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David and Alice Rubenstein are thePresenting Underwriters of WNO.

MOBY-DICKMOBY-DICKWith members of theDomingo-Cafritz Young Artist Programand the WNO Orchestra

Conducted by Evan RogisterProduction by Leonard Foglia

Presented in theKennedy Center Opera House

Performances for Young Audiencesis made possible by

There’s more than one way to tell a great story. And sometimes—if you’re verylucky several types of storytelling can join forces to create one unique and thrillingadventure. Welcome aboard WNO’s Pequod, a majestic ship where belovedliterature, soaring melodies, and the magic of theater meet in the opera Moby-Dick—a place where story can literally sing.

Stories that SingStories that Sing

featuring scenes fromJake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s

SOME HISTORY FIRSTFor many centuries, the mysterious whale wasan essential part of human life and the globaleconomy. This was mostly because the fatty oilgathered from whale blubber was used to lightlamps in the days before electricity. Manywhaling ships sailed out of the smallMassachusetts island of Nantucket, whichbecame a headquarters for sailors bent oncatching whales. From there, men journeyedaround the world for years at a time, risking lifeand limb to capture these colossal whales.

A GREAT AMERICAN NOVELThe need for whale oil reached itspeak in the 1800s, and the whaletrade became so popular itprompted many 19th-centuryauthors to write about whalehunting on the high seas. NovelistHerman Melville drew upon his own

experiences as a whaler as well astrue tales of violent encounters with

the gigantic animals to create his 1851masterpiece, Moby-Dick—a powerful story offriendship, ambition, and revenge.

A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO WHALESAround the same time as Melville was exploringwhaling life in Moby-Dick, an author namedFrancis C. Woodworth was also tackling thesubject of whales in his book Jack Mason, theOld Sailor. Disguised as storyteller TheodoreThinker, Woodworth introduced young audiencesto the dangers of whaling through the characterof Jack Mason, an experienced and well-traveledolder man.

Whaleales

Whaleales

What kind of story is so big it can inspire abook and then goes on to inspire an opera basedon that book? Simple: a story about the largestanimal known to man.

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MAIN CHARACTERSAHAB, captain of the Pequod(tenor – the highest male voice)

STARBUCK, first mate(baritone – a middle-range male voice)

STUBB, second mate (baritone)

FLASK, third mate (tenor)

QUEEQUEG, an island native and harpooner(bass – the lowest male voice)

GREENHORN/ISHMAEL, a young whaler(tenor)

PIP, the cabin boy(soprano – the highest female voice)*

*note: when opera composers have females sing theparts of young boys it is often called a “pants” role

C onsidered one of America’s greatest novels, theepic sea adventure captures this country’s spiritand voice during an important time in its history.

WHAT IS AN OPERA ANYWAY?“Opera” is a story told through music. Instead ofspeaking, the characters sing through theirthoughts and emotions. Sometimes thecharacters sing by themselves (this is called an“aria,” pronounced AR-ee-yah), and sometimesthey sing in groups of two or more.

There’s also an orchestra that plays with thesingers. Listen carefully for the way instrumentsact as “sound effects” while providing musicalaccompaniment. (For example, how trumpetssound like whales spouting water.)

WHAT’S THE STORY?The opera, Moby-Dick, takes place on a whalingship known as the Pequod. On board, newcomerGreenhorn (later known as “Ishmael”) and hisfellow sailors struggle to survive a perilousjourney complete with treacherous seas andseemingly vicious whales. However, the men soonrealize the greatest danger they face is theirvengeful captain, the peg-legged Ahab. As thehunt drags on, the captain threatens to bringdown the whole crew in his attempt to capture awhite whale known as Moby Dick, the very animalresponsible for the captain’s missing leg.

From Page to(Opera) Stage

From Page to(Opera) Stage

MEET THE CASTOperatic music calls for many different kinds ofsinging, from the very high to the very low, andsingers tend to fall into separate categories,based roughly on how high or low they can sing.Moby-Dick features eight main characters,seven of which you’ll hear today.

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I t takes a lot of work and a lot of people tocreate an opera—both on stage and off. Asyou watch today’s performance, keep some ofthese key players and important aspects ofthe show in mind:

IN THE SPOTLIGHTSINGERSGentlemen (and lady!) that are the stars ofthe production. Their voices are the mostresponsible for telling the story and expressingthe emotions of the characters. Some of themeven do their singing in mid-air.

SETSThings that give the opera a sense of place,including the ship masts, ropes, and sails.Those specially textured “scrims” (transparentscreens) you’ll see count as set pieces, too.

COSTUMESAnything the characters wear, including a pegleg, hats, and shoes.

LIGHTSSpecial lights that are set up all around thetheater. These help you see the actiononstage and give you clues about the story,such as the time of day. Plastic “gels” areused to change the color of the lights andmetal “gobos” are used to create differentshadows or textures.

On Stage andBehind the Curtain

On Stage andBehind the Curtain

BEHIND THE SCENESTHE ORCHESTRALocated in the dark pit at the foot ofthe stage. Their instruments keep theopera on its musical feet and providethe singers with much-needed support.

THE CONDUCTORIn charge of all things musical, keepingthe instruments and singers in time bymaintaining a beat and also giving cluesas to how the music should sound (i.e.,loud, soft, or furious).

THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOROversees technical (electric or mechanic)elements of the production from computerizedprojections on scrims, to lighting and soundsystems, to moving set pieces and beyond.

THE COSTUME DIRECTORTakes care of how the singers look and feelin their costumes, shoes, and accessories.The costume designer also decides who wearswhat and when.

THE CHOREOGRAPHERResponsible for the opera’s coordinatedmovements, such as dances or acrobaticperformances. Some productions even have aspecial fight director, like the one you’ll meettoday, who designs the battles onstage.

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For eachersFor eachersDEAR TEACHERS: Here are some thoughts and activities toshare with students before the curtain rises and a little bit ofhomework fun for when it comes down.

BEFORE THE LOOK-INPRE-OPERA PREPAsk students what they think the experience of opera might belike. What sights and sounds do they expect? Be sure to point outthat operas are similar to movies; they have something foreveryone (comedy, action, thrills).

PLAYLIST SHUFFLEHave students consider what type of music they enjoy. Do any oftheir favorite songs tell a story? Ask them to think about how thisidea can apply to an opera.

FUN WITH INSTRUMENTSToday, students will hear a full-sized orchestra. Can students listthe four orchestra families? (Hint: strings, woodwinds, brass, andpercussion.) Ask students what instruments they can identify byear. Listen for these unique sounds during the show.

AFTER THE LOOK-INCHARACTER CONFLICTThough they frequently sing together, Captain Ahab and Starbuckseem at odds throughout the opera. Have the students considerwhether this is because the two men are very different or veryalike. Ask students: What drives Ahab? What motivates Starbuck?Have children create a “personality quiz” that explores whichcharacters they themselves most resemble.

SPOILER ALERTSome musical themes in the overture can be heard again in laterscenes. Why do students think these themes recur? Do they thinkmusic can help audiences recall certain plot points or emotions?With older students, discuss foreshadowing and the ways it mightbe used on stage (Hint: music, sets, lighting, lyrics).

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David M. Rubenstein

Chairman

Michael M. Kaiser

President

Darrell M. Ayers

Vice President, Education

Michael L. Mael

Executive Director

Francesca Zambello

Artistic Director

Support for Opera Look-Ins isprovided by the Paul M. Angell

Family Foundation.

The Domingo-Cafritz Young ArtistProgram is made possible through

the generous support of The Morris

and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

Additional support for Performancesfor Young Audiences is provided by

Adobe Foundation; The Clark

Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V.

Kimsey; The Macy's Foundation; Park

Foundation, Inc.; an endowment from

the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family

Foundation; U.S. Department of

Education; Washington Gas; and by

generous contributors to the Abe

Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major

gift to the fund from the late Carolyn

E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic

programs are made possible through

the generosity of the National

Committee for the Performing Arts

and the President’s Advisory

Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE,

an education program of the Kennedy

Center.

Learn more about education at the

Kennedy Center at

www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been

developed under a grant from the U.S.

Department of Education and do not necessarily

represent the policy of the U.S. Department of

Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2014 The John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts

ABOUT THE COMPOSERAND LIBRETTIST…Moby-Dick marks the latest in a number ofcollaborations from music-writing team JakeHeggie and Gene Scheer. Together, the twohave created several song cycles and musicaldramas, along with yet another opera, ThreeDecembers. Though composer Jake Heggiebegan his career as a pianist, his operas arenow in high demand across the globe.Mr. Scheer, a renowned lyricist, is also acomposer, and his music can be heard onboth stage and screen.

ABOUT OUR GUEST STORYTELLER…Meet Andrea Roane, anchor for WashingtonD.C.’s WUSA TV, Channel 9 and host of themorning news. A broadcaster for more than30 years, Ms. Roane has received manyawards and honors. Look for her on TV!

PHOT

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Jake Heggie

Gene Scheer

Andrea Roane

Lowering Anchor:A Few Things to Know

Before Leavingthe Pequod

Lowering Anchor:A Few Things to Know

Before Leavingthe Pequod

Explore More ! Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGEartsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections

Explore More !