The Little Prince
Stage Director: Frances Rabalais
Principal Conductor: Yael Front
Producers: Shawn Mlynek and Autumn West
Lighting Designer: Adam Ditzel
Costume Designer: Greta Stokes
Sets/Props Designer: Christina Chester
Cast:
The Pilot: Harry Greenleaf
The Prince: Rose Sawvel
The Rose: Alisa Jordheim
The Fox/The Well: Kayleigh Decker
The Lamplighter/The Drunkard: Robert Stahley
The Vain Man/The Snake: Pedro Willis-Barbosa
The Businessman: Caleb Ashby
The King: Jacob Kincaide
The Pilot Cover and Ensemble: Stephen Michael Hanna
The Prince Cover and Ensemble: Audrey Dawson
The Rose Cover and Ensemble: Emily Simmons
The Lamplighter/The Drunkard Cover and Ensemble: Maximillian Jansen
Caleb Ashby, The Businessman
Caleb C. Ashby, baritone, Louisville, KY. Recent appearances include William Dale in Kevin Puts' Silent Night with Lyric Opera KC, Servo/Araldo in Macbeth with Kentucky Opera, The Emperor in the premiere of Christopher Burton's The Nightingale with Helianthus Contemporary Music Ensemble, and choruses with Cincinnati Opera, Ky Opera, and LOKC. Other credits include the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Schaunard and Benoit/Alcindoro in La Bohème, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, and Escamillo in The Tragedy of Carmen. Mr. Ashby is also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
Kayleigh Decker, The Fox
Kayleigh Decker, mezzo-soprano, described as showing "poise and promise," recently graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. This Fall, Ms. Decker started her Masters degree at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she is studying with Professor of Voice, William McGraw. She recently had the joy of playing the role of Peggy in Opera Fusions workshop of Shalimar the Clown by Jack Perla. Not only is she looking forward to portraying The Fox and The Well in Cincinnati Chamber Opera's upcoming performance of The Little Prince, but she is also looking forward to portraying another Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen with CCM Opera this spring.
Stephen Michael Hanna, The Pilot Cover
Stephen Michael Hanna, lyric baritone and Texas native, is pursuing a Master of Music degree at CCM, thus far having sung full performances and excerpts of The Merry Widow, Mahagonny Songspiel, Le nozze di Figaro, Peter Grimes, and with Cincinnati Opera for the premier of Daniel Catán’s Meet John Doe. In 2014 he was awarded third prize in Hal Leonard’s Art Song Competition. Additional roles of note include Schaunard in La bohème and Frank in Die Fledermaus. Current concert works include Haydn’s The Creation, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, and upcoming performance of Vaughan Williams’s Five Mystical Songs.
Audrey Dawson, The Prince Cover
Audrey Dawson, mezzo-soprano, holds BM and MM degrees in vocal performance from Baldwin Wallace University (Berea, OH) and DePaul University (Chicago, IL. She has performed the roles of Lucy (Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera), Mrs. Herring (Britten’s Albert Herring), Fox Goldenstripe (Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Dame Doleful (Penhorwood’s Too Many Sopranos) and Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro, condensed). Soloist engagements include Handel’s Messiah; Zelenka’s Messa Dei Filii; J.S. Bach’s Markus-Passion, Cantata 187, and Cantata 140; Vivaldi’s Gloria; and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. She was a finalist for the 2015 Handel Aria Competition in Madison, Wisconsin.
Harry Greenleaf, The Pilot
Baritone Harry Greenleaf is a native of Wixom, Michigan. He received his BM from Michigan State University, and is pursuing a MM at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. This fall Harry performed as Danilo in CMM Opera’s The Merry Widow. In 2013 and 2014 he was a Studio Aritist with the Wolf Trap Opera Company. There he sang the role of Baron Douphol in La traviata with the National Symphony Orchestra, and Monsieur Barbu in Les mamelles de Tirésias. This past summer he was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera. This upcoming summer he will appear with Glimmerglass Opera as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd.
Maximillian Jansen, The Lamplighter and The Drunkard Cover
Maximillian Jansen, tenor, holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Performance from Miami University. Maximillian is a student of Audrey Luna. He has performed the roles of Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Frederick (The Pirates of Penzance), and Albert (Albert Herring). Maximillian has worked with coaches Christina Haan, Vicki Kirsch, and Brad Caldwell. He was a Schubert Fellow at SongFest at the Colburn School in 2014. He has appeared as a member of the Festival Chorus in Cincinnati Opera’s Il Trovatore and Turandot. This holiday season, Maximillian will be appearing as the Tenor Soloist in the Middletown Civic Chorus’ Messiah.
Alisa Jordheim, The Rose
Described as “vocally resplendent,” “powerful,” and possessing “impeccable coloratura” (San Francisco Chronicle), soprano Alisa Jordheim is praised for her compelling and vocally assured performances in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and recital. She is an alumna of the Merola Opera Program, Central City Opera Young Artist Program, and the Florentine Opera Studio. Her recent role credits include Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites at Caramoor in New York, Lulu Baines in Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera, Marzelline in Fidelio with Madison Opera, and Micaëla in “Carmen in Concert” with the Columbus Symphony, among others. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in voice at the University of Cincinnati CCM.
Rose Sawvel, The Prince
Soprano Rose Sawvel brings a glittering, silvery tone with outstanding agility and brilliance, along with the skills of an adept actress to each role she portrays. 2015-16 roles include "Baby" Doe in The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Prince The Little Prince, Marie in Daughter of the Regiment, and Amore in Orpheus and Eurydice. Other favorite roles include Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Serpetta in La finta giardiniera, Lady with a Hand Mirror in Postcard from Morocco, La Fée in Cendrillon, Adina in Elixir of Love, Despina in Cosí fan tutte, Amy March in Little Women, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, the title role in Patience, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and Cunégonde in Candide.
Robert Stahley, The Lamplighter and The Drunkard
Tenor Robert Stahley is currently getting his Masters in Voice performance at CCM. He recently performed the Madama Butterfly Love duet with the CCM Philharmonia under the baton of Maestro Mark Gibson. At CCM he performed the role of Charlie in Kurt Weill's Mahagonny-Songspiel. Else where he has performed Sam Kaplan in Street Scene with the 5 College Opera, Rinuccio in the Umass Opera Workshop production of Gianni Schicchi, and Hubert Humphrey in the East coast premier of Mary Watkin's Dark River. This spring at CCM he will play the Schoolmaster in Leoš Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen as well as the tenor solo’s in Honegger's Joan of Arc with the CCM Chamber Choir.
Yael Front, Principal Conductor
Yael Front, principal conductor for Cincinnati Chamber Opera, has recently been awarded third prize in the London Classical Soloists conducting competition and the 2015-16 International Peace Scholarship. Born and raised in Israel, Ms. Front began her musical training at four and graduated with honors from the Thelma Yellin High School for the Arts. In 2011, Ms. Front formed the 'Gvanim' Children's Choir. In 2012, Yael joined the 'Tedarim' contemporary music program for outstanding young musicians. Ms. Front is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in orchestral conducting at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, after graduating with a master’s degree earlier in 2015.
Jacob Kincaide, The King
Bass-baritone Jacob Kincaide recently graduated from his Masters and is a current Artist Diploma student at CCM. He received his Bachelors degree from the University of Houston. Highlights of Jacob's career include the Monteverdi Vespers at CCM, the role of Seneca in L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Jacob was the 2015 winner of the CCM Opera Scholarship Competition, and was also an Ohio district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Emily Simmons, The Rose Cover
Emily Simmons, soprano, is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. This past summer, she was seen as Frasquita in Carmen with CCM’s opera conducting program. With CCM’s undergraduate opera series, she has appeared in Alcina (Alcina), L’enfant et les sortilèges (Le Pâtre) and Le Nozze di Figaro (Flower Girl). A recent graduate from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she earned her B.M. with a double major in Vocal Performance and German Studies under the direction of Mary Stucky. Emily has continued her summer studies through an acting intensive with off-Broadway theatre Atlantic Theatre Company, and two summers with the Vancouver International Song Institute.
Pedro Willis-Barbosa, The Vain Man and The Snake
Pedro Willis-Barbosa is a Brazilian-American tenor who has run the gamut of performing arts. From Children’s theatre, to dance, to musical theatre, he has also found his artistic voice in an operatic setting. Pedro has worked with such companies as Cincinnati Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Western Reserve, Opera Louisiane, Cedar Rapids Opera, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. Most recently, Pedro has played Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore and Tamino in The Magic Flute. Aside from covering Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo e Juliette, Pedro has also played Ramiro in La cenerentola, Camille in The Merry Widow, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance, and Phillipe in The New Moon.
Frances Rabalais, Stage Director
Born in New Orleans, Frances is currently earning her Artist’s Diploma in Stage Direction of Opera from the College-Conservatory of Music. She uses her innate sense of musicality to lead the performers in creating a meaningful emotional journey for the audience. Her work in at the University of Cincinnati includes directing Mahagonny Songspiel and Il Signor Bruschino scheduled for February 2016. She has served as assistant director for Cosi fan Tutte, The Merry Widow, and L’incoronazione di Poppea, also at CCM. Frances has been an assistant director for Glimmerglass Opera, Pensacola Opera, and the Brevard Music Festival. francesrabalais.com
