The Abduction from the Seraglio

KC Studio Review by Libby Hanssen “Goons, Dames and Mozart: Hometown Tenor Debuts in Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ Reboot”

Broadway World Review by Kelly Luck “The Abduction from the Seraglio at KC Lyric Opera” 

The Independent Review by Paul Horsley “Lyric’s wittily absurd ‘Abduction’ rides on fine performances”

Konstanze – Kathryn Lewek
Coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek returns to Lyric Opera in The Abduction from the Seraglio; she was most recently seen here as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (2013). Recent engagements include Ginevra in Ariodante at Salzburg Festival and Opera Monte Carlo; Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute at The Metropolitan Opera and many others; Eurydice in Orphée aux Enfers at Salzburg Festival; Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio at Deutsche Oper Berlin; Rosina in The Barber of Seville with Opera Carolina, and Cunegonde in Candide at The Glimmerglass Festival. Lewek debuted at Carnegie Hall in Handel’s Messiah, and has performed concerts with Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, among others.

Blonde – Rachele Gilmore
Coloratura soprano Rachele Gilmore returns to Lyric Opera for The Abduction from the Seraglio; she was most recently seen here as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (2016). Recent engagements include Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio at Théâtre Champs-Elysées; Nannetta in Falstaff with Opera Omaha; Ninetta in The Thieving Magpie at The Glimmerglass Festival; the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at Virginia Opera, Olympia in The Tales of Hoffman at The Metropolitan Opera and Boston Lyric Opera; Alice in Alice in Wonderland with Grand Théâtre de Genève; Gilda in Rigoletto with Opera Omaha and Opera Colorado; Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with The Glimmerglass Festival, and Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Opera Philadelphia.

Belmonte – Ben Bliss *
Tenor Ben Bliss makes his mainstage debut with Lyric Opera in The Abduction from the Seraglio. Recent engagements include Belmonte in The Abduction from the Seraglio at The Metropolitan Opera and Glyndebourne Festival; Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress at Boston Lyric Opera; Ferrando in in Così fan tutte at The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, and Oper Frankfurt, and a debut at Opera Philadelphia as Tamino in The Magic Flute; he also returned to Santa Fe Opera as Robert Wilson in Doctor Atomic. Bliss’s concert appearances include Handel’s Messiah and West Side Story Concert Suite No. 1 with New York Philharmonic. He is also the co-founder of Mise-En-Scène Studios (MESS NYC).

Osmin – Matt Boehler *
Bass Matt Boehler debuts with Lyric Opera in The Abduction from the Seraglio. Recent engagements include Sarastro in The Magic Flute at Utah Opera and Canadian Opera Company; Sparafucile in Rigoletto at Minnesota Opera and Theater St. Gallen; Bertrand in Iolantha and Marketeer in The Nose at The Metropolitan Opera; Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio at Madison Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera; Leporello in Don Giovanni at Madison Opera and Chicago Opera Theater; Méphistophélès in Faust at Michigan Opera Theater; Uncle in Elizabeth Cree at Opera Philadelphia; Il Cieco in Iris at Bard Summerscape; and Mr. Mister in The Cradle Will Rock at Opera Saratoga.

Pedrillo – Joseph Leppek
Joseph Leppek is a 2019-20 Lyric Opera of Kansas City Resident Artist. Recent appearances for Lyric Opera include the Explorations Series productions High Fidelity Opera and Mack the Knife is the Man I Love, as well as Glad Hand in West Side Story. He has also appeared as Tony in West Side Story with The Glimmerglass Festival; Mariachi 1 in The Summer King at Michigan Opera Theatre; Mr. Martini in the world premiere of It’s a Wonderful Life at Houston Grand Opera; Giachomo de Wisants in The Siege of Calais at The Glimmerglass Festival; and The Priest in Il Postino with Opera Saratoga.

Pasha Selim – Matthew J. Williamson *
Matthew Williamson makes his debut with Lyric Opera in The Abduction from the Seraglio. His voice-over work includes many audiobooks and commercials, and he has appeared in television shows such as Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Will & Grace, ER, Boston Legal, The West Wing, and more. He also performed on Broadway in William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba at the Manhattan Theatre Club. With Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Kansas City, Matthew played Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Orsino in Twelfth Night, and Ned Alleyn in Shakespeare in Love.

* Lyric Opera Debut
+ LOKC Resident Artist
~ LOKC Apprentice Artist
@ Former LOKC Resident Artist

Soprano
Judy Bliss
Kristin Newbegin
Mary Lou Pagano
Kelli Van Meter ~
Marci Ziegler @

Mezzo-Soprano
Kelly Birch ^
Ashley Beth Burnett
Mindy Guidroz
Mackenzie Phillips
Julia Scozzafava @

Tenor
Joseph Carr
Thomas Drew ~
Kevin Thomas Smith
Trevor B. Smith
Michael Wu

Baritone/Bass
Phil Eatherton
Terence Murphy
Robert H. Riordan ~
Matthew Scrivner
Nathan Whitson

Supernumeraries
Brad Foster
James Symmonds

* Lyric Opera Debut
~ Lyric Opera Apprentice Artist
@ Former Lyric Opera Apprentice
^ Former Lyric Opera Resident Artist

Conductor Michael Christie
Director Alison Moritz
Set Designer Steven C. Kemp  for New Orleans Opera
Costume Designer Mary Traylor
Lighting Designer Anshuman Bhatia *
Wig & Makeup Designer David Zimmerman
Chorus Master Piotr Wisniewski *
Music Librarian Elena Lence-Talley
Technical Director Brad Kanouse
Props Master Shawnna Journagan *
Costume Coordinator Nancy Robinson
Wig & Makeup Assistant Meredith Keister *
Wig & Makeup Crew Michael Briseno, Katie Wasicko
Assistant Lighting Designer Mario Raymond
Figaro Simultext Operator Sarah Zsohar
State Manager Karl Anderson
Assistant Stage Managers Alayna Powell, Alec Rigdon
Head Scenic Artist Gen Goering
Head Carpenter Melvin McClenahan
Head Propsman Stephen Cochran
Head Electrician Artimio Wilson
Head Flyman James Vinzant
Head Sound Engineer Phil Rebel
Wardrobe Supervisor Jan Toombs
Wardrobe Assistant Desiree Baird Story

* Lyric Opera Debut

The Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild presents At Ease with Opera, a series of lectures focused on each mainstage Lyric Opera production. Admission is free and open to everyone.

Most “At Ease” events take place at the Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110, but there are occasional exceptions.

The “At Ease” lectures for The Abduction from the Seraglio have concluded.