Of Mice and Men supporters

Mission Statement
Manitoba Opera is a non-profit arts
organization dedicated to changing
people’s lives through the glory of opera.
Manitoba Opera Office
Lower Level, Centennial Concert Hall
Room 1060, 555 Main Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1C3
204-942-7479
BOX OFFICE
9:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday
Single Tickets: 204-944-8824
Subscriber Services Hotline: 204-957-7842
Larry Desrochers
General Director & CEO
Online: tickets.manitobaopera.mb.ca
Claudia Alvares
Development Coordinator
To advertise in this program call:
204-944-8824
Tadeusz Biernacki
Assistant Music Director/Chorus Master
Michael Blais
Director of Administration
Website: www.manitobaopera.mb.ca
Manitoba Opera is a member
of Opera.ca and Opera America.
Sheldon Johnson
Director of Production
Brendan McKeen
Interim Development Assistant
Tyrone Paterson
Music Advisor & Principal Conductor
Darlene Ronald
Director of Marketing
Dale Sulymka
Chief Financial Officer
Sophie Waldman
Interim Education & Outreach Coordinator
Monica Wood
Director of Development
Manitoba Opera gratefully acknowledges
the encouragement and financial support
given by the following:
Program design by Raquelle Lafond, Panama Design
Judy Braun
Communications Coordinator
& Patron Services Representative
2015/16 Board of Trustees
Wayne Benson,
Vice-Chair
Abbie Grieder
Owner, G & L Sales Ltd.
Co-owner, Buhle Painting
& Decorating
Dr. Robert Biscontri,
Treasurer
Finance Committee Chair
Dr. Anthony Iacopino,
Secretary; Community
Support Committee Chair
Dean, College of Dentistry,
University of Manitoba
Elba Haid,
Camerata Committee Chair
Sue Jurkovic Bracken,
Bravo Gala Co-Chair
President and CEO, Realcare Inc.
Owner, DSM Enterprises
Leona Herzog,
Audience Engagement Chair
Dr. Hermann Lee
Partner, Osprey Capital Partners
Peter George
Dr. Amanda Huminicki
President & CEO,
McKim Communications
Group Ltd.
Pediatric Dentist
Children’s Dental World
Assistant Professor, Asper School
of Business, University of Manitoba
Brent Bottomley
Visual Arts Management
Consultant
Orthodontist
Luisa Matheson
Bravo Gala Co-Chair
President and CEO,
Rockwell Group
Dr. Bill Pope
Dr. Jeffrey Sisler
Vice-Dean, Faculty of Health
Sciences, University of Manitoba
Kimberley Puhach
Consultant, Leaders & Co.
Jennifer Snyder,
Governance Committee Chair
Portfolio Manager, Harbourfront
Wealth Management
Robert Vineberg,
Chair, Board of Trustees
Executive Committee Chair
Historian and Policy Consultant
David White
Retired District Vice President,
TD Canada Trust
Under the distinguished patronage of
The Honourable Janice C. Filmon, C.M., O.M.
Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba
His Worship Brian Bowman,
Mayor of the City of Winnipeg
Founding President
Heather Sarna
Principal, HSA Design Inc.
The Honourable A. Kerr Twaddle*
Artistic Director Emeritus
Dr. Irving Guttman, C.M., O.B.C.*
Founding Director Emeritus
Dr. Robert H. Thorlakson, O.C.*
Directors Emeriti
James W. Astwood
Thos. F. Copeland *
Rosalind Dick
D. Chris Finnbogason*
Peter George
H.E. Harland
Mrs. Kenneth R. Howell
A. Rolph Huband
Richard Irish
Bruce H. Lang
Mrs. Sinclair A. Levack*
Allan M. Moore*
Dr. Robert N. Morris
Dr. M.M. Pierce*
Dr. Elmer E. Reimer
Louis R. (Bud) Sherman*
Eleanor Siddall
Dr. Lawrence Soloway*
J.F. Reeh Taylor*
Leigh Taylor
* deceased
3
Manitoba Opera
gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our
2015/16 Season Supporters
Season Funders
Season Sponsors
Production & Performance Sponsors
Projected Translations Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Education, Outreach & Audience Engagement Sponsors
Student Night at the Opera
Official Sponsors
Hotel Sponsor
IT Sponsor
Catering Sponsor
5
Message
from the Chair,
Board of Trustees
A
As the end of my second year as chair
approaches, I am amazed at how fast the
time has passed. The board and I, along
with our staff, have been involved in
community engagement activities as never
before. We began with our production of
Fidelio in the fall of 2014, when we related
the issue of political prisoners, as Beethoven
perceived it 200 years ago, to the present
day and the continuing abuse of human
rights in many countries.
As with the thousands of Syrians who are
finding refuge in Canada right now,
Winnipeg has a long tradition of welcoming
refugees and prisoners of conscience. Fifty
of Winnipeg’s own refugees joined the
performers on stage for the moving finale
of Fidelio and hundreds more attended the
opera on subsidized tickets, thanks to many
generous companies and foundations. This evening you will see the operatic
version of John Steinbeck’s iconic story,
Of Mice and Men. Many of you will have
already read the novella or seen a movie
version of this literary classic. However,
as is unique to opera, I am sure you will
find that Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men
will envelope all your emotions as this
heartrending story unfolds before you
in a live performance.
We are all well aware that issues concerning
the respect, care, and nurture of persons
labelled with intellectual disabilities continue
to challenge our society. Inspired by the
character of Lennie, this season Manitoba
Opera has been working with an advisory
committee made up of professionals from
People First of Canada, Community Living
Winnipeg, St. Amant Centre, and Red River
College’s Disability and Community Support
Program. As a result of this partnership, a
number of initiatives have been developed
including the “We All Have Dreams” videos;
a panel discussion on stereotypes as
portrayed in the arts, our culture and the
media; and opportunities for those with
intellectual disabilities to volunteer at,
and attend the opera.
Our intent is to continue to relate the
themes of our productions to present day
and our own community. Next season, in
conjunction with Massenet’s Werther, we
will examine issues around mental health
and depression.
Enjoy this evening’s performance, and
I look forward to seeing you next season.
Robert Vineberg
Chair
Pre-Show Chat
Saturday, April 23 x Piano Nobile x 7:00 pm
Presenter: Carlisle Floyd
Tuesday, April 26 x Piano Nobile x 6:30 pm
Presenter: Donna Fletcher
Friday, April 29 x Piano Nobile x 7:00 pm
Presenter: Donna Fletcher
Carlisle Floyd
Donna Fletcher
An informative 20-minute presentation that will add to your enjoyment of the production.
7
Message from the
General Director
& CEO
J
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is
solidly of its time and place: America in
the Depression. First as a novella, then a
play, with several film versions following,
the story of the two drifters, George and his
intellectually challenged friend, Lennie, is,
as the New York Times put it in a 2014
review, a story you seem to know, with the
characters as entrenched as any in American
life. In fact, they are so entrenched that
Of Mice and Men was open to parody in
a Bugs Bunny cartoon soon after the
original film version opened in 1939 and
more recently, by the South Park cartoon
series. The Times review also noted that the
story remains strong in our memory, but
since 1938, has become somewhat old hat.
That’s where the opera comes in.
Fashion in opera may come and go; opera
companies do much more Baroque opera
than they did even a generation ago, but
the latent power of the composer/librettist’s
vision is always immediate. This is especially
the case with Carlisle Floyd. Now about to
begin his 90th year this June, he is a rarity
in opera: a librettist as well as a composer.
He is one of a handful of American
composers who built an operatic literature
in the latter part of the 20th century. Floyd,
along with Aaron Copland, was a leader
in what has been called the American
folk-opera movement: an attempt to create
American verismo. As one commentator
noted, Floyd was, with others, creating a
realism in opera stretching back to Verdi.
But why Of Mice and Men? The appeal to
Floyd was simple. All his operas, from his
first triumph, Susanna, a Southern version
of the book of the Bible, to Steinbeck’s play,
deal with society’s outcasts. In shaping the
libretto, he transformed the story using all
the operatic devices: the small chorus, the
ballad singer, the expanded arias and duets.
The chorus and ballad singer, for example,
can voice directly what is only mentioned
in the play. What might have seemed
intractable material in text and dialogue
finds greater life in song.
Floyd’s music is immediate and recognizable,
so much so that Mark Adamo, an opera
composer of this generation, has labelled
Floyd “The Father of Us All.” When he
wrote Of Mice and Men, new operas were
rare in America and certainly a second
production seemed unlikely. Floyd, however,
kept the faith, composing works of
importance, only to see their recognition
in the great outburst of productions at
major companies in the U.S. and elsewhere,
starting in the 1990s and continuing today.
Floyd needed to express the troubles of the
American outsider in a European-created
art form. Of Mice and Men sings of that
outsider in music that we can all relate to
and absorb, and in doing so makes Floyd’s
opera as much of our time, as Steinbeck’s
novella/play was of his.
Larry Desrochers
General Director & CEO
9
Dorothea Lange Exhibit
A
As part of the initiatives around Of Mice
and Men, Manitoba Opera secured the
rights from the Oakland Museum of
California to display select works of one
of America’s most revered documentary
photographers, Dorothea Lange.
The exhibit has been featured on the
Piano Nobile since April 10 and will remain
until May 15.
The works on display
range from the familiar
and heartbreaking
Migrant Mother,
Migrant Mother,
Nipomo, CA, 1936
Nipomo, California,
1936, to less familiar, but equally haunting
images that were instrumental in galvanizing
public support for programs to aid those
affected by the Great Depression.
Dorothea Lange is best known for her
Depression-era work for the Farm Security
Administration. She documented everyday
life in California during this difficult period
of American history. Her photographs
recorded the plight of Dust Bowl migrants
with intimacy and deep personal empathy.
The framed images in the exhibit are
available for sale. If you are interested
in making a purchase, contact Sophie
Waldman at 204-942-7470 or by email,
swaldman@manitobaopera.mb.ca
Funding for this exhibit provided by the
U.S. Consulate – Winnipeg.
Titles Cuer Retires
F
For the past 19 seasons, Kim Lavilla has
sat in the booth at the back of the
second balcony during performances
and ensured that the English translation
slides were projected above the stage.
Now after 42 productions, Kim has signed off
as Manitoba Opera’s titles cuer so that she
can focus on her full-time position as a
program coordinator with DASCH, a local
non-profit organization that addresses
residential, day program, respite, and foster
care needs of youth and adults.
Kim became a part of the Manitoba Opera
team in November 1996 after graduating
from the University of Manitoba with a
degree in music. Her final show as cuer was
The Marriage of Figaro last November.
“The projected titles have become such
an important part of the opera-going
experience, and the role of the titles cuer
cannot be underestimated,” explains Sheldon
Johnson, Director of Production. “Kim was
a valuable member of the production team
and she remains a great friend to Manitoba
Opera. We will miss her presence backstage.”
Kim Lavilla
“My time with the
company has been
thrilling, gratifying,
and of course, at times,
stressful,” comments Kim.
“I will miss being a part
of a live performance
and will always look
back at my 20 years with
great fondness.”
11
Perspectives
Dreams Shattered
by Rory Runnells
I
It is a tribute to composer Carlisle
Floyd’s ability as a librettist that he
was able to take John Steinbeck’s
taut tale of the forgotten men and,
significantly, one woman, in Of Mice
and Men and exert even more focus on
the failure of their frustrated dreams.
Although Steinbeck’s theme of loneliness
was set in the despair of the Great
Depression, Floyd’s opera makes that
theme universal and timeless.
Innocence, hard to describe, but instinctive
to feel, is at the heart of the story’s
characters, with perhaps the exception
of the boss, Curley. The gentle, slow, and
sometimes dangerous Lennie, and his
caretaker, the restless George, have a quiet,
small dream of a farm. Curley’s wife has
grandiose dreams of Hollywood fame.
Around them swirl the frustrations of the
ranch hands, both cruel and kind. They
provide a chorus to the inevitable, tragic
clash the odd couple of George and Lennie
will have with Curley’s wife.
Steinbeck’s Curley’s wife can be played
against his text as more vulnerable than
what is laid down. She is the snake in the
rough-edged Eden of the all-male ranch
world. With the transforming power of the
operatic form and his astute text, Floyd
makes her as innocent as Lennie in her wish
for elusive stardom. The men may see her
unsympathetically, but they too are as stuck
as she in their illusions. Her death in the
opera has more poignancy than in the play
(or films); that too is a tribute to the power
of Floyd’s music. Just as an old dog is shot
earlier in the piece and just as Lennie will
be killed by George at the end, her death,
which is the catalyst for that tragic finale,
is one of innocence. Her death leads to
Lennie’s last cry, “I can see it, George.”
It is the cry of all illusions shattered.
Throughout his career, Floyd has written
operas about the outsider. Some are
society’s castoffs, while others are society’s
enemies. The oppressed and the wrongly
accused are given their due in his operas.
Like Verdi, he is on the side of those on the
outside of power or riches. The dreams in
Of Mice and Men, if we go back to the
Robbie Burns poem, indeed go awry.
However, in his opera Floyd has made it
clear they came from the soul where
innocence resides.
Rory Runnells is Artistic Director of the Manitoba
Association of Playwrights, Drama Editor for
Prairie Fire magazine, and writes book reviews
for the Winnipeg Free Press.
Special Thanks to our Season and Of Mice and Men Production and Performance Sponsors:
13
In Memorium x Stano Spina
O
One of Manitoba Opera’s biggest fans
and passionate supporters, Stano Spina,
passed away on February 9 at St.
Boniface Hospital after a long,
hard-fought battle with liver disease.
Stano had a deep love for opera and for
Manitoba Opera. He had been involved with
the company, serving in many capacities,
since 1972. He appeared in 55 operas as a
supernumerary (extra), served on the Board
of Directors, served on the Guild as president
for two years, was a member of the Auxiliary,
and chaired many fundraisers. In recent
seasons, he assisted with the operation of
the Boutique.
River Heights residents will also recognize
Stano as the owner of Stano’s Coiffures,
which he operated on Academy Road for
50 years.
Besides Manitoba Opera, he also gave of his
time to the Khartum Shrine, Vintage Cars,
played drums in the Pipes and Drums, and
was a member of the
Order of the Eastern Star
working his way
up to many senior levels
in the organization.
Numerous plays produced
as fundraisers over the
years were also written,
directed and produced
by Stano.
Stano as a super in
Cavalleria Rusticana/
I Pagliacci, 1984
Born in southern Italy in 1943, Stano
immigrated to Canada in 1960 with his
parents and brother, coming to Winnipeg
where they already had some family.
“Stano was one of the first volunteers I met
upon coming to Manitoba Opera in 2000,”
comments Darlene Ronald, Director of
Marketing. “I will forever remember his
enthusiasm for the art form, his concern that
the company continue to be a bright spot
in our community, and his commitment to
giving back. He was an inspiration and
will be greatly missed.”
The Composer
& Librettist
Carlisle
Floyd
(1926 – )
Carlisle Floyd is one of America’s most
celebrated composers of opera, with a
career spanning 67 years. In terms of opera
creation, he has even surpassed the great
Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi by more
than a decade.
Born in 1926 in Latta, South Carolina,
the son of a Methodist minister, Floyd
earned both a bachelor and master of
music degree in piano and composition at
Syracuse University. He began his teaching
career in 1947 as part of the piano faculty
at Florida State University (FSU), eventually
becoming a professor of composition.
It was at FSU that he wrote his first nine
operas, including Of Mice and Men (1969)
and his most popular, Susannah (1953–54).
In 1976, he was appointed Professor of
Music at the University of Houston and
also co-founded the Houston Opera Studio,
a training program for young professional
singers and repertory coaches. He retired
from the university in 1996.
As he celebrated his 80th birthday in
2006, he told the Houston Chronicle he
considered the acclaimed Cold Sassy Tree,
which premiered in 2000, his professional
finale. However, he went on to write
another opera, Prince of Players, which
just received its premiere at Houston
Grand Opera in March.
Aside from composing, Floyd is also his
own librettist, having written the libretto
for all 12 of his operas. His works are
among the most performed operas by
American composers.
Photo of Carlisle Floyd by Daniel Tchetchik.
The Author
John Ernst
Steinbeck, Jr.
(1902 – 1968)
John Steinbeck was an American author
of 27 books, including 16 novels, six
non-fiction books, and five collections
of short stories. He is widely known for
the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and
Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation
epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas
Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Red Pony
(1937). He is said to have referred to Of
Mice and Men as “a little study in humility.”
Steinbeck received the Pulitzer Prize for
The Grapes of Wrath (1939), which is
generally considered to be part of the
American literary canon. It is claimed to
be his masterpiece and sold 14 million
copies in its first 75 years of publication.
The winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in
Literature, Steinbeck has been called
“a giant of American letters.” His works
are still widely read throughout the world
today and many of them are considered
classics of Western literature.
Most of Steinbeck’s work is set in southern
and central California, particularly in the
Salinas Valley and the California Coast
Ranges region. His works frequently
explored the themes of fate and injustice,
especially as applied to downtrodden or
everyman protagonists.
15
Synopsis Of Mice and Men
first performance:
place:
Seattle, Washington, January 22, 1970
A ranch in California x
time:
1930’s x
language:
English
Act One
Scene 1: A clearing in the woods.
Act Two
The bunkhouse.
Two migrant ranch workers: George and
Lennie, are running from the police. Lennie,
who has the strength and physique of a
giant and a child’s mind, cannot stay out of
trouble. George laments about how much
better his life would be without Lennie, but
he doesn’t really mean it, any more than
Lennie means his offer to leave.
As the hands play horseshoes, George is
looking in the newspaper for farms for sale.
Suddenly, he spots an ad and calls Lennie in.
Lennie arrives, cradling his new puppy.
Candy offers to go in with them. After some
figuring, George sees it will work. George,
Lennie, and Candy celebrate.
Lennie has a mouse with him which he has
killed by petting it. After throwing the dead
mouse away, George cheers up Lennie by
reciting their long-standing dream: to get
a farm of their own.
Scene 2: The bunkhouse.
Curley, the ranch boss, is complaining to
Candy, an old ranch hand, about George
and Lennie’s late arrival. Curley’s wife comes
in to plead for attention. Curley orders her
out and forbids her to return.
George and Lennie arrive as the ranch hands
return from the fields. Slim offers his dog’s
new litter of puppies to the men. Lennie
asks George if he can have one.
Curley’s wife arrives again. She discovers
Lennie, but she leaves before anyone does
anything they regret. After she leaves, the
hands make coarse jokes at her and Curley’s
expense.
Carlson complains about how Candy’s old
dog stinks up the bunkhouse. Slim suggests
that they shoot Candy’s dog and replace it
with one of Slim’s puppies. Candy resists,
but ultimately concedes. Carlson takes the
dog outside. For a long moment tension
rises in the bunkhouse as everyone waits for
the shot. Finally, the shot rings out. Night
falls as the hands sing of their longing for
a home.
Curley’s wife arrives. As George tries to
throw her out, Curley walks in. Curley tries
to pick a fight with George, but then Lennie
giggles, and Curley’s rage turns to Lennie.
Lennie grasps Curley’s fist in his big hand
and crushes it. Slim blackmails Curley into
not firing Lennie and George by threatening
to reveal how Curley hurt his hand.
Candy asks George to read about their farm
again. The scene ends with Candy, George,
and Lennie imagining the farm.
Act Three
Scene 1: The barn.
Lennie is in the barn mourning his now-dead
puppy. Curley’s wife enters, looking to
escape from Curley. Each sings of their
dream: Lennie of a farm with animals he can
pet, and Curley’s wife of the stardom that
awaits her in Hollywood.
Curley’s wife tempts Lennie to stroke her
soft hair. When Lennie won’t stop, she
screams. Lennie panics and accidentally kills
her. Aware that he has done something
wrong, he flees.
Candy comes in and discovers the body.
He calls in George and Slim who both
realize immediately what has happened.
Slim convinces George to take a pistol and
shoot Lennie, rather than let Curley and
Carlson lynch him. George sets off
after Lennie.
Continued on page 29
16
Plain Language Synopsis
Plain language is an accommodation right for many people with disabilities.
Just like door openers, ramps, and American Sign Language interpretation help
people with disabilities, plain language makes information easier to understand
for people with intellectual disabilities. It can also help seniors, new Canadians,
and others who may have barriers to language and printed information.
This plain language synopsis was prepared by People First of Canada, the
national organization representing people labelled with an intellectual disability.
Act One
Scene 1: A clearing in the woods.
Two travelling ranch workers are running
from the police. They are going to a new
ranch to work for awhile. Their names are
George and Lennie.
George is a short, smart man. Lennie is a
really big and tall man, but he is not very
smart. George and Lennie are kind of like
friends, but Lennie gets into trouble a lot
and George has to help him. George says his
life would be easier without Lennie, but he
doesn’t really mean it.
Lennie has a dead mouse with him. He killed
it by petting it too hard. George throws the
dead mouse away. George tries to cheer
Lennie up by talking about their dream of
owning a farm together.
Scene 2: The bunkhouse.
Curley is the boss at the new ranch. He is
mad that George and Lennie are late getting
there. He is complaining about this to an old
ranch worker named Candy. Curley’s wife
comes into the bunkhouse and tries to get
the men to notice her. Curley tells her to get
out and never come back to the bunkhouse.
George and Lennie finally get to the ranch at
the end of the work day. The other workers
are coming back from the fields. They meet
a ranch worker named Slim. Slim’s dog just
had puppies. He asks if they want a puppy.
Lennie asks George if he can have one.
Curley’s wife comes into the bunkhouse
again. She is interested in Lennie. After she
leaves, the ranch workers make rude jokes
about her and Curley.
Another ranch worker named Carlson
complains about the smell from Candy’s old
dog. Slim says they should shoot it and give
Candy one of Slim’s puppies. Candy doesn’t
want to do that but after a time he agrees.
Carlson takes the old dog outside.
Everyone in the bunkhouse waits to hear
the shot. Finally they hear it. As it gets dark,
the ranch workers sing songs about home.
Act Two
The bunkhouse.
The ranch workers are playing horseshoes
outside the bunkhouse. George is inside
looking at the newspaper for farms for sale.
George finds an ad with a farm for sale. He
calls Lennie into the bunkhouse. Lennie
comes in with his new puppy. Candy offers
to go in on the farm with them. George
thinks this will work. They all celebrate.
Curley’s wife comes into the bunkhouse.
George tries to throw her out just as Curley
walks in. Then Curley tries to pick a fight
with George and Lennie giggles at that.
Curley turns his anger on Lennie for
laughing. Lennie takes Curley’s fist in his
big hand and crushes it. Curley is angrier
now and wants to fire George and Lennie.
Slim warns Curley that he will tell everybody
what happened to his hand if he fires them.
Curley doesn’t fire George and Lennie.
After things settle down, Candy asks George
to read aloud the ad about the farm again.
Candy, George, and Lennie all imagine the
farm.
Continued on page 29
17
Of Mice and Men Supporters
Manitoba Opera gratefully acknowledges the following supporters for their
dedicated gifts to Of Mice and Men.
Edward J. Ransby
Community Engagement Special Thanks
Sincere thanks to the following for their guidance, time, expertise, and assistance:
Advisory Panel:
•Amanda Campbell, Senior Manager, St. Amant Centre
•Shelley Fletcher, Executive Director, People First of Canada
•Janet Forbes, Executive Director, Community Living Winnipeg
•Karen Menkis, Board Member, Community Living Winnipeg
•Tara Mullen, Instructor, Disability and Community Support, Red River College
•Argyle Alternative
High School
•Kory Earle
•Alicia Johnston
•Dr. Colette Simonet
•Nikki Einfeld
•New Directions
•Peter Strummer
•Thomas Asselin
•Dean Harder
•Dave Baerg
•Michael Robert
Hendrick
•People First of
Canada
•Dr. Lucas Tromly
•John Barrett
•Sue Proctor
•Tadeusz Biernacki
•Dr. Nancy Hansen
•Winnipeg Public
Library
•Gregory Dahl
•James Hiebert
•DASCH Inc.
•Leona Herzog
•Red River College,
Academic and
Essential Skills
Program
•Dr. Gene Walz
“We All Have Dreams” Video Series
It is the human condition to dream. It is
certainly the dream of owning a piece
of land that keeps driving George and
Lennie, the main characters in Of Mice
and Men.
As part of the community engagement
initiatives for Of Mice and Men,
Manitoba Opera, working with
videographers James Hiebert and
Thomas Asselin, produced the
“We All Have Dreams” video series.
Through this collection of 11 two-minute
interviews, the dreams, hopes, and
aspirations of some wonderful people
in our community are shared.
Samatha’s video shoot with interviewer Tom Asselin.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone who
agreed to be featured in this series:
Brian, Dawn, Heather, Jeff, Mike, Ryan,
Samantha, Tabitha, Nicholas, Ruth,
and Roy.
To view the videos, go to bit.do/mboperayoutube
Of Mice and Men
A M usical D rama in T hree A cts
Music by
Carlisle Floyd
Libretto in English by the composer after the novella and play by John Steinbeck
Conducted by
Tyrone Paterson
Directed by
Michael Cavanagh
PRINCIPAL Cast (In order of vocal appearance)
LENNIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Robert Hendrick
GEORGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gregory Dahl
CURLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joel Sorensen
CANDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Strummer
CURLEY’S WIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikki Einfeld
SLIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Watson
CARLSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terence Mierau
BALLAD SINGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter John (PJ) Buchan
Also appearing
CANDY’S DOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cailean
Set Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vicki Davis
Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Memmott Allred
Lighting Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Henderson
Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Pel
Assistant Stage ManagerS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Ball
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ali Fulmyk
Scenery and Wardrobe provided by . . . . . . . Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Salt Lake City, UT)
Projected Titles by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheldon Johnson
This production of Of Mice and Men is a co-production of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera,
Cleveland Opera, and Vancouver Opera. Scenery constructed in the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
Production Studio.
Permission for the use of Grant Wood’s painting, Farm View (1932), in this production has been
granted by Coe College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). The original painting is owned by Coe College and
resides in the Coe College Permanent Collection of Art.
There will be one intermission following Act Two.
Latecomers will not be seated until an appropriate break in the program. The use of cameras
and recording devices is strictly forbidden. Please turn off paging devices, cell phones,
and alarm watches. Cast subject to change.
Manitoba Opera is a professional company operating within the jurisdiction of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
19
The Artists
Michael Cavanagh
Director
Born and raised in Winnipeg,
Michael Cavanagh has directed
a number of productions for
Manitoba Opera over the
years, most recently, The
Magic Flute in 2011.
He is a former artistic director of Edmonton Opera
and has directed over 100 productions throughout
Canada, the U.S., and Europe including Opera
Philadelphia, Boston Lyric Opera, L’Opéra de
Montreal, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Lyric Opera
of Kansas City.
Mr. Cavanagh made his San Francisco Opera debut
in 2012 with Nixon in China (Adams), a production
he developed for Vancouver Opera as part of the
2010 Winter Olympic Games. Since then, he has
returned to San Francisco Opera for new
productions of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah and
Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti).
In Europe, he made his Covent Garden debut
directing a new chamber opera, The Midnight
Court (Sokolovic) and remounted his Nixon in
China production in Dublin, Ireland in 2014.
Recent highlights include new productions of
Carmen for Minnesota Opera, Madama Butterfly
for Vancouver Opera, and Svadba/Wedding for
San Francisco Opera. This fall, Mr. Cavanagh will
make his debut at the Royal Swedish Opera with
Nixon in China.
Tyrone Paterson
Conductor
Tyrone Paterson is Manitoba
Opera’s Music Advisor and
Principal Conductor. He is
one of Canada’s major opera
conductors and has also led
performances throughout
Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Recent performances
include Otello (Germany); Madama Butterfly and
Tosca (Opera Lyra Ottawa); Rigoletto (Montreal
Opera); Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (Edmonton
Opera); concerts in San Remo, Italy; La Traviata
(Hawaii Opera Theatre); Medea at Il Teatro Greco
(Italy); concerts for Opera Cracow (Poland);
Manon (Calgary Opera); Carmen (Opera Lyra
Ottawa); Salome, Rigoletto, Aïda, Don Pasquale,
Fidelio and Turandot (Manitoba Opera).
20
Listed in order of Vocal Appearance
* Manitoba Opera debut
Other notable past engagements include Eugene
Onegin featuring Russell Braun; Lucia di
Lammermoor featuring Sumi Jo; Borodin’s Prince
Igor (National Theater of Moravia-Silesia); La
Traviata and Rigoletto for Opera Constanta
(Romania); Tosca for the Opern Air Festival
(Austria); Jenufa at the Hukvaldy Festival; Bartók’s
Blue Beard’s Castle (Czech Republic); and The
Magic Flute (Beijing).
Mr. Paterson also teaches the stars of tomorrow
and returns to the Canadian Operatic Arts
Academy this spring. Next season he will conduct
The Magic Flute for Western University, as well as
Falstaff and Werther for Manitoba Opera.
Michael Robert
Hendrick*
Lennie
Lennie Small in Of Mice and
Men (Washington National
Opera, Arizona Opera, Utah
Opera, Kentucky Opera,
Sarasota Opera); Bacchus in
Ariadne auf Naxos (Metropolitan Opera, L’Opera
de Montréal, Seattle Opera, Pittsburgh Opera,
and Brazil’s Amazonas Festival [also Enée in Les
Troyens, Samson in Samson et Dalila and Parsifal
in Parsifal, also at Lyric Opera of Chicago]);
Menelas in Die Ägyptische Helena (Metropolitan
Opera); Herodes in Salome (Wuppertal, Germany);
Midas in Die Liebe der Danae (Amsterdam);
Lohengrin in Lohengrin (Moscow); Paul in Die
tote Stadt (Nancy, France); and the Stranger in
Korngold’s Das Wunder der Heliane (London
Philharmonic Orchestra).
At Sarasota Opera, Canio in Pagliacci, Levko in
Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night, Florestan in Fidelio
(also Palm Beach Opera), Laca in Jenufa (Málaga
and Bilbao, Spain [also Aroldo in Verdi’s Aroldo])
and Erik in Der fliegende Holländer (Bellas Artes
in Mexico City); Don José in Carmen (La Coruña
and Santander, Spain); Tito in La Clemenza di Tito
(National Symphony Orchestra).
Gregory Dahl
George
Former Winnipegger
Gregory Dahl has attained
a position of prominence
among baritones of
his generation with
performances notable for
richness of characterization and a remarkable
vocal authority.
The Artists
Career highlights include Tomsky in Queen of
Spades (English National Opera); the title role in
Macbeth (Opéra de Québec and Kentucky Opera);
Sharpless in Madama Butterfly (Canadian Opera
Company and Vancouver Opera); Golaud in
Pelleas et Melisande (Opera Theater of St. Louis);
and Grand Prêtre in Samson et Dalila (Opéra de
Montréal). Mr. Dahl last performed with Manitoba
Opera as Amonasro in Aïda in 2013. He has been
featured with the orchestras of Montreal,
Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Nova Scotia.
This season’s schedule also includes Carmina
Burana (Chorus Niagara), Shalimar, The Clown
(OTSL), and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for
Orchestre symphonique de Trois Rivieres.
Joel Sorensen*
Curley
Joel Sorensen is recognized
as one of the finest tenors
to specialize in character
repertoire, regularly praised
for the clarion quality of
his voice.
This season, Mr. Sorensen returned to San
Francisco Opera to sing Sciortino in La Ciociara,
Zorn in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Le
médecin in Debussy’s La chute de la maison Usher;
San Diego Opera for Spoletta in Tosca; and Toledo
Opera for Goro in Madama Butterfly.
Other notable engagements include Wilhelm in
The Ghosts of Versailles at Los Angeles Opera;
Andrès, Cochenille, Pitichinaccio, and Frantz in
Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Metropolitan
Opera; Herodes in Salome at Florentine Opera;
Mime in Das Rheingold with Longborough
Festival, UK; and Andres in Wozzeck with the
Landestheater in Salzburg.
Roles in recent seasons have included the title
role in Don Pasquale with Manitoba Opera in
2013; Reverend Baines in Elmer Gantry and
Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Tulsa Opera;
and Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at
the Fondazione del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
Nikki Einfeld
Curley’s Wife
Winnipeg-born soprano
Nikki Einfeld has appeared
with the San Francisco Opera
as Nannetta in Falstaff;
Vancouver Opera and New
Orleans Opera as Susanna
in Le Nozze di Figaro; Syracuse Opera and Green
Mountain Opera Festival in the title role of Lucia
di Lammermoor; Opera Francais of New York as
Telaire in Casper et Pollux; Edmonton Opera as
Nannetta in Falstaff and Mabel in The Pirates
of Penzance; Opera Lyra Ottawa as Ophelia in
Hamlet; Rosina with Saskatoon Opera; and
Canadian Opera Company as Queen of the
Night in The Magic Flute.
With Manitoba Opera, she has sung the roles of
Norina in Don Pasquale, Rosina in Il Barbiere di
Siviglia, Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment,
Zerlina in Don Giovanni Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore,
and Adele in Die Fledermaus.
She has appeared on the concert stages of the
San Francisco Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic,
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra New Music
Festival, Left Coast Chamber Orchestra, Montreal
Chamber Orchestra, the Empyrean Ensemble,
Stanford Orchestra, and the Winnipeg
Philharmonic Choir.
David Watson
Slim
Peter Strummer
Candy
One of America’s foremost
character bass-baritones,
Peter Strummer has earned
a reputation for endowing
his buffo characterizations
with incredible depth and
humanity. His signature portrayals have been
described as “highly individual, each formidably
different whether as Bartolo or Don Magnifico or
Beckmesser or Pasquale.”
Upcoming engagements include Benoit/Alcindoro
in La Bohème at Syracuse Opera and a performance
with Kentucky Opera.
Canadian bass-baritone
David Watson made his
operatic debut with
Manitoba Opera in 1979
and has since performed
extensively with opera
companies, choral groups, and orchestras
across Canada. Notable roles with Manitoba
Opera include Tomas (Nosferatu), Alidoro
(La Cenerentola), the Marquis (Dialogues of
the Carmelites), and Don Alfonso (Così fan
tutte). Upcoming engagements include the
role of Le Bailli in Werther next April with
Manitoba Opera. Continued on page 22
21
The Artists
When not performing on the concert and
operatic stage, Mr. Watson serves as an avionics
technician with the Canadian Armed Forces
at 402 Squadron in Winnipeg.
Terence Mierau
Carlson
After completing a Bachelor
of Theology and a Bachelor
of Church Music at CMBC,
Terry Mierau went on to
earn a Master of Music
(Vocal Performance) from
McGill University in Montreal. His career then
took him to Europe, where he sang on the opera
stages and in the concert halls of cities such as
Amsterdam, Lyon, Vienna, and Edinburgh. A young family, a move back to Canada, and
a waning desire for travel all combined to
awaken the long repressed dream to be a farmer.
Mr. Mierau, together with his wife Monique,
started a small, mixed farm in New Brunswick,
and then moved family, home, and farm to
southern Manitoba in 2012, where they are trying
to balance their passions of music and farming.
Peter John (PJ) Buchan
Ballad Singer
A native of Winnipeg,
Peter John (PJ) Buchan has
appeared as a chorister
and soloist with many of
the city’s foremost choirs
including the Winnipeg
Singers, Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir and
Camerata Nova.
Internationally, Mr. Buchan has performed
as a soloist in London’s Millennium Centre and
Prague’s St Vitus’ Cathedral, and was guest soloist
at the Reykjavík Winter Festival and National Day
Celebrations in Hrafnseyri, Iceland.
Mr. Buchan has sung previously with Manitoba
Opera (Fidelio, Salome, The Magic Flute and
Candide in Concert), and has performed as a
soloist with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Cailean*
Candy’s Dog
Cailean was born in Rivers,
Manitoba, on April 30, 2003,
and has been entertaining
his owner, Donna Basso,
since he was seven weeks
old. He started his training at
10 months, and attended the Canada West Canine
Centre with Donna where she obtained her
Master Dog Trainer certification.
Cailean has training in many different areas,
including obedience, rally, tracking, drug search,
tricks, and personal protection. He has titles in
Obedience and Rally, and passed his Temperament
Test. His most recent title was obtained in
November, at the age of 12 1/2! He has a very definite sense of humour and loves
to bring Donna presents, although he often gets
them from places he shouldn’t, like the kitchen
counter. He has travelled with Donna from
Ontario to northern British Columbia and is a
wonderful travelling companion. He lives with
two younger dogs: a female German Shepherd
who thinks she’s a drill sergeant and another
Labrador who is a huge clown with no
personal space. Life gets pretty interesting in
the Basso house!
Tadeusz Biernacki
Assistant Music Director,
Chorus Master
This is Mr. Biernacki’s 33rd
season with Manitoba Opera
as Assistant Music Director,
Chorus Master, and Rehearsal
Pianist. He is also the Music
Director and Conductor of Canada’s Royal
Winnipeg Ballet.
Mr. Biernacki has performed internationally as a
piano soloist and has conducted orchestras across
Canada and the U.S., as well as in Greece, Taiwan,
and Hong Kong. Mr. Biernacki has also written
orchestral arrangements for TSO, WSO, SSO, RWB,
NAC Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet, Memphis Ballet
and others.
His most recent work as a conductor with
Manitoba Opera includes The Marriage of
Figaro, Così fan tutte, Candide, The Daughter
of the Regiment, The Barber of Seville, and
The Magic Flute.
22
The Artists
He has conducted numerous productions for
Saskatoon Opera including Die Fledermaus, L’Elisir
d’Amore, Don Giovanni, Carmen, La Traviata,
La Bohème, Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro,
and Don Pasquale, as well as concert versions of
Hamlet and Mignon for Opera Lyra Ottawa.
Scott Henderson
Lighting Designer
Scott Henderson is excited to
be back at Manitoba Opera
designing Of Mice and Men.
He has designed the lighting
for nine Manitoba Opera
productions since 2002,
including Il Trovatore, La Traviata, and Aida.
Most recently, he designed the lighting for the
RMTC production of Billy Elliot and Marriage:
A Demolition in Two Acts for Prairie Theatre
Exchange. Mr. Henderson is a member of the Associated
Designers of Canada and a graduate of Ryerson
Theatre School.
Favourite theatre credits include Mary Poppins,
The Last Resort, The Drowsy Chaperone (Globe Theatre); The Hound of the Baskervilles,
Armstrong’s War, Miracle on South Division
Street, Dreamgirls, Steel Magnolias, The Melville
Boys, Ed’s Garage (RMTC); A Closer Walk With
Patsy Cline, The Full Monty (Rainbow Stage); The Brink (PTE); and The Nutcracker (RWB). Ali Fulmyk
Assistant Stage Manager
Ali Fulmyk is excited to be
working with Manitoba
Opera again this season.
Select credits include
Fidelio, La Bohème, Don
Pasquale, (Manitoba Opera);
Sister Act, The Little Mermaid, The Producers,
Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage); The Woman in
Black, Private Lives, Jane Eyre, Other People’s
Money (RMTC); Seminar (RMTC/Mirvish);
Mission: Munschpossible (PTE); The Miser
of Middlegate (zone41/TPM); A Man of No
Importance (Dry Cold); and Ordinary Days (WST/Angelwalk Theatre).
Robert Pel
Stage Manager
In the rearview mirror: The
Marriage of Figaro, Turandot,
Fidelio, La Bohème, and Aida
for Manitoba Opera, The
Ballad of Stompin Tom for
Harbourfront Theatre in PEI,
and Anne & Gilbert The Musical in Moose Jaw.
In the headlights is Springworks Festival in
Stratford, Ontario.
Mr. Pel is looking forward to taking on a new
role this summer, that of grandfather. An avid
motorcyclist, he’s plotting another adventure ride
in northern Ontario.
Kathryn Ball
Assistant Stage Manager
Kathryn Ball is pleased to be
back with Manitoba Opera
for her 14th production.
Past productions include The Marriage of Figaro,
Turandot, La Bohème, Don Pasquale, Aida, Rigoletto, The Daughter
of the Regiment, Salome, The Magic Flute,
Tosca, The Barber of Seville, Madama Butterfly,
and Il Trovatore. 23
Manitoba Opera Chorus
Tenor
Bass
Chris Donlevy
George Nytepchuk
John Anderson
Don Larsen
Russ Foster
Lawrence Pauls
Chris Caslake
Howard Rempel
Peter Klymkiw
Jonathan Stitt
Michal Kowalik
Devan Ryner
Production Personnel
Director of
Production
Sheldon Johnson
Apprentice Stage
Manager
Holly LaJambe
Chorus Master/
Répétiteur
Tadeusz Biernacki
Wardrobe
Supervisors
Barry Malenko
Alena Zharska
Vocal Coach
Valdine Anderson
Chorus Rehearsal
Pianist
Cary Denby
Wardrobe Alterations
Canada’s Royal
Winnipeg Ballet
Hair/Wig Designer
Lori Houston
Animal Wrangler
Donna Basso
Hair/Wig Assistant
Jill Buhr
Firearms Safety
Co-ordinator
Dave Brown
Make-Up Designer
Christian Hadley
Make-Up Assistant
Jean-Marc Lafond
Projected Titles
Cueing
Cary Denby
Make-Up Crew
Erin Kiazyk
Stephanie Porrior
Theresa Thomson
This performance by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. publisher and copyright owner.
Rehearsal piano provided by St John’s Music
Production acknowledgements: Brent Letain, Chris Seida, Chris Thomson, Ben Ross,
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
Centennial Concert Hall
Production Staff
Stage Manager
Dave Martin
Light Board
Operator
Denis Crymble
Sound Board
Operator
Glen Jonatchik
Stage Crew/
Wardrobe Dressers
I.A.T.S.E. Local #63
25
A Taste of California
Try California olive oil and
Napa Valley wine, courtesy of
Frescolio Fine Oil + Vinegar
Tasting Bar and Ca’Momi Wines
who will be providing samples
of their products before curtain
and during intermission.
Stations are located on the
Orchestra Levels.
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
2015/16
First Violin
Viola
Oboe
Timpani
Gwen Hoebig,
Concertmaster
Daniel Scholz,
Principal
Beverly Wang,
Principal
Mike Kemp,
Principal
Karl Stobbe,
Associate
Concertmaster
Anne Elise Lavallée,
Assistant Principal
Robin MacMillan
Laszlo Baroczi
English Horn
Percussion
Robin MacMillan
Frederick Liessens,
Principal
Mary Lawton,
Assistant
Concertmaster
Margaret Carey
Richard Bauch
Clarinet
Harp
Chris Anstey
Greg Hay
Merrily Peters
Richard Turner,
Principal
Jeremy Buzash**
Micah Heilbrunn,
Principal
Mona Coarda
Michael Scholz
Rodica Jeffrey
Hong Tian Jia
Meredith McCallum
Julie Savard
Jun Shao
Karin Andreasen*
Simon MacDonald*
Cello
Yuri Hooker,
Principal
Leana Rutt,
Assistant Principal
Alex Adaman
Arlene Dahl
Carolyn Nagelberg
Michelle Goddard
Percussion
Alex Eastley,
Principal
Anthony Cyre
Kathryn Brooks
Horn
Patricia Evans,
Principal
Second Violin
Emma Quackenbush
Ken MacDonald,
Associate Principal
Darryl Strain,
Principal
Sean Taubner
James Robertson
Elation Pauls,
Assistant Principal
Bass
Karen Bauch
Kristina Bauch
Calvin Cheng**
Teodora Dimova**
Elizabeth Dyer
Jonathan
Garabedian**
Meredith Johnson,
Principal
Extra Musicians
Bassoon
Caroline Oberheu
Michiko Singh
Trumpet
Victoria Sparks
Bassoon
Jim Ewen
Keyboard
Tadeusz Biernacki
Harmonica
Todd Martin
Orchestra Personnel
Manager
Chris Lee
Andrew Goodlett,
Assistant Principal
Isaac Pulford,
Acting Principal
Travis Harrison
Paul Jeffrey
Raymond Chrunyk
Paul Nagelberg
Brian Sykora
Assistant Librarian
Bruce Okrainec
Daniel Perry
Trombone
Principal Librarian
Laura MacDougall
Steven Dyer,
Principal
* On Leave
Keith Dyrda
Please note: Non-titled
(tutti) string players are
listed alphabetically and
are seated accordingly
to a rotational system.
Bokyung Hwang
Flute
Takayo Noguchi
Claudine St-Arnauld
Jan Kocman,
Principal
Jane Pulford*
Martha Durkin
Susan McCallum*
Piccolo
Julia McIntyre,
Principal
Martha Durkin
Tuba
Bass Trombone
Chris Lee,
Principal
** One year contract
27
Synopsis Continued from page 16
Scene 2: A clearing in the woods.
Lennie waits for George in the clearing.
After George arrives, he asks Lennie to look
out across the river and imagine their little
farm. As George recites the dream one last
time and as Lennie delights in the vision,
George pulls out the pistol and shoots
Lennie. A posse arrives as George slumps
to the ground in despair.
Readability Comparison
• Word count: original version 589 words; revised - 720 words
(increase of 131 words)
• Average grade level accessibility: original version - 6.93; revised
version - 5.25 (decrease of 1.68
grade levels)
• Average reading ease: original
document - 76.39; revised version
- 84.17 (increase of 7.78 percent)
Plain Language Synopsis
Continued from page 17
Act Three
Scene 1: The barn.
Lennie is in the barn. He is very sad because
his puppy is dead. Curley’s wife comes into
the barn. She is trying to get away from
Curley. They both sing about their dreams.
Lennie’s dream is of a farm with animals he
can pet. Curley’s wife dreams of being a star
in Hollywood.
Curley’s wife talks Lennie into stroking her
hair. But then she wants him to stop. Lennie
won’t stop and she screams. Lennie panics
and kills her by mistake. Lennie knows he
has done something wrong and runs away.
Candy comes into the barn and finds the
body. He calls in George and Slim. They
figure out what has happened right away.
Slim talks George into taking a gun and
shooting Lennie, otherwise Curley and
Carlson will hang him. George goes off
after Lennie.
Scene 2: A clearing in the woods.
Lennie waits for George in the clearing.
When George gets there, he asks Lennie to
look across the river and think about their
little farm. George tells Lennie about
their dream one last time. Lennie is happy
thinking about the farm. George takes out
the gun and shoots Lennie. A group from
the ranch gets to the clearing as George
falls to the ground in sadness.
How Of Mice and Men Got Its Name
John Steinbeck originally titled his novella Something That
Happened (referring to the events of the book as “something
that happened” since nobody could really be blamed for the
unforeseen tragic events that unfold in the story), however,
he changed the title after reading a poem by Scottish poet
Robert Burns titled “To a Mouse.”
Burns’ poem tells of the regret the narrator feels for having
destroyed the home of a mouse while plowing his field.
Written in 1785, in a Scottish dialect, the poem contains
a famous line which translates as “The best-laid schemes
of mice and men often go awry.”
To A Mouse, The Robert Burns Gallery
Bravo Gala 2016
O
On Saturday, March 5th, our 8th annual
Bravo Gala was held at the Delta
Winnipeg. The Gala, which was inspired
by 1930s Hollywood glamour this year,
raises funds for season productions and
community programs. A highlight of
the evening was a performance of three
moving selections by Canadian tenor
Christopher Enns, accompanied by
Tadeusz Biernacki on piano.
Doris Mae Oulton, Cam Mackie, Alex Robinson
(in the back), Jared Rykiss, Jamie Toews, Elba Haid
(MO Board of Trustees), Ross Ransby, Angie Zachary,
Ted Ransby, Lara Secord-Haid, Dale Oughton
Spirited bidding ensued throughout the
evening for the many live and silent
auctions that featured an impressive array
of prizes, courtesy of many generous donors
and sponsors. The Danny Kramer Event
Band provided the tunes that got the
dancers on the floor.
It was a great evening and Manitoba Opera
would like to thank the many guests,
sponsors, donors, corporate supporters,
and volunteers who helped to make this
event one of the highlights of the season.
Kimberley (MO Board of Trustees)
& Chris Puhach, Ronda Landygo
Stephen Fast (West Jet), Cali Hitch & Garth Grieder Jr. (Raffle
winners), Larry Desrochers (MO General Director & CEO)
Robert Vineberg
(MO Board of Trustees
Chair) & Lena Horne
Frank & Palmira Bueti,
Luisa (MO Board of Trustees)
& Gerald Matheson
Back Row (L to R): Leona Herzog
(MO Board of Trustees);
TD Bank Group: Filomena Silva,
Karen Becker & Guests; Pat Bovey.
Front Row (L to R): TD Bank Group:
Nichola Douse-Marshall,
Bernard Phanthavong,
Brenda Blackler,
Cherylee Kelly-Jones
30
Photos: Leif Norman & Josef Miglioranci
Sponsors
Auction Donors
529 Wellington
Advance Electronics
AirPark
Alt Hotel
Anonymous
Arbonne
Assiniboia Downs
Assiniboine Park Conservancy
Aveda Institute and Academy
Bailey’s Prime Dining
Ben Moss Jewellers
Berns & Black Salon
Brad McCabe
Broadway Florists
Buhle Painting & Decorating
Canada One Travel
Carnaval Brazilian BBQ
Carolin Taubensee
City of Winnipeg Kenny Boyce
City of Winnipeg Mayor’s Office
Chochinov Curry
Chop Steakhouse & Bar
Cibo Waterfront Café
Clay Oven
Coach @ The Bay Polo Park
Constantino Rossi
Crown Cap
DANALI
De Luca’s Cooking Studio
Delta Winnipeg
Deseo Bistro
Design Manitoba
Dry Cold Productions
Earl’s on Main
Edward Carrière
Escalade Wine and Spirits
Eyelet Dove
Falcon Trails Resort
Five Small Rooms
Forever Young Spa Boutique
Godiva Chocolates
Government of Manitoba
Protocol Office
Hermanos Restaurant & Wine Bar
Hilary Druxman
Horace Luong Strictly Ballroom
House of Ace
Hudson’s Bay Fur Salon
Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
Independent Jewellers
Inn at the Forks
James Culleton Design
JOAN’s…accessories & more
Joe Grande
L’Occitane
l’Opéra de Montréal
Manitoba Centennial Centre
Corporation
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Manitoba Children’s Museum
Manitoba Club
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
Manitoba Opera
Manitoba Theatre for Young
People
MERE Hotel
Miriam Rudolph
Mona Lisa Ristorante Italiano
Pamela Mann
Parlour Coffee
Pegasus Publications/
Manitoba Home & Gardener
Pembina Hair Company
Peter Vineberg
Poplar Grove Winery
Prairie Theatre Exchange
Raber Glove
Rady Jewish Community Centre
Rainbow Stage
Richard Turner
Richlu Manufacturing
Royal Manitoba
Theatre Centre
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Shakespeare in the Ruins
Shawna Balas Design
Shelter Canadian
Properties Ltd.
Siglarr Viking Naturals
Stella’s Café and Bakery
Sue Jurkovic-Bracken
& Dr. John Bracken
Swyston Pearls of Distinction
Ted Motyka Dance Studio
The Bee•YOU•Tee Bar
The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
The Laughing Loon
The Manitoba Museum
The Merchant Kitchen
Tiber River
Tonic Spa & Hair
True North Sports
& Entertainment Limited
Upstairs For Hair
VIA Rail Canada
Village Orthodontics Dr. McFarlane
Virtuosi Concerts
Watermart Water Centres
Western Gem Lab
Winnipeg Airports Authority
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Gift Shop
Winnipeg Comedy Festival
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Fringe Theatre
Festival
Winnipeg Symphony
Orchestra
Partners in Opera
Manitoba Opera gratefully acknowledges the encouragement and financial
support of our community of donors that allows us to create opera of the
highest calibre. It is because of this generosity that the power and beauty
of professional opera can be experienced right here in Manitoba.
For information on making a donation to Manitoba Opera, contact Monica Wood
at 204-942-0489. (Listings include donations made from February 1, 2015 to March 25, 2016.)
Corporate Support
Principals
$5,000 to $9,999
Supers
$1,000 to $2,499
Artists
$500 to $999
FRIENDS
$100 to $499
Terracon Development
Ltd.
Cambrian Credit Union
HSA Design Inc.
(Heather Sarna &
Associates Inc.)
Melet Plastics Inc.
Red River
Cooperative Ltd.
Edmond Financial
Group
Indutec Alchemist Inc.
Morier Benefits Inc.
Number Ten
Architectural Group
Price Industries Limited
The Laughing Loon
Winmar Property
Restoration
Crosier Kilgour &
Partners Ltd.
GHY International
InterGroup Consultants
Ltd.
Saper Agencies Ltd.
Chorus
$2,500 to $4,999
Nova 3 Engineering Ltd.
Parrish & Heimbecker
Limited
Camerata
Thank you to our
corporate donors who
supported Manitoba
Opera with gifts of
under $100.
Camerata members play a leading role in their visionary support for
Manitoba Opera. Gifts of $1,250 or more are acknowledged with a number
of exclusive privileges and special programs.
# Member, Board of Trustees
Impresario Circle
$5,000+
The Gail Asper Family
Foundation
Susan Brownstone Brock
& Thomas Brock in
Memory of Her Father,
Jack Brownstone
John & Bonnie Buhler
Bill & Shirley Loewen
Michael F. B. Nesbitt
Mrs. Deborah Thorlakson
- in Memory of
Dr. Robert H.
Thorlakson
Drs. William Pope #
& Elizabeth TippettPope
TD Bank Group - Bravo
Gala Gold Sponsor
One Anonymous Donor
MAESTRO
$3,000 to $4,999
Gail Asper &
Michael Paterson
u Manitoba Opera Staff
Lorraine Beck &
Craig McIntosh
Ms. & Mr. Abbie #
& Garth Grieder
Elba Haid #
- in Memory of
Marshall Haid
Leona Herzog #
Robert Vineberg #
& Lena Horne
Mr. James Burt
June and Bob Jackson
Memorial Fund for the
Performing Arts at The
Winnipeg Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Armin
& Denise Martens
The Michael Nozick
Family Foundation Inc.
Mrs. Donna Plant
Hartley & Heather
Richardson
Mrs. Tannis Richardson
Virtuoso
$2,000 to $2,999
Jim & Margaret-Lynne
Astwood
† Deceased
Mrs. Susan Bowden
Twaddle - in Memory
of the Hon. A. Kerr
Twaddle
Audrey F. Hubbard
Robert B. Jackson
Mr. B. Roslycky
& Dr. P. Kmet
Katarina Kupca
Christopher J. Mainella
& Christine Van
Cauwenberghe
Bill & Donna Parrish
Edward J. Ransby
Vic & Ruth Thielmann
Leslie John Taylor Fund
at The Winnipeg
Foundation
Dr. W. Reid
& Ruth † Waters
Camerata
$1,250 to $1,999
Aubrey & Dr. Linda Asper
Patricia Chaychuk
Robert & Alison Darling
Laurie Lam &
Larry Desrochers u
Dr. Michael Dyck
& Ms. Lisa Bueckert
Susan Glass &
Arni Thorsteinson
Dr. & Mrs. Anthony #
& Sharon Iacopino
Sheldon Johnson u
Mr. Ralf Kyritz
Dr. Hermann Lee #
Dr. David Lyttle
Ms. Patricia Nesbitt
& Mr. Paul Infuso
Sanford & Deborah Riley
Darlene Ronald u
& Stewart Heaton
Dale Evanyshyn
& Heather Sarna #
Eleanor & Robert Siddall
Jeff Sisler #
& Cathy Rippin-Sisler
Leigh & Beverley Taylor
Mr. & Mrs. Michael
& Lydia West
33
Friends of Manitoba Opera
Friends of Manitoba Opera are instrumental to the success of our productions
and education and outreach programs. Every gift makes a difference.
BENEFACTOR
$500 to $1,249
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bartolo
Susan Dawes & Kevin Bell
Zita & Mark Bernstein
Family Foundation
Bruce & Shelley Bertrand
Meadows
Bernice Blakeman
Gerhard & Helga Bock
Mr. & Mrs. Brian
& Cathie Bowerman
Brenlee Carrington
& Brent Trepel
Bjorn & Roberta
Christianson
John & Gay Docherty
David James Elliott
& Joanne Thompson
Bruno Gossen
Ms. Laurie Gyde
Barny Haines
Barry Konzelman
Drs. Herman Lam
& Laura Chan
Ted & Wanda Lismer
Dr. John & Natalie Mayba
Ron & Sandi Mielitz
Carla & Josef Nejmark
Ms. Norma Anne Padilla
Pendeshuk Family Fund
at The Winnipeg
Foundation
Constance J. Sarchuk
Dr. & Mrs. Murray R.
Steinbart
Mr. Rodney H. Stieman
Dr. Milada A. Toffler
Florence & Donald
Whitmore
Shirley & Herb Wildeman
Three Anonymous Donors
SUPPORTER
$250 to $499
P. Achtemichuk
John & Carolyn Adair
Mario & Josie Audino
Sheila & David Brodovsky
Carol Campbell
& Andrew Krentz
Mr. Richard Chartier
& Liza Maheu
Mr. Lawrie Cherniack
Dr. George
& Irene Chuchman
Ron Clement
Martin Reed
& Joy Cooper
Lawrence & Brenda
Ellerby
Kathleen Estey
Mrs. Elaine Finnbogason
Ms. Penny Gilbert
Jacob & Judi Janzen
Loretta Kampeas
& John Gartner
Donald & Sheila Keatch
Irene Hamilton
& Tim Killeen
M. & M. Kinnear
Ms. Ljiljana Kovacevic
Mr. Thomas G. Kucera
Marion Lewis
Dr. Littleford
Douglas MacEwan
Ms. Iona McPhee
Mr. Marc Monnin
& Ms. Donna Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Fred
& Margaret Mooibroek
Parker Hannifin Canada
Matching Gift Program
Levi & Tenu Reimer
Roger Rigelhof
& Marjorie Russell
Barbara Scheuneman
Dr. Wilfrid Francis
Schlosser
Mrs. Pamela Simmons
Thomas & Wanda
Struthers
Nicola Spasoff
Dale u & Velvet Sulymka
Juris & Aija Svenne
Carolin Taubensee
& Randy Kohuch
Ian R. Thomson
& Leah R. Janzen
Mr. & Mrs. H. Voigt
Edna Walpole
Kristen Wittman
Five Anonymous Donors
SUSTAINER
$100 to $249
Monica Allison
Tatiana Arcand
Dr. John R.M. Smith
& Douglas H. Arrell
Richard & Nancy Ball
Dick & Minnie Bell
Audrey Belyea
Christian Benhamou
Ms. Gertrude Bergen
Ruth Berry
& Hugh Larimer
Don & Diane Bewell
Mr. & Mrs. Morley &
Marjorie Blankstein,
C.M.
Dianne Blewett
Lucienne Blouw
Mr. Roland Bohr
Patricia Bragg
Ms. Jaqueline Brignall
Mr. & Mrs. O. Buffie
Mrs. Donna Byrne
Ms. Mary Clarke
Mr. Micah Cohen
Agnes & John K. Collins
Dr. & Mrs. P. Connelly
Ken & Lynn Cooper
Judy & Werner Danchura
Ms. L. Daniels
Kevin & Cathy Davis
Mr. Gary R. Davis
Anna M. Desilets
Mrs. Helene Dobel
Jeanie M. Dubberley
Harry & Mary Lynn
Duckworth
Sylvia Ellis
Julie Enyingi
Ms. Jillian Dale Epp
Mr. Richard J. Falk
Mr. Willie Falk
Mr. & Mrs. James
& Linda Feasby
James R. Ferguson
Mr. Paul Fieldhouse
Dr. & Mrs. D. D. Fillis
Gayle Fischer
Sandra Foster
& Peter Holle
Myra & Arnold Frieman
Reg Friend
Mrs. Inge Froese
Larry & Susanne Greer
Ian & Gerry Hamilton
Glen & Margaret Harrison
Jeremy Harms
Evelyn Hecht
Ms. Rhonda Hogg
Sonia Hosfield
William J. Hutton
Investors Group Matching
Gift Program
Kadri A. Irwin
Jim & Margaret Jeffries
J.H. Kaminsky
Mr. Gordon C. Keatch
M.J. King
Mr. Allen Kimelman
Dr. Istvan Kinizsi
Ms. Heather Kozubski
Mr. & Mrs. Walter
& Gisela Kunkel
Philippe & Yolande
Le Quere
Katherine Lee
Dr. Patricia L. Ling
Richard Lobdell
& Evelyn Forget
Shirley Lynch
Ms. Debbie MacKenzie
Mr. Alvin Mackling
Ms. Jane McBee
Cam Mackie
& Doris Mae Oulton
L. W. McLeod
Pat Trainor MacRae
Dr. Francois Mai
Elaine & Neil Margolis
Gert & Katherine Martens
David & Francesca
McBean
Barbara McCandless
Donald & Martha
McCarthy
Dr. Thomas McKenzie
Maria Stapleton
& Michael Lea
Mr. & Mrs. Walter
Mildren
Ms. Myrna Mitchell
Charlotte Murrell
Mrs. B. Nicolson
Ms. Sunyung Oh
Wayne & Linda Paquin
E. & D. Paryzek
Ingrid Peters-Fransen
Ms. Beverly Phillips
Mr. Rick Pinchin
Ms. Marina Plett-Lyle
Norman Pohl
Mrs. E. Susan Popkes
Susan Portelance
Mrs. Anne Ratuski
Fay & Max Reich
Mr. Jason Regula
Ricou-Manfreda
Mrs. Helene Riesen
Emery & Karen Ruff
Mr. Johnny Rule
& Ms. Pearly Salangad
Dr. C. Michael Sampson
Gail & Johann Schnabl
Mr. & Mrs. Hans
Schneider
Shirley Schroeder
Ms. Vivian Schubert
Mr. Gunter Schupke
M. Serafin
Mr. T. David
& Mrs. Lorraine Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Snidal
Mrs. Rae Spear
Ellen Spencer
Mr. & Mrs. Stano Spina
Brenda Keith St. Clair
M. & H. Stinson
Ms. Karen Sutton
35
Dr. Shelley Sweeney
Dr. Meir Serfaty and
Bonnie Talbot
Nicola Spasoff
& Erik Thomson
J.F. Reeh Taylor †
Mr. & Mrs. Robert
& Catherine Thiessen
Suzanne Ullyot
Eve Vickar
Dr. Robert D. Walker
Mr. A.M.C. Waterman
Dr. & Mrs. Michael West
Dawn Bruch & Paul Wiens
Kathy Gough
& Tim Wildman
Debbie Wilson
Donn K. Yuen
Dwayne Zaba
Mr. Ivan Zimmer
Fifteen Annonymous
Donors
CONTRIBUTOR
$50 to $99
Narendra Budhia
Don Budlong
Patricia Busca
Dr. Teresa Cavett
& Mr. Gary Goodwin
Joseph H. MacPherson
& Helen Gullivan
Ms. Christine Beatty
Jeanette Block
Ms. Marilyn Boyd
Carolyn Buckley
Mrs. F. Buckmaster
Mr. Kevin Cassidy
Gina Chodirker
Margaret Clayton
Dan & Lorraine Coyle
Bradley J. Curran
Dr. Dorothy Easton
Ms. Shirley Duckworth
Mr. & Mrs. H.R Entz
Mr. Gregory Fearn
Ms. Marguerite Fredette
Gitta Fricke
& Andrea Cibinel
Mr. George Gamvrelis
Rob Giesbrecht &
Shannon MacFarlane
Ms. Deborah L. Ginther
Lorraine Griffiths
Esther Haluschak
Ann Hanks
Mr. John & Carrie Harder
Dr. & Mrs. Earl S.
Hershfield
Mr. & Mrs. Stan
& Eldith Hildebrand
Ann Hodges
Dr. & Mrs. Arno Jansen
Mr. & Mrs. Reinhard †
& Liesel Jansson
David & Heather Jenkins
Lucie Joyal
H. Kilbrai
Mr. Raymond Leslie
Kohanik
Doris Koroscil
Jeri Kostyra
Betty Laing
Mr. Gilles Landry
Denise Lariviere
Mr. David La Rue
Ms. Shirley Layne
Mr. Camille Legare
Ms. Sheila Levine
H. & D. Majewski
Mrs. Iris Maurstad
Mrs. Keith McNamee
Ms. Emily Mikolajewski
Mr. Tony Mitousis
Mr. Peter Morgan
Lesia Peet
Norman & Edna Pohl
Clare Pollock
Ms. Valerie Regan
Hanna Rempel
Mr. Arthur Rey
Mrs. Waltraut
Riedel-Baun
Linda Ritchie
John & Nerina Robson
Ms. Jeannine Rozzi
Beverly Ryman
Mrs. Karn Sandy
Danielle Saranchuk
Rita Schroeder
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Scott
Ms. Jan Seaman
Ms. Hedy Senyskiw
Ms. Linda Sexsmith
Mrs. Marie Sichler
Shelagh Sinclair Fund
at the Winnipeg
Foundation
Mr. Grant Sims
Ms. Evelyn R. Smith
Erica Smith
Robert Smith
Robert E. Smith
Mr. Peter Sribniak
Ms. Helena Stelsovsky
Herb Stew
Bill & Billie Stewart
Donald & Lorraine
Swanson
Ms. Bette Jayne Taylor
Ross & BJ Taylor
Marilyn Thompson
Mr. Norman D. Toms
Mrs. F.A. Trott
Mrs. Shirley Tyderkie
Jesse Vorst and Friends
Anne Walli
Edna Walpole
Mr. Dave Wreford
Dr. & Mrs. Graham
& Vicki Young
Penny Zahodnik
Fourteen Annonymous
Donors
Many thanks to all of our
donors who generously
supported Manitoba
Opera with donations
under $50.
TRIBUTES
In Memory of…
Jozef Biernacki
Jeanie M. Dubberley
Graham Dixon
Faye Dixon
Ross Houston and Leo
& Margareth Mol
Ms. Patricia Gartrell
Max Kettner
Ms. Ruth Kettner
Harold Pollock
Arnice Pollock
Stano Spina
Jeanie M. Dubberley
Mr. Bruce H Lang
Dennis Rogers
J.F. Reeh Taylor
Dave & Mary
Akins-Peters
Mr. Justice Philip
Ashdown
Jeanie M. Dubberley
Jane Frain
Robert B. Jackson
Mr. Bruce Hill Lang
Mrs. Donna Plant
Winnipeg Adult
Education Centre
Pamela Taylor
Mrs. Rosalind Dick
Mrs. Deborah
Thorlakson
Mr. Justice A. Kerr
Twaddle
Mr. Alan A. Borger
Mr. R Burley
Mrs. Florence De Pauw
Mrs. Rosalind Dick
Jeanie M. Dubberley
Maureen & Gary Hunter
Mr. & Mrs. Ross
& Betty Johnston
Bryan Klein
Mr. Bruce H. Lang
Mr. Marc Monnin
Ms. Patricia Skurnik
Mrs. Deborah
Thorlakson
Dr. & Mrs. G. Yuill
One Anonymous Donor
Marylla van Ginkel
Ramon Zelech
In Honour of…
Dr. Paul Adams’ 95th
Birthday
Ms. Marina Plett-Lyle
Bette Jayne Taylor
Rev. Ross Taylor
Mr. Justice A. Kerr
Twaddle
Gail Asper Family
Foundation
Encore Circle
Manitoba Opera’s
Planned Giving Program
Larry Desrochers u
& Laurie Lam
Elba # and Marshall Haid
Donn K. Yuen
Endowment Fund
Gifts
Dept. of Canadian
Heritage - Arts Policy
Branch
In Honour of Dr.
Elizabeth Tippett-Pope
on a Special Birthday Elba Haid #, Ted Ransby
& Lara Secord-Haid
In Memory of Marylla
van Ginkel - Ramon
Zelech
In Memory of J.F. Reeh
Taylor - Robert G. &
Alison Darling
In Memory of Mr. Justice
A. Kerr Twaddle
- Tracy Dahl
Elba Haid #
Mr. Fred Kisil
Marion Lewis
Christopher J. Mainella
Grant & Janet Saunders
Howie & Sue Simpson
Barbara Scheuneman
Strategic Charitable
Giving Foundation on
behalf of Richard Irish
Terracon Development
Ltd.
Dr. & Mrs. Francisco C.
& Estela Violago
Mrs. Faye Warren
Bequests
The Estate of
Mr. Gordon P. Linney
Please consider making
a gift to the Manitoba
Opera Endowment Fund.
Visit www.wpgfdn.org to
make a donation today!
MATCHING GIFTS
Many companies encourage the financial generosity
of their employees through a matching gift program.
Check with your employer and make your donation
to Manitoba Opera go even further!