2025 Festival | Centerpiece Opera
Reinhard Keiser's Octavia
Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 3:30pm
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 7pm
Friday, June 13, 2025 at 7pm
Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 3:30pm
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston, MA
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The virtuous Empress Octavia is betrayed by her increasingly erratic husband, Nero, putting all of Rome on the brink of rebellion.
Written for the famed Hamburg Opera in 1705, Keiser’s monumental work brings lavish spectacle and brilliant orchestration to a nuanced tale of the corruption of power and the resilience of love. A fantastical parade of philosophers, clowns, ghosts, and despots comes alive on the stage as the noble Octavia struggles to survive the turmoil and cruelty around her.
Tiridates, the King of Armenia, has come to Rome to pledge his allegiance to the Empire. Emperor Nero officially restores the king to his throne while growing infatuated with Tiridates’ wife, Ormœna, much to the dismay of Empress Octavia. Tensions rise as the Roman citizens grow restless over Nero’s lavish attempts to court the Armenian Queen and rid himself of his own bride. As Rome breaks out in open rebellion, Octavia must find a way to persevere amidst the chaos.
GRAMMY-winning Musical Directors Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs and acclaimed Stage Director Gilbert Blin lead an all-new production replete with opulent stagecraft and impeccable musicianship. Breathtaking sets, sumptuous, period-inspired costumes, exquisite Baroque dance, and beautifully evocative music combine in an operatic feast sure to delight.
"★★★★★"
"Once again, the BEMF has brought a Baroque opera back to life, exceptionally well sung, adroitly staged, designed and danced, with impeccable musicianship."
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Kathy Wittman
DIRECTORS
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin, Stage Director
Robert Mealy, Orchestra Director
Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Dance Director
Hubert Hazebroucq, Choreographer
Anna Kjellsdotter, Costume Designer
Alexander McCargar, Set Designer
Kelly Martin, Lighting Designer
Ellen Hargis, Assistant Stage Director
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
ARTISTS
Emőke Baráth, Octavia
Douglas Ray Williams, Nero
Amanda Forsythe, Ormœna
Sherezade Panthaki, Clelia
Aaron Sheehan, Piso
Hannah De Priest, Livia
Christian Immler, Seneca
Michael Skarke, Tiridates
Richard Pittsinger, Fabius
Marc Molomot, Davus
Jason McStoots, Lepidus
BEMF DANCE COMPANY
Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Dance Director and Dancer
Hubert Hazebroucq, Choreographer and Dancer
Julian Donahue, Junichi Fukuda & Caitlin Klinger
BEMF ORCHESTRA
Robert Mealy, concertmaster
Cynthia Roberts, Beth Wenstrom, Sarah Darling & Miloš Valent, violin I
Julie Andrijeski, Johanna Novom, Jesse Irons & Emily Dahl, violin II
Daniel Elyar, Laura Jeppesen & Dagmar Valentová, viola
Phoebe Carrai, Matt Zucker, Keiran Campbell & Jennifer Morsches, violoncello
Nathaniel Chase, double bass
Debra Nagy & Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorder
Dominic Teresi, Allen Hamrick, Marilyn Boenau & Sally Merriman, bassoon
Todd Williams & Nathanael Udell, natural horn
Michelle Humphreys, percussion
Paul O’Dette, theorbo
Stephen Stubbs, theorbo & Baroque guitar
Jörg Jacobi, harpsichord
Maxine Eilander, Baroque harp
David Morris, viola da gamba
BEMF YOUNG ARTISTS TRAINING PROGRAM
Gilbert Blin, Founder & Director
Jason McStoots, Associate Director, 2025
Jeffrey Grossman, Musical Director, 2025
Anna Bjerken, Reed Demangone, Samuel Higgins, Seth Hobi, Raphaël Laden-Guindon & Andréa Walker, singers
Irenie Melin-Gompper, dancer
OCTAVIA CAST
(Characters are listed in the order given by the original libretto.)
Douglas Williams, Nero, Roman Emperor
Emőke Baráth, Octavia, his wife
Michael Skarke, Tiridates, King of Armenia
Amanda Forsythe, Ormœna, the King’s wife
Hannah De Priest, Livia, a Latin Princess, relative of the Emperor
Aaron Sheehan, Piso, a Campanian Prince and Roman Patrician
Sherezade Panthaki, Clelia, a Florentine Princess
Richard Pittsinger, Fabius, Imperial General
Christian Immler, Seneca, a Stoic Philosopher and Imperial Adviser
Jason McStoots, Lepidus, a Chamberlain
Marc Molomot, Davus, Court Quartermaster
Anna Bjerken*, Lady-in-Waiting to Octavia
Andréa Walker*, Maid of honor to Clelia
Reed Demangone*, Ormœna’s nurse
Sam Higgins*, Sporus, the Emperor’s freedman
Seth Hobi*, A Praetorian Centurion
Raphaël Laden-Guindon*, A Praetorian Prefect
Roman Actors: Caitlin Klinger, Irenie Melin-Gompper*, Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Julian Donahue, Junichi Fukuda, Hubert Hazebroucq
Roman Gentlemen and Noble Ladies: Caitlin Klinger, Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Irenie Melin-Gompper*, Julian Donahue, Hubert Hazebroucq, Junichi Fukuda
Fishermen: Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Alexis Silver, Julian Donahue, Junichi Fukuda
Gravediggers: Julian Donahue, Junichi Fukuda, Hubert Hazebroucq
Ghosts: Caitlin Klinger, Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Irenie Melin-Gompper*
Flora: Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière
Cupids: Caitlin Klinger, Irenie Melin-Gompper*
Zephyrs: Julian Donahue, Junichi Fukuda
*Denotes member of the 2025 Young Artists Training Program
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer
Maria van Kalken, Assistant to the Executive Producer
Mercedes Roman-Manson, Production Manager
Carmen Alfaro Henry, Production Stage Manager
Carla Chrisfield, General Manager
Perry Emerson, Operations Manager
Elizabeth Hardy, Production & Company Assistant
Morgen Heissenbuettel, Intern Assistant to the Musical Directors & Orchestra Director
Grant Sorenson, Intern Assistant to the Stage Director
Isabel Oliart, Orchestra & Operations Intern
Erin Genett, Company Assistant
Nicholas Holloway, Company Assistant
Emma Ross, Assistant Stage Manager
Abigail Lindhart, Assistant Stage Manager
Emma Belfer, Production Assistant
Gordon Manson, Technical Director
Michael Geoghegan, Assistant Technical Director/Flyman
Ren Squire, Deck Supervisor
Kaitlin Smith, Master Electrician
Tyler Lindsley, Assistant Master Electrician
Zachary Connell, Programmer
Maya Ramirez, Props Supervisor
Ian Thorsell, Props Artisan
Seth Bodie, Wig Designer & Supervisor
Jackie Oliva, Costume & Wardrobe Supervisor
Chloe Moore, Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor
Melina Abreu, Hair & Makeup Designer
Taylor Clemente, Hair & Makeup Artisan
Ellen Hargis, Supertitle Creator
Dan McGaha, Supertitle Supervisor
- Sets built by MJM Fabrication Design Engineering, Norwood, Massachusetts, and
American Repertory Theatre Scene Shop, Cambridge, Massachusetts. - Scenic Softgoods printed by Sew What?, Inc., Rancho Dominguez, California.
- Costumes made by Anna Kjellsdotter.
- Tailors, Dyework, and Headpiece made by Bitte Palm, Nils Harning, Tim Mårtensson,
and Hanna Rönnbäck, Stockholm, Sweden. - Bear Animal Costume provided by Western Costumes Company, North Hollywood, California.
- Lighting equipment provided by High Output, Inc., Canton, Massachusetts.
- Scenic rigging equipment and support provided by Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, Massachusetts, and United Staging and Rigging, Woburn, Massachusetts.
- Additional Production Support Spaces provided by ATGE/Emerson Colonial Theatre and Red Sky Studios