Little
Jo
A Folk–Opera by John Donald Robb
| When: |
Friday
& Saturday
October 21, 22, 2005 |
| |
Friday,
October 21 @ 10am:
A Special Free Admission Performance for Youth
Friday & Saturday, October 21 & 22:
Evening Performances at 8pm. |
|
| Where: |
Hispanic
Cultural Center |
| |
Roy E.
Disney Center for Performing Arts |
| |
Journal
Theater |
|
| Tickets
Now On Sale: |
| |
National
Hispanic Cultural Center Box Office: 505-724-4771
and
Ticketmaster.com , ph) 505-883-7800 |
| Ticket
Prices: |
| |
$25/$20/$15
($5 discount for students and seniors-must show valid ID) |
|
| How: |
With the Help of
Sponsors (like you!)
|
| |
To
help sponsor this performance, please contact Alicia Ultan at 277-8967
or email her at aultan@unm.edu |
|
| The
Inspiration: |
Robert
Bright's novel, The Life and Death of Little Jo, inspired John D.
Robb, then Dean of the University of New Mexico's College of Fine
Arts, and a pioneer collector of Hispanic folk songs in New Mexico,
to write an opera which would incorporate folk music of the Southwest.
For Spanish Version click
here. |
|
| The
Story: |
|
Inocencia's
sings a lullaby to her newborn son, Little Jo. She is interrupted
by an officer looking for her husband Eloy, who has escaped from
jail. Rafael, Eloy's brother, and his wife Luz vow to turn Eloy
in, but their plot is halted by a curandera, and the villagers
bid farewell to Eloy, who will have to flee. Twelve years pass.
It is the Feast of San Ysidro and there is singing and dancing.
Inocencia suffers a fatal heart attack, and Little Jo is taken
to live with his uncle. Six years later, Jo is working hard for
his uncle, Vidal, his cousin, sits and gloats. Jo joins the Penitentes
and is honored by being chosen Cristo. Luz and Rafael turn him
out. On a stormy night, with the river flooding and the houses
in danger, the villagers spend the night in the general store
on higher ground. Jo and his sweetheart, Mela, discuss their marriage
plans. While Jo sleeps, Mela steals a dress for her wedding. The
next day, in an attempt to protect Mela, Jo buries the dress in
the cemetery. Vidal arrives and threatens Jo with a gun. Trying
to defend himself with a shovel, Jo kills his cousin. Like his
father before him, Little Jo must leave the village and his loved
ones.
For Spanish Version click
here.
|
|
| Conducted
by Guillermo Figueroa: |
 The
John D. Robb Musical Trust is pleased to announce that Guillermo
Figueroa, Music Director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra
since 2001, will be the Music Director for the production of Little
Jo.A conductor
and violinist, Figueroa is one of the most renowned and versatile
musicians of his generation. A member of Puerto Rico's most distinguished
musical family, he was named Music Director of the Puerto Rico Symphony
Orchestra in 2000, after serving as that orchestra's Principal Guest
Conductor for several seasons. |
| The tenth Music
Director for the NMSO, he became the first Puerto Rican-born conductor
to lead an important orchestra in the United States. With this orchestra
he made his debut as a conductor on CD, a highly acclaimed performance
of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, and works by Berlioz and Ravel. |
| Figueroa made
his Lincoln Center conducting debut with the New York City Ballet
in 1994 and in his dual role as soloist and conductor he has appeared
with the Kansas City Symphony, the Colorado Symphony and the Iceland
Symphony. He has been guest conductor of the New Jersey Symphony,
the Memphis Symphony, the El Salvador Symphony, the Orquesta del
Teatro Municipal de Rio de Janeiro, and with Ballet Memphis and
Ballets de San Juan. |
| This season
marks his debut with the Phoenix Symphony. Figueroa is a Founding
Member of the world-renowned conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra,
which is celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2003. With this group
he has been concertmaster and soloist in acclaimed performances
through the US, Europe and Asia. Orpheus made over fifty recordings
for Deutsche Grammophon, many led by Figueroa. |
| Committed to
the music of his native Puerto Rico, Figueroa has given the world
premieres of works by important composers such as Ernesto Cordero,
Raymond Torres, Carlos Vazquez and Mariano Morales. |
| One composer
that has merited special attention from Figueroa is Roberto Sierra,
the Composer-in Residence of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Albany
Records has released the premiere recording of the oratorio Bayoán,
by Sierra, with the Bronx Arts Ensemble Orchestra and Chorus, led
by Figueroa. |
| For more about
Guillermo Figueroa and the New Mexico Symphony go to: www.nmso.org |
|
| Stage
Director David Chavez: |
| David Chavez
will be serving as stage director. He has recently directed an 'updated'
version of West Side Story called Feeling Pretty and
directed and choreographed the Nutcracker Suite performance
done by local children this past December. |
|
