1960’s, revitalizing the genre and paving the way for countless other activist musicians—including Bob Dylan—to achieve widespread acclaim.

The concert was a benefit for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a non-profit, environmental organization created by Seeger to bring awareness to the importance of protecting the Hudson River and our other natural resources.

In February 2008, THIRTEEN co-produced and broadcast the first and only authorized biography of Seeger, American Masters: Pete Seeger: The Power of Song. The film was awarded a Primetime Emmy.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer. Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information about this and other programs.

Want to see more Pete Seeger? Check out the American Masters documentary “Pete Seeger: The Power of Song.”

©Theater Talk Productions/CUNY TV

Directed by
GARY HALVORSON

Conductor
PATRICK SUMMERS

Production
ANTHONY MINGHELLA

Director and Choreographer
CAROLYN CHOA

Set Designer
MICHAEL LEVINE

Costume Designer
HAN FENG

Lighting Designer
PETER MUMFORD

Puppetry
BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE
MARK DOWN
NICK BARNES

Host
RENÉE FLEMING

Cast in order of vocal appearance

Lt. B.F. Pinkerton
MARCELLO GIORDANI

Goro
GREG FEDDERLY

Suzuki
MARIA ZIFCHAK

U.S. Consul Sharpless
DWAYNE CROFT

Cio-Cio-San
PATRICIA RACETTE

Cio-Cio-San’s Relatives

Cousin
LAURA FRIES

Mother
LINDA MAYS

Uncle Yakuside
STEPHEN PAYNTER

Aunt
JEAN BRAHAM

Imperial Commissioner
KEITH MILLER

The Registrar
CHRISTIAN JEONG

The Bonze, Cio-Cio-San’s Uncle
DEAN PETERSON

Yamadori
DAVID WON

Kate Pinkerton
EDYTA KULCZAK

Cio-Cio-San’s Child
KEVIN AUGUSTINE
TOM LEE
MARC PETROSINO

Ballet

Female Solo
HSIN PING CHANG

Male Solo
JAMES GRABER

Chorus Master
DONALD PALUMBO

Assistant Choreographer
ANITA GRIFFIN

Musical Preparation
ROBERT MYERS
DONNA RACIK
ROBERT MORRISON
GARETH MORRELL
JOSHUA GREENE
HEMDI KFIR

Assistant Stage Directors
GREGORY KELLER
PAULA WILLIAMS

Dramaturg
PAUL CREMO

Prompter
DONNA RACIK

Met Titles
CHRISTOPHER BERGEN

Puppets made by
BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE

A METROPOLITAN OPERA HIGH-DEFINITION PRODUCTION

Supervising Producers
MIA BONGIOVANNI
ELENA PARK

Producers
LOUISA BRICCETTI
VICTORIA WARIVONCHIK

Music Producer
JAY DAVID SAKS

Associate Director
CHRISTINE CLARK BRADLEY

Engineer-in-Charge
MARK SCHUBIN

Technical Supervisor
RON WASHBURN

Technical Director
EMMETT LOUGHRAN

Production Mixer
TOM HOLMES

Audio Supervisor
BILL KING

Television Lighting
WAYNE CHOUINARD

Writers
MATT DOBKIN
ELLEN KEEL

Video
BILLY STEINBERG
PAUL RANIERI
MATTY RANDAZZO

Camera
MIGUEL ARMSTRONG
MANNY GUTIERREZ
CHARLIE HUNTLEY
JAY MILLARD
ALAIN ONESTO
DAVID SMITH
RON WASHBURN
MARK WHITMAN

Robotic Camera Technicians
RICK COMPEAU
MARTIN MARIETTA
RON TRAVISANO

Audio Operations Director
JOHN KERSWELL

Audio
JOHN BATES
CHRIS CALLUS
LOUISE DE LA FUENTE
MATTHEW GALEK
ED HARTLEY
KEN HUNOLD
SKIP KENT
STEVE LAMPHERE
SEAN McCLINTOCK
BLAKE NORTON

