1994-1995 Season

Billy

Chamber Opera October 28-30, 1994

Billy

About

Cast & Creative

composed by Timothy Brock with libretto by Bryan Willis

directed by Linda Whitney

Chamber Opera October 28-30, 1994

Harlequin Productions and the Olympia Chamber Orchestra unite to bring you this world premiere. Based on the life of jazz saxophonist Billy Tipton, a woman who successfully passed as a man for fifty years. The opera explores the enigma and catastrophic cost of her choice to disguise her gender to perform in a man’s world.

Cast & Creative

Director/Scenic Designer Linda Whitney

Linda Whitney

In 27 seasons and 109 shows at Harlequin:

A Christmas Survival Guide (Director / Scenic Designer) A Long Day's Journey into Night (Director) A Man for All Seasons (Scenic Designer) A Rock N' Roll Twelfth Night (Scenic Designer) A Stardust Christmas Carol (Director, Director/Scenic Designer) A Stardust Homecoming (Director) A Streetcar Named Desire (Director/Scenic Designer) American Buffalo (Set Designer) And a Nightingale Sang (Director/Scenic Designer) Antony & Cleopatra (Scenic Designer) Arcadia (Director) Art (Director/Scenic Designer/Costume Designer) As You Like It (Scenic Designer) Assassins (Director/Scenic Designer) Billy (Director/Scenic Designer) boom (Director) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Director / Scenic Designer) Clybourne Park (Scenic Designer) Dancin' in the Aisles (Scenic Designer) Dancin' in the Streets (Director/Scenic/Costume Designer) Dracula (Scenic Designer) Dry Powder (Scenic Designer) Enchanted April (Director & Set Designer) End Days (Director, Scenic Designer) First Date (Director) Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Scenic Designer, Costume Designer) Forever Stardust (Director/Scenic Designer) Frozen (Costume Designer) Gloucester Blue (Scenic Designer) Hamlet (Costume Designer, Scenic Designer) Hapgood (Scenic Designer) Henry V (Scenic Designer) Holiday Broadcast of 1943 (Director/Scenic Designer) Intimate Apparel (Director/Scenic Designer) Jesus Christ Superstar (Director, Scenic Designer) Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Director/Scenic Designer) Letters from Waldo (Scenic/Costume Designer) Little Shop of Horrors (Director) Mad in Craft (Scenic Designer) Magical Mystery Midsummer Musical (Director / Scenic Designer) Mauritius (Scenic Designer) Murder in the Cathedral (Scenic Designer) My Old Lady (Scenic Designer) Operation Stardust (Director) Operation: Stardust (Director) Or, (Scenic Designer) Orphans (Scenic Designer) Phantom of the Stardust (Director/Scenic Designer) Philadelphia Story (Director / Scenic Designer) Present Laughter (Director) Recent Tragic Events (Scenic Designer) Reckless (Scenic Designer) Richard III (Scenic Designer) Romeo and Juliet (Costume Designer) Rough Crossing (Director) Shining City (Costume Designer) Sixteen Words for Water (Scenic Designer) Sixties Chicks (Director) Sixties Chicks Too (Director) Sixties Kicks! (Director) Soul on Fire! (Costume Designer) Stardust for Christmas (Director, Scenic Designer) Stardust for Emily Jean (Director/Scenic Designer) Stardust Radio Review (Director/Scenic Designer) Stardust Serenade 1942 (Director) Summer in the Sixties (Director, Scenic Designer) Swingtime Stardust (Director/Scenic Designer) Talking With (Co-Director/Scenic/Costume Designer) Tapestry - the Music of Carol King (Director/Scenic/Costume Designer) Ten Seconds in the Life of Fenwick Green (Scenic/Costume Designer) The 1940s Radio Hour (Director/Scenic/Costume Designer) The Americans Across the Street (Director, Scenic Designer) The Art of Racing in the Rain (Director, Scenic Design) The Constant Wife (Director/Scenic Designer) The Dumbwaiter (Scenic/Costume Designer) The Elephant Man (Director / Scenic Designer) The Glass Menagerie (Scenic Designer) The Importance of Being Earnest (Director/Scenic Designer) The Ladies of the Camellias (Director/Scenic Designer) The Last Five Years (Director / Scenic Designer / Costume Designer) The Last Schwartz (Director / Scenic Designer) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Director) The Rainmaker (Scenic Designer) The Real Thing (Scenic Designer) The Seafarer (Set Designer) The Stardust Cavalcade 1943 (Director/Scenic/Costume Designer) The Stardust Christmas Blizzard (Director / Scenic Designer) The Stardust Christmas Commotion (Director/Scenic Designer) The Stardust Christmas Dazzle (Director / Scenic Designer) The Stardust Christmas Enchantment (Director, Scenic Design) The Stardust Christmas Fandango (Director, Scenic Design) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Co-Director/Scenic Designer) The Stardust Serenade 1942 (Director/Scenic Designer) The Taming of the Shrew (Scenic Designer) The Twelfth Night of Stardust (Director) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Scenic Designer) The Understudy (Scenic Design) The Winter's Tale (Scenic Designer) The Zoo Story (Scenic/Costume Designer) Time Stands Still (Scenic Designer) To Kill a Mockingbird (Director) Two Gentlemen of Verona (Scenic Designer) Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (Scenic Designer) Waiting for Godot (Scenic Designer) What I Did Last Summer (Co-Director/Scenic Designer)

Vocal Director Troy Fisher

Troy Fisher

In 4 seasons and 5 shows at Harlequin:

Billy (Doug Clark, Vocal Director) Operation: Stardust (Musical Director/Choreographer, Tommy Fox, piano) Stardust for Christmas (Musical Director, Tommy Fox) The 1940s Radio Hour (B. J., Music Director) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Tommy Fox, Music Director)

Costume Designer Suzy Star

Suzy Star

In 1 season and 2 shows at Harlequin:

Billy (Costume Designer) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Costume Designer)

Lighting Designer Jill Carter

Jill Carter

In 20 seasons and 61 shows at Harlequin:

A Man for All Seasons (Lighting Designer) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Scenic Designer) A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Co-Lighting Designer) A Stardust Christmas Carol (Lighting Designer) American Buffalo (Lighting Designer) And a Nightingale Sang (Digital Image Designer) Antony & Cleopatra (Lighting Designer) Baltimore Waltz (Lighting Designer) Billy (Lighting Designer) boom (Scenic Designer, Video Designer) Cymbeline (Scenic/Lighting Designer) Cyrano de Bergerac (Scenic Designer) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Scenic Designer) Dracula (Scenic Designer, Lighting Designer) End Days (Video Designer) Enrico IV (Lighting Designer) Frozen (Scenic/Lighting Designer) Hamlet (Scenic Designer, Lighting Designer) Holiday Broadcast of 1943 (Lighting Designer) Inspecting Carol (Scenic/Lighting Designer) Macbeth (Scenic/Lighting Designer) Mating Dance of the Werewolf (Scenic Designer) Measure for Measure (Scenic/Lighting Designer) My Name is Rachel Corrie (Scenic Design, Video Design) Operation: Stardust (Scenic Designer) Orphans (Lighting Designer) Psychopathia Sexualis (Scenic Designer) Rabbit Hole (Scenic Designer) Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Scenic Designer) Romeo and Juliet (Scenic/Lighting Designer) Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (Scenic Designer) Rough Crossing (Scenic Designer) She Stoops to Conquer (Lighting Designer) Shining City (Lighting Designer) Sins of the Mother (Scenic Designer / Lighting Designer) Six Hotels (Lighting Designer) Sixties Chicks (Lighting/Video Designer) Sixties Kicks! (Video Production) Stardust for Christmas (Lighting Designer) Stardust for Emily Jean (Lighting Designer) Summer in the Sixties (Video Designer) The 1940s Radio Hour (Lighting Designer) The Elsinore Diaries (A/V Designer) The Last Schwartz (Lighting Designer) The Life and Death of King John (Scenic Designer) The Life and Times of Leonardo da Vinci (Scenic Designer) The Love List (Scenic & Lighting Designer, Scenic Designer) The Rocky Horror Show (Scenic Designer, Lighting Designer) The Stardust Serenade 1942 (Scenic Designer) The Taming of the Shrew (Lighting & Video Designer) The Tempest (Scenic & Properties Designer) The Twelfth Night of Stardust (Lighting Designer) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Lighting Designer) The Woman in Black (Scenic Co-Designer) Under a Mantle of Stars (Scenic Director) Unexpected Tenderness (Scenic Designer) Waiting for Godot (Lighting Designer)

Stage Manager Misi

Misi

In 7 seasons and 16 shows at Harlequin:

A Man for All Seasons (Stage Manager) A Streetcar Named Desire (Stage Manager) American Buffalo (Stage Manager) Billy (Stage Manager) Cymbeline (Stage Manager) Dracula (Stage Manager) Hamlet (Stage Manager) Henry V (Stage Manager) La Béte (Asst. Stage Manager) Mad in Craft (Stage Manager) Operation: Stardust (Asst. Stage Manager) She Stoops to Conquer (Stage Manager) Talking With (Co-Stage Manager) The 1940s Radio Hour (Props Designer) The Real Thing (Stage Manager) The Rocky Horror Show (Stage Manager)

Asst. Stage Manager R. Lynn Fields

R. Lynn Fields

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Asst. Stage Manager)

Jana Tyrrell Billy Tipton

Jana Tyrrell

In 15 seasons and 26 shows at Harlequin:

A Christmas Carol (Player 2 (Christmas Past, others), Player 2) A Long Day's Journey into Night (Mary Tyrone) A Streetcar Named Desire (Blanche) A Valentine's Oratorio (Ensemble) Assassins (Sara Jane Moore) Baltimore Waltz (Anna) Billy (Billy Tipton) Deathtrap (Myra Bruhl) For Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday (Wendy) Forever Stardust (Frankie Malone, Choreographer) Murder on the Orient Express (Princess Dragomiroff) Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Bennet/Charlotte Lucas) Stardust for Christmas (Frankie Malone) Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman) Sylvia (Kate) The 1940s Radio Hour (Ann) The Constant Wife (Mrs. Culver) The Glass Menagerie (Amanda) The Importance of Being Earnest (Lady Bracknell) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Miss Angela Prysock/Princess Puffer) The Real Thing (Charlotte) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Frankie Malone) The Tempest (Voice of Juno) The Winter's Tale (Hermione) The Women (Mrs. Morehead / Sadie)

Jeff Kingsbury William

Jeff Kingsbury

In 6 seasons and 12 shows at Harlequin:

A Man for All Seasons (Thomas Cromwell) A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) Billy (William) Dracula (Requiem Jongleur) Holiday Broadcast of 1943 (Charlie) Letters from Waldo (Choreographer) Operation: Stardust (Ray Fontaine) Stardust for Christmas (Ray Fontaine) The 1940s Radio Hour (Neal, Choreographer) The Rocky Horror Show (Frank N. Furter) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Ray Fontaine) Waiting for Godot (Pozzo)

Megan Hook Vita Mae

Megan Hook

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Vita Mae)

Troy Fisher Doug Clark

Troy Fisher

In 4 seasons and 5 shows at Harlequin:

Kathleen Dahlen Dorothy

Kathleen Dahlen

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Dorothy)

Jack Arend Anonymous Caller/Young Man/Man

Jack Arend

In 3 seasons and 3 shows at Harlequin:

Assassins (Giuseppe Zangara) Billy (Anonymous Caller/Young Man/Man) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Mr. Cedrick Moncrieff/Reverend Crisparkle)

Melissa Backstrom Chorus/Reporter/Nightclub Billy

Melissa Backstrom

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Chorus/Reporter/Nightclub Billy)

Stephanie Claire Chorus/Reporter

Stephanie Claire

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Chorus/Reporter)

Heidi Fredericks Company/Cocktail Waitress

Heidi Fredericks

In 4 seasons and 7 shows at Harlequin:

Billy (Company/Cocktail Waitress) Hamlet (Ophelia) Holiday Broadcast of 1943 (Sally) Stardust for Christmas (Irene Gordon, Choreographer) The Rocky Horror Show (Columbia) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Alice Andrews) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Julia)

Kathleen Gallagher Chorus/Journalist/Nancy

Kathleen Gallagher

In 8 seasons and 11 shows at Harlequin:

A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Clementine/Bouncer 1/Priest) Assassins (Emma Goldman/Ensemble) Billy (Chorus/Journalist/Nancy) Forever Stardust (Rosemary Wyatt) Holiday Broadcast of 1943 (Helen) Operation: Stardust (Rosemary Wyatt) Stardust for Christmas (Rosemary Wyatt) Talking With (Dragons) The 1940s Radio Hour (Ginger) The Stardust Cavalcade 1943 (Rosemary Wyatt) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Rosemary Wyatt)

Andy Gordon Company/Producer

Andy Gordon

Andy has worked as a playwright, director, and actor in Olympia for over 35 years. Acting credits include Estragon in Waiting for Godot, Sir Toby Belch in A Rock and Roll Twelfth Night, Clark in Lewis and Clark at the End of the World (Harlequin); Richard and Garnet in Equivocation, (Saint Martin’s) and Lear in King Lear (guest artist, Olympia School District). Directing credits include: The Glass Menagerie, Sylvia, Inspecting Carol (Harlequin) and Into the Woods (Saint Martin’s). Writing credits include The Wind in the Willows, Fishnapped! (with Amy Shephard) and A Murder for Old Time’s Sake.

In 15 seasons and 38 shows at Harlequin:

A Man for All Seasons (Cardinal Wolsey) A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch) Arcadia (Ezra Chater) Assassins (Sam Byck) Billy (Company/Producer) Cymbeline (Philario/Belarius) Cyrano de Bergerac (Citizen/Poet/Sentry) Dracula (Renfield) Forever Stardust (Harry Hamilton) Hamlet (Polonius/Osric) Hapgood (Russian) Henry V (Exeter/Nym/MacMorris/Bates) Inspecting Carol (Director) La Béte (Elomire) Letters from Waldo (Buster/Stubb/Post Officer Clerk) Lewis & Clark & the End of the World (William Clark) Operation: Stardust (Harry Hamilton) Reckless (Doctors 1 through 6) Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Sir Toby Belch) Rough Crossing (Ivor Fish) She Stoops to Conquer (Tony Lumpkin, Constance Lumpkin) Stardust for Christmas (Harry Hamilton) Stardust for Emily Jean (Harry Hamilton) Swingtime Stardust (Harry Hamilton) Sylvia (Director) Talking With (Co-Stage Manager) Ten Seconds in the Life of Fenwick Green (Gustav Mahler/Fess Parker/Scott/Craig/Gussy/Burl Ives' Evil Twin) The 1940s Radio Hour (Clifton) The Glass Menagerie (Director) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Mr. Nick Cricker/Durdles, Client of Puffer) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Harry Hamilton) The Stardust Serenade 1942 (Harry Hamilton) The Treasurer (The Son) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Panthino/2nd Outlaw/Sir Eglamour) The Winter's Tale (Polixines) The Zoo Story (Jerry) Unexpected Tenderness (Dialect Coach) Waiting for Godot (Estragon)

Roxanne Krieg Chorus/Reporter/Publisher

Roxanne Krieg

In 2 seasons and 2 shows at Harlequin:

A Man for All Seasons (Catherine Anger) Billy (Chorus/Reporter/Publisher)

Linda Morris Chorus/Reporter/Young Woman/Woman

Linda Morris

In 9 seasons and 16 shows at Harlequin:

A Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Olivia) A Streetcar Named Desire (Dramaturge/Asst. Stage Manager) Billy (Chorus/Reporter/Young Woman/Woman) Cyrano de Bergerac (Roxanne) Forever Stardust (Nadine Owens) Hamlet (Palace Guard/Player/Priestess) Henry V (Pistol/Montjoy/Orleans/Grey/Isabella) Inspecting Carol (Betty Andrews) La Béte (Catherine De Brie) Operation: Stardust (Nadine Owens) Rock 'n' Roll Twelfth Night (Olivia) Stardust for Christmas (Nadine Owens) Stardust for Emily Jean (Nadine Owens) Swingtime Stardust (Nadine Owens) The Stardust Club Christmas 1944 (Doris Palocek) The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Sylvia)

Olympia Chamber Orchestra Musicians

Olympia Chamber Orchestra

In 1 season and 1 show at Harlequin:

Billy (Musicians)

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Cast & Creative