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Ausrine Stundyte as Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth Janes as Butterfly’s child and Sarah Larsen as Suzuki in Seattle Opera's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Photo by Elise Bakketun.
North American Works Directory Listing
The First Lady
Composer: Kenneth Wells
Librettist: Kenneth Wells
Gayle Patterson
Rickard Roudebush
Matt B. Wells
Other Artistic Personnel: Stephen Karr (Conductor)
Victoria Kirsch (Principal Vocal Coach/Associate Producer)
Courtney Selan (Stage Director)
Elizabeth Lizaola (Associate Producer)
Patryk Dubert (Production Manager, UCLA)
Amber Fonzen (Production Manager, needtheater)
Joe Mango (Production Coordinator/Graphic Designer)
Adam Rigg (Stage Designer)
Scott Smith (Stage Manager)
Barbara Castillo (Assistant Producer, UCLA SCA)
Neil Jampolis (Senior Production Advisor)
Jessica Hall (Accompanist)
DeReau K. Farrar (Chorus Master)
Original Cast: Jennifer Wallace (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Rebecca Sjöwall (Anna Roosevelt Boettiger)
Hannah Waldman (Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd)
Lori Ann Fuller (Margaret “Daisy” Suckley)
Jayme Alilaw (Laura “Polly” Delano)
Allison Foster (Malvania Thompson)
Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghmai (Madame Elizabeth Shumatoff)
Julian Fielder (Vice Admiral Ross T. McIntire)
Cedric Berry (Chief Petty Officer Arthur Prettyman)
Scott Levin (Harry S. Truman)
Eric Carampatan (Franklin D. Roosevelt & Frank Jr.) Nova Safo (Nicholas Robbins & James Roosevelt)
Dory Schultz (William Hassett & Elliott Roosevelt)
Rickard Roudebush (Priest)
Matthew Welch (Priest)

Chorus
Suzanne Anderson
Debbie Dey
Koert Halpin
Michael Davis
Javier Delgado
Vivian Delgado
Rijel Glasebrook
VanNessa Hulme
Jennifer Miller
Blake Sterling
Work Web Site: www.thefirstladyopera.com
Premiere Date: February 19, 2010
Producing Company: UCLA Semel Institute
Description: On the day of his death, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in Warm Springs with his long-term love, Lucy Rutherfurd. Eleanor Roosevelt, in DC at the time, learns of his “fainting spell” but FDR’s physician downplays its significance so Lucy can leave unnoticed. When Eleanor learns the truth from his cousins as she returns on the train with his remains—and that the affair was promoted by her daughter Anna—her grief turns to shock and betrayal. The world premiere of this two-act opera shows how these women achieve personal growth while they -- and the rest of the nation, still at war -- suffer the loss of the beloved President.
Character List (Major): Eleanor Roosevelt(mz)
Anna Roosevelt Boettiger(s)
Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd(s)
Margaret “Daisy” Suckley(s)
Laura “Polly” Delano(s/mz)
Malvania Thompson(s)
Madame Elizabeth Shumatoff(s)
Vice Admiral Ross T. McIntire(t) Chief Petty Officer Arthur Prettyman(b-bar)
Harry S. Truman(b)
Character List (Minor): Franklin D. Roosevelt/Frank Jr.(bar)
Nicholas Robbins/James Roosevelt(t)
William Hassett/Elliott Roosevelt(t)
Priest
Length: Length is not available.
Total Acts: Not Available
Contact: Kenneth Wells

Spring 2013 Magazine Issue
  • Letter from the President/CEO
  • Of One: The Quest for Asian Fusion in the Opera House
  • Vancouver: Where Nature Nurtures Art
  • Inheriting the Wind
  • My First Time
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