Videotape
ALAN BUCHNER
STEVEN JOYCE

Television Stage Managers
TERENCE BENSON
DOUG FOGEL
ARTHUR LEWIS

Subtitles Cued by
JOHN GELLER

Broadcast Graphics
DEBORAH CAVANAUGH

Score Consultant
BENJAMIN SOSLAND

Make-up for Ms. Racette
MATIKI ANOFF

Media Librarian/Archivist
MICHAEL GRIEBEL

Production Associates
ALEXANDRA EASTMAN
YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS

BACKSTAGE AT THE MET

Director
DEBBIE MILLER

Associate Director
KAREN McLAUGHLIN

Production Supervisor
HILARY LEY

Associate Producers
MARISA BIAGGI
MATTHEW PRINCIPE

Field Producer
BARRY GOODMAN

Camera
LARRY SOLOMON

Steadicam
JOE DE BONIS

Assistant Camera
KEVIN MURPHY

Head Utility
JAMES WASHBURN

Utility
FRANK BOURASSA
MIKE CATABANO
KEITH CONOD
MIKE MORAN

OPENING AND INTERMISSION FEATURES

Opening Title Sequence by
SAKAE ISHIKAWA

Renée Fleming’s wardrobe provided by
ESCADA

Production Assistants
LISA HAMPTON
ALYSE HORN
ENZO E. MARTINEZ
HARRIET SNYDER
DOROTHY YANG

Video Editor
GARY BRADLEY

On-line Editor
SCOTT CUMBO

Audio Editor
JOHN BOWEN

Post-Production Audio Mix
KEN HAHN

Post-Production Manager
MONA OBERMAN

METROPOLITAN OPERA ASSOCIATION

General Manager
PETER GELB

Music Director
JAMES LEVINE

ASSISTANT MANAGERS

Artistic
SARAH BILLINGHURST

Production
LESLEY KOENIG

Editorial & Creative Content
ELENA PARK

Operations
STEWART PEARCE

Development
CORALIE TOEVS

Director of Communications
LEE ABRAHAMIAN

Director of Media & Presentations
MIA BONGIOVANNI

Director of Worldwide HD Distribution
JULIE BORCHARD-YOUNG

Acting Chief Financial Officer
DIANA FORTUNA

Artistic Administrator
JONATHAN FRIEND

General Counsel
SHARON E. GRUBIN

Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations
ANN MARIE HACKETT

Director of Development
ELIZABETH HURLEY

Director of Marketing
KAREN KARP

Director of the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met
DODIE KAZANJIAN

House Manager
JAMES NAPLES

Director of National Council Auditions
GAYLETHA NICHOLS

Director of Music Administration
CRAIG RUTENBERG

Technical Director
JOHN SELLARS

Director of Archives
ROBERT TUGGLE

Senior Artistic Advisor
EVA WAGNER-PASQUIER

Executive Director of Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
BRIAN ZEGER

Director of New Business Development
LAURA MITGANG

METROPOLITAN OPERA ORCHESTRA

Orchestra Manager
ROBERT SIRINEK

Concertmaster
LAURA HAMILTON

Librarian
ROBERT SUTHERLAND

METROPOLITAN OPERA CHORUS

Chorus Master
DONALD PALUMBO

Assistant Chorus Master
JOSEPH LAWSON

METROPOLITAN OPERA BALLET

Dance Director
JOSEPH FRITZ

Deputy Dance Director
ANDREW ROBINSON

Stage Managers
THERESA GANLEY
GARY DIETRICH
MARGO MAIER-MOUL
THOMAS H. CONNELL III

STAGE OPERATIONS

Master Carpenter
STEPHEN A. DIAZ

Master Electrician
PAUL DONAHUE

Properties Master
JAMES R. BLUMENFELD

Wig and Hair Stylist
TOM WATSON

Make-up Artist
VICTOR CALLEGARI

Wardrobe Supervisor
WILLIAM MALLOY

Costume Shop Head
LESLEY WESTON

Resident Costume Designer
SYLVIA NOLAN

Met Titles Supervisor
MICHAEL PANAYOS

Production Facilities
ALL MOBILE VIDEO INC.
ATLANTIC CINE EQUIPMENT (ACE)
DOLBY LABORATORIES
REMOTE RECORDING

Media Counsel
FRANKLIN, WEINRIB,
RUDELL & VASALLO, P.C.

HD Press Representatives
PETER E. CLARK
CHARLIE SIEDENBURG

The stage production of Madama Butterfly is made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Sid R. Bass

Madama Butterfly is a co-production with English National Opera and the Lithuanian National Opera

For GREAT PERFORMANCES

Series Producer
BILL O’DONNELL

Executive Producer
DAVID HORN

A Metropolitan Opera production in association with PBS and WNET.ORG

Executive Producer
PETER GELB

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Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Minghella, who died unexpectedly in March 2008, marks his debut in opera with the re-staging of Madama Butterfly – this is also the first time in 20 years that a new production has opened at the Met. The New York Times described it as “a gorgeous cinematic spectacle.”

Soprano Patricia Racette stars as Cio-Cio-San, the young geisha who chooses to die honorably, rather than suffer in shame after learning of her husband’s betrayal. Racette returns to the Met stage after her first appearance in the title role drew a wide-range of critical acclaim. “Her singing was robust, nuanced and passionate,” raved The New York Times. “In every dimension, Ms. Racette’s effort was exceptional; hers is a performance not to be missed.” Tenor Marcello Giordani co-stars as Cio-Cio-San’s American husband Pinkerton. The telecast also features mezzo-soprano Maria Zifchak as Cio-Cio-San’s maid Suzuki and baritone Dwayne Croft as Sharpless.

Madama Butterfly, conducted by Patrick Summers, features costumes by Han Feng, with sets by Michael Levine, lighting by Peter Mumford, choreography by Carolyn Choa, and puppetry by the Blind Summit Theater.

Great Performances at the Met: Madama Butterfly is the ninth of 11 productions airing this season on the series. It is sung in Italian with English surtitles. The production was transmitted onstage as part of The Met: Live in HD March 7, 2009, and recorded for this telecast.

Ranked as number one in Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America, Madama Butterfly wasn’t well-received when it opened initally in February 1904. Puccini revised the opera, and several months later, it opened to much success.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers. Special funding for the telecast was provided by The Annenberg Foundation.

For the Met, Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Watch a preview:

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

“A fantastic night” proclaimed musiccomh.com, while thestage.co asked “Is there an original pop musical stuffed with better melodies?” neatly echoing Time’s initial 1988 assessment: “One of the best rock scores ever produced.” Adding to the excitement is the 50-piece City of London Philharmonic, led by David Firman, and the 100-voice West End Chorus.

ABBA composers Andersson and Ulvaeus created their first musical theater work more than a decade before striking pay dirt with their phenomenon, Mamma Mia. It was the inspired idea of lyricist/librettist Rice to match the pair with his cold war tale: the East/West Chess Championship and the romantic triangle that develops between the Russian and American competitors and the beautiful woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Chart topper Groban (Awake, Closer, Noel) sings the Russian player, Anatoly; Rent Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominee Pascal is the American Freddie, and Tony-winner Menzel (Wicked Witch Elphaba) is Florence, the woman between them.

Chess in Concert is a co-production of THIRTEEN, Reprise Records and Peppermint Pictures, in association with Heartaches Ltd. Directed for telecast by David Horn and produced by Austin Shaw, it was recorded at Albert Hall May 12, 2008. Hugh Wooldridge staged the concert adaptation.

Josh Groban includes among his many Great Performances appearances Josh Groban in Concert (2002), Josh Groban at the Greek (2004) and last December’s David Foster & Friends. Adam Pascal was most recently seen in the series’ My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs (2001). Chess in Concert marks Idina Menzel’s Great Performances debut.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS.

Watch a preview:

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Wonder rocketed to stardom at age 12 when he was signed to Motown Records as “Little Stevie Wonder”. Over nearly four decades, Wonder has reinvigorated the music scene with his unique sound, produced nine number one records and won a total of 22 Grammy Awards – and there is no end in sight for the successful superstar.

In October 2008, he returned to Europe – after over a decade – to perform to a packed house at London’s O2 Arena. Wonder, who pulls out all the hits, keeps the crowd on its feet and doesn’t miss a beat during his tour-de-force concert performance.

Stevie Wonder: Live at Last is a production of Done and Dusted in association with THIRTEEN for WNET.ORG. Hamish Hamilton is director and Stevie Wonder is producer. Rachel French is producer and Simon Pizey is executive producer, for Done and Dusted; Ray Still is executive producer for Universal Music. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS.