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"Although [the cast and crew] are clearly determined to treat the work with integrity, they have a wonderful time injecting audience-pleasing humor and heartfelt emotion into the wonderful choruses and arias performed."
Melinda Schupmann, Back Stage West

"If you thought it was impossible to take a four-hour extravaganza and cut it by more than half without losing anything essential, this production proves you wrong. ...light entertainment along the lines of the Chance's outstanding productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, minus the British accents."
Eric Marchese, O.C. Register

"If opera bores you, but you can't help humming the arias, this might just be the Figaro you've been waiting for"
Anne-Margret Bellavoine, Northern Lights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Premiere!

FIG: R.O. (retro opera)
by Heather Howe, Robert G. Leigh, Dean Anderson and The Chance Theater Repertory Company
Directed by Robert G. Leigh
Musically Directed and Adapted by Dean Anderson

May 12 - Jun. 12
Thu., Fri., Sat. 8pm; Sun. 2pm

Synopsis

Opera: is it just the plaything of the caviar consuming international elite, or a viable art form that transcends its high-cost tradition and touches the “human core?” Can this most demanding form of human artistic expression be wrested from the conventions of the 2000-seat proscenium theatre equipped with its million dollar spectacle and still move us to laughter and tears? To find out, the intrepid Chance Theater Repertory Company will do the unthinkable: metaphorically put ten pounds of opera in a five pound bag. Watch and be amazed as we adapt and translate into English an Italian opera composed by an Austrian, taken from the French play about a Spanish valet who also cuts hair. Join us in our high spirited and intimate presentation of Beaumarchais' and Mozart’s most beloved barber’s nuptials. Will the orphaned Figaro find his parents, thwart the Count’s attempts at seducing his bride-to-be, and still dance the Fandango at his own wedding? If you’ve got ninety minutes, have we got the opera for you!

Designers
Performers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
   Robert G. Leigh (Adaptor/Director)

Robert is excited to return for a second collaboration with The Chance, the first being the award-winning That Which Remains: Beckett Dramaticules of the 2003 Season. Formerly the managing director of The Long Beach Playhouse, he received an honorable mention from Back Stage West for his direction of Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs at the Studio Theatre in Long Beach. He has received Dramalogue Awards for Outstanding Direction for Strange Snow at the Laguna Playhouse, Beau Jest and Tracers at the Studio Theatre. An NEA scholar, he studied postmodern performance theory with Herb Blau at the Center for Twentieth Century Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. A graduate of the University of Washington Masters Directing Program, he worked for the literary departments of The Seattle Repertory and Group Theatres in Seattle, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Odyssey Theatre in Santa Monica. He has served as adjunct faculty at numerous Southern California universities and colleges including UC Irvine, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Long Beach, Santa Ana , Fullerton, Long Beach City, and El Camino Colleges and was guest lecturer and director at West Virginia University in Morgantown. [top]

 
 
   Heather Howe (Adaptor)

Heather's past credits at The Chance Theater include Come and Go, Spring's Awakening, Echo's Longing, The Illusion, and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Heather recieved her B.F.A. at the University of Utah. There she attended the Actor's Training Program (ATP) before going on to win scholarship and admittance to the MFA Acting Program at NYU. In Oxford, she studied under Tony award winning director, David Leveaux, actor Alan Rickman, and The Royal Shakespeare Company's former head, John Barton. Heather would like to thank Oanh, Jocelyn and Bob for this opportunity, the wonderful company of artists at The Chance, her family, and her fiancee Jason for the endless support. [top]

 
 
   Dean Anderson (Musical Director/Musical Adaptor)

Dean is a Chance Theater Staff Member and excited to be involved with his seventh production here. After working as a violinist, conductor, and music director in Columbia, Missouri, Dean moved to California. He has studied music and plays with the Santa Monica Symphony. Most recently, he composed the original music for the critically acclaimed production of Goodnight Children Everywhere, as well as performed in Company and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. He would like to send his gratitude to Bob for the opportunity and his family for all their support. [top]

 
 
   Miriam Ellis (Libretto Translator)

Miriam Ellis received her Ph.D from UC Santa Cruz and for several years was stage director for the UCSC Opera Theater, working with Professor Sherwood Dudley, who was its music director. During that time, she translated and directed Die Fledermaus, Don Pasquale, The Elixir of Love, and Sisters of the Visitation by François Devienne, and collaborated with Professor Dudley on this innovative version of The Marriage of Figaro, which has been performed at UCSC and in several other national venues. Other operas which Dr. Ellis has translated include La Belle Helene, Ba-Ta-Clan, and Orphee Aux Enfers by Offenbach, while her theater credits include translation and direction of Doctor Love by Molière, School for Mothers by Marivaux, and The Gap by Ionesco. She has also translated from Spanish The Little Frenchwoman, a play by Lope de Vega, and an anthology of poetry, The New Cycle of the Horse by Elisa Dávila, as well as many scenes from French and Spanish theater and excerpts from French, Italian, and German opera. In 2001, her interest in foreign language theater production led her to bring together several colleagues to establish the International Playhouse at UCSC. This unique project presents theater pieces in several languages on one program, with English translations projected in super-titles. In May, four performances of the Playhouse will include works in Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. In past years, German, Italian, and Latin were also represented in performance and we look forward to adding Portuguese to the roster next year. [top]
 
 
   Sherwood Dudley (Libretto Translator)

Sherwood Dudley, musicologist and conductor, is a professor emeritus of music at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Specializing in music performed during the French Revolution, Dudley has reconstructed the first Paris production of The Marriage of Figaro, an amalgam of the play by Beaumarchais and the opera by Mozart, originally done in order to restore the revolutionary aspects of the story. Dudley premiered an English translation of this hybrid edition, made in collaboration with his colleague Miriam Ellis, during the French bicentennial celebrations of 1989. He has also prepared a modern edition of Les Visitandines by François Devienne, one of the most popular comic operas of the late eighteenth century. Dudley has recently devoted his time to another love, choral arranging. [top]

 
 
   Steve Grodt (Set Designer)

Steve has been a credible design source for film, television and theatre for many years. His industrial exhibit designs have been awarded best in show for 7 of the past 10 years. FIG: R.O. and One Flea Spare make Steve's first projects with The Chance Theater. Past scenic designs include: Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunichs and Ladies of the Camillias, directed by Robert Leigh, A Soldier's Play, Sylvia, and Beau Jest. Steve studied theatre production in New York at the Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where he worked on various projects including a national tour of The Three Musketeers and CBS' "Guiding Light". His credits include film and television productions by Disney, New Line Cinema, Columbia Pictures, NBC, HBO and Showtime. In 2002, he won a Telly Award for his video production of Genesis Iron. [top]

 
 
   Adam H. Greene (Lighting Designer)

Adam would like to thank The Chance Theater for this opportunity to work on such an ambitious team of artists. Off-Broadway- The Public Theater, NYC: Embedded (Written and Directed by Tim Robbins). Los Angeles Credits- The Actors’ Gang: Little (Director Shira Pivens), Self Defense (Director Beth Milles), Embedded, Orlando (Director Joyce Pivens). Evidence Room: Cringe (Director Bart DeLorenzo), and 99¢ Dance Extravaganza-2002 (Choreography by Ken Roht), Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said (DeLorenzo). Resident Assistant: Mark Taper Forum. Graduate of California Institute of the Arts. [top]

 
 
   Alia Amaya (Costume Designer)

This is Alia’s first show at The Chance Theater. She works in the Fullerton Civic Light Opera costume shop. Credits include Cabaret, The Music Man, A Trip to Bountifule, The Foreigner, Nanny 911. Grease, Miss Saigon, Annie Get Your Gun, Tin Pan Alley Rag, George M, and the upcoming One Flea Spare at The Chance. [top]

 
 
   Dave Mickey (Sound Designer)

Graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in Technical Theatre Design, Dave will start his MFA in sound design at CalArts in the fall of 2005. In February of 1999 Caltech hired Dave as their Senior Audio Technician. Simultaneously working as a sound and lighting designer in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Design credits include the west coast premiere of The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer and world premiere of Wicked City Blues. [top]

 
 
   John MacDonald (Production Stage Manager)

John participated in the production of broadcast video for many years before deciding to make the transition from standing behind the camera to acting in front of it. John’s stage experience includes such local theatrical venues as the Huntington Playhouse, Cypress Theatre and the Long Beach Playhouse, and most recently at The Chance Theater the Cup of Ha-Ha series. His television credits include anchoring a local cable magazine show in Brea, California, among his many other performance endeavors. [top]

 
    Bryan Barton (Don Bartolo)

Bryan is pleased to be returning to The Chance stage after a brief departure. Previously he appeared in Sganarelle or the Imaginary Cuckold and Creep for First Chance Fest 2004, and in Zazzle, Unemployment, and Bridge and Tunnel in 2003. He has also been involved as Stage Manager and Sound Designer for several critically acclaimed Chance Theater productions. He was recently married in February and is excited to be performing for the first time with his wonderful new wife Clarissa. [top] 		 
    Clarissa Barton (Susanna)

Clarissa is excited to be part of such a fun and unique production. Previous Chance shows include A Grand Night For Singing, Oedipus at Colonus (Ismene), and Lord of the Screen (Gwendi). Clarissa thanks her former voice and music teachers, whose guidance enables her to appreciate and perform the genius compositions of Mozart. Thanks also to Bob and the fabulous cast; extra special thanks to her family and her new husband, Bryan. [top] 		 
    Jeff Hellebrand (Don Basilio)

Jeff is a Chance Theater founding member, and graduate of the Television/Film Department of Cal State Fullerton. Thank you to Bob for the opportunity to be a part of the production. He was last seen at The Chance as Mr. Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank, and last summer directed Creep. Thank you to the other occupants of The Chance Theater Compound. Oma and Opa are held close to his heart. [top] 		 
    Michael Irish (Count Almaviva)

Zing! This is Michael’s eighth production with The Chance Theater. Previously he was seen in Oedipus At Colonus, Hang Up, Company, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, Cup of Ha-Ha 2, and The Diary of Anne Frank. He has also embraced silliness in Poona The F***Dog with Rude Guerilla Theater in Santa Ana. He has a BA in theater from U.C. Santa Cruz (2003), where he appeared in many shows, including Ah, Wilderness!, Translations, Art, and plays with Shakespeare Santa Cruz: Coriolanus, Cinderella, and Gretel & Hansel. [top]  		 
    Casey Long (Figaro)

This is Casey's second show this year with The Chance Theater Repertory Company, and he is very proud to be sharing the stage with six of his fellow Company Members. Casey is The Chance Theater's Managing Director and has appeared recently in the Orange County Premieres of Porcelain(Voice 4) and Tape(Vince), as well as the irreverent holiday hit The Eight: Reindeer Monologues(Dasher). He would like to thank Bob for his vision, his fellow cast members for their commitment, his parents for their support, and Alex without whom his life would not be complete. [top] 		 
    Sarah Moreau (Cherubino)

As a proud Company Member of The Chance Theater, Sarah is thrilled to be a part of this production. Sarah has a BFA from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and is on The Chance Staff as Youth Education Coordinator. Kids, don't try this at home, come to The Chance Theater Youth Workshop this summer! Sarah would like to thank Bob and the cast for this experience. Most of all she would like to send her love and unfathomable admiration to Dean. [top] 		 
    Clare V. Solly (Marcellina)

Clare believes that there are no small parts, only small actors and at 6'1" she doesn't fear being called a small actor. She likes the word antidisestablishmentarianism, only because it is the longest word in the English language, and takes pride in being able to spell it. Clare has traveled to Egypt, owns her own shoe business, studied at the University of London for a semester, written of a musical, and performed in St. Paul's Cathedral in London during a Thanksgiving service. You might have recently seen Clare as Lina Darling in Nine, Joanne in Company right here at The Chance, Sydney in Superman The Musical, or as Ruth in Blithe Spirit. As an alumnus of the Cal State Fullerton Theatre program, Clare wishes to have a long and successful career as an actress and would like to know, would you like fries with that? [top] 		 
    Lisa C. Zaradich (Countess Almaviva)

 Lisa is excited to be returning to The Chance stage. Thanks to Bob and Dean for the opportunity to participate in this ambitious project. She feels fortunate to be part of the conduit that brings you, the audience, some of Mozart’s greatest melodies. Love and thanks to Tom, her life’s one constant, for his unwavering support of her goals. [top]  		 
    Dean Anderson (Don Curzio)

Dean is a Chance Theater Staff Member and excited to be involved with his eighth production here. After working as a violinist, conductor, and music director, Dean moved to California. He has studied music and plays with the Santa Monica Symphony. Most recently, he composed the original music for the critically acclaimed production of Goodnight Children Everywhere, as well as performed in Company and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. He would like to send his gratitude to Bob for the opportunity and his family for all their support. [top]