The Secret Garden (opera)

The Secret Garden is an opera by Nolan Gasser with a libretto (based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett) written by Carey Harrison. Commissioned by the San Francisco Opera and presented in partnership with Cal Performances, it premiered on March 1, 2013, at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California, Berkeley.

Roles

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Role Voice type Premiere cast, 1 March 2013
Conductor: Sara Jobin
Mary Lennox soprano Sarah Shafer
Colin Craven a boy tenor Michael Kepler Meo
Archibald Craven baritone Philippe Sly
Dickon Sowerby tenor Scott Joiner
Martha Sowerby mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm
Mrs. Medlock soprano Erin Johnson
Ben Weatherstaff baritone Ao Li
Susan Sowerby soprano Marina Harris
Orchestra San Francisco Opera Orchestra
Direction Jose Maria Condemi
Visual design Naomie Kremer
Costume design Kristi Johnson
Lighting design Christopher Maravich
Musical preparation Robert Mollicone, Sun Ha Yoon, John Churchwell,
Sara Jobin

Critical reception

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The opera received positive reviews from Joshua Kosman in the San Francisco Chronicle, Janos Gereben in The San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Classical Voice, Stacy Trevenon at StageandCinema.com and others, with mixed reviews from the San Jose Mercury News and elsewhere.[1][2][3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Kosman, Joshua (3 March 2013) "Secret Garden' review: Child's delight" The San Francisco Chronicle
  2. ^ Gereben, Janos (5 March 2013) "Secret Garden a hit with opera's young target audience" The San Francisco Examiner
  3. ^ Crawford, Caroline (7 March 2013) "Review: 'The Secret Garden' at Zellerbach Wins Thumbs Up" The Berkeley Patch
  4. ^ Scheinin, Richard (3 March 2013) "Review: San Francisco Opera's Secret Garden is a misfire" The San Jose Mercury News
  5. ^ Trevenon, Stacy (7 March 2013) "Bay Area Opera Review: The Secret Garden" Stage and Cinema