The Daughter of the Regiment

Light Opera of New Jersey is proud to present the second production of its 23^rd Season of operetta and musical theatre! LONJ continues its season of Humour & Heroism this spring and will produce Gaetano Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, under the direction of Jamie Baer Peterson and Lauran Corson with musical direction by Michael Avagliano. Most young men are nervous to meet their girlfriend’s father for the first time, but imagine if your girlfriend had 1500 fathers and every single one of them had a rifle. The Daughter of the Regiment tells the story of Marie, a strong young woman who was found on a battlefield just after being born and raised by an entire French Regiment as one of their own. She falls in love with Tonio, a young Swiss man, while the regiment is invading the Tyrols during the Napoleonic wars. Tonio and Marie must prove their love to the whole regiment in this comic opera with many amusing twists and turns.

Making a triumphant return to the LONJ stage, Chelsea Friedlander brings the title role of Marie to sparkling life. Making his LONJ premier, Ivan Rivera plays Tonio and takes on one of the most challenging tenor arias in opera history. With wonderful vocal prowess, David Murray and Hanne Dollase are veterans of the LONJ stage and play Sergeant Sulpice and the Marquise of Birkenfeld, respectively. Jimmy Smith, who recently appeared in LONJ’s Pattermania, plays Hortensius, the faithful servant of the Marquise. With excellent comic timing, Beth Gleason plays the Duchess of Kracckenthorp. LONJ takes great pride in gathering strong and talented ensembles to create its signature “wall of sound,” and members of the regiment include Jordan Wilhelm, Mike Baruffi, Zachary Morehouse, Frank Skokan, Will Roper, Rick Morley, and John Lamb. Members of Central Jersey Symphony Orchestra led by Michael Avagliano will bring Donizetti’s beautiful score to life. Daughter will be presented in English.