Wells Fargo Center for the Arts Partners
with San Francisco Opera to Present
Motzart's Don Giovanni Live via Satellite Friday, June 22nd at 8pm

Santa Rosa, CA (May 18, 2007) - Wells Fargo Center for the Arts and San Francisco Opera announced a partnership today to bring a free indoor simulcast of Mozart's Don Giovanni to the Center's Ruth Finley Person Theater in Santa Rosa on June 22 nd at 8pm. UC Berkeley's Cal Performances and the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis will also present the simulcast. Together the four arts organizations will share the glorious world of opera with a broader audience, including as many as 9,000 people throughout the Bay Area.

These simulcasts are the first to utilize San Francisco Opera's new Koret Media Suite, a high-definition video production facility installed on the fifth floor of the War Memorial Opera House. A grant from the Koret Foundation provided lead funding for this initiative, with additional support provided by Tad and Dianne Taube. The media suite represents the first permanent high-definition (HD) broadcast-standard facilities installed in an American opera house.

Through state-of-the-art technology the simulcast will be transmitted in 1920x1080 HD via satellite to the three venues live from the stage of San Francisco 's War Memorial Opera House. In the theater, a seven-camera shoot will be directed by Frank Zamacona, director of the Com pany's simulcast of Rigoletto in the fall of 2006. The media suite utilizes Sony cameras and Cambotics robotics, which are operated by two robotic operators using remote control technology in the media control room. Sony equipment is made possible through an exciting new partnership with Sony. Charles Schwab & Com pany is pleased to be a Supporting Sponsor of the June 22 simulcasts.

San Francisco Opera's Don Giovanni features internationally acclaimed baritone Mariusz Kwiecien in the title role and San Francisco Opera Music Director and Principal Conductor Donald Runnicles . Featured artists also include soprano Hope Briggs (Donna Anna), soprano Twyla Robinson (Donna Elvira), mezzo-soprano Claudia Mahnke (Zerlina), tenor Charles Castronovo (Don Ottavio), bass Oren Gradus (Leporello), bass Kristinn Sigmundsson ( Com mendatore), and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni (Masetto). This visually dramatic production by David McVicar (his first production to be presented by the Com pany) features set and costume designs by John Macfarlane and will be directed by Leah Hausman in her San Francisco Opera debut. Don Giovanni is a co-production with Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels .

"I am excited that this one performance of Don Giovanni will reach nearly 9,000 people if all our venues are filled to capacity," stated David Gockley . "I am indebted to Rick Bartalini at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Robert Cole at Cal Performances, and Don Roth at the Mondavi Center for their commitment to bring new audiences to opera and the classical arts, and for the extraordinary resources they are contributing towards this partnership."

"We are incredibly excited to be reviving our relationship with San Francisco Opera," said Rick Bartalini, director of programming at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. "The Com pany had a strong tradition here with performances from Western Opera Theater, and we are thrilled to partner with the Com pany once again."

General Director David Gockley has presented San Francisco Opera simulcasts to three separate audiences during his tenure of just over one year. The first was a simulcast of Puccini's Madama Butterfly on May 27, 2006, drawing 8,000 people to San Francisco 's Civic Center Plaza . The second -a simulcast of Rigoletto on October 6, 2006-was presented to an audience of approximately 14,000 at Civic Center Plaza and Frost Amphitheatre at Stanford University . Free live simulcasts are among the first innovations of David Gockley 's new tenure and part of the Com pany's campaign to bring opera into the community and to wider audiences.

These simulcasts will be free to the public but require a ticket for entrance. Tickets are available at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts Box Office located at 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa , by phone at 707-546-3600, or online at www.wellsfargocenterarts.com .

About Don Giovanni

First performed at San Francisco Opera on October 10, 1938, Don Giovanni is Mozart's setting of the Don Juan story. An arrogant nobleman scoffs at all decency in his relentless pursuit of sexual conquest, aided by his servant Leporello. When Don Giovanni commits murder to cover his libidinous tracks, his many mortal enemies stage his retribution, but justice is finally delivered by a supernatural judge. This production is made possible in part, by the Carol Franc Buck Foundation. Corporate support is provided by Bank of America.

Production Information

DON GIOVANNI
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

PRODUCTION NEW TO SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

Co-production of San Francisco Opera and
Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (Brussels)

Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
First Performance: Prague, October 29, 1787
Approximate running time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Sung in Italian with English Supertitles

Cast:

Don Giovanni Mariusz Kwiecien

Donna Anna Hope Briggs

Donna Elvira Twyla Robinson

Don Ottavio Charles Castronovo

Leporello Oren Gradus

Zerlina Claudia Mahnke

Masetto Luca Pisaroni*

Commendatore Kristinn Sigmundsson

 

Production Team:

Conductor Donald Runnicles;

Donato Cabrera (6/28)

Production David McVicar*

Director Leah Hausman*

Production Designer John Macfarlane

Lighting Designer Jennifer Tipton

Chorus Director Ian Robertson

* San Francisco Opera Debu

 

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The non-profit Wells Fargo Center for the Arts is the North Bay's premier arts organization presenting world-class performances, contemporary sculpture, festivals, and events to 500,000 residents and visitors each year. Together with its resident companies, the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts provides more than 100 annual performances, serves to present intriguing contemporary art, and is one of California's largest providers of arts education programs for children. Located in the heart of the Wine Country, the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts campus features spacious auditoriums, an intimate cabaret, and outdoor festival grounds with a big-top tent. Unlike many similar organizations, the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts is not aligned with any federal, state, or municipal entity-such as a city or university. The Center was created by and is supported by the community it serves, making it uniquely positioned as an independent, entrepreneurial-focused, non-profit arts organization. We serve to Enrich, Educate and Entertain - Connecting Our Community through the Arts.