Has Heartbreak Ever Sounded So Beautiful? Dayton Opera .

President’s Message, continued from p. 3past summer. He and his wife Frances attended every opera presented. One of theapprentice singers was a former OperaGuild vocal competition winner. Hesays that in the future he wants to continue to visit Santa Fe and Lyric Operaof Chicago to see the talent offeredthrough their apprentice programs.He concludes with saying, “the levelof artistry [at these venues] is a greatthing to hear. I’d like to bring them toDayton for leading roles.”Madame Butterfly, continued from p. 1The Magic Flute and as Jade Boucher inDead Man Walking, in which she gave agripping performance as the mother ofone of the convicted criminal’s victims.Baritone Corey Crider also returnsto Dayton Opera in this production toplay the role of Sharpless, the AmericanConsul in Japan who is sent to break thenews to Butterfly that Pinkerton will return to Nagasaki, but not for the reasonof which Butterfly has dreamed. Criderappeared with Dayton Opera last in therole of Morales in the 2005 productionof Carmen, and has recently appeared inleading roles with Opera Roanoke, Arizona Opera, Sarasota Opera, MadisonOpera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.Returning to Dayton Opera for hisfifth performance, bass Adam Fry willperform the role of The Bonze, havingappeared with Dayton Opera once before in a Madame Butterfly production in2006, as well as appearances with DaytonOpera in Macbeth in 2008, in Turandotin 2008, and most recently in Tosca in2013. Rounding out the cast are three vocalists who will be making their DaytonOpera debuts: tenor Robert Norman asGoro, baritone Andrew Pardini in thedual roles of Imperial Commissionerand Prince Yamadori, and soprano KasiaBorowiec as Kate Pinkerton. Pardini andBorowiec are both members of DaytonOpera’s upcoming 2015-2016 Artists-in-Residence Program.Puccini’s gorgeous score will beprovided by the impeccable DaytonPhilharmonic Orchestra under the di-4Opera Notesrection of Conductor Robert Tweten,hailing originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and making hisDayton Opera debut with this performance. Tweten has masterfully conducted Madame Butterfly with bothEdmonton Opera and Utah Opera,both in 2014. He has been describedas leading with “verve and precision,”as well as having “flawless” pacing and“musicality and near-symbiotic accordwith singers, which always impresses.”Albert Sherman returns to DaytonOpera to stage-direct Puccini’s masterpiece, bringing this beautiful story tolife on the Mead Theatre Stage. Sherman’s directing expertise was enjoyedin five past Dayton Opera productions,The Elixir of Love in 1998, Cosí FanTutte in 1999, Cinderella in 2006, TheMerry Widow in 2009, and most recently in Romeo and Juliet in 2012.The ever-remarkable Dayton OperaChorus, under the skillful directionand leadership of Chorus Master Jeffrey Powell, will be part of the production. Artistic Director Tom Bankstonreminds us that the opera will be sungin Italian with English surtitles madepossible by the Opera Guild of Dayton.Want to learn even more about thebeauty of Madame Butterfly? Come onehour prior to both performances to hearpre-performance talks presented by UDmusic professor Dr. Sam Dorf. Delicious“Opera bites” are also available in theWintergarden before the performanceand at the first intermission.Tickets for Madame Butterflyrange from 38 to 94 and are available at www.daytonperformingarts.org or by calling Ticket Center Stageat 937/228-3630. Senior, student,and military discounts are available.For more information on tickets, orhow to subscribe to the 2015-2016Ascend Season, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.Don’t forget to bring a handkerchieffor the gripping ending as Butterflydoes what she feels she must to preserve her honor.The Guild this Month:STUDENTS’ NIGHT @ DRESSREHEARSAL. Invitations have beensent to 204 high schools and collegesto see a dress rehearsal of MadameButterfly on Wednesday, November18 at 7 p.m. in the Schuster. Guildmembers will register the students andserve as ushers for the performance.Judy Hudson, Pat Ferguson, and Gisela Warner chair this event.CHILDREN’S TRAVELING OPERA.A new soprano has been added to theCTO’s cast of The Barber of Seville.Joining Tamra Francis and TammySchaff, is Cassandra Hockney as thebeloved Rosina. CTO has a busy fallschedule and is preparing a new production for its school visits in spring2016. Pat Ferguson, Cindy Hoffsisand Linda Rountree chair a loyal andactive team of volunteers.MEMBERSHIP. Margarete Jenningsreports that six new members havebeen added to the roster. Some areusing the new on-line capability on theGuild Website. Suzanne Crippen willassign mentors to each to help themfind their niche in the Guild’s activities.HOSPITALITY. Rosalie Jenningshas found living arrangements for starsand staff of Madame Butterfly. Thanksgo to Ron Anderson and Robb Sloan,Tom and Kathy Brown, Bob and DianeJohnson, Rosalie Jennings, HelenMiller, and Paul and Susie Weaver. Thisin-kind donation of hospitality increases the Guild’s support of Dayton Opera.Helen Miller is working with KimberlyRobinson to have members providesandwiches and cookies for the CastRefreshment Night.SPECIAL EVENTS. Diane Johnsonand Barbara Haller are chairing apre-opera supper in the Schuster’s Donor Lounges before the Friday nightperformance of Madame Butterfly. It isopen to members and their guests.operaguildofdayton.org

Applause! Applause!Myrna Cunningham“Tosca touched my soul!” This ishow Opera Guild member MyrnaCunningham describes how she cameto love opera. Myrna came to the artform later in life through her husband Dick Cunningham. She says herfavorite movie is “Pretty Woman” andtalks about the scene where RichardGere takes Julia Roberts to see her firstopera. He tells her people either hateopera or “it touches your soul.” Cunningham says she saw several operas,with no particular effect and then shesaw Tosca and “it touched my soul.” Ofcourse, as opera lovers know, Puccini isa master of the heart grab and the soultouch! In any event, after seeing Tosca,Myrna was hooked and has been amainstay of the Dayton Opera and theOpera Guild ever since - generouslyoffering her time and financial supportto opera in Dayton.Myrna was born in Akron, movedto Dayton when she was seven yearsold and was raised in Mad RiverTownship. She graduated from WilburWright High School. After graduation she got a job working as a longdistance operator with the telephonecompany. Wright Patterson AFB waswithin her territory and she describesthe job as very interesting, linking callsand conference calls from around thecountry and the world. She considereda career with the telephone company,but had a chance to attend college, anopportunity a colleague advised herto take. Good advice as it turns out!Myrna attended Ohio University andthen the University of Dayton, whereshe graduated with a Bachelor ofScience degree in medical technology.While in college she joined the Phi Musorority and is still very active in thisorganization. She is a past presidentof the Board of the Dayton AlumnaePanhellenic Council. She describesthe training received from this organization as very helpful: upon joiningthe Board, a member starts at the leastresponsible level and then moves up alevel in responsibility each year untilbecoming President. Myrna marriedand lived with her family several placesin the United States before movingback to Dayton in 1971. At that timeshe took a job with Kettering Hospitalworking in the blood bank. She retiredfrom this position in 2006.Myrna met her second husband,Dick Cunningham (another familiarface to the Opera Guild) at a singlesevent in 1992. At the time, Dick was acivilian employee with the Air Forceat Wright Patterson AFB. Originally aphysics major from Illinois, he came toWPAFB to fulfill his ROTC assignmentand stayed for 46 years! The couple havebeen married for 20 years. Dick hadseason tickets to both the Dayton Philharmonic and the Victoria Theater andMyrna began attending events at thesevenues with him. When he retired, hesuggested, “Why don’t we try opera?”The couple joined the Opera Guildand attended operas at MemorialHall in Dayton. She credits the Guild’seducational program “Ear for Opera”with developing and maintainingher interest in the art form. She reallyenjoyed the presentations on the actualmechanics of staging an opera: howthe singers are selected, the budgetproposed, the importance of make-upand costumes, the significance of thestage manager and the difficult job ofthe conductor. One of her most memorable sessions was on opera directorsand how they differ in their interpretations of each piece. Luke Denniswas one of her favorite presenters. Itwas at an “Ear for Opera” that theylearned of the Sorg Opera Companyin Middletown and began attendingoperas there. Myrna describes theseproductions as sort of a “one-manshow” where the artistic director wasalso the conductor and the musicdirector. It was at Sorg that she sawfirst saw her first and transformativeTosca. As an aside, these operas wereheld in the Sorg Opera House, aMiddletown building fallen into disrepair, subsequently remodeled andrumored to be haunted by the ghostof its founder, Paul Sorg. Myrna saysshe never saw any ghosts when shewas there!In addition to Tosca another of heropera favorites is Turandot with itsbeautiful and haunting aria “nessundorma.” Myrna was enthralled byDayton Opera’s 2006 productionof Madame Butterfly, and its riveting finale of Cio-Cio-San’s suicide,back-dropped by a huge Japaneseflag running with blood. Like therest of us, she eagerly awaits DaytonOpera’s new production of this opera,coming in November.Since joining the Opera Guild,Myrna has done everything fromsoup to nuts, as the saying goes.Her first volunteer activity was fora Holiday Tables event done at theWright Brothers’ home, HawthornHill in Oakwood. Since then, shehas worked on the BRAVO! Committee, the Membership LuncheonCommittee, served on the Marketing Committee, made cookiesfor the cast of the Dayton Opera,helped with the telephone tree andthe student dress rehearsals. She hasbeen a board member of the Guildfor many years. She and Dick areloyal supporters of the Dayton Opera and the Opera Guild. Not onlydo they contribute financially to thearts, but the couple has attendedevery Opera Ball, the 50th Anniversary Gala, the Doctor and theDiva function at Books & Co. andmany other events. Myrna wouldApplause! Applause! continued on P. 6Fall 20155

Applause! Applause! continued from p. 5not miss a membership luncheon or aBRAVO! Fashion Show. This year, thetwo are attending a “Dinner with theStars” that they won at the 2015 OperaBall Silent Auction. Twice Dick has bidon and won a position as a supernumerary, and was then asked back byDayton Opera to appear onstage. Onone of these occasions they gave theirperformance tickets to another couplewho had never seen an opera andended up “just loving it.” Talk aboutwinning friends for opera!Dick’s three sons live in Washington, DC. Myrna’s daughter Julia is anattorney and a graduate of TempleUniversity Law School. She worksfor a private bank in Delaware. Consequently, the couple are frequentvisitors to the east coast. In additionto her work with the Opera Guild,Myrna is an avid reader and has a gymmembership with LA Fitness at theGreene. She has been a weaver sincethe 70’s and belongs to the Weavers Guild of Miami Valley. She hasattended many workshops put on bythe Weavers Guild and enjoys weavingtable runners, scarves and place matson her several looms. She recentlyjoined husband Dick as a volunteer atthe Packard Museum.This Opera Guild member has certainly lived a varied, interesting and active life here in the Miami Valley. Myrna has embraced opera and broughtto the our organization her love for theart form as well as her energy, enthusiasm, dedication and capacity for hardwork. Thank you Myrna, and a hearty“Applause, Applause!”6Opera NotesWhere Are They Now?Sydney Mancasola.If you wish to see2010 Tri-StateCollege VocalCompetition winnerSydney Mancasola,get out your passport. During September and October2015 she is appearing as Cleopatrain Giulio Cesare in Egitto by GeorgFriedrich Händel at the KomischeOper in Berlin. She will stay in Berlinto perform in Les Contes d’Hoffmanby Offenbach (October 2015-February 2016), Die Zauberflӧte by Mozart(March-May 2016) and La Clemenzadi Tito by Mozart (May 2016). Shewill return to the United States to singin Manon by Massenet at Des MoinesMetro Opera next June and July.Sydney has had many other accomplishments since she won our Competition. In 2013 she was a Grand Finalswinner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In additionshe earned her degree from Oberlinin 2011 and recently graduated fromthe Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. She has sung a variety ofroles throughout the country including: Opera Theatre of St. Louis, FortWorth Opera, Santa Fe Opera andFlorida Grand Opera. In Florida shesang the part of Leïla in Les pêcheursde perles by Georges Bizet. Of herperformance Jean-Francois Lejeuneof Opera News said, “The principalreason for FGO’s success with thisopera was the company’s young andcredible cast of singers. CalifornianSydney Mancasola sang a bewitchingly full-voiced and vocally agileLeïla. A highly engaging singer andactress, Mancasola made us feel thepriestess’s panic in “J’étais encoreenfant” before she soared to coloratura heights in “comme autrefois.”Brava, Sydney!Elizabeth DeShong. In the Summer2015 edition of Opera Notes Eliza-beth DeShong was “a bright star” –one of our own, featured in an articlein Opera News. As a student at Oberlin College, DeShong won secondplace in the Guild’s Tri-State CollegeVocal Competitions in 2001 and 2002,going on to an internship at Chicago’sLyric Opera. She has been featured inOpera News again. This time honoredto be chosen by October 2015, OperaNews, as one of the 25 Rising Starsto keep an eye on for future. We inthe Guild send congratulations andbest wishes to Elizabeth for continuedsuccess.Remembrance FundYou can help these young singersthrough THE REMEMBRANCE FUND.The Remembrance Fund helpssupport the Guild’s High School andTri-State College Vocal Competitions.Gifts made in observance of a birthday, anniversary, promotion or otherevent, as well as those rememberingthe lives of loved ones, help furtherthe dreams and goals of many talentedyoung people. Gifts can be made online at http://www.operaguildofdayton.org or gifts can be sent to EvelynM. Lewis, 3104 Carrier Avenue, Dayton, OH 45429, 937/299-4825. Makechecks payable to the Opera Guild ofDayton.operaguildofdayton.org

And theWinneris . . .Everyone who attended this year’sBRAVO! Champagne Brunch andFashion Show was a winner. The PonitzCenter was overflowing with incredible energy on Friday, September 11, assoon as guests started to arrive. Therewas underlying excitement throughoutthe event from the social hour in thecolorful vendor boutique to the parading of the latest fashions from Chico’sof Oakwood, Soma and J. Hilburn onthe runway. The hot pink accents on thetables and special effect lighting addedto that sensation. And who could forgetthose stunning centerpieces?The stars were wonderful Community Role Models. They representedevery facet of this diverse Daytonregion. They are all winners and theGuild thanks them for their participation. For approximately a month, thevolunteer models worked to encouragefriends and family to submit on-linevotes to determine who would benamed this year’s favorite. EmceeShaun Yu, president and CEO of Discover Classical WDPR 88.1 FM andWDPG 89.9 FM, opened the envelopeto announce the highest vote-gettersof that group. The title went to JaniceAllen, treasurer and CFO of Trotwood-Madison City School District.Runners-up were Joanie Haverstick,board chair of Artemis Center; CeciliaBrendel, owner of Olde Masters Galleria; and Neal Gittleman, conductor ofthe Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.Another special moment occurredwhen the firefighters from Local 136were called to the stage. Shaun readtributes to them as our HometownHeroes. Lt. David Grubb, Lt. John Syz,Firefighter Paul Volosin and ParamedicDanielle Duffy represented the heroesof 9/11. Attendees lifted their glasses ina toast to honor them and to rememberother first responders for their dedication in the face of adversity and danger.Everyone joined in a moment of silenceto remember the significance of 9/11.More appreciation must be extendedto our singing sensation Joshua Blue,who mesmerized the audience withhis rendition of “una furtiva lagrima”from The Elixir of Love by Donizetti.Joshua is a senior at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and winner of our2015 Tri-State College Vocal Competition. He was accompanied by JeffPowell at the piano.Models wereAccolades must also go to Cindy Gaboury, chair of this year’s BRAVO! Herhardworking and talented committee included: Dolores Anderson, Sam Bennett,Barbara Bostick, Kathy Brown, SuzanneCrippen, Myrna Cunningham, NancyFarkas, Pat Finley, Betty Holton, ValerieJones, Dana Kane, Helen Jones-Kelley, Norva Loyd, Helen Miller, BrendaPhilips, Geri Prada, Jane Reynolds,Karen Wilson and Penny Wolff.Community Role Models were:Janet Dorsey Allen, Tom Bankston,Cecelia Brendel, Branford Brown,Dr. Annessa Cheek, Judy Dodge,Angela Duggar, Neal Gittleman,Joanie Haverstick, Nakia Jones,Valerie Jones, Tom Kelley, DebbieLieberman, Britni Marcum, ShelaghMcGovern, Linda Menz, John North,Cathy Ponitz, Jeanne Porter, TomRubens, Lois Sutherland, Soleil Verse,McCall Vrydaghs, Penny Wolff, andEvelyn Yaus. Many thanks go toKaren Wilson, Manager of Chico’sin Oakwood and Sara Priest from J.Hilburn Clothier for supervising thefashions presented.And the Winner is. . . continued on P. 8Fall 20157

126 North Main Street, #210Dayton, OH 45402937/224-3521, x1099OPERAGUILDOFDAYTON.ORGWorking to winnew friends for operaCOMING EVENTSWednesday, November 18, 2015STUDENTS’ NIGHT @ DRESSREHEARSALFriday, November 20, 2015PRE-OPERA LIGHT SUPPER5:30 p.m. Donors’ LoungeSchuster CenterFriday, November 20, 2015Sunday, November 22, 2015DAYTON OPERA’SMadame ButterflyFriday, February 26, 2016Sunday, February 28, 2016DAYTON OPERA’SOtelloThursday. March 17, 2016MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEONMoraine Country ClubSaturday, March 19, 2016HIGH SCHOOL VOCALCOMPETITIONLutheran Church of Our SaviorSunday, April 10, 2016TRI-STATE COLLEGEVOCAL COMPETITIONSeventh-Day Adventist ChurchSaturday, April 30, 2016OPERA BALL “HOORAYFOR HOLLYWOOD”1700 S. Patterson Blvd.UD’s River CampusAnd the Winner is. . . continued from P. 7

to Dayton for a January appearance with the Dayton Philharmonic as solo - ist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. Mezzo-soprano Ryu-Kyung Kim returns to Dayton Opera to play the role of Suzuki, Butterfly’s devoted maid and confidante. Kim performed with Dayton Opera twice in the recen