Gianni Schicchi
CAST

- Samuel Smith - GIANNI SCHICCHI, a shrewd Tuscan peasant
 
- David Gagnon – RINUCCIO, Zita’s nephew
 
- Jendi Tarde – LAURETTA, Gianni Schicchi’s daughter, in love with Rinuccio
 
- Jennifer DeDominici – ZITA, cousin of Buoso Donati
 
- Grant Mech – SIMONE, another cousin of Buoso Donati
 
- Timothy Walton – GHERARDO, nephew of Buoso Donati
 
- Chivonne Perkins – NELLA, Gherardo’s wife
 
- Russell Collins – MARCO, Simone’s son
 
- Kate Wadley - LA CIESCA, Marco’s wife
 
- Nathan Wadley – BETTO, brother-in-law of Buoso Donati
 
- Edward Bogusz – SPINELLOCCIO (physician) and AMANTIO (notary)
 
- Bryon Smith - YOUNG MALE NARRATOR and GHERARDO’S CHILD
 
- Amariss White - YOUNG FEMALE NARRATOR and ANOTHER CHILD
 
- Allan Brown - GUCCIO (a dyer)
 
- Gary Vanderbilt - PINELLINO (a shoemaker)
 
- John Russell – DECEASED UNCLE BUOSO DONATI
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CAST BIOS

Bass Samuel Smith, Gianni Schicchi
Samuel Smith made his debut at Avery Fisher Hall in April 2009 as soloist in Haydn’s Theresienmesse.  He recently sang Monterone in Verdi’s Rigoletto with the Westfield Symphony Orchestra and the Garden State Performing Arts Center.  He later performed the title role in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale with Anchorage Opera Company.  He made his debut at Carnegie Hall as bass soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and at Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Jailer in Tosca.  A former resident artist with Palm Beach Opera, he has appeared in featured roles with New York Opera Project at Hunter College, Theater for the New City in NY, Metro Lyric Opera of New Jersey, Wolf Trap Opera, Lake George Opera, Sorg Opera, Sacramento Music Circus and North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Tenor David Gagnon, Rinuccio
David Gagnon has sung throughout the United States and abroad in a variety of roles and appearances.  He has been featured in roles with Townsend Opera in California, Skylight Opera Theatre, Dicapo Opera in New York City, Bear Valley Festival in CA, Opera Francais, Opera Columbus, Cedar Rapids Opera Theater, Michigan Opera Theater, among others.  A versatile artist, he sang the role of Grendel Shadow in Elliot Goldenthal’s new opera Grendel with Lincoln Center Festival and Los Angeles Opera, and appeared as Ferrando in Giorgio Strehler’s production of Cosi fan tutte in Athens, Moscow and Recacati, Italy.  He is also a busy concert and musical theatre performer, having performed Lesgles and Enjolras in Les Miserables on Broadway for several seasons.

Soprano Jendi Tarde, Lauretta
Jendi Tarde is equally at home with opera, musical theater and concert repertoire.  She has been featured in principal roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago Tour, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Pegasus Players and Light Opera Works in Chicago, Aspen Opera Theater, Ars Musica Chicago, Meadow Opera Theatre in Dallas and Metropolis Opera Project in New York.  A former apprentice artist of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Ash Lawn Opera and Aspen Opera Theatre, she has appeared in leading roles in York Theatre (NY), 2008 Midtown International Theatre Festival (NY), and 2007 NYMF, Safra Hall and Stockton PAC in the Broadway bound production of Warsaw.  She has sung soprano soloist for such oratorio works as Bach Kantate 150, Charpentier Litanies de la Vierge, Finzi In Terra Pax, Handel Messiah, Mozart Coronation Mass and Requiem, among others.

Mezzo Jennifer DeDominici, Zita
Jennifer DeDominici is a busy opera and musical theater artist, having sung with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, Rocky Mountain Center for the Arts, Anchorage Opera, Black Box Opera, Sante Fe Opera, Schoolhouse Arts Center, Portland Lyric Theater and Arvada Center.  A former Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artists, she has sung such roles as Carmen, Hansel, Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Clotilde (Norma), Pitti Sing (The Mikado), Mrs. Jones (Street Scene), Anita (West Side Story), Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady), Aldonza (Man of La Mancha), Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Feklusha in Katya Kabanova, among others.
She has been a four-time Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and Winner of the 2007 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition.

Bass-Baritone Grant Mech, Simone
Grant Mech performed as a member of Opera New Jersey’s Studio Artist Program in summer of 2008, and in September 2008, debuted with Capital Opera Harrisburg, singing Colas in Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne.  Recent appearances include Publio in La Clemenza di Tito with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble and L’imperial Commissario in Madame Butterfly with Boheme Opera New Jersey. He made his debut with New Rochelle Opera singing Marquis d’Obigny in La Traviata in June 2009.  During the summer of 2009, he appeared in concerts with the Franco American Vocal Academy and sang Agamemnon in Offenbach’s La Belle Helene with Opera du Perigord in France..  He recently performed a series of recitals in New Jersey with soprano Diana Petras and pianist Akiko Hosaki entitled “An Evening of American Song.  He is the Choral Director at Pond Road Middle School in Robbinsville, NJ.

Tenor Timothy Walton, Gherardo
Timothy Walton is growing his career in opera and musical theater with early credits as Mayor Upfold in Albert Herring, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, Nanki Poo in The Mikado, Jinx in Plaid Tidings, Old Deuteronomy in Cats, John in Miss Saigon, J. J. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, Tommy Albright in Brigadoon and Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd, among others.  He has been featured
In unique venues, including Comedy Central Night of Too Many Star, Chaddsford Winery Cabernet Under the Stars, Music by the Bay with Central Jersey Brass Ensemble and Voices of Summer with Cameo Productions Ltd.

Soprano Chivonne Perkins, Nella
Ms. Perkins holds a BM in Vocal Performance, Classical from New Jersey City University. She has performed numerous times in her almer mater’s Music, Dance, and Theatre‘s productions and various concerts for Opera New York non-profit opera company. On March 16, 2008, she made her New York concert debut at Merkin Hall under the direction of Judith Fredricks at the Chester Ludgin National Verdi Baritone Competition Winners Concert. Ms. Perkins is an eastern district winner of the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions (December 2008) and on occasion, performs for “Opera Night” at O’Neal’s Restaurant at Lincoln Center.

Soprano Kate Wadley, La Ciesca
Kate Wadley continues to break into the professional opera field with this production.  She has been singing periodically with the Boheme Opera Chorus since 1997, first as an opera apprentice in productions of Carmen, Madama Butterfly (1998) and La Boheme, then moving into the professional chorus position in productions of Turandot, La Traviata, Messiah (2008 and 2009) and Madame Butterfly (2009). She has been featured soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with The American Boychoir, and as a student at Westminster Choir College, sang extensively with the Westminster Opera Theatre n Opera Scenes and with the Westminster Symphonic Choir in concerts with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic.