Alcina

Concert presentation of an opera seria by George Frideric Handel

Sunday, August 24, 2025 | The Martin Theatre, Ravinia Park, Highland Park

Ravinia Festival debut: Tickets on sale April 24

Haymarket Opera Company makes its debut at the prestigious Ravinia Festival with Handel’s 1735 opera Alcina semi-staged in concert, celebrating Baroque opera’s golden era of singing and drama. Handel’s spellbinding, fantastical drama Alcina—where love and deception intertwine on an enchanted island ruled by a seductive sorceress—is semi-staged in concert in Ravinia’s historic Martin Theatre.

Alcina

Music by George Frideric Handel
Libretto by Riccardo Broschi

Sunday, August 24, 2025, at 1:00pm 
Performance length: 2½ hours, including one 15-minute intermission

Martin Theatre at the Ravinia Festival
201 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, IL 60035

About the performance

Soprano Nicole Cabell brings her “effortless precision and tonal allure” (The New York Times) to the role of the sorceress Alcina, who lures lovers to her enchanted island and transforms them into beasts or objects when she gets bored. “Iridescent” (OperaWire) mezzo-soprano Emily Fons portrays the knight Ruggiero, Alcina’s latest victim, with all memory erased of his betrothed Bradamante, “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times) Elizabeth DeShong, who arrives on the island disguised as a man to rescue Ruggiero. Soprano Erica Schuller brings her “crystalline clarity” (BBC Music Magazine) to the role of Alcina’s sister Morgana, who falls for the disguised Bradamante, provoking jealousy in her lover Oronte, sung by the “fine, gleaming tenor” (New York Classical Review) Eric Ferring. Meanwhile, Bradamante and her ally Melisso, sung by “thrilling” (Chicago Stage Style) bass-baritone David Govertsen, free Ruggiero from Alcina’s spell and awaken his memories. As Ruggiero and Bradamante reunite, they shatter Alcina’s magical urn, destroying her powers, freeing her victims, and leaving the sorceress defeated while the lovers triumphantly escape.

Craig Trompeter, praised for his “marvelous” conducting (Opera Magazine), leads Haymarket’s acclaimed period orchestra in Handel's rich score, conjuring vibrant tonal colors reminiscent of the original 18th-century performances. Grammy-nominated virtuoso harpsichordist Jory Vinikour returns to join the Haymarket Opera Orchestra, whose gut strings, natural horns and trumpets, kettle drums, oboes, and theorbo create a warm and nuanced soundscape. The ensemble’s historically informed approach captures the subtleties of Baroque phrasing, ornamentation, and dynamic contrast, transporting the senses to the 1700s. The dramatic semi-staging of Alcina comes from Haymarket’s general director Chase Hopkins, praised for his “skillful” (Chicago Classical Review) 2023 directorial debut at Haymarket Opera Company.

Tickets can be purchased through the Ravinia Festival box office starting April 24

Tickets for Haymarket Opera Company’s semi-staged concert presentation of Alcina at Ravinia’s Martin Theatre can be purchased through the Ravinia Festival box office. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Ravinia.org. Please contact the Ravinia Festival box office by phone (847-266-5100) with any questions.

Featuring

The Cast

Alcina: Nicole Cabell, soprano

Ruggiero: Emily Fons, mezzo-soprano

Bradamante: Elizabeth DeShong, mezzo-soprano

Morgana: Erica Schuller, soprano

Oronte: Eric Ferring, tenor

Melisso: David Govertsen, bass-baritone

The Haymarket Opera Orchestra

Craig Trompeter, Conductor

Violin I: Jeri-Lou Zike, Concertmaster;

Pauline Kempf, Allison Nyquist, Charlene Kleugel

Violin II: Wendy Benner, Emi Tanabe, Ann Duggan

Viola: Elizabeth Hagen, Kiyoe Matsuura

Cello: Ana Kim, Miquel Fuentes

Bass: Jerry Fuller

Lute: Brandon Acker

Harpsichord: Jory Vinikour

Oboe/Recorder I: Stephen Bard

Oboe/Recorder II: Curtis Foster

Bassoon: Sally Jackson

Horn I: John Schreckengost

Horn II: Thomas Vienna

Production Support

Stage director: Chase Hopkins

Assistant stage director & surtitle operator: Hannah Zizza Stanfield

Synopsis

Handel's Alcina unfolds on a magical island ruled by the enchanting sorceress Alcina, who uses her powers to seduce and ensnare those who fall under her spell, later transforming her discarded lovers into rocks, trees, and wild beasts. Among her captives is the knight Ruggiero, bewitched into forgetting his duty and his betrothed, Bradamante. Determined to rescue him, Bradamante arrives disguised as her brother, Ricciardo. Her presence disrupts the fragile balance of Alcina’s world, especially when Alcina’s sister, Morgana, falls in love with the disguised Bradamante, sparking jealousy in Morgana’s lover, Oronte. As tensions rise, the wise and loyal Melisso, a friend of Bradamante and Ruggiero, uses a magical ring to break Alcina’s spell over Ruggiero, revealing the illusions of the island. Ruggiero regains his resolve and prepares to escape, but Alcina, desperate to keep him, struggles with her newfound vulnerability and humanity. When Ruggiero rejects her, she attempts to use her magic to destroy him, only to find her powers fading. The lovers ultimately escape as Alcina’s enchantments crumble, leaving her isolated and powerless, her illusions shattered along with her heart. Through its rich characters and compelling emotions, Alcina explores themes of love, deception, and the fleeting nature of power.

About the composer

George Frideric Handel was one of the most influential and prolific opera composers of the Baroque era, renowned for his ability to blend dramatic intensity with exquisite musical craftsmanship. His more than 50 operas, such as Orlando, Tamerlano, and Alcina, showcase his mastery of vivid characterizations, emotionally expressive arias, and complex, yet accessible, orchestration. Handel's works revolutionized the genre by elevating the da capo aria to new heights of dramatic and musical sophistication while appealing to both nobles and popular audiences. His operas remain central to the repertoire, celebrated for their timeless beauty and the depth of their theatrical and musical innovation.

About Ravinia Festival

Opened in 1904, Ravinia is both the longest-running and the most artistically diverse outdoor music festival in North America. Approximately 400,000 people visit Ravinia between June and September each year across more than 100 separate events that highlight genres as wide-ranging as the audiences. Classical music is a special focus at Ravinia dating back to its first concerts, including a regular series of performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which has formally been in summer residence at the festival since 1936. Just inside the festival’s main gate, the historic Martin Theatre is the only building that remains from Ravinia’s original construction. Beautifully restored in 1992, the 850-seat concert hall is home to stunning performances by the world’s finest chamber ensembles and vocal and instrumental soloists.

Season Sponsors & Support

2025 Haymarket season sponsors: Amata Office Suites, Axel Kunzmann and Bruce Nelson, Gregory O'Leary and Patricia Kenney, Lynne and Ralph Schatz, Candace Rudmose, Pam and Doug Walter

Foundation support: The Paul M. Angell Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation, and the Walder Foundation

If you are interested in becoming a production sponsor, please contact general director Chase Hopkins at chase@haymarketopera.org.

If you require access support to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact us at info@haymarketopera.org. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your earliest convenience.