Lyric Opera 2022-2023, Issue 7, Factotum

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 20 and as Sciarrone/ Tosca at Cincinnati Opera, as well as had a debut recital with Linton Chamber Music, a Liederabend with Beth Morrison Projects, and a debut at Barrington Stage Company as Mr. Lindquist in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music . Earlier highlights include Guglielmo/ Così fan tutte with Opera in the Heights and John Mack in We Shall Not Be Moved at Opera Philadelphia, The Apollo, and Dutch National Opera. He made his debut with Amarillo Opera in the title role of Joshua in Joshua’s Boots and has performed the role of Jake in Porgy and Bess at Alte Oper Frankfurt, Staatsoper Hamburg, and Opera de Massy. Richardson has been a studio member at various companies, including Opera Santa Barbara, Caramoor, Cincinnati Opera, Opera North, and The Brevard Music Festival. RON DUKES | SAM Previously at Lyric: Jago/ Ernani (2022/23). A rst-year Ryan Opera Center member, the bass completed his master’s degree in opera at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University. While there, he served as Associate Instructor of Voice and performed numerous featured roles with IU Opera Theatre, among them Bartolo/ The Marriage of Figaro , Don Basilio/ The Barber of Seville , and Simone/ Gianni Schicchi . He has extensive experience with start-up opera companies in Bloomington, including Bloomington Chamber Opera, where he portrayed Sarastro/ The Magic Flute , and A Little Knight Music Opera Company, where he was heard as Oroveso/ Norma . Later this season he will appear at Lyric in Proximity . Originally from Indianapolis, Dukes is a former Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera (Truffaldino/ Ariadne auf Naxos ) and The Glimmerglass Festival (Old Gypsy/ Il trovatore , Second Priest and Second Armored Man/ The Magic Flute ). He recently concluded a residency with Pensacola Opera for the company’s 39th season, singing Basilio/ The Barber of Seville and Sarastro/ The Magic Flute . Ron Dukes is sponsored by The Thierer Family Foundation. DI’AIRE WILSON | NEIL Lyric debut The 9-year-old attends third grade at Eagle Academy Christian School where he has performed in numerous Black History and Christmas programs. Wilson is training at the John Robert Powers School in commercial acting and monologue. He enjoys a variety of activities including step, mime, dance, hip hop, jujitsu, football, basketball, bowling, swimming, and video games. KRIS BELLVIE | DANCER Lyric debut The American dancer and choreographer is one of the newest members of the Hiplet Ballerinas dance company. He appeared in the 2022 feature lm North of the 10 , has made recurring appearances in the Power Book IV: Force television program, and was a recurring dancer in season six of Empire . He has toured and worked with the artists Dlow, Nathan Napalm Palmer, Sir The Baptist, and D. Lylez. Other credits include performances with Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown, Twista, Social Club Mis ts, Kanye West, Mario, Da Brat, and Black Eyed Peas. MIKHAIL CALLISTE | DANCER Previously at Lyric: Fire Shut Up in My Bones (2021/22). The dancer, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, began his training in New York and received a BFA in Dance in 2018 from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Fire Shut Up in My Bones (2021) and was a solo artist with the Seattle Opera for its production of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (2020). From 2018 to 2021, he was a company member with Spectrum Dance Theater. ANIA MARTIN | DANCER Lyric debut The St. Louis native graduated from Stephens College with a BFA in Musical Theatre with a Dance emphasis. She made her Chicago professional debut in Sister Act at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center this past summer, and played Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors at the Citadel Theatre. Other recent highlights include numerous productions with the Okoboji Summer Theatre Company. AJA SINGLETARY | DANCER Lyric debut Singletary graduated from Fordham University and also trained at the School at Steppenwolf. Recent credits include Athena (Writers Theatre), Relentless (TimeLine), Dance Nation (Steppenwolf), Eclipsed (Pegasus), American Revolution (Theatre Unspeakable), and As You Like It (Eclectic Full Contact Theatre). WHITNEY WANDLAND | DANCER Lyric debut The multi-disciplinary performer, a Chicago native, began her training with the Deeply Rooted Dance Company and later continued at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. She has performed with Usher, and recent television credits include Empire (Fox), Soundtrack (Net ix), and Power Book IV: Force (Starz). PHILL WOOD | DANCER Lyric debut A dancer, director, and digital artist, the Indianapolis native was awarded a DCASE Individual Artist Program grant in 2022. Wood’s recent credits include performances with CODA, Chicago Dance Crash, Stage Factory, Khecari, and at Lollapalooza, and his choreography has been seen at Urbanite, World of Dance, and Prelude.