Admin

Organization

Singer

Baritone

Ben Edquist

Father

Soprano

Summer Hassan

Mother

Mezzo-soprano

Annie Rosen

Stepmother

Madison Leonard

Daughter

Child vocalist

Megan Samarin

Bass

Andrew Gilstrap

Goldsmith

Michael J Hawk

Cobbler

Tenor

Sam Grosby

Miller

María Brea

Mama Bird

Conductor

Lidiya Yankovskaya

Stage director

RB Schlather

Set designer

Blake Palmer

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Robert H Grim

Chorus master

Joseph Li

Marcus Shields

Assistant Stage Manager

Sarah Johnson

Wolf Trap Opera

English

The Juniper Tree

Vienna

United States

The Barns

AUGUST 2017 | WOLF TRAP OPERA

This Wolf Trap Opera premiere and new production was presented at The Barns at Wolf Trap in August 2017. The Juniper Tree was part of Glass@80, the worldwide celebrations of Philip Glass’ 80th birthday. Special thanks to Dan and Gayle D’Aniello, 2017 Wolf Trap Opera Season Underwriters, and Ed and Andy Smith, 2017 Performance Sponsors.

THE JUNIPER TREE
Music by Philip Glass & Robert Moran
Libretto by Arthur Yorinks

This take on the famous Grimm fairy tale is “charming and chilling, a children's opera for thinking children (also known as ‘adults’)” (The New York Times). It tells of a Wicked Stepmother who murders her stepson and serves him up in a stew to his unsuspecting father. The boy’s sister buries her brother’s bones under a Juniper Tree, and the child’s spirit returns as a singing bird who wreaks vengeance on the evil Stepmother before being restored to life in the bosom of his family.

Turn on closed captioning to view subtitles.

CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE
Wife – Summer Hassan
Mama Bird – Maria Brea*
Husband – Ben Edquist
Son – Megan Mikailovna Samarin
Stepmother – Annie Rosen
Daughter – Madison Leonard
Goldsmith – Andrew Gilstrap*
Cobbler – Michael J. Hawk*
Miller – Sam Grosby*
Baby Birds/Village Folk – 2017 Wolf Trap Studio Artists*
*Studio Artist

CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor – Lidiya Yankovskaya
Director – R.B. Schlather
Scenic & Costume Designer – Blake Palmer
Lighting Designer – Robert H. Grimes
Wig & Makeup Designer – Anne Nesmith
Chorusmaster – Joseph Li

MUSIC & PRODUCTION TEAM
Musical Preparation – David Hanlon, Joseph Li, K. Annie Brooks
Assistant Director – Marcus Shields
Production Stage Manager – Michael Janney
Assistant Stage Manager – Sarah Johnson
Supertitle Coordinator – Lindsay Woodward

Opera streaming video presentations are made possible with support from the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation.

Wolf Trap

The Juniper Tree Glass

Public

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading