The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, John Moore

During the COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 season, John Moore’s engagements include the title role in Eugene Onegin with his hometown Minnesota Opera (cancelled), Handel’s Messiah with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (postponed), the title role in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Atlanta Opera, Austin Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City (postponed), Brahms’ Requiem with the San Diego Symphony (cancelled), and Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New Zealand Opera. Future seasons include a return to The Metropolitan Opera and the rescheduled tour of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.

Laurene Powell Jobs, Sarah Larsen

Sarah Larsen appears regularly on opera stages throughout North America. A regular at The Metropolitan Opera, she has appeared in productions of Werther, Parsifal, and most recently as Flora (La traviata). In the coming 2021-2022 season, she returns to The Met stage as the Second Lady (The Magic Flute). Further performances in the season include her role debut as Laurene Powell Jobs in a new production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Austin Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Larsen has appeared with Santa Fe Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and The Tanglewood Festival. 

Steve Wozniak, Bille Bruley

Tenor Bille Bruley begins the 2021-2022 season with debuts at Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Atlanta Opera for a new production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs directed by Tomer Zvulun and a return to Arizona Opera for Così fan tutte (Ferrando). Recent performance highlights include a return to The Santa Fe Opera for the world premiere of Poul Ruders’ The Thirteenth Child (Benjamin), and Britten’s War Requiem with the Tulsa Symphony.  COVID-19 cancellations included debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Tristan und Isolde (Sailor/ Shepherd), Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for Susannah (Sam), and Colorado Symphony in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Red Rocks.

Chrisann Brennan, Madison Leonard

In the 2021-22 season, Madison Leonard will debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs following her return to Austin Opera as Chrisann Brennan (The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs). She will also make her debut with Utah Opera as Mabel (Pirates of Penzance). Future seasons see her debut with Dallas Opera as well as another role debut with Austin Opera. Her recent performances include Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (Garsington Opera), Gilda in Rigoletto (Seattle Opera, Austin Opera), Adina in L’elisir d’amore and Chrisann Brennan in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Seattle Opera), Morgana in Alcina (Washington National Opera), and Ilia in Idomeneo and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette (Wolf Trap Opera).

Kōbun Chino Otogawa, Wei Wu

A native of China, Grammy Award-winning bass Wei Wu recently made his company debut with the Santa Fe Opera as Kobun in the world premiere production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. COVID-19 affected 2020-2021 season engagements included the Inspector in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Woman with Eyes Closed with Opera Philadelphia (postponed), his role debut as Gremin (Eugene Onegin) in a return to Minnesota Opera (cancelled), and Ferrando (Il trovatore) with Portland Opera in his company debut (cancelled). Future seasons include the rescheduled tour of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.

Paul Jobs, Tim Scott

Tim Scott makes his debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. He has appeared Off–Broadway, regionally, and on nearly every professional stage in Kansas City, most recently in the world premiere productions of The Last Days of Summer and Between the Lines, and also as Adolfo Pirielli in Sweeney Todd, all at Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Tim also serves as Executive Artistic Director at Music Theater Heritage (MTH) one of the largest, year-round professional musical theaters in the region. This season Tim will direct three productions at MTH; Titanic, Cabaret, and, in collaboration with Ensemble Ibérica, a re-imagining of Man of La Mancha. MTH is the professional theater in residence at Crown Center. 

A Teacher, Aubrey Odle 

Mezzo-soprano Aubrey Odle is a graduate of Utah State University (BM) and Brigham Young University (MM). Notable roles include the title role of Carmen, Mistress Quickly (Falstaff), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica). In the year 2020, Aubrey made her professional debut with Knoxville Opera as Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette). She performed regularly as a resident artist with Knoxville Opera in 2020, most recently featured as Carmen in “On the Lawn with Carmen.” Recently, she won the Utah Opera Ariafest competition, was a finalist in the Orpheus Vocal Competition (Jacqueline Polk Award), and a semifinalist in the Houston Saengerbund Awards.

Conductor, Michael Christie
Grammy award-winning conductor Michael Christie, who serves as the Artistic and Music Director of the New West Symphony, is equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds. Christie won a 2019 Grammy Award (Best Opera Recording) for the world premiere recording of Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with The Santa Fe Opera. At Minnesota Opera, Christie led twenty-four productions over eight years and six seasons as its first-ever Music Director. Christie’s conducting career, spanning more than twenty years, has included serving as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra in Australia, as well as guest appearances at leading orchestras around the world. Christie also served as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival from 2000-2013.

Director, Tomer Zvulun
General and Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Israeli born Tomer Zvulun is one of the leading stage directors of his generation. His work has been presented by prestigious opera houses in Europe, South and Central America, Israel and the US. He spent seven seasons on the directing staff at The Metropolitan Opera, where he directed revivals of Carmen and Tosca and was involved with more than a dozen new productions. He is a frequent guest director at companies such as Seattle Opera, The Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Wexford Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Wolf Trap, and Israeli Opera. He directed over fifteen new productions at his home company, The Atlanta Opera, and his European premiere of Silent Night at the Wexford Festival received two Irish Times Awards. During Tomer’s tenure at The Atlanta Opera, the company’s fundraising has tripled, resulting in twice the number of productions presented annually.  

Associate Director, Rebecca Herman 
Rebecca Herman is Artistic Producer of LOLA, Local Opera Local Artists in Austin, TX and an operatic stage director. This year Rebecca is excited to be Associate Director for Tomer Zvulun’s new production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs and to return to Queen City Opera to direct Fidelio. Recent highlights include Tosca and The Marriage of Figaro at Austin Opera; Lardo Weeping, part 2 and Good Country at LOLA. Pre-pandemic highlights include Dido and Aeneas at LOLA & Panoramic voices; La finta giardiniera at Portland Opera; Die Walküre , Act I at Queen City Opera; Otello and Don Giovanni at Austin Opera.  

Set and Costume Designer, Jacob Climber
Jacob A. Climber makes his Lyric Opera debut with The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Recent scenic and costume design credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Olney Theatre Center), The 2021 Texas Rose Festival (Tyler, Texas), and Platee (Des Moines Metro Opera). Selected opera credits include Shining Brow (Arizona Opera), Rusalka (Des Moines Metro Opera/Portland Opera), The Flying Dutchman (Atlanta Opera/Cincinatti Opera/ Houston Grand Opera), The Little Prince (Utah Opera)  Orphee (Des Moines Metro Opera/Portland Opera). Climber’s theatrical credits include Les Miserables (Dallas Theater Center), Unknown Soldier (Playwrights Horizons), Relevance (MCC), Uncommon Sense (Tectonic Theater), Kid Victory (Vineyard), and Fondly, Colette Richland (NYTW). He received his BFA at University of Evansville, and his MFA at Carnegie Mellon University. 

Lighting Designer, Robert Wierzel
Robert Wierzel has worked in opera, theater, dance, museums and contemporary music, on stages throughout the country, and abroad. His NYC Broadway productions include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, the musical FELA! (Tony Award nomination) and David Copperfield’s Dreams and Nightmares.  Wierzel has designed productions with opera companies in New York (Glimmerglass Festival, NYCO), Paris, Tokyo, Norway, Toronto, Vancouver, Wexford, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Portland, Denver (Opera Colorado), Washington D.C; Minneapolis and Chicago (Lyric Opera & Opera Theatre). He has designed at most regional theaters across the country, including The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington D.C.), Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, and the Mark Taper Forum. Wierzel is a creative partner at Spark Design Collaborative and is on the faculty of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Design for Stage & Film.

Projection Designer, S. Katy Tucker
S. Katy Tucker designs video and projections for live performance internationally, working frequently in opera and collaborating with composers and musicians, including Paul McCartney, Helga Davis, Pamela Z, and Amanda Gookin. Her work has been seen around the world, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at New York City Ballet, Carnegie Hall, Park Avenue Armory, BAM, San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dutch National Opera, Sydney Opera House, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company. She began her career as a painter and installation artist, exhibiting her work at a variety of galleries, such as the Corcoran Museum, Dupont Underground, the Dillon Gallery, and Artist’s Space in New York City. Recent productions include Eurydice and Verdi’s Requiem at The Metropolitan Opera, Florencia en el Amazonas at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orpheus and Eurydice at Seattle Opera, and Come Home at Washington National Opera. 

Associate Projection Designer, Blake Manns 
Blake Manns is an Austin based video and projection designer working in theater, opera, dance, television, film, experiential, and immersive arts. Recent credits include Verdi’s Requiem (The Metropolitan Opera) Skeleton Crew (Broadway, Assoc.), Sea Wall / A Life (Broadway, Assoc.), To the Yellow House (La Jolla Playhouse, Assoc.), Cats (2016 Broadway, Asst.), and The 70th Annual Tony Awards (Asst.). Blake holds a BFA in Lighting Design from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.  

Wig and Make-up Designer, Melanie Steele
Melanie Steele is making her Lyric Opera debut with The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Steele lives in Atlanta where she works with The Atlanta Opera, Fox Theater, The Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, as well as working in film and television. Steele recently toured with the national Broadway tour of The Lion King.  She has designed wigs and makeup for The Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Baltimore Opera, Kentucky Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Bard SummerScape, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Opera Pacific, Opera North Carolina, and Saratoga Springs Opera. Some of Steele’s work can be seen in Opera News, Makeup Artist Magazine, Seventeen, Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Voyage Atlanta, IMDB and Texas Monthly Magazine.