OPERA WESTERN RESERVE PRESENTS
Miss Havisham's Wedding Night
Thursday, May 29, 2025 – 7:15 pm
Anne K. Christman Memorial Hall | Stambaugh Auditorium
Enjoy a deliciously tragic opera experience as Opera Western Reserve presents Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night on Thursday, May 29th, 2025 in the stunning Anne K. Christman Memorial Hall at Stambaugh Auditorium. Under the direction of Scott Skiba, this one-of-a-kind monodrama will showcase the OWR Emerging Artist and Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory senior, Kate Tiemens, in a powerful portrayal of Aurelia Havisham, a character drawn from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Premiered by the Minnesota Opera in 1981, Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night explores the haunting emotions of Miss Havisham on the night of her long-awaited wedding. This immersive experience brings the compelling drama of Dickens’ world to life through a beautiful orchestration by Dominick Argento and libretto by John Olan-Scrymgeour, adding new dimension to the beloved literary classic.
In addition to the stirring performance, the evening will feature a buffet dinner as well as cash bar.
Kate Tiemens, Soprano – Aurelia Havisham
Kate Tiemens is a recent graduate of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory with a B.M. in Vocal Performance. Her most recent performance credits include the role of Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Polissena in Handel’s Radamisto, and Filia in Carissimi’s Historia di Jephte. She has also been seen as a concertist with Cleveland’s Bach Choir, Kayla in Taking Up Serpents, Enyo in We’ve Got Our Eye on You, Jack in Opera Western Reserves tour of Jack and the Beanstalk, and Valletto in L’incoronazione di Poppea. This fall, she will attend graduate school to get her Masters in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy. She is very excited to be back working with Opera Western Reserve and hopes you enjoy the performance!