METRO ADVISORY:
Metro will close five Red Line stations during the Labor Day holiday weekend from 10pm on Friday, Sept. 3, to closing on Monday, Sept. 6, as the agency undertakes a major rehabilitation and rebuilding project. The Takoma, Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton, and Glenmont Metrorail stations will be closed during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Normal service will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 5am.

To help people get around the work zone, Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the Fort Totten and Glenmont Metrorail stations. Metro recommends that customers build an extra 40 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.

Ben Lurye (Jesus), Tenor, is excited and honored to be making his operatic debut in this beautiful piece. DC AREA: Olney: Forever Plaid (Sparky), Signature: Sweeney Todd (perf. Tobias u/s), Wildwood Summer Theatre: Parade (Leo Frank), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon), Cabaret (Emcee). Ben co-composed the music and lyrics for The A Cappella Party at the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival, as well as wrote the songs for two student musicals at Imagination Stage this past summer: The Adventures of Sinbad and Pirate Kids. Ben earned his BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Maryland, where he studied with François Loup. Thanks and congratulations to Roc!

Monica Szabó (Mary), Mezzo-Soprano, is a performing artist active in the Baltimore-Washington area whose opera credits range from Mrs. Soames in Ned Rorem's Our Town to Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare. Her portrayal of Ines in Verdi's Il Trovatore with Washington's Summer Opera Theatre Company was described as “bright and ebullient” by The Washington Post. World premiere performances include Kathara in The Furies by Andrew Earle Simpson and Not- Pooh Songs for voice and oboe by Thomas Schnauber as a guest of Washington's Great Noise Ensemble. An avid art song performer, Ms. Szabó has performed abroad in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Hungary, Romania and Austria. She was the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship to study at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. She has performed as a soloist with the Bay View Festival Orchestra and with the Symphony Orchestra of the Catholic University of America as the winner of the annual Concerto/Aria Competition.

Charles Hyland (James), Bass-Baritone, graduated from Catholic University's Benjamin T. Rome School of Music in May. He performed a number of roles at the school, including Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Schaunard in La Boheme, Seneca in L'Incoronazione di Poppea, and Dulcamara in L'Elisir d'Amore. Charles has worked frequently with Bel Cantanti Opera Company, appearing in roles such as Colline in La Boheme, Lorenzo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Curio in Giulio Cesare. He has also been the baritone soloist for performances of The Messiah and The Seven Last Words of Christ. Charles currently studies with Rick Christman.

Kristen Donovan (Leah), Soprano, has appeared in opera productions around the Washington, D.C. area since 2003. Some favorite roles include, Giannetta (L'Elisir D'Amore), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Mademoiselle Silberklang (The Impresario). Kristen recieved her Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Vocal Performance from the Catholic University of America. In addition to her study at Catholic, she studied with the Crittenden Opera Studio and at the Bethesda Summer Music Festival for several seasons. With Conductor Murry Sidlin, she performed in Leonard Bernstein's Mass at the Kennedy Center and in the Verdi Requiem in Budapest, Hungary. With the MusicFest Perugia in Italy, Kristen performed solos and vocal duets at the Sala dei Notari in Perugia and at the Teatro Caio Melisso in Spoleto. Kristen is thrilled to be a part of the premiere of Roc Lee's The Crossroad this fall.

Jason Solounias (Accompanist) is a Baltimore native currently living in Washington D.C. and pursuing a Master of Music Degree at The Catholic University of America. He completed his Bachelor's Degree at Shepherd University while studying piano with Dr. Scott Beard and has had success in area competitions including The International Young Artist Piano Competition, West Virginia Music Teachers Association, and Maryland Music Teachers Association. Now in Washington, Jason has been involved in stage music and new music including Unfinished Sermons, The Last Five Years, and the premier of new music at the Collegiate Music Society and The Society of Composers Inc.

A. M. C. Clapp (Director) is an MFA candidate in Directing at the Catholic University of America. Her directorial work in the D.C. metropolitan area tends to focus on work that explores the blurred boundary between reality and the possibility of other worlds. Allison has amassed ten years of experience working in educational theatre, and was previously the Director of Theatre Arts at Seneca Valley High School, and Director of Summer in the Parks at Washington Grove. She founded two after-school theatre programs—The Home School Drama Club in Leonardtown, Maryland and The Lorax Project in Washington Grove, Maryland. Allison received her Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in Theatre, Film, and Media Studies and Women, Gender and Sexuality. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jessica Skelton (Production Stage Manager) has previously stage managed The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Magnum Opus, and The Serpent Woman at CUA and served as assistant stage manager for Strange Bedfellows and Lord Arthur Savile's Crime with the Washington Stage Guild.

David Tannous (Librettist) is a writer and art critic based in Washington, DC.

Roc Lee (Composer and Librettist) is proud to present this work in fulfillment of his requirements for a Master in Music Composition, Stage Music at the Catholic University of America (CUA) under the advisement of Dr. Andrew E. Simpson. He does work in film scoring, music production, transcriptions, and collaboration across art forms. Roc is particularly interested in issues of social justice and works to bring awareness through his music. His article, Music Education in Prisons: A Historical Overview, was recently published in the International Journal of Community Music. Roc has also studied opera in the English language and Orchestration at New College, Oxford University and served as an instructor for Camp Arena Stage. (http://www.roclee.net)