Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
Serenata by Johann Adolph Hasse
June 23-24 and 26-27, 2023 | Jarvis Opera Hall
Original production artwork by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, commissioned by Haymarket Opera Company
Ancient Egypt meets 18th-century Naples in a musical love affair.
Performances:
June 23-24 and 26-27, 2023 at 7:30pm
Post-performance talk-back: Presented with members of the cast and creative team immediately following the performance
Performance Runtime: Two hours, including one 20-minute intermission
Jarvis Opera Hall
Holtschneider Performance Center at DePaul University
800 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
Haymarket presents the Chicago premiere of Johann Adolph Hasse’s Neapolitan serenata Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra as a lavish operatic event featuring superstar countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim and contralto Lauren Decker. Virtuosic music and high-baroque drama collide as history’s star-crossed lovers Mark Antony and Cleopatra contemplate their bleak political future—and ultimately their suicide—after their defeat in the Battle of Actium. Eavesdrop on the final declaration of undying love between Roman hero Mark Antony and his tragic Egyptian queen Cleopatra as they brace for their double suicides.
Video preview of Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
Hasse’s poignant, lyrical, and fiery musical portrayal of the scene requires the utmost vocal and dramatic virtuosity of its two performers. Haymarket highlights the gender-bending traditions of baroque opera, featuring countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Queen Cleopatra and contralto Lauren Decker as Mark Antony.
Haymarket General Director Chase Hopkins makes his directorial debut, blending his experience as both singer and creative producer, alongside historian, author, and scenic artist Wendy Waszut-Barrett, costume designer Stephanie Cluggish, wig designer Megan Pirtle, and lighting designer Brian Schneider to evoke the world of ancient Egypt.
Craig Trompeter conducts the acclaimed Haymarket Opera Orchestra, renowned for its “unbelievable heated passions and dramatic instrumental climaxes” (Operawire), with celebrated guest harpsichordist Michael Beattie.
Anthony and Cleopatra by Andrea Casali (late 1720s)
If you need ticketing assistance, please contact the Holtschneider Performance Center box office by email (musicboxoffice@depaul.edu) or by phone (773-325-5200). The box office is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10-3pm.
The Cast
Hasse's original cast took opposite gender roles with Carlo Broschi, the famous castrato called “Farinelli,” singing Cleopatra, and the renowned contralto Vittoria Tesi Tramontini, known as "La Fiorentina" or "La Moretta," singing Marc'Antonio. In keeping with the original gender-fluid casting, Haymarket's cast features countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Queen Cleopatra and contralto Lauren Decker in the role of Mark Antony.
Kangmin Justin Kim, countertenor (Cleopatra)
Combining “striking vocal purity” (Financial Times) with “terrifying intensity” (New York Times), renowned Korean-American countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim (Cleopatra) has earned accolades in roles of the Baroque repertoire, contemporary music and in Mozart’s trouser roles at the most prestigious opera theaters and festivals such as the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Staatsoper Berlin, the Salzburg Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Santa Fe Opera.
Lauren Decker, contralto (Marc’Antonio)
With her unique contralto voice, Lauren Decker (Marc'Antonio) is a rising star on the American opera scene, praised for her "amber low notes" (Chicago Tribune). Decker sang for four seasons at Lyric Opera of Chicago as part of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center, deploying her singular vocal abilities in bel canto, verismo, and Wagnerian roles. She recently made a sensational debut as Eduige in Handel’s Rodelinda at the Aspen Festival, promising a bright future as a singer of great expressive breadth in a “career that will soar” (Chicago Theater Review).
Jon Beal, actor (Roman soldier)
Jon Beal is an actor and fight choreographer making his Haymarket debut in Hasse’s Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra. His credits include Hansel and Gretel, Macbeth, Faust, Bel Canto, Siegfried, Die Walküre, Das Rheingold, The Barber of Seville, Il trovatore, and A Streetcar Named Desire at Lyric Opera of Chicago; As You Like it, SS! and Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Dracula and All Our Tragic with The Hypocrites; The Duchess of Malfi at Trap Door Theatre; and Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Julius Caesar at Muse of Fire Theatre Company. Beal’s television credits include NBC’s Chicago PD. Beal received an Equity Jeff Award for Fight Direction in Cardboard Piano at TimeLine Theatre and a Jeff Nomination in Fight Direction for Cyrano at BoHo Theatre.
Kali Benz, dancer (Lady-in-waiting to Cleopatra)
Kali Page is a baroque dance specialist who has appeared in a number of Haymarket Opera Company performances, including Amadigi di Gaula, La Calisto, Ariane et Bacchus, and most recently, the acclaimed 2022 production of Bologne’s L’Amant Anonyme. Page has also performed An American at Versailles at the Madison Early Music Festival with Alchymy Viols, and The World of Leonardo choreographed by Catherine Turocy at the Indianapolis Early Music Festival.
Julie Brumfiel, dancer (Lady-in-waiting to Cleopatra)
Julie Brumfiel began her classical ballet training at the age of ten with continued studies as a scholarship student at the San Francisco Ballet School. Brumfiel went on to study at Indiana University with Violette Verdy, where she received her bachelor’s degree in ballet performance and biology, graduating with high distinction. Brumfiel has danced professionally with Louisville Ballet, Los Angeles Dance Theater, and Central Illinois Ballet. Brumfiel is a baroque dance specialist who has appeared in several Haymarket Opera Company productions, including Amadigi di Gaula, Ariane et Bacchus, and L’Amant Anonyme.
The Creative Team
Chase Hopkins
Stage Director
Craig Trompeter
Conductor
Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Set Designer
Stephanie Cluggish
Costume Designer
Megan Pirtle
Wig and Makeup Designer
Brian Schneider
Lighting Designer
The Orchestra
Still life composed of diverse baroque instruments, including a viola da gamba, violin, lute, chamber organ, recorder, oboe, bassoon, flute, panpipe, hunting horn, bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy and triangle attributed to Elias van Nijmegen (1700)
Craig Trompeter, Conductor
Jeri-Lou Zike, Concertmaster
Pauline Kempf, Violin
Jaime Gorgojo, Violin
Wendy Benner, Violin
Ann Duggan, Violin
Pascal Innocenti, Violin
Liz Hagen, Viola
Kiyoe Matsuura, Viola
Anna Steinhoff, Cello
Jerry Fuller, Violone
Brandon Acker, Archlute
Michael Beattie, Harpsichord
Synopsis
Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium by Johann Georg Platzer (1730)
Synopsis: Mark Anthony and Cleopatra have lost the Battle of Actium to their rival Octavian, but their political defeat does not diminish their profound love for each other. Together they bravely face death by suicide rather than lose their prized freedom.
About the Composer
Portrait of Johann Adolph Hasse
Johann Adolph Hasse had his breakout success at the age of 26 when his serenata Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra took Europe by storm. He soon became one of the century’s most prolific and prized composers of opera. While he was famed and fêted during the 18th century, his music is rarely heard in the United States today. Haymarket Opera Company presents the Chicago premiere of Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra.
In Loving Memory of Suzanne L. Wagner
Haymarket Opera Company dedicates these performances to the memory of Suzanne L. Wagner, a beloved member of the company for more than ten years. Suzanne was a fierce supporter of the arts, a passionate advocate for early opera, and an important member of the Haymarket Board of Directors, volunteering her time and expertise in support of an organization she loved. She is dearly missed.
To honor Suzanne’s dedication to Haymarket Opera Company, the Wagner Family has generously sponsored this production in her memory. Suzanne was crucial to the development of this production in its planning stages, and enthusiastic about the cast and team. We are grateful to her family for their support and for honoring Suzanne's legacy.
Production Sponsors & Support
Lead Sponsors: Amata Office Suites, Jamerson and Bauwens Electric, Dr. Axel Kunzmann and Bruce Nelson, Gregory O'Leary and Patricia Kenney, Lynne and Ralph Schatz, and the Wagner Family
Supporting Sponsors: M. Scott Anderson, Patricia P. and Jerome E. Fuller Charitable Fund, David J. Rice, Marjorie Stinespring, Douglas and Pam Walter, and Michael and Jessica Young
Foundational support comes from: The Paul M. Angell Foundation, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Walder Foundation.
We are grateful for the support of these sponsors alongside the support that has come from Haymarket’s wonderful community of donors. Your gifts and contributions have helped make this production possible. Thank you!
If you are interested in becoming a production sponsor, please contact general director Chase Hopkins, at chase@haymarketopera.org.
Death of Cleopatra by Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1796-1797)
This event is for everyone! If you require access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact us at info@haymarketopera.org. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your earliest convenience.