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P R O F I L E S | L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
April - May, 2017
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PETER MORGAN
(
Another
Bystander, Cockney Quartet
)
portrayed Chiron/
Jason
and the Argonauts,
Lyric
Unlimited’s world premiere
by Gregory Spears. An
apprentice artist at the
Sarasota Opera, he received
his musical training at
Eastern Michigan University and Roosevelt
University, where he earned his master of music
degree in vocal performance. Recent appearances
include the roles of Figaro/
The Marriage of Figaro
(Kor Productions), Sarastro/
The Magic Flute
(Petite Opera Productions), and Bonze/
Madama
Butterfly
(Main Street Opera).
KENNETH NICHOLS
(
Servant, u/s Cockney
Quartet
) has appeared in
11 roles at Lyric, most
recently as a Lackey/
Der
Rosenkavalier
(2015/16)
and the Undertaker/
Porgy and Bess
(2014/15).
The bass-baritone’s other
Chicago roles have included the King and
Herald/
The Love for Three Oranges
(Chicago
Cultural Center) and Leporello/
Don Giovanni
(DuPage Opera Theatre). He was an ensemble
member and sang multiple performances of
Joe in Harold Prince’s
Show Boat
production
in New York, Toronto, Chicago, and London.
JAMES ODOM
(
u/s Ser-
vant
) is a member of the
Lyric Opera Chorus and
has performed in more
than 140 productions. His
work as a soloist includes
productions at The Dallas
Opera, Lyric Opera of
Dallas, Opera Irving, Casa
Mañana, and Irving Theatre Center. In
addition to his work in opera and musical
theater, he has performed solo shows in
Chicago and New York, as well as in
Cheerful
Little Earful: The Songs of Harry Warren
at
Skylight Music Theatre (Milwaukee).
THOMAS LEWIS
POTTER
, a member of the
Lyric Opera Chorus since
1992, has been heard in
Lyric productions of
Billy
Budd
,
Sweeney Todd
, and
Susannah
. An alumnus of
DePauw University, where
he received a bachelor’s
degree in voice, Potter has appeared with
Chamber Opera Chicago (
The Magic Flute
,
Werther
,
Gianni Schicchi
), Sister Lakes Theatre
(
Robber Bridegroom
,
Man of La Mancha
),
Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Father/
Hansel
and Gretel
), Waukegan Symphony Orchestra
(Brahms’s
Requiem
, Bach’s
St. Matthew Passion
),
and James Chorale (Bach’s
St. Mark Passion
).
DOMINIC RESCIGNO*
,
a Chicago native,
received
his training from Columbia
College Chicago where he
earned his bachelor of arts
degree in theater while also
studying and performing
at The Second City. An
active performer in the
Chicago area, his current season has included
appearances as Donny Dulce/
Tony ’n’ Tina’s
Wedding
(Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding Company)
and Mark Cohen/
Rent
(Metropolis Performing
Arts Centre). Rescigno has also worked
with several Chicago theater companies,
including Williams Street Repertory, Chicago
Dramatists, and Kokandy Productions.
STEPHEN
SCHELLHARDT*
earned
two Jeff Award nomin-
ations for best actor in
a musical (Ko-Ko/
Hot
Mikado
, Drury Lane
Theatre) and best sup-
porting actor (Laurie/
Little
Women
, Marriott Theatre),
and a Barrymore Award nomination (Laurie/
Little Women
, Bristol Riverside Theatre).
Schellhardt portrayed Abe, Mark, and Juan,
and was also dance captain, for the first
national tour of
Altar Boyz
. He has performed
at, among others, Writers Theatre (Edward/
Days Like Today
), Chamber Opera Chicago
(Henry/
Persuasion
), and Marriott Theatre
(Emcee/
Cabaret
, Professor/
South Pacific
,
Tenor/
A Grand Night for Singing
).
JOE SHADDAY
(
Hoxton
Man
,
Cockney Quartet
)
is a member of the Lyric
Opera Chorus, Cantus
Vocal Ensemble, and
was formerly an artist-
in-residence at Chicago
Opera Theater, where he
most recently portrayed
Banquo/Bloch’s
Macbeth
. Other recent
performances include Goro/
Madama Butterfly
(Ash Lawn Opera in Charlottesville, Virginia),
Ahmed/
Woman from Morocco
(Kentucky
Opera, world premiere), Enoch Snow/
Carousel
and Count Ivrea/
King for a Day
(both at the
Glimmerglass Festival). Shadday received his
master of music degree in voice from the
University of Maryland.
WILL SKRIP
(
Servant,
u/s Cockney Quartet
),
an active Chicago-area
performer, has been seen
at Lyric in
Carousel
.
His credits onstage have
included Tony/
West Side
Story
(Paramount Theatre),
Prince Eric/
The Little
Mermaid
(Chicago Shakespeare Theater),
Michael/
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
(Drury Lane
Theatre), Emmett Forrest/
Legally Blonde
(Little Theatre on the Square), and Cinderella’s
Prince and the Wolf/
Into The Woods
(Mercury
Theater). Skrip is a graduate of Northwestern
University, where he received his bachelor’s
degree in acting and musical theater.
YVETTE SMITH
(
u/s
Queen of Transylvania, u/s
Servant
), a member of the
Lyric Opera Chorus, has
performed at Lyric as the
Voice/
Parisfal
(2013/14)
and First Maidservant/
Elektra
(2012/13). Perfor-
mance credits include Erda/
Siegfried
(Wagner Society of Washington, D. C.),
Rosina/
The Barber of Seville
(Opera Theatre
of Northern Virginia), Katisha/
The Mikado
(Washington Savoyards), First Maidservant/
Elektra
(Washington National Opera), Third
Lady/
The Magic Flute
(National Philharmonic
Opera), and Emilia/
Otello
(Summer Opera
Theatre). Smith trained at the University of
Maryland at College Park and the University of
North Carolina-Greensboro.
MARIE
SOKOLOVA
(
Servant
), a member of the
Lyric Opera Chorus, de-
buted at Lyric as Dolly/
Show Boat
(2010/11). A
graduate of the San Fran-
cisco Conservatory of Music
and DePauw University,
she has been heard with
the San Francisco Opera Education Outreach
Program, Bay Area Summer Opera Theater
Institute, College Light Opera Company,
and MasterWorks Festival. Sokolova has also
appeared as the Witch/
Hansel and Gretel
(Chicago Opera Playhouse, Tomorrow River
Opera), Flora/
La traviata
(Music by the Lake),
Margot/
Mitislaw the Modern
(Chicago Folks
Operetta), and Dame Doleful/
Too Many
Sopranos
(Milwaukee Opera Theatre).
*Lyric debut