Heather Jones makes her debut with FBN this season in the role of Cherubino in Davies’s The Three Little Pigs. She has performed such beloved mezzo roles as Hansel, Rosina, Dorabella, Cherubino, Charlotte, and Orlofsky, and will sing the role of Dorothée in Cendrillon this summer with Opera Company of Middlebury. Heather recently appeared with Opera Saratoga in a historic production of The Cradle Will Rock (Sister Mister) and with Light Opera of New York in The Island of Tulipatan (Theodorine). She is featured on the cast recordings of both productions, which are available on Spotify. Heather has also workshopped and premiered numerous works with Opera Philadelphia, Opera Fayetteville, the Albany Symphony, American Lyric Theatre, Sign & Sing NYC, and Seagle Music Colony. Heather holds degrees in music from Westminster Choir College and Mannes School of Music and has received training from Seagle Music Colony, the CoOPERAtive Program, and Bel Canto at Caramoor. Originally from South Carolina, Heather currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Meet the Cast 2019: Three Little Pigs | Michael Heitmann
Michael Heitmann makes his debut with FBN this season as Wolfgang in Davies’s The Three Little Pigs. An accomplished singer, he has performed throughout the United States for opera companies like Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Opera Coeur d'Alene, Northwest Opera in the Schools, Etc..., and Opera on Tap. Some of Mr. Heitmann’s favorite roles include the title role in Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Father (Hansel and Gretel), Reverend Olin Bitch (Susannah), and Ben (The Telephone). A regular concert and recital performer, his Love in the Time of Tinder has been performed across the country. In 2016, Mr. Heitmann began making modern adaptations of traditional operas. His translations not only update the language to current vernacular, but also incorporate social issues in order to reach new demographics and future audience members. He has written new translations of The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, The Elixir of Love, and a reality television version of Offenbach's La belle Hélène, entitled The Real Housewives of Sparta.
Meet the Cast 2019: Three Little Pigs | Samantha Leibowitz
Samantha Leibowitz is ecstatic to be returning for her fourth season with FBN Productions, Inc. to perform the role of Despina in The Three Little Pigs after singing the role of Isabel this past year in Wick Theater’s production of Pirates of Penzance. Leibowitz has performed in previous FBN tours of Hansel and Gretel and the Case of the Deep Dark Woods and All According to Taste: The Three Bears’ Guide to Porridge Making. Samantha has a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Voice from New York University and a Master’s degree in Opera Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Recently, Samantha made her Florida Grand Opera debut singing in the choruses of Carmen and Eugene Onegin. Favorite roles include Frasquita (Carmen) at the Quisisana resort, Gymnasia (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) at the Wick Theatre, and Johanna (Sweeney Todd ) and Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at the University of Texas at Austin. www.samanthaleibowitz.com
Meet the Cast 2019: Three Little Pigs | Jonathan Hill
Tenor, Jonathan Hill, has been featured with opera companies along the upper West coast and recently enjoyed singing such roles as Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte) and Guiseppe (La Traviata). This past year, he was a featured young artist with Opera on the James and Teatro Nuovo. Some of his favorite roles performed have been Don Miguel (La Perichole) with Tacoma Opera, Spoletta (Tosca) with Mississippi Opera, Goro (Madama Butterfly) with Natchez Festival of Music, and Pedrillo (Entführung aus dem Serail) with New York Opera Forum. Hill regularly travels to New York City where he continues to work with stage director Cindy Oxberry and vocal coach Mitchell Cirker. He currently resides in Boise, Idaho where he studies with Sue Patchell and Brett Hamilton.
Meet the Cast 2019: Three Little Pigs | Luke Fang
Luke Fang is an accomplished collaborative pianist and soloist. Quite active as a collaborative pianist, Luke has performed with numerous instrumentalists and vocalists in recitals including performances at University of South Carolina, Meredith College, College of Charleston, Clemson University, and Grey Walls recital Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina. While obtaining his master’s in Piano Performance at the University of South Carolina, Luke was the rehearsal pianist for Opera at USC, and performed in Opera at USC productions, and served as musical director for the Sidney Palmer One Act Operas. He is in frequent demand as an accompanist both in classical and sacred music, and currently serves as church pianist for a church in Lexington, South Carolina.