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The Opera!

2026

The Three Chaps; Prescott, Chogurt, and Dr. Wilbert, await to see Lady Hogsmash LIVE at The Opera. While appreciating some lobby art, a horrific travesty unfolds, leaving The Chaps to wonder if they'll make it out of The Opera House on a high note.

Tres Hanley

Hanley trained as an opera singer at the Juilliard School. A teenage protégé of Leonard Bernstein, she was a soloist in the Great Composers Series singing his work Glitter and Be Gay (Candide). Much of her early work was in musical theatre prior to transitioning into TV and Film. She played Polly Peachum in a London production The Beggar's Opera which was part of London's West End summer (limited run) season Open Air Theatre productions at Holland, Cannazaro and Regent's Parks in the 1990s Aside from her TV, film and voice over work, she was most known in Germany and in parts of Europe in the mid-late 90s as the Bacardi girl as well as for a comic worldwide commercial (NCR) opposite Toby Jones. In 2007 she released a European Dance single "Dance of the Euro Diva”. The music was composed by Éric Serra. The piece was originally written for the film The Fifth Element. Personal life: Paramours included actor Javier Bardem, whom she met while working on Mouth to Mouth (aka Boca a Boca). Others included British TV personality James Hewitt, the former British household cavalry officer, who is most notable for being the long time lover of Diana, Princess of Wales. In the early 90’s she dated Phantom of the Opera collaborator Charles Hart (lyricist). Hart penned one of the songs on Hanley’s album A SIREN’S ODYSSEY. Rumored relationships include Hugh Grant, and Prince Albert of Monaco with whom European tabloids photographed her in the mid 1990’s sharing an intimate kiss while at a Paris nightclub, though no confirmation of a relationship was ever reported. She has been married to architect and entrepreneur Paul Millman since 2003. Trivia: -She was originally cast in a small role in Eyes Wide Shut -where she was filming for one month. With Kubrick's constant daily rewrites, eventually Hanley's scene was eventually dropped. -She is featured on the film soundtrack for Mouth to Mouth (Boca A Boca) singing "Si Senor" -She is a Vegan and active in animal activism.

Jason Martorino

Jason began pursuing performance seriously at the age of 16, having been inspired by his drama teacher in high school, himself a veteran of film and theatre work. Following that, Jason attended theatre school at York University in his native Toronto, but soon transferred into the opera performance program at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Ontario, combining his passions for acting and music. During his 5 years of training in theatre and music there, Jason discovered a penchant for singing and acting in both lead and character roles, by performing with local stage companies, and eventually making his way into his first film. The latter, his first collaboration with writer/director/producer Lyndon Horsfall, and was to prove the inception of an ongoing creative relationship. Throughout this time as well, Jason worked frequently in the theatre scene in and around Toronto, including lead and supporting roles in a number of the canon of great classical and modern plays such as Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, Coward's Present Laughter, Ryton's Crown Matrimonial, and Moliere's The School For Wives. Jason's passion for challenging himself as an actor in various media and styles led him to enter the bustling film and television market in Toronto, beginning at first with work in commercials, PSA's, and the web series Posthuman, in which Jason contributed as writer and producer, as well as playing the series' central character Charlie Porter. Posthuman was a reunion with creative symbiotic Lyndon Horsfall, with whom Jason went on to take his first directorial credit, sharing duties with Horsfall on the music video Sundown for the band The Short Films. During this time Jason also graduated to performing small roles in network TV series, and finally to supporting roles in feature films Kingdom Come and Synchronicity. Jason continues to seek challenging roles and new collaborative opportunities from his home base in Toronto. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jason Martorino

Victor McGuire

Victor McGuire is an actor, known for The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).

Howard McGillin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Howard McGillin (born November 5, 1953, Los Angeles, California) is a Tony-nominated stage, screen and television actor, perhaps best-known for being the world's longest running Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Description above from the Wikipedia article Howard McGillin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

Ellen Hollman

Cast · Known for Spartacus

Hollman is widely recognized for starring as "Saxa" on the hit STARZ series Spartacus: War of the Damned and Spartacus: Vengeance, one of the most buzzed about shows in STARZ history. A seasoned jiu-jitsu practitioner, Hollman is also known for her serious ass kicking in major roles on NCIS: New Orleans as recurring antagonist/assassin "Amelia Parsons" and AMC's groundbreaking martial arts series Into the Badlands. Other credits include recurring roles on Ryan Murphy's series 9-1-1 on FOX, Navy SEAL Series SIX on A&E as well as Lethal Weapon and Hawaii Five-0. Born in Michigan, Hollman was raised by her father Hart Hollman, a violist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and her mother Julie, a master pianist. No stranger to the arts, Hollman spent countless hours in the Opera House and Orchestra Hall surrounding herself with classical brilliance. In her teen years, she decided to pursue a career in the arts herself, and moved to New York City. There, she studied at various acclaimed acting studios and honed in on her craft of choice: bringing to life a versatile array of characters on stage and on the silver screen. In 2004, Hollman moved out to Los Angeles. Within one year of being in LA, she started landing projects. Aside from acting, Hollman is the CEO of Visual Impact Now, a non-profit based in Los Angeles. Visual Impact Now has served as a fundraising and awareness arm for their partner ONE SIGHT, to provide free eye exams and glasses to children and families who are unable to afford it. They have been involved with various high profile events including the GOLDEN GLOBES STYLE LOUNGE, COACHELLA, SUNDANCE, LA FASHION WEEK, and more. Their Host Committee Members and supporters have included Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Debra Messing, Malin Akerman, Shaun White, January Jones, and Taylor Lautner, to name a few. Over the years they have serviced over 7,000 LA youth with eye care and glasses.

Dwight H. Little

Director · Known for Bones, Prison Break

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Dwight Hubbard Little (born January 13, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American film director, known for directing the films Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, The Phantom of the Opera, Marked for Death, Rapid Fire and Murder at 1600. He has also directed episodes of various TV series including 24, Prison Break, Bones, Dollhouse and Castle.

Ann Ayars

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ann Ayars (23 July 1918 – 27 February 1995) was an American soprano and actress. Early in her career she acted in several TV series and non musical films. Later, she sang with the New York City Opera (NYCO), and became known worldwide when she sang and acted the part of Antonia in the 1951 British film The Tales of Hoffmann. From 1968 to 1987 she taught voice and piano and staged 19 full-length opera productions at Mt. San Jacinto College in California, where she was made a professor emerita. Ann Ayars was born on 23 July 1918 in Beverly Hills, California. She began as a singer in the late 1930s and started acting in the early 1940s. She had parts in several television series, including Batman, Hazel, Mission: Impossible, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Perry Mason, The Virginian and The Monroes. She starred as Cholita in the 1941 film Fiesta and in 1942 she was Cynthia Cookie Charles in Dr. Kildare's Victory. Also in 1942, she appeared as Constance Selden in Apache Trail, Kaaren de Relle in Nazi Agent and Juliette in Reunion in France. In 1943 she was Mrs Sandoval in The Human Comedy and Susan Thayer in The Youngest Profession. She left Hollywood in 1943 to join the newly formed New York City Opera, becoming its leading lyric soprano. Her operatic roles included Monica in The Medium, Mimi in La bohème and Violetta in La traviata. Her friend, mezzo-soprano Frances Bible, said "Her work with the opera has inspired many young singers, many of whom went on to professional careers." She had a star part as Antonia in the 1951 Powell and Pressburger film The Tales of Hoffmann, which was based on the opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach. Although all the parts in the film are sung, only Robert Rounseville (Hoffmann) and Ayars sung their own parts, the others being dubbed. In 1968 she returned to California and took a post teaching voice and piano at Mt. San Jacinto College in San Jacinto, California, where she staged 19 full-length opera productions. She retired in 1987. On 27 February 1995 she died at her home in Hemet in Riverside County following complications from diabetes .

Glen Chin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Glen Chin (January 27, 1948 – August 16, 2018) was an American actor of Chinese descent who starred in film and television. Chin grew up in Stockton, California, where he attended Amos Alonzo Stagg High School and was active in drama and choir. He studied music at the University of Pacific Conservatory of Music and played the double bass violin with the Stockton Symphony. Chin appeared in 50 First Dates as the humorous Hawaiian café regular, The Underachievers (1987), and After One Cigarette as Shigeru. He appeared in Chinese cinema in such films as Hollywood Hong Kong. Chin's television credits include Boy Meets World (the Eskimo), Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (Coco), Mighty Max, and Seinfeld. He played a villain's role in the 1998 movie, Knock Off (film). In the Seinfeld episode "The Opera", Chin plays Harry Fong, a character who buys a scalped ticket to an opera from George Costanza right before (or during) his girlfriend Susan ends up making the opera, so in the end, Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, Chin's character, and Susan all end up watching the opera. In Michael Jackson's music video for "Black or White", Chin morphs into Tyra Banks.

Colm Wilkinson

Colm Wilkinson is an Irish-Canadian tenor and actor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (in the West End and Broadway) and for taking the title role in The Phantom of the Opera at the Sydmonton Festival and in the original Canadian production. Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of Jean Valjean during the Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert (at The Royal Albert Hall), as well as appearing as a special guest at the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Les Misérables (at the O2 arena) and The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. His versions of both "The Music of the Night" from Phantom and "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables are acclaimed throughout the world; fans "insist he perform them...at all his concerts."

Cecilia Bartoli

Cecilia Bartoli OMRI (born 4 June 1966) is an Italian mezzo-soprano widely known in the music of Bellini, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Vivaldi and for lesser-known music of the Baroque and Classical periods. She has also sung soprano and alto repertory. Bartoli is considered a singer with an unusual timbre. According to Nicholas Wroe in 2001, her voice was known for its "fully developed sumptuousness of the lower register, the vibrancy of the middle range...the top was limpid and powerful", and she was one of the most popular opera singers of recent years. Bartoli was born in Rome. Her parents, Silvana Bazzoni and Pietro Angelo Bartoli, were professional singers and gave her her first music lessons. She first performed publicly at age nine as the shepherd boy in Tosca. Bartoli later studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At the age of 19, she made her singing debut on the Italian television show Fantastico. She did not win the competition but was asked to sing with Paris Opera for an homage concert for Maria Callas. Bartoli made her professional opera debut in 1987 at the Arena di Verona. The following year she undertook the role of Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville at the Cologne Opera, the Schwetzingen Festival and the Zurich Opera earning rave reviews. Working with conductors Daniel Barenboim and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bartoli focused on Mozart roles, such as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and from then on her career developed internationally. In 1990, she made her debut at the Opéra Bastille as Cherubino in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and her debut at the Hamburg State Opera as Idamantes in Mozart's Idomeneo, followed by her La Scala debut as Isolier in Le comte Ory in 1991, a performance that solidified her reputation as one of the world's leading Rossini singers. In 1996, Bartoli made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Despina in Così fan tutte and returned in 1997 to sing the title role of La Cenerentola and in 1998 to sing the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. In 2000, she sang in another Mozart soprano role, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In 2001, she made a long-awaited Royal Opera House debut, taking the roles of Euridice and the Genio in the London stage premiere of Haydn's L'anima del filosofo. In addition to Mozart and Rossini, Bartoli has spent much of her career performing and recording Baroque and early Classical era music by such composers as Gluck, Vivaldi, Haydn and Salieri. In early 2005, she sang Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare. She often performs with the Baroque ensemble Il Giardino Armonico. In 2012, Bartoli produced a project entitled Mission, which premiered the works of Agostino Steffani, a lesser-known Baroque composer. Bartoli produced the music of the composer in CD form as well as an extended music video that portrays her as the priest-composer Agostino in the palace of Versallies. The video is known for its historic and visual accuracy of the Baroque period. Cecilia Bartoli's performance and production of Mission reflect the music and aesthetic of Steffani's time period through the setting, wardrobe, and cinematography." ... Source: Article "Cecilia Bartoli" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Martina Arroyo

Martina Arroyo (born February 2, 1937) is an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success. Arroyo first rose to prominence at the Zurich Opera between 1963 and 1965, and then was one of the Metropolitan Opera's leading sopranos between 1965 and 1978. During those years at the Metropolitan Opera, she was also a regular presence at the world's opera houses, performing on the stages of La Scala, Covent Garden, the Opéra National de Paris, the Teatro Colón, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna State Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the San Francisco Opera. She is best known for her performances of the Italian spinto repertoire, and in particular, her portrayals of Verdi and Puccini heroines. Her last opera performance was in 1991, after which she has devoted her time to teaching singing on the faculties of various universities in the United States and Europe. On December 8, 2013, Arroyo received a Kennedy Center Honor. Arroyo was born in New York City, the younger of two children of Demetrio Arroyo, originally from Puerto Rico, and Lucille Washington, a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Her older brother grew up to become a Baptist minister. The family lived in Harlem near St. Nicholas Avenue and 111th Street. Her father was a mechanical engineer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and earned a good salary which enabled Arroyo's mother to stay at home with their children. His job also allowed the family to experience New York's cultural offerings and the family frequented museums, concerts, and the theatre. It was attending several performances of Broadway shows during the 1940s that first inspired Arroyo's interest in becoming a performer. Her mother humored her dreams and allowed Arroyo to take ballet classes. Her mother was also a talented amateur classical pianist and taught her daughter to play the instrument. Arroyo's other musical experiences as a child were largely through singing in the choirs at her Baptist church and as a student at Hunter College High School. After finishing high school in 1953, Arroyo attended Hunter College where she earned a B.A. in Romance languages in 1956 at the age of nineteen. While there she studied voice as a hobby in an opera workshop with Joseph Turnau. Turnau recognized that Arroyo was a major talent who just needed proper training. After the workshop ended, he introduced her to voice instructor Marinka Gurewich, who immediately accepted her as a student. When Arroyo did not take her training as seriously as her teacher wanted, Gurewich eventually threatened to end their lessons. Arroyo said of the incident, "It was a real wake-up call. Up to then, I must have been, in my mind, treating singing as a hobby, a lark—something I loved that I was dabbling in". ... Source: Article "Martina Arroyo" from Wikipedia in english, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Blaine Kern III

Blaine Kern III is an actor and producer, known for The Perfect Date (2019), Happy Death Day (2017), The Dirt (2019) and The Opera Game (2019).

Hal Prince

Hal Prince was an American theatrical producer and director, responsible for such megahits as The Phantom Of The Opera, Evita, A Little Night Music, Fiddler On The Roof, Cabaret, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. For his stage work, he received 21 Tony Awards.

Alexandra Byrne

Costume Design · Known for Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Practical Magic 2

Alexandra Byrne (born 1962) is a British costume and set designer. Much of her career has focused on creating costumes for period dramas. These films include Persuasion (1995), Hamlet (1996), Elizabeth (1998), Finding Neverland (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), The Aeronauts (2019), and Emma. (2020). She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design six times, winning once for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Since 2011, Byrne has also designed the costumes for many films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). Description above from the Wikipedia article Alexandra Byrne, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

René Pape

"René Pape’s bass showed considerable velvet sheen and elegant dynamic play; purely as singing and star presence, he impressed." Born in Dresden, Black Diamond Bass Rene Pape has been a member of the Berlin State Opera since 1988, but considers New York’s Metropolitan Opera his operatic “home away from home.” Since his house debut in 1995, he has appeared every season at the Met, in 18 roles and more than 160 performances, including four major debuts: Méphistophélès in Faust, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Escamillo in Carmen, and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila. But it was at the famous Unter den Linden – home of the Berlin State Opera – where Pape honed most of the great roles of his career. Music Director Daniel Barenboim was an early supporter, and the Berlin State Opera has played host to Pape’s performances as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde; King Heinrich in Lohengrin; Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Pogner in DieMeistersinger; Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio; Fasolt in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die Walküre; and the title role in Don Giovanni. The opera house was also the venue for Pape’s appearances as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro; Leporello in Don Giovanni; and Orest in Strauss’s Elektra. Pape’s first CD of solo arias, Gods, Kings & Demons, was released in 2008 on Deutsche Grammophon with his hometown orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Sebastian Weigle. The disc won a coveted “ECHO” award, the German equivalent of a Grammy. Pape performs regularly in major opera houses, concert halls, and symphony orchestras around the world, as well as opera festivals such as Bayreuth, Glyndebourne, Lucerne, Orange, Saint-Petersburg, Salzburg, Verbier and White Nights. He currently resides in Austria and Berlin.

Justino Díaz

Justino Díaz (born January 29, 1940) is a Puerto Rican operatic bass-baritone. In 1963, Díaz won an annual contest held at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, becoming the first Puerto Rican to obtain such an honor and as a consequence, made his Metropolitan debut in October 1963 in Verdi's Rigoletto as Monterone. Díaz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the capital of the island, but lived and was raised in the town of Cataño. He attended Robinson Elementary School where, at the age of 8, he started to participate in the school's activities as a singer. In his first school play, when he was 10 years old, he sang the song "Old Black Joe", which became his favorite. After finishing his primary education, Díaz attended the University of Puerto Rico High School in Río Piedras. While in high school, he took singing classes and participated in various presentations around the island. Díaz joined the choir of the University of Puerto Rico, under the direction of Augusto Rodríguez, where he sang solo. His operatic debut was in 1957 as Ben in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois. It wasn't long before Díaz enrolled in New England Conservatory in Massachusetts. One of his professors was Boris Goldovsky, who would be very influential in his career. Díaz made his professional debut as an opera singer at the Opera Theater of New England. In 1960, Goldovsky asked Díaz to join his opera company on a 20-state tour. After the tour, he entered and participated in a competition celebrated at the Metropolitan Opera House, winning third place in the New England region. Díaz moved to New York upon finishing his studies at the conservatory. Goldovsky recommended that he be represented by Hans J. Hoffman, a talent agent. Soon, Díaz was singing alongside other artists at the American Opera Society. He also sang with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. On March 29, 1963, Díaz won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, becoming the "first" Puerto Rican to obtain such an honor. As a consequence, Díaz made his Metropolitan debut in October 1963 in Verdi's Rigoletto as Monterone. He went on to sing 400 performances in 28 roles at the Metropolitan Opera, his final appearance there being Baron Scarpia in Tosca, in 1994. Among the opera houses in which Díaz has performed are: Paris Opera, The Vienna Staatsoper; the Opera House of Salzburg; the Opera of Spoleto; the Opera of Rome; The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden; the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; the Zarzuela Theater of Madrid, Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu and others. In 1966 he helped to inaugurate the Lincoln Center in New York City by starring opposite Leontyne Price in the opening night performance of Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber. The bass-baritone was seen at La Scala in two operas of Rossini, L'assedio di Corinto (with Beverly Sills and Marilyn Horne, 1969) and La pietra del paragone (at the Piccola Scala Arturo Toscanini, 1983 and 1983). He first appeared at the New York City Opera in Ginastera's dodecaphonic Beatrix Cenci, opposite Arlene Saunders, in 1973. ... Source: Article "Justino Díaz" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Nicolai Ghiaurov

Nicolai Ghiaurov (or Nikolai Gjaurov, Nikolay Gyaurov, Bulgarian: Николай Гяуров) (September 13, 1929 – June 2, 2004) was a Bulgarian opera singer and one of the most famous basses of the postwar period. He was admired for his powerful, sumptuous voice, and was particularly associated with roles of Mussorgsky and Verdi. Ghiaurov married the Bulgarian pianist Zlatina Mishakova in 1956 and Italian soprano Mirella Freni in 1978, and the two singers frequently performed together. They lived in Modena until Ghiaurov's death in 2004 of a heart attack. Ghiaurov was born in the small mountain town of Velingrad in southern Bulgaria. As a child, he learned to play the violin, piano and clarinet. He began his musical studies at the Bulgarian State Conservatory in 1949 where he studied under Prof. Cristo Brambarov. Ghiaurov was awarded a state scholarship and from 1950 until 1955 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Ghiaurov's career was launched in 1955, when he won the Grand Prix at the International Vocal Competition in Paris and the First Prize and a gold medal at the Fifth World Youth Festival in Prague. Ghiaurov made his operatic debut in 1955 as Don Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville in Sofia. In 1956 he moved to the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, singing his first Mephistopheles. He made his Italian operatic debut in 1958 in Teatro Comunale Bologna, before starting an international career with his rendition of Varlaam in the opera Boris Godunov at La Scala in 1959. 1962 marked Ghiaurov's Covent Garden debut as Padre Guardiano in Verdi's La forza del destino as well as his first appearance in Salzburg in Verdi's Requiem, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Ghiaurov first shared a stage with Mirella Freni in 1961 in Genoa. She was Marguerite, he was Mephistopheles in Faust. Married in 1978, they lived in her hometown, Modena. They sang together frequently. He made his US debut in Gounod's Faust in 1963 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and he went on to sing twelve roles with the company, including the title roles in Boris Godunov, Don Quichotte, and Mefistofele. Ghiaurov made his Metropolitan Opera debut on 8 November 1965 as Mefistofele.[6] He sang a total of 81 performances in ten roles there, last appearing there on October 26, 1996, as Sparafucile in Rigoletto. During the course of his career, he also performed at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, the Vienna State Opera, Covent Garden, and Paris Opéra. In the late 1970s Ghiaurov sang the title role in the first complete stereo recording of Massenet's opera Don Quichotte. He was recorded frequently, and his discography includes complete recordings of many of his great stage roles, including Don Giovanni, Don Basilio, Ramfis, Colline, Banco, Gounod's and Boito's Mephistos and Boris Godunov, among many others. Ghiaurov and his wife Mirella Freni sang together in many operas, more notable ones being Simon Boccanegra (La Scala, 1971), Faust (Covent Garden, 1976), Don Carlos (Salzburg, 1976), Ernani (La Scala, 1982). In October 2000, at the age of 71, he gave an acclaimed performance at the 1st Herbert von Karajan Memorial concert under the baton of James Allen Gähres in Ulm, where he sang opera arias and duets by Cilea, Tchaikovsky and Verdi, together with Mirella Freni. ... Source: Article "Nicolai Ghiaurov" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Marie-Claude Pietragalla

Marie-Claude Georgette Yvonne Pietragalla (born 2 February 1963 in Paris) is a French dancer and choreographer. Pietragalla was born in Paris to a Coriscan father and mother from Bordeaux. At 16, she joined the Ballet de l'Opera National de Paris and was named étoile on 22 December 1990 after the performance of Don Quixote in which she played the role of Kitri. In 1998, she was appointed to the leadership of the National Ballet of Marseille, where she remained five years. After a conflict, the dancers of the company obtained her resignation. She danced at the Opéra Bastille with Patrick Dupond the "Swan Lake" (1992) and "Les Variations d'Ulysse" (1995) under the direction of Jean-Claude Gallotta. In 1998 she received the Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2000 she appeared in a one-woman show "Don't look back", a solo performance created for her by Carolyn Carlson. In October that year she introduced the ballet Sakountala that evokes the internal struggle of the sculptor Camille Claudel with her own demons. In 2002 she choreographed the show "Enzo", a duo created for the show at the Olympia of Christophe (Victoire de la Musique 2002). In 2003 she choreographed the show "Metamorphoses" for the dance school of Marseille. The same year she also choreographed "Ni Dieu ni maître", a show about anarchist poet and singer-songwriter Léo Ferré, which was presented first at the Théatre Toursky in Marseille, then at the Olympia in Paris. The show was about music and songs by Léo Ferré (and Elizabeth Cooper). She signed a new version of "Don Quixote" (Minkus-Cooper). Since 2004 she has run her own company, the Pietragalla Company. In 2006 she presented a show called "Conditions humaines". In 2007 she began her second year of residency at the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and under the direction of Pierre Cardin created the dance-drama "Sade ou le théâtre des fous". Presented first at the castle of Lacoste in July 2007, this ballet was also given in February 2008 at the Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris. In March 2009 she presented the show "Marco Polo" at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. She is married to the dancer Julien Derouault. In 2011 she reappeared alone on the stage of the Palace with his new creation, "The temptation of Eve", which was originally scheduled to run from 25 January-12 February 2011 but was extended until 12 March, after which she went on a tour in France and Switzerland. She is currently a judge on Danse avec les Stars, the French version of Dancing with the Stars. Source: Article "Marie-Claude Pietragalla" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Sal Viviano

Born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan; the youngest of five Children of Santina (Cossa) and Salvatore Viviano. Graduated from Schaumburg (Illinois) High School; Eastern Illinois University. Began his career in Chicago, in commercials and Theatre, before moving to New York City for a Broadway debut in THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1984). Continued a Theatrical career on Broadway in such shows as ROMANCE / ROMANCE; CITY OF ANGELS; FALSETTOS; THE LIFE; THE FULL MONTY. Off-Broadway in BEAU JEST; CATHER COUNTY; WEIRD ROMANCE; CATCH ME IF I FALL; BROADWAY JUKEBOX; HAMLET, THE OPERA; etc... Nominated for a Helen Hayes Award (1998) for his portrayal of the title character in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. For director/writer John Fasano he starred in two genre films Black Roses (1988), and The Jitters (1989). He has recorded on over two dozen CD's of Theatrical and Old Standard songs. Married to actress 'Liz Larsen'.

Michael Brandon

Cast · Known for Thomas & Friends

Michael Brandon (born April 20, 1945) is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States. He is known for his role as James Dempsey in the British drama series Dempsey and Makepeace (1985–1986) and narrating the American dub of the children's television series Thomas & Friends (2004–2012). His theatre credits include the original Broadway production of Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? (1969), and Jerry Springer in the West End production of Jerry Springer: The Opera (2003–2004).

Paul Brooke

Paul Brooke is a retired English actor. He made his film debut in 1972 in the Hammer film Straight on till Morning, followed by performances in For Your Eyes Only (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Scandal (1989), Saving Grace (2000), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Alfie (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (2004) and Oliver Twist (2005). Brooke is the father of actor Tom Brooke. – Wikipedia

Melissa Dye

Melissa Dye (born April 15, 1967) is an American actress and singer who primarily performs in musical theater. She appeared in Broadway productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Grease, and Into the Woods. On television, Melissa starred as sweet-girl-turned-psycho-killer Molly Malone on ABC Daytime’s soap opera The City (1995 - 1997) and had a recurring role on AMC’s Remember WENN (1996 - 1997).

Amy Nuttall

Cast · Known for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Amy Abigail Nuttall is an English actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale (2000–2005), housemaid Ethel Parks in the ITV/PBS period drama Downton Abbey (2011–2012), and "Little" Jane Butterfield in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Nuttall was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. She was educated at Bury Grammar School for Girls and trained at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. She performed with the National Youth Music Theatre, notably playing the lead role of Princess Ismene in Aurelius at the Tyne Opera House, Newcastle and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh in August 1997. Nuttall is credited as the youngest actress to ever understudy and play the lead role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (at age 17) (National Tour), she has sung at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Old Trafford and won an edition of Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes as Sarah Brightman. Shortly before leaving Emmerdale, Nuttall appeared in Notes from New York at the Trafalgar Studios opposite Jon Lee and Julie Atherton. In 2005, she released her debut album as a classical vocalist, Best Days, on EMI Classics and filmed music videos for her tracks "Best Days", "No Greater Gift" and a version of "Scarborough Fair", which was heavily requested on Classic FM TV. Best Days peaked at number four in the UK classical chart and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2006 Classic BRIT Awards. In the same year, Nuttall took part in the reality TV programme Celebrity Shark Bait, which also featured Richard E. Grant and Ruby Wax and appeared in Celebrate Oliver, a musical special for BBC1. In the autumn of 2005, Nuttall toured the UK extensively as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady to critical acclaim. She shared the role with Lisa O'Hare on the National Tour due to other commitments with her first album. The tour started on 5 October 2005 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester and ended on 12 August 2006 at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. In January 2007, Nuttall performed on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night with an 80-piece live orchestra and in May 2007, she joined the cast of the stage revival of Boeing-Boeing at the Comedy Theatre opposite Patricia Hodge, Mark Rylance and Roger Allam. On 2 October 2007, Nuttall replaced Kim Medcalf in the London production of Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre, transferring directly from her role in Boeing-Boeing. In April 2008, Nuttall's initial six-month contract was extended until the production's closure on 21 June. Nuttall appeared in Hotel Babylon in 2009 as Melanie Hughes, the new hotel receptionist. In June and July 2010, Nuttall played one of the lead roles in the revival of the hit musical The Hired Man at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Later that year, she returned to the Octagon Theatre, Bolton to play Stella Kowalski in the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar Named Desire. She shared the role of the Lady of the Lake in the UK tour of Spamalot, which began on 18 October 2010 at the Edinburgh Playhouse. From September 2011, Nuttall began appearing in the second series of Downton Abbey, appearing as the new maid, Ethel.