SAVANNAH, GA – June 17, 2022 – The Savannah
VOICE Festival will produce a double bill featuring two of its most original
opera commissions as part of the highly anticipated upcoming 10th
season. For two nights only, on Aug. 12-13, patrons can experience the back-to-back
magic of “Alice Ryley, a Savannah Ghost Story,” and “Anna Hunter, the Spirit of
Savannah,” both directed by Joe Winskye and conducted by Andrew Bisantz. The
two Savannah-centric operas were written by Savannah OPERA’s
Composer-in-Residence Michael Ching, and this is the first time they will be performed
together in the city whose history inspired these ghostly operas. The double bills start at 6:30 p.m. on both
August 12th and 13th at the Charles H. Morris Center, 10 E. Broad St. in Savannah.
Alice
Ryley tells the tragic tale of an immigrant’s experience with love and loss in
the newly formed 13 colonies. Anna Hunter’s story, told in a comedic tone,
depicts her as a newspaper reporter, painter, and community leader who aims to
save Savannah’s historic squares. The double bill of the two shows is a first
for Savannah VOICE Festival and serves as a special way to celebrate a decade
of bringing top-notch musical entertainment to the Hostess City.
“Alice
Ryley, A Savannah Ghost Story” debuted in October 2015 to sold-out Savannah
audiences, drawing on inspiration from the book “Historic Haunts of Savannah”
by Savannah-based authors Michael Harris and Linda Sickler. In 2017, Ching went
on to compose “Anna Hunter, the Spirit of Savannah,” which is part of a
collaborative effort with Historic Savannah Foundation’s Davenport House
Museum, the first home Anna’s efforts saved from being destroyed.
Alice
Ryley, played by Jessica Ann Best, is based on the true, sobering story of an Irish
indentured servant, who immigrated to Savannah in the 18th century,
bore a child, and was later hung on the suspicion of murder. Even Gen. Oglethorpe
himself could not save the young woman as she navigated obstacles and endured
heartache. Alice Ryley’s spirit is said to haunt historic Wright Square to this
day.
Anna
Hunter, played by SVF Co-Founder Maria Zouves, brings the audience back to
modern times in a jovial depiction of a mid-1950s Savannah, set in the
enchanting Davenport House. Anna, with the help of her friends, works to save
Savannah’s historic charm as the squares are almost destroyed. Savannah VOICE
Festival co-founder and legendary operatic baritone Sherrill Milnes is also set
to make an appearance both evenings as a tour guide in “Anna Hunter.”
Ching
is nationally recognized for his work on many inventive operas, including his a
cappella adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “The Savannah
VOICE Festival has shown a dedication to keeping opera alive through the
classics but also through new work, which speaks to the stories of our
time,” Ching said. “I’m grateful to SVF Co-Founders Sherrill Milnes and
Maria Zouves for creating Savannah OPERA and to celebrating this art form
during the Festival’s tenth anniversary year.”
The
Savannah VOICE Festival will host more than 15 musical performances, recitals,
productions and concerts in Savannah, running from August 7-21. For more information
on tickets, performances and master classes, please visit www.savannahvoicefestival.org.
Savannah
VOICE Festival is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit arts organization in the state
of Georgia. The Festival brings classical vocal excellence to the Savannah area
through a two-week celebration of concerts, events, and educational
presentations during the month of August and throughout the year. Focusing on
arts awareness and audience development in the performing arts, it offers music
from opera, musical theatre, and popular song. The Savannah VOICE Festival is
supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the
appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. GCA is a Partner Agency of
the National Endowment for the Arts. Donations are tax-deductible.
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For
media inquiries, please contact Kristyn Fielding at 229-393-6457 or kristyn@lesleyfrancispr.com,
Allie Robinson at 912-547-3100 or allie@lesleyfrancispr.com, or Lesley Francis at 912-429-3950 or lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com.