Joseph Mechavich
(Conductor)
Known for his work with
operas around the world,
Joseph Mechavich conducted
productions with the Deutsche
Oper Berlin, Auckland
Philharmonia/New Zealand
Opera, Washington National
Opera and New York City Opera among others.
On the concert stage, he has appeared with
The Florida Orchestra, The Oberlin Chamber
Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Orlando
Philharmonic Orchestra, Hartford Symphony,
Waterbury Symphony, Virginia Symphony and
the Sarasota Orchestra. Some of his most recent
engagements have included the world premiere
of Riders of the Purple Sage for Arizona Opera,
Turandot for Calgary Opera and Moby Dick with
Utah Opera.
James Marvel
(Stage Director)
Marvel is thrilled to be returning to Opera Tampa,
where he previously directed productions of
Cinderella, Rigoletto, The Barber of Seville and Madama
Butterfly. He has directed over 100 productions
and was named Classical Singer Magazine’s Stage
Director of the Year. Career highlights include
groundbreaking new productions for the Kimmel
Center in Philadelphia, Opera Boston, Opera Santa
Barbara, Syracuse Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, San
Antonio Opera, Kentucky Opera, Virginia Opera,
North Carolina Opera, Toledo Opera, Sacramento
Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Aspen Music Festival,
Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco
Opera’s Merola Program and Indiana University.
Robin Stamper
(Chorus Master/Principal Pianist)
Stamper is managing director of Opera Tam pa.
He was previously the director of music for Florida
Opera Theatre, the director of music and chorus
master for Orlando Opera and artistic director
for Nevada Opera. He received degrees in piano
performance at the Eastman School of Music and
The Juilliard School.
LA MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, among
others. Regional credits include: The Kennedy
Center, Hartford Stage, Signature Theatre, Arena
Stage and The Shakespeare Theatre. Corporate
clients include: HBO, Cadillac, Samsung and San
Pellegrino and international work in Abu Dhabi,
Sydney, Mexico, Canada and Germany. Lawlor
has an MFA from NYU Tisch.
www.lawlordesign.com
Dawn Rivard
(Hair and Makeup)
Rivard has designed for productions in Germany,
Austria and Switzerland, and won an Emmy®
Award for Feast of All Saints. She has built wigs
for Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Christopher
Walken, Jessica Biel, Sir Peter Ustinov, Jonathan
Rhys Meyers and Lily Collins (The Mortal
Instruments: City of Bones) which garnered her a
Canadian Academy Award. Rivard has done wig
and makeup work at Teatro alla Scala, Seville’s
Teatro de la Maestranza, Turin’s Teatro Regio, the
Canadian Opera Company for eight seasons, and
works for Jeff Daniels’ The Purple Rose Theatre
Company. Her work on Broadway productions
includes Ragtime, Sunset Boulevard and Showboat,
and she designed hair and makeup for The Dallas
Opera as well as the world premieres of Sister
Carrie and two-time Grammy® Award-winning
Elmer Gantry.
Cat Carter
(Stage Manager)
Cat recently stage managed Forever Plaid in the
Straz Center’s Jaeb Theater. Locally, she’s managed
productions for the St. Pete Opera Company (Into
the Woods, Tales of Hoffmann); Tampa Repertory
Theatre (Flying, Realistic Joneses); and served as
a Logistics Coordinator for First Night St. Pete.
After studying Theater Technology and Design at
Fresno’s California State University, she completed
a series of stage management internships at
P.C.P.A. Theaterfest in Santa Maria, Calif. and
was rewarded with a staff position there. She’s
also worked at San Diego Repertory Theatre and
toured with California Theatre Center.
Johann Strauss II
(Composer)
Johan Strauss, Jr. first established his reputation
via a series of concerts in St. Petersburg, Russia
between 1855 to 1865. Of his later operettas, the
most memorable is Die Fledermaus. Although
Beethoven complained that the Viennese were
“waltz mad”, this “Waltz King” composed lyrical,
fun, memorable music that mirrors Viennese life of
the time.
Jimmy Lawlor
(Lighting Designer)
Lawlor is thrilled to return to Opera Tampa!
Credits include: Opera Tampa: La Cenerentola,
Tosca, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly;
Off-Broadway: Philaris’ Bull, For The Last Time, The
Chocolate Show, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Measure
for Measure; New York: The Public Theatre, BAM,
Theatre Row, HERE Arts Center, NYU, PS 122,
OPERATAMPA.ORG • 19
/www.lawlordesign.com
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