Operatic Fundraising Performances for 51 Walden

Our 19th Season

Falstaff:

Music by Guiseppe Verdi

Libretto by Arrigo Boito

June 5, 6, and 7, 2026

Performances

Performed with a full orchestra.

   

  

Synopsis

Giuseppe Verdi's final masterpiece, Falstaff (1893), is a three-act comic opera based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. It follows the aging, boastful knight, Sir John Falstaff, as he attempts to woo two wealthy women, Alice Ford and Meg Page, with identical love letters to secure their money. The clever wives discover the scheme and team up with Mistress Quickly and Nannetta, Alice Ford's daughter, to subject Falstaff to a series of humiliating pranks.

Cast and Company

Conductor: Alan Yost

Co-Producers: Carole Wayland, Jay Newlon and Clark Wright

Co-Directors: Margretta Beaty and Clark Wright

Stage Manager: Lisa A. Goldthwaite Wright

Lighting Designer: Carl Spaulding

Production Assistant: Natalie Barnaby

 

      Principal     Cover
Falstaff   James C. S. Liu   Wesley Ray Thomas  
Ford   Ron Williams   Frank Walker  
Alice Ford   Margretta Beaty   Jessica Jacobs  
Meg Page   Maklyn Baley   Sara Mitnik  
Mistress Quickly   Mauri Tetrault   Cassandra Pynes  
Nannetta   Emma Robertson   Erin Anderson  
Fenton   Michael Gonzalez   Daniel Kamalic  
Pistolo   Carlo Bunyi   Carlo Bunyi  
Bardolfo   Daniel Kamalic   Steve Huff  
Dr. Caius   Sean Parr   Frank Harrigan  
Robin   Patricia Kopko   Patricia Kopko  

Chorus:   Alexandra Brassard, Allison Waggener, Jenifer Feaster, Erin Dilworth, Chris Loschen, Sam Pilato, Keiko Nakagawa, Lyza Morss, Terri Carotenuto, Laura Weiss, Larry Milner, Lance Levine

Accessibility and Health

51 Walden is a fully accessible building.  The hall has had UV scrubbers installed and air purifiers placed in the lobby, and the overhead fans will be running in our high-ceilinged space.

A Fundraiser for 51 Walden

All Opera51 performances are benefit fundraisers to support operation of the 51 Walden facility.  Almost all performers and staff are either unpaid or paid small stipends.  Proceeds contribute valuable funds to the maintenance and operation of 51 Walden, a community performing arts resource supporting hundreds of local residents each week throughout the year.

Donations to support 51 Walden / Opera51 can be made directly by clicking here, or by sending a check payable to "51 Walden" to P O Box 251, Concord, MA 01742.  Please indicate "Opera51" on the memo line of your check.  51 Walden is a 501(c)3 organization.  (Opera51 is part of 51 Walden, not an independent entity.)

Last updated 2/1/26