Donald Holder

Películas

The Metropolitan Opera: Rigoletto
Lighting Design
One of opera’s grimmest tragedies received a powerful new production during the 2021–22 season when director Bartlett Sher unveiled his Weimar-era