Don Giovanni

Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00*p.m.
Sunday, April 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Bijou Theatre
803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville TN.

See Also: Postcard

The University of Tennessee Opera Theatre presents DON GIOVANNI, Mozart's "monumental" masterpiece of macabre murder and melodious mayhem! Directed by Carroll Freeman, with the UT Opera Orchestra conducted by James Fellenbaum at the Bijou Theatre located at 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville TN.

*The Saturday, April 25, 8:00 p.m. show will feature our undergraduate program—Kevin Class, conductor; Patrick Harvey, piano)

Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 seniors 60+, $5 students with ID. All tickets $5 for April 25, 8:00 p.m. undergraduate performance. For tickets, visit or call the Tennessee Theatre box office at 865-684-1200; or Tickets Unlimited at 865.656.4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com, or visit the UT Central Ticket Office. Service fees may apply.

Don Giovanni, the infamous womanizer, makes one conquest after another until the ghost of Donna Anna's father, the Commendatore, (whom Giovanni killed) makes his appearance. He offers Giovanni one last chance to repent for his multitudinious improprieties. He will not change his ways So, he is sucked down into hell by evil spirits. High drama, hysterical comedy, magnificent music!

Cast

LEPORELLO..........Andrew Gilchrist, David Simoson, Rocky Sellers*
DONNA ANNA..........Rachel Anne Moore, Claire Boling*
DON GIOVANNI..........John Arnold, Seth Maples*
IL COMMENDATORE..........Tyrone Wallace, Victor Popescul*
DON OTTAVIO..........Jonathan Murphy, Jonathon Subìa, Cody Boling*
DONNA ELVIRA....Paige Patrick, Mieke Rickert, Leah Serr, Jessica Tucker*
ZERLINA..........Denisha Ballew, Jessica Cates, Valerie Haber, Sarah Hoeppner, Clarisse Colao*
MASETTO.......... Evan Broadhead, Shadarius Shields*

*Undergraduate cast (April 25 – all tickets $5)

Synopsis

ACT I:   Leporello is keeping guard for his boss, the Don, outside Anna’s apartments.  He paces back and forth, complaining of being mistreated, underpaid, and underfed until the Don bursts out onto the street pursued by an enraged Anna.  Giovanni struggles to control her until the General—Anna’s father—emerges to save her.  Giovanni warns the older man that he will kill him, but they fight and the General is, in fact, mortally wounded.  As Giovanni escapes with Leporello, Anna returns with her fiancé Ottavio to discover that her father has been murdered.  Though Ottavio offers Anna comfort, she is only satisfied with a vow of vengeance, and they promise to plot revenge on the murderous criminal.

Later as Leporello berates Giovanni for his part in the tragic turn of events, they come upon a heartbroken traveler.  Don Giovanni, anxious to “console” this unfortunate beauty, comes forward to introduce himself.  It is Donna Elvira, an aristocratic lady that he had married and abandoned three months earlier.  After gathering his wits, he escapes again, leaving Leporello to handle her.  Giovanni’s valet explains to Elvira that she is neither the first nor the last to have fallen victim to his boss’ charms, that he has in fact “had” over 2000 women—1003 Hispanic girls alone!

A wedding party nears the hotel.  Drawn to the celebration by attractive females, Giovanni directly approaches the bride, who introduces herself as Zerlina.  He instructs Leporello to invite the reluctant groom, Masetto, and their friends up to his suites where food and drinks will be served.  Left alone, Giovanni weakens Zerlina with sweet promises of marriage, but his plans are thwarted by Elvira, who whisks the poor girl away.  Anna, shaken from her father’s murder, consults the Don about tracking down his assassin.  As Giovanni pledges his help, Elvira returns, warning Anna and Ottavio that the Don is not to be trusted.  Giovanni claims that Elvira is crazy and drives her away, again offering his service to Anna’s cause.  Something about Giovanni’s voice triggers Anna’s memory of the tumultuous events of the previous night.  She realizes with horror that Giovanni is indeed the man who murdered her father, confessing to Ottavio that the murderous scoundrel also forced himself upon her in her bed.

While Giovanni raucously plans another evening of carousing, a coyly penitent Zerlina makes peace with her new husband Masetto, claiming that Don Giovanni had no success with her.  Don Giovanni subsequently invites them to join him at his party upstairs.  Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira appear outside the hotel in disguise.  Leporello invites them to the masquerade party.  Later, Giovanni dances Zerlina right into the hotel to have his way with her.  When she is heard screaming, Elvira, Ottavio, and Anna unmask to assist the defenseless girl.  Don Giovanni blames Leporello for the crime and narrowly escapes the vengeful partygoers.

ACT II:  After the party debacle Leporello threatens to leave Don Giovanni unless he swears off women; Giovanni counters with a bribe, which his manservant ashamedly accepts.  He then instructs Leporello to swap clothes with him and seduce Donna Elvira.  Leporello easily woos Elvira, so his boss is free to seduce her maid.  An angry Masetto, however, stumbles onto the scene with an armed group of his friends looking for the Don, who is still impersonating Leporello.  When Giovanni dismisses Masetto’s friends, he beats up the gullible kid.  Zerlina hears her husband’s cries for help and comes to his aid.

Leporello (still in disguise) has escaped Elvira.  Ottavio enters with Anna, asking for a speedy marriage, but she claims that she’ll only find happiness in revenge.  Elvira searches for Leporello, but Masetto and Zerlina spot him first, mistaking him for Giovanni.  Getting the attention of Anna and Ottavio, they all approach him threateningly, despite pleas for mercy from Elvira.  When Leporello reveals himself, he escapes during the confusion.  Ottavio asks Elvira, Zerlina, and Masetto to chaperone Anna, while he plans how to capture the illusive Don.

Don Giovanni coaxes Leporello to the General’s memorial.  Though Leporello is terrified when he hears the General’s statue speak, his boss recklessly invites the granite monument to dine with him at his apartments that evening.  When Anna and Ottavio come to the General’s memorial, Ottavio begs Anna to end her mourning and marry him right away.  She doesn’t take this pressure well.

At dinner, Leporello serves Don Giovanni to the accompaniment of musicians.  Giovanni consumes several lascivious women with barbaric ferocity even as Donna Elvira rushes in, begging Giovanni to repent of his reckless and base ways.  He refuses and scoffs her, only to be intruded upon by the statue of the General, who also demands that Giovanni change his ways, threatening him with the fires of hell.  Giovanni remains inexorable to the end even in the face of his own damnation.  After his explosive demise, Elvira reenters with Ottavio, Anna, Masetto and Zerlina.  Seeing that Giovanni has vanished, Elvira resolves to join a convent, Leporello to find a new boss, Anna to put off her marriage for at least another year, Zerlina and Masetto to go make their home together.  The six articulate the opera’s moral:  Hell is the consequence of wicked people!

Sponsors

Find out more information by listening to our sponsor radio stations:

     

We would also like to thank:

• The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music
• UT Cultural Affairs Board

For further information, please call the School of Music publicity office at (865) 974-8935.

Contact Us

UT Opera Theatre

Music Building
1741 Volunteer Blvd
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996