Erin Anderson - Adolfo Pirelli

Erin Anderson is a versatile performing artist, equally at home on Musical Theater, Opera, and Concert stages. She is known for her captivating stage presence, expressive musicianship, and brilliant high notes. Favorite performances include: Phoebe D’Ysquith (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) , The Witch (Into The Woods), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Anne (A Little Night Music), Valencienne (The Merry Widow) , Cunegonde (Candide), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Despina (Cosi Fan Tutte), Mabel (ThePirates of Penzance), and Laurie (Oklahoma!). Erin is a member of the professional choral ensemble at First Church in Boston, and Opera on Tap Boston.

Margretta Beaty - Mrs. Lovett and Co-Director

Margretta most recently appeared as Santuzza in Opera51's Cavalleria Rusticana. Favorite roles performed include Tosca, Carmen, and Turandot. She has performed throughout the greater Boston area, with highlights including Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) with Boston Opera Collaborative and Xenobia (La Zombiata) with Whole Tone Opera and sings with Opera on Tap.

In addition to her operatic performances, Margretta has appeared in concerts in Germany, Italy, and the United States as well as in musical theater and plays. She won the MassOpera competition in 2023 and was a semi-finalist in the Opera Birmingham competition.

Jessica Arielle Bloch - Beadle Bramford cover

Jessica Arielle Bloch, soprano is a versatile performer singing opera, art song, musical theater, and more from the Baroque period through the 21st century. Previously with Opera51, she has performed as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) and Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana). Jessica has also performed with Opera del West, Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, West End Lyric, Opera Fusion, Hartford Opera Theater, NEMPAC Opera from the Balcony, Christman Opera Company, VOICES Boston and more. Some of her role highlights include singing Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), Noemie (Cendrillon), Princess Gilda (The Three Feathers), and Concepcion/Young Juana (Juana). In addition to performing, Jessica was the 2nd place Winner of the 2023 Music International Grand Prix New York semifinals for Adult Popular music, and previously a finalist in competitions such as the Professional Women in Opera category of the American Prize and the Lucine Amara Art Song Competition

In addition to her performance career, Jessica is the Artistic Director of MassOpera. She is also on voice faculty at New England Conservatory’s Expanded Education Program and the stage-director for the Dramatic Vocal Arts Program. Jessica is also the founder of Bloch Performing Arts: home of The Franklin Voice Studio, The Bloch Voice Studio, and the Mayer Piano Studio, which provides voice & piano lessons and performance experience to students in the Greater Boston area and beyond. Later this summer, Jessica will join the faculty at Varna International Music Academy for their 2025 programs in Bulgaria and Italy, teaching voice lessons to students from around the world.

Laura Beth Couch - Mrs. Lovett cover

Lauded by The Boston Musical Intelligencer for singing with “deep pathos” and “radiant affection,” Laura Beth Couch is a mezzo-soprano living in Boston. She earned her Performance Diploma from Boston University where she performed as Julia Child in Bon Appétit, Dorothée in Cendrillon, Alice 2 in Alice Tierney, and Friedrich Bhaer in Little Women. Other favorite roles include Tisbe in La Cenerentola, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, and Babette in Beauty and the Beast. Laura has been a soloist for Bach’s Magnificat, Bononcini’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Marianna Martines’s Dixit Dominus. A dedicated music teacher of over 10 years, she earned her M.M. in Voice Performance from Shenandoah University and her B.M. in Music Education from Rutgers University. Coming up next, Laura will be performing as Mrs. Lovett (cover) in Opera51’s production of Sweeney Todd and as Bradamante in MassOpera’s production of Alcina.

Sara DeLong - Beadle Bramford

Soprano Sara DeLong (she/her) is a frequent performer of both musical theatre and opera and she is grateful for the opportunity to make her Opera51 debut as Beadle. Previous favorite roles include Mother Abbess in Sound of Music (Rochester Opera House, NH), Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (American Singers’ Opera Project, NC), and Phoebe in Yeomen of the Guard (The Sudbury Savoyards, MA). She gleefully enjoys stealing roles from tenors- a few previous instances include in Rorem’s Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters at the Contemporary Theater Company in RI, The Sorcerer with The Harvard Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and 1776 with MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Sara is a 2024 DASH Award nominee, a 2025 Harold Haugh Light Opera Contest semi-finalist, and was recently nominated as part of the ensemble of Titanic at North Shore Music Theatre for a 2025 Elliot Norton Award. When not on stage, Sara can be found producing, catering to her Great Pyrenees' every whim, or emailing away the day as an arts administrator. www.Sara-DeLong.com

Ann-Marie Iacoviello - Johanna

Hailed as “a brilliant singer and a delicious and sexy comic.” -Rutland Herald “producing notes of brilliant intensity” -South Florida Classical Review, Ann-Marie is an emerging soprano gaining momentum for distinctive interpretations of lesser-known repertoire. Recently, she performed Poulenc’s monodrama La voix humaine with the Boston Opera Collaborative. Iacoviello was named as a finalist in the 2023 Camille Coloratura Awards, toured an outreach production of Hansel and Gretel singing Gretel with the Boston Lyric Opera, and toured with the Seagle Festival. Notable roles include Eurydice (Orphée aux enfers), La Fée, Königin der Nacht, and Selena St. George (Dolores Claiborne).

Daniel Kamalić - Anthony Hope

Tenor Daniel Kamalić (Anthony Hope) has been praised for his “silver-toned” (Chris Ruel, OperaWire), “big, stunning voice” (Chris Buchanan, Berkshire Fine Arts). He is excited to revisit Sweeney Todd in the role of Anthony, having most recently performed the role of Beadle Bamford with Madison Lyric Stage in 2022, and in previous productions as Pirelli and in the ensemble. Daniel’s performances last season included the roles of Rodolfo in La Bohème with Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Sam in Susannah with Delaware Valley Opera, the title role in Werther with Modern Vintage Opera in Connecticut, St. Brioche and Danilo (cover) in The Merry Widow with Geneva Light Opera, and several new music performances: the world premiere of Iris Karlin's Yehudit at Hebrew Union College, Ed Cionek's cantata "Prelude and Five Dreams of Walt Whitman" with Tribeca New Music, and Calliope Tsoupaki's "Seductive Aria of Moenen" (sung in Medieval Dutch!) with Marshall Opera's Oral History Project. His upcoming performances include Gluck’s Orphée et Euridice with Libero Canto in NYC, Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight with Delaware Valley Opera, Rigoletto with Finger Lakes Opera, and Gianni Schicchi with Opera West in Santa Fe. www.kamalic.com

James C. S. Liu - Sweeney Todd

Baritone James Liu is excited to take on the demon barber for Opera51, where he has appeared in Roméo et Juliette (Capulet), Fledermaus (Falke), Amahl and the Night Visitors (Balthazar), Faust (Valentin), Hansel and Gretel (The Father), Die Zauberflöte (Papageno), Turandot (Ping), Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Tosca (Scarpia), Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio), Pagliacci (Tonio), and Don Giovanni (Leporello). He has sung in many choruses, currently Cantata Singers and the all-professional choir of King's Chapel in Boston. He has also appeared with Lowell House Opera, Indian Hill Music, Harvard Early Music Society, Opera del West, Longwood Opera, North End Music and Performing Arts Center, Encore Opera Company, Boston Opera Collaborative, and Opera Boston. He is endlessly grateful to the company of Opera51, to his voice teacher, Frank Kelley, and to his infinitely patient wife who makes all of this possible. http://www.jamescsliu.com

Sarah Mahon - Adolfo Pirelli cover

Sarah is proud to call Boston her home after growing up in New York and graduating from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore with a degree in voice performance. A versatile singing actress, she is equally at home in opera, musical theater, and concert works. Whether she’s Madame Herz in Mozart’s The Impresario, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, or Joanne in Company, she delights audiences with her excellent comedic timing. Tapping into her ability for dramatic acting, she portrayed Micaëla in Carmen, Flora and Annina in La Traviata, Mrs. Gobineau in The Medium, First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and Lynne in A Grand Night For Singing. When she's not singing, Sarah is a librarian at the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library. Come visit her at the library when you're in the area!

Stephanie Mann - Tobias Ragg

Lauded as being a 'great dramatic centerpiece' with a 'stunning voice' Stephanie Mann is a native of Richmond, VA and has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Brandeis University and a M.M. in Opera Performance/Voice from The Boston Conservatory of Music. Equally at home in Musical Theatre and Opera, some of her favorite roles include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Amy (Little Women - Opera), Abigail Adams (1776), Elettra (Idomeneo), Winifred Banks (Mary Poppins), Musetta (La Bohème), Stiffy Byng (By Jeeves), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Maria and The Mother Abbess (The Sound of Music), and Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro). She is excited to have the opportunity to step into the shoes of this complex, tragic character.

Laura McHugh - Beggar Woman

Laura McHugh, a “jaw-droppingly talented” (The Boston Globe) soprano “ready for heavenly ascent” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) lauded for her “superb, floating” sound (Melrose Free Press) recently won 1st Place in the Classical Singer National Competition, 1st Place in the Vermont Vocal Competition, and 2nd Place in Classical Idol (VOX New England). Known for her penchant for “hilarious interpretation” (Voce di Meche), she recently created comedic roles in two World Premiere Operas: The Reaper in Reap What You Soul (a ‘90s pop-diva inspired take on the Angel of Death) and Hannah in Non Motus (who panics when nature inevitably calls during an extended traffic jam). Continuing to make her mark in the realm of contemporary opera, Laura has also appeared in John Corigliano’s The Lord of Cries (nominated for the 2024 GRAMMY Award - Best Opera Recording), Tobias Picker’s Awakenings (Rose cover/East Coast Premiere/recording), and Dominick Argento’s The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe (Mrs. Poe cover/recording).

Operatic roles include the titular roles in Rusalka, Suor Angelica, and Gräfin Mariza, as well as Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Mimì and Musetta (La bohème), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Giulietta (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Vitellia (La clemenza di Tito), and Micaëla and Frasquita (Carmen). She recently made her European and Wagnerian debuts in a touring production of Die Walküre in Sweden. Oratorio credits include Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Mozart Requiem, Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, Vivaldi Gloria, and Handel Messiah.

A performer with strong musical theatre chops, she recently flexed her crossover muscles as Florinda in Into the Woods with Tulsa Opera, where she also served as a Filstrup Resident Artist. She recently appeared in Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s inaugural Boston production of A Christmas Carol as Mrs. Fezziwig. This spring, she will appear as the Beggar Woman in Opera51’s Sweeney Todd.

Larson Miller - Anthony Hope cover

Larson Miller, tenor, is a Weston resident and an entrant to the Peabody Conservatory in 2025 to pursue his master’s degree in operatic performance. A rising talent on the opera stage, Larson, who also performs under his stage name Veto, most recently appeared as Samuel in Pirates of Penzance (Raylynmore, Keene NH), Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas (Leeds University, UK), The Thief in A Womanly Question [Zhenskyi Vopros] (Middlebury Russian School, VT), The General in Deformed Transformed (Off-Broadway Theater 80) and Lenny in Of Mice and Men (Calderwood, Boston). Larson is thrilled to announce his Boston Summer Opera debut as Borsa (Cover) in Rigoletto at the Arlington Street Church this July.

In addition to his solo vocal work, Larson served as elected Tenor Representative of The Washington Chorus in 2022, where he sang under batons of artists such as Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli), Giandrea Noseda, and with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble as selected performer in Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. Behind the scenes, Larson enjoys sound design for film and stage, and is a a two-time nominee and 2023 winner of the Washington Area Community Theater Honors Award for Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical. Larson's vocal practice is rooted in physicality and compassionate presence, and he integrates athletic training, weightlifting, and dynamic stretching into his artistry. He is a graduate of the Sarah Lawrence College four-year undergraduate music program. Larson resides in Weston and remains eternally grateful to his family and dogs for their enduring love and support. vvittorio.com, or Instagram/Facebook @vvittoriotenor

Janet Pohli - Tobias Ragg cover

Janet Pohli is delighted to make her Opera51 debut gender-bending the role of Toby, cover. A soprano who performs whenever possible balancing her HR Manager day job. Follow along at Janetpohli.com for previous roles and upcoming engagements.

Mauri Tetreault - Beggar Woman cover

Mauri Tetreault is an accomplished mezzo-soprano and dedicated vocal instructor based in Massachusetts. She received her bachelor of performance at University of Massachusetts at Lowell and her masters at the Boston Conservatory. Some of her notable roles are Mercedes (Carmen) with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, Miss Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief) with Hartford Opera Theatre, the stepmother (Into theWoods) with the Boston Festival Orchestra, and both Zita (Gianni Schicchi) and The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) with various companies around New England.

Dana R. Sullivan - Johanna cover

Dana R. Sullivan is thrilled to be covering the role of Johanna at Opera51! Dana recently relocated to Newton from Boston where she enjoys life with her fluffy Samoyed, Blue Bear (and fondly remembers her late companions, Brigitte Barkdot and Harvard Dangerfield). A graduate of the Hartt School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Dana's passion for health and service led her to pursue a BS in Nursing, an MSN in Pediatrics, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner board certification. She currently serves as a community health nurse for the Town of Wayland within the public school system. When she's not working or performing, Dana enjoys teaching Pilates, training with Blue Bear toward new AKC titles, and volunteering with nonprofit organizations. Dana is a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and regularly performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops. She has previously graced the stage with Sullivan Rep, Weston Friendly Society, and The Company Theatre. Instagram: @HarvardDangerfield. www.danasullivan.com. Thank you Mom, Dad, Kalyn and Sean for all your love and support!

Wesley Ray Thomas - Judge Turpin

Described as “A tireless and astoundingly resonant Baritone” -The Boston Globe, Wesley Ray Thomas began his theatrical career at age 9 as Chief Massasoit in the Grade School Thanksgiving pagean. After a brief stint as a full scholarship recipient at The Children’s Theatre Company Conservatory, his primary performance focus became Opera at age 18 when he performed The Mikado in The Mikado and then Sarastro in The Magic Flute the following year. He then attended The Boston Conservatory and was the vocal winner of The Concerto Competition.  He also sang in the New England Regional Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions “Winner’s Recital” at the Museum of Fine Arts. Perhaps best known for his au plein air performances, mostly in the Boston area and New York City, Wesley also is an avid Scrabble player and fisherman.

Harrison Wei - Judge Turpin cover

Harrison Wei is currently receiving his Acting BFA from Syracuse University, and studying with TIE for Intimacy Choreography. He is a longtime lover of musical theatre and believes all theatre should be led with a consent and safety focused approach. Harrison extends his thanks to Andy, Mom, Dad, and Boba. He hopes you enjoy the show!

Connor Burke - Chorus

Connor is very excited to be performing with Opera51 for the first time! This is Connor’s first musical since high school 12 years ago, and he hopes this is the first of many in his adult life. Connor has a BM in Music Composition and Theory from Boston University, and sings Bass at Eliot Church of Newton.

Lauren Busa - Chorus

Jeni Cameron - Chorus

Jeni is pleased to return to Opera 51 after joining them for Magic Flute in 2021. She performs locally with New World Chorale and Firebird Pops. She recently sang a solo movement with Symphonic Anime and the New World Chorale at Symphony Hall. Jeni sang with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for many years. Some of the highlights include Porgy and Bess, Candide, Madama Butterfly, the opening ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics, the soundtrack for Saving Private Ryan, many Boston Pops recordings, The Grammy winning BSO recording of Daphnis and Chloe, James Taylor and Friends at Carnegie Hall, James Taylor at Tanglewood and numerous BSO and Boston Pops concerts. Enjoy the show, and pick your barber wisely!

Terri Carotenuto - Chorus

This is my sixth show with Opera 51 and I am so excited to have the opportunity to perform one of my bucket list musicals. I have also recently performed with the Savoyard Light Opera Company as one of the ghostly ancestors in The Addams Family, and have spent 16 years with Open Door Theater on both sides of the curtain as a performer and a costume chair. Thanks to my husband Joe for putting up with listening to the alto line repeatedly as I learned my music!

Brian Cutler - Chorus

Brian Cutler is thrilled to be slashing his way onto the stage in Opera51's production of Sweeney Todd. A seasoned performer with a resume that includes singing in the acoustically stunning showers of prestigious hotels around the globe, he brings a certain... damp charisma to every role.

His acting chops have been tested and proven in high-stakes situations—most notably while talking his way out of traffic tickets in over 17 states (and counting). On the dance front, he's expertly two-stepped around difficult conversations in nearly every relationship he's ever had, giving new meaning to "interpretive movement."

He would like to extend his deepest gratitude to those who, in moments of blissful delusion, failed to see through his incompetence and kindly overlooked his many, many shortcomings. Without your poor judgment, none of this would be possible.

Previous credits include: “Who, Me?” in I Swear I Didn’t Do It, The Voice in the Bathroom in Echoes of the Marriott, and a recurring role as "Suspiciously Sweaty Man #3" in countless family reunions.

Thanks to goes out to Abigail and all his very talented and truly wonderful friends (though they may only like Brian for his really amazing children).

Laurén Bedau Evans - Chorus

I am delighted to be singing with Opera51 for the fourth time. I have many years of church choir experience, as the alto soloist and section leader at First Parish in Concord, where I still sing. I sang for several years with both the Spectrum Singers and the Boston Cecelia Society. Currently I am also a member of the Conchords a cappella group and the Abbey Roadsters, a Beatles tribute band. For two seasons I was part of "Nature: A Walking Play," based on the relationship between Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson and presented at The Old Manse.

This performance is dedicated to my dad, who was in "The Mikado" when he was in high school, and from whom I got my love of Gilbert & Sullivan, opera, and being on stage.

Janice Hegeman - Chorus

Janice Hegeman has been a member of Opera 51’s chorus for the past four years and has loved opera since high school. She hopes to continue with this as singing in an opera has been an almost annual event for many years, whether as a member of Chorus pro Musica with Donald Palumbo and Jeffrey Rink, Boston Concert Opera with David Stockton and recently, Odyssey Opera with Gil Rose.

Frank Harrigan - Chorus

Happy and humbled to be in the ensemble for Sweeney Todd! Great group! Great people! Great Show!

Eliza Howells - Chorus

Eliza Howells is an active vocalist and writer, and in the last year has performed her original music at notable venues such as The Drake, Club Passim, The Lilypad, and The Bitter End. Recent theatrical performances include Speed Dating Tonight! (Dater) with Dee Opera, The Suppliant Women (Women’s Chorus) with Apollinaire Theatre Company, and The Medium (Baba) with Tufts Opera. Along with Sweeney Todd, her Summer 2025 season includes singing in the chorus for Tosca with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and covering the role of Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance with Boston Summer Opera. Eliza holds a BM in Voice Performance and Composition from UMass Amherst, and an MA in Composition from Tufts University.

Karla Goo Lang - Chorus

Karla is delighted to be making her debut with Opera51 and to be singing one of her favorite scores by her favorite composer. Her prior Sondheim experience includes playing April in Company, Ru/ensemble in Merrily We Roll Along (Longwood Players), and a showgirl ghost in Follies (Concord Players). She has also performed with groups such as Umbrella Stage Company, Reagle Music Theatre, CHUANG Stage, Hovey Players, and the Asian-American Playwright Collective, and she sings with New World Chorale. Love to S and J.

Lance Levine - Chorus

With Opera51, Lance played Frosch in Fledermaus, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, and ensemble roles in Carmen, Amahl and the Night Visitors, L’Elisir d’Amore, La Traviata, and The Merry Widow. Other roles include the Constable in Fiddler on the Roof with Greater Lowell Music Theatre, and King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar with The Umbrella in Concord. Lance has soloed with the Boston Pops, Longwood Symphony, and the Paul Winter Consort. He has performed at Symphony Hall, Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Fenway Park. Lance sings regularly with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and New World Chorale.

Larry Millner - Chorus

Larry is honored to return to the Opera 51 ensemble. He has performed often with this group of talented artists from its first years of bringing excellent productions to Concord until today. He is lucky enough to have performed frequently with the Savoyard Light Opera Company, the Sudbury Savoyards, the Greater Worcester Opera, the Granite State Opera and several other groups.

Isabel Molettieri - Chorus

Isabel is happy to be back with Opera51 for her second production. Last year, she appeared in the chorus of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. Isabel received a BA in Theatre and Music from Muhlenberg College and is a Boston based actor, singer and teaching artist.

Nora Sporn - Chorus

Nora is thrilled to be making her on-stage debut with Opera51 in Sweeney Todd. She previously performed in the ensemble for Opera51’s December 2024 concert production of Don Giovanni. Other past roles include a Bridesmaid in Sudbury Savoyards’ production of Ruddigore, the wicked stepsister Louise in Ashpet: An Appalachian Cinderella Story, and Mother in Der Jasager. In addition to her stage roles, Nora has sung with several local choruses, including the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, the Harvard Summer Chorus, and the Camberville Somerchoir. She sends her love and gratitude to her family and friends who regularly go out of their way to attend her performances—and to her cat, Pepper, who faithfully meows along while she rehearses at home.

Letitia Stevens - Chorus

British soprano, Letitia Stevens’ voice has been described as, “soaring,” “a powerful…a great voice,” and “a voice that moves people.” Recently the Boston Musical Intelligencer wrote that she sang with a “blissful lyricism” and “handled her line reverently.” In 2023 she won third prize in The American Prize: Women in Art Song. She has appeared in art song recitals throughout the Boston area, in the UK and in southwest France with pianist Bonnie Donham. She has premiered songs by pianist and composer Leonardo Ciampa at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, created the soprano solos in the premiere of Ciampa’s Requiem for William, at Methuen Memorial Music Hall, and, with him, given concerts of opera arias, including for Renegade MAC of Rhode Island and the Menotomy Concert Series at Arlington Town Hall. In 2023 she premiered the role of Anna Wheil in The Visit by Needham-based composer, Ellen Bender. Since returning to singing soprano after many years singing mezzo-soprano she has performed roles such as Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte, the Countess, Marriage of Figaro, Queen of the Night, Magic Flute, Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus, Nella, Gianni Schicchi, Madame Goldentrill, Der Schauspieldirektor, Isabella, Forbidden Love, and Cleopatra, Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Opera 51, Rhode Island Opera on Tap, Greater Worcester Opera, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Connecticut Lyric Opera, in their Young Artists’ Program, and Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. She performs regularly with Boston Bel Canto Opera in their concerts of opera arias and ensembles. On the concert platform she has appeared as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Newton Community Chorus, with the Carlisle Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and in Fauré’s Requiem. Upcoming work includes Hugo Weisgall’s Poulenc’s La Dame de Monte Carlo with Hope and Anchor Opera at the Providence Fringe and concerts with Boston Bel Canto Opera and Labyrinth Choir. Full details can be found at: www.LetitiaStevens.com

Laura S. Weiss - Chorus

Laura S. Weiss, soprano, is proud to be returning for her 8th time with Opera51. A native of MA, Laura currently divides her time between MA and FL, performing with opera groups, choral groups and as a soloist in both states. She is so grateful to the people of this wonderful group for giving Laura her first operatic shot!

Clark Wright - Co-Director

Having acted, directed, and produced shows for decades in the Boston area, I am thrilled to be doing my first musical. Working with Opera 51 and this amazing cast has been an absolute joy. Thank you Gretta for talking me into this.

Lisa A. Goldthwaite Wright - Stage Manager

After stunning performances as Mrs. Fox and Stewardess at the Little Red Schoolhouse Kindergarten, Lisa took up residence backstage, where she has been the backup memory system for multitudes of directors for mumbledy decades (Hood Middle School, Pinkerton Academy, The Baron's Players, TCAN, Verse and Vodka, Theatre Ink). She also trains new generations of SMs and directors as a faculty advisor for the theatre department at Newton North High School since the early aughts. This is her first production with Opera 51, but not her first with our lovely directing team. (Make up job in this head shot is mostly Gretta's fault.)

Brian Adler - Assistant Stage Manager

Brian is happy to be working with such a talented group of people! He recently returned to stage management after a long hiatus, and is thrilled to be back in theater. He just finished working as Assistant Stage Manager on First Date (Colonial Chorus). Upcoming projects include Reefer Madness (Assistant Stage Manager, Moonstruck Theater) and Merry Wives of Windsor (Stage Manager, Belmont Dramatic Club). Brian would like to thank his wife, Anita, for putting up with him all these years, and for her love, support, and laughter. He'd also like to thank his children Jonah and Rebecca, who amaze him even more as adults than they did as kids.

Stephen Sondheim - Composer

STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930-2021) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), Road Show (2008) and HERE WE ARE (2023), as well as the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), Moving On (2001), Sondheim On Sondheim (2010) and Old Friends (2023) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist. For films, he composed the scores of “Stavisky” (1974), co-composed the score for “Reds” (1981), and wrote songs for “Dick Tracy” (1990). He wrote songs for the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966), co-authored the film “The Last of Sheila” (1973) and the play Getting Away With Murder (1996) and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer (1956), Invitation To A March (1961), Twigs (1971) and The Enclave (1973).

He won the Tony Award for Best Score for Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Passion, all of which won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday In The Park With George, the latter also receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1985).

Stephen Sondheim was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Williams College, winning the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition, after which he studied theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. He served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers and lyricists, and served as its president from 1973 to 1981. In 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1990 was appointed the first Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, the National Medal of Arts in 1996, the MacDowell Medal in 2013 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: "Finishing the Hat" (2010) and "Look, I Made a Hat" (2011).

In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed in his honor, and in 2019 he became the first living artist to have a theatre named in his honor on Shaftesbury Avenue when the refurbished Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End was renamed the Sondheim Theatre to commemorate his 90th birthday, by Sir Cameron Mackintosh.