The Cast

Penny Shumate

Penny Shumate is a beautiful young soprano who has been noted as having a "powerful and supple voice" with a "lovely quality." In 2005, she performed the role of Galatea in Acis and Galatea with Opera Roanoke and the role of Lisa in La Sonnambula with Baltimore Opera. That same year, she received awards in the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Competition and the MacAllister Awards. This year, she performed the role of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with ConcertOpera Philadelphia. She then performed as the Soprano Soloist for Handel's Messiah at Carnegie Hall. Also this year, she made her Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall in the title role of Naughty Marietta. Miss Shumate also received awards in the Gerda Lissner Foundation and Annapolis Opera competitions.

Perri Montané

Perri Montané has sung with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Roanoke, Tacoma Opera, Capitol City Opera and Hudson Opera Theatre and has appeared in solo recital for the Atlanta Opera, Piedmont Arts Association, and Opera Roanoke’s Rising Stars in Concert. In 2006, she debuted with the Asheville Lyric Opera and Mansfield Symphony as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Atlantic Coast Opera Festival as Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Central Florida Symphony Orchestra singing armen arias.

Nora Moore

Soprano Nora Moore (Despina) has been described as “a beautiful songbird” who “took flight” displaying the “agility of her coloratura” with “genuine pearlescence…that extends to the peak of her range”. Having a Masters in Opera from the Boston Conservatory, she teaches private voice in Lynchburg. Nora has performed with Opera Carolina, Charlotte Symphony, Central Piedmont Opera Company, Central Piedmont Community Theatre, Cantate Singers of Virginia and Charlotte Oratorio Singers. She is active in opera, oratorio, and musical theatre. Some of Nora’s roles include Euridice (Orfeo and Euridice), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), LRRH (Little Red Riding Hood), Henrietta (The Construction of Boston), Leila (The Pearl Fishers), Eileen (Moon Over Buffalo), Alice (Alice in Wonderland), and Guenevere (Camelot). Upcoming performances include soprano soloist for Mozart’s Vesperae Solemnes De Confessore at First Presbyterian Church, and Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief) at Randolph Macon Women’s College.

Michael Mayes

With a strong voice and even stronger sense of drama, baritone Michael Mayes is making waves in the opera world for his command of the stage and attractive masculine presence. He has performed with several opera companies across the United States including Madison Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Skylight Opera, Opera Theatre Highland Park, Central City Opera, Union Avenue Opera Theatre, and Fort Worth Opera.

John Pickle

Tenor John Pickle has performed with companies including New York City Opera National Company, Nevada Opera, Sarasota Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Toledo Opera, Shreveport Opera, Boheme Opera of New Jersey, Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia, Opera at Florham, Salt Marsh Opera, Opera de las Américas in Santo Domingo and Ohio Light Opera. Most recently he performed (with only five days notice) the role of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera Southwest.

William Andrew Stuckey

Baritone William Andrew Stuckey returns to Opera on the James this season, following a highly acclaimed performance in the spring as Tonio in Pagliacci. He is the winner of national competitions and awards and has been recently featured with the Santa Fe Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In a recent performance with Opera Delaware his voice was praised as a strong, soaring baritone with visceral power and beauty.

Craig Fields

Craig Fields is currently artistic director for the new Opera on the James and for the Duluth Festival Opera in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined the staff at Opera Roanoke where he served as resident stage director, general director and artistic director until 2005. He has produced and stage directed over forty professional opera productions since 1989.

Andrew Altenbach

Noted for his vividly colorful and first-rate performances, Andrew Altenbach has excelled as a pianist as well as a conductor of opera and symphonic literature. He has extensive experience as an opera coach and is the new supervising faculty coach of the Indiana University Opera Program. He guest conducted at the National Opera Association Convention in New York City and was also the conducting fellow at in New York City and was also the conducting fellow at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution.