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Dons & Divas: La Boheme in Concert

Presented by Cypress Creek FACE at The Centrum (at the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center)

September 14, 2010

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Cypress Creek FACE presents Dons & Divas: La Boheme in Concert, at  3 p.m., Tuesday, September 14, 2010.

The famous opera by Giacomo Puccini comes to life on The Centrum stage. The story is set in Paris in the period around 1830. It essentially focuses on the love between the seamstress called Mimì and the poet Rodolfo. They almost immediately fall in love with each other, but Rodolfo later wants to leave Mimì because of her flirtatious behavior. However, Mimì also happens to be mortally ill, and Rodolfo also feels guilt, since their life together likely had worsened her health even further. They reunite for a brief moment at the end before Mimì dies.

Performances by:
Stephanie Northcutt, soprano
Noel Bouley, bass-baritone
Danica Dawn Johnston, soprano
John Stevens, tenor
Dr. Roger Keele, accompanist
Clara Lewis, narrator

Stephanie Northcutt, Lyric Soprano, (Mimi) has performed with Portland Opera, Operafestival di Roma, Minnesota Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Caramoor Festival and Indianapolis Symphony. Stephanie has repeatedly been a guest artist at Duke University. Performances include the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Soprano soloist in Brahms Requiem and Four Last Songs of Strauss. Her many awards include National Opera Association Finalist, Dallas Opera Guild Finalist, MTNA first runner-up (Nationals), NATS first place winner and MacAllister Award Regional Winner.

She has been featured in Cypress Creek FACE’s Promenade Series in programs “Romantic Rhapsody” and “Art and Soul.” She has been a frequent artist on FACE’s “Dons & Divas” productions. Stephanie sang the title role in Madame Butterfly and Micaela in last year’s production of Carmen.

Stephanie has a B.M.E. from TCU and a M.M from Sam Houston State University. Stephanie is the creator and featured Artist on The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts at Cypress Creek Lullaby book and CD entitled “Hush…Don’t Say a Wood.” She was raised in Houston, TX and currently resides in Missouri City, Texas with her husband Gary, and their sons Jake and Zach.

Bass-baritone Noel Bouley received his master’s degree in voice in 2009 at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where he studies with Kenneth Shaw. In 2007, Bouley completed a bachelor’s degree in both vocal performance and music education at Louisiana State University. Bouley has performed a number of operatic roles including George in Of Mice and Men, the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Schaunard in La bohème, Professor Baher in Little Women, and Escamillo in La tragédie de Carmen.

Most recently at CCM, Bouley performed the role of Collatinus in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia in which he was said to be “…a sympathetic figure with a firm voice…” by the Cincinnati Enquirer. He has also performed as the bass soloist in a number of major works including Penderecki’s Credo, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Bach’s Mass in B minor.

In June of 2009 Bouley made his debut at Avery-Fischer Hall in Lincoln Center singing the bass solos in Haydn’s Missa in Tempore Belli and Mozart’s Requiem. In the fall of 2010 Bouley will return to CCM and begin his second year of the Artist Diploma in opera performance, and in November of he will join Kentucky Opera singing the role of Bartolo in their production of Il Barbiere di Seviglia.

Danica Dawn Johnston, a three-time regional finalist runner-up in the Metropolitan Opera Council National Audition, has gained critical acclaim for her performances with Tacoma Opera and the Wildwood Festival, which include “show stealing” turns as ‘Adele’ in Die Fledermaus, ‘Norina’ in Don Pasquale, ‘Serpetta’ in La Finta Giardiniera, a “fiery” ‘Musetta’ in La Bohème, ‘Gretel’ in Hansel and Gretel, ‘Josephine’ in HMS Pinafore, ‘Mabel’ in The Pirates of Penzance, and ‘Yum Yum’ in The Mikado. William Marsh of Opera News credits Ms Dawn’s “quicksilver” performance as ‘Papagena’ with adding a “special glow” to Wildwood’s production of The Magic Flute.

Ms. Johnston has also appeared with Hanz Graf and the Houston Symphony in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Nights Dream as well as gala and pop concert engagements under the direction of Michael Krajewski, Mariusz Smilij of the Acadienne Symphony, and Carlos Miguel Prieto with the San Antonio Symphony. She received her Masters Degree in Performance from the University of Houston where she sang the title role in Argento’s Miss Havisham’s Fire and ‘Antonia’ in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. As a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she added ‘Suzanna’ in Le nozze di Figaro, ‘Blanche’ in The Dialogues of the Carmelites, and ‘Lucette’ in Cendrillon to her credits. In 1997 Ms. Johnston was named Outstanding Performer of the Year at the Regional NATS competition and won the Charlotte Opera Guild and Greensboro Euterpe competitions. She was a finalist in the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year competition in 2003.

John Stevens, Tenor, has performed over 30+ operas with the Houston Grand Opera as a Chorus Member/ Soloist since receiving a BA in Vocal Performance from Baylor University under the study of Dr. Jack Coldiron in 1998. Mr. Stevens is a frequent guest artist for churches and events across Texas and the greater Houston metropolitan area. During his studies at Baylor University, Mr. Stevens was a finalist and top 3 place winner in 1994, 1995, and 1997 National Association of Teachers of Singing, Texoma Region Solo Competition (Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). In addition to Mr. Stevens musical interests, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for big game hunting and fishing. By profession, Mr. Stevens is an entrepreneur focusing on Consulting Services through the entity, EverFind Resources, LLC and is currently pursuing Water Cleaning Technology’s for the Oil and Gas industry with Aspen Creative Technologies, a Colorado LLC.