The Desert Song
Music by Sigmund Romberg
Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, II and Otto Harbach 

October 9 & 10, 2004 at 8pm

Directed by Deborah Neizgoda
Music Directed and Conducted by Joseph Sorge

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Cast

Lt. Lavergne - Ed Byrdy
Clementina - Elaine Dalbo
Ali Ben Ali - Blair Eig
Edith - Lisa Freese
Pierre/The Red Shadow- Michael Galizia
Bennie Kidd- Richard Gorbutt
Susan- Rachael Goldman
General Birabeau - Ira Haber
Mindar - Lyle Jaffe
Captain Paul Fontaine - Matthew Kessel
Azuri - Kitty Knowles
Sid El Kar - Paul McIlvaine
Neri - Deborah Peetz
Hassi - Tom Pondolfino
Hadji/Guard - William Weiss
Margot Bonvalet - Denise Young

Special Girls - Heather Brown, Kiersten Drumm, LIsa Freese, Michelle Hastings, Suzanne Luft, June J. Morris, Deborah Peetz, Shaina Vatz

Chorus - Stephanie Brigham, Fran Fleming, Tom Fuchs, Donna Jaffe, Kathy Nieman, Ron Nieman, Gina Nowacki, Susan Porter, David Roethel, Charlie Sheridan, Julie Stevens, Rusty Suter, Mary Anna Vineyard, Howard Weinstein, Kent Woods

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Production Staff

Artistic Director - Rosalie Santilhano
Producer - Lisa Freese
Stage Managers - Pete Krueger
Lighting Design - Ayun Fedorcha
Costumer - Denise Young
Technical Director (Rockville Civic Center) - Kim Haug
Running Crew - Tony Dwyer, William Kolodrubetz, Todd Whitehead
Rehearsal Pianists - Jenny Bland, Gay Hill, Deborah Jacobson
Program - Leta Hall
Publicity - Sandy Rovner
House Management - Merle Haber
Set Storage - Rockville Civic Center & City of Gaithersburg
Printing - Quick Printing, Inc. Wheaton, Maryland

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Orchestra

Violin I - Steve Natrella*, Bonnie Barrows
Violin II - Martin Brown, David Friedlander, Irv Berner
Violin III - Carolyn Larson, Edwin Schneider, Erin Grace
Viola - Amanda Laudwein, Victor Ontiveros
Cello - Thurston Griggs, Katie Harris, Andrew Schneider
Bass - Alice Mignerey
Flute/Piccolo - Jackie Miller
Oboe - Lori Guess
Clarinet - James Bensinger, Laura Langbein
Bassoon - Brett Lewis
French Horn - Kristen Zempolich, Lora Katz
Trumpet - Bernard Rappaport, Curtis Anstine
Trombone - Steve Ward
Percussion/Tympani - George Huttlin
Harp - Meredith Mancini

* Concertmaster

The Story of the Opera

Pierre Birabeau, son of the general of all French troops in Morocco, is secretly sympathetic to the local Riffs. Disguising himself in a red costume and red mask, he leads the Moroccans against his own countrymen, but at the garrison he pretends to be a weak simpleton. His behavior with his fellow Frenchmen does not help further his desire for romance with the beautiful Margot. She prefers dashing but fickle Captain Paul Fontaine.

Pierre has no choice but to to Margot in his other identity, the notorious Red Shadow, and carry her off to his desert camp. Complications arise when Azuri, the dancing girl, reveals the camp's location to the French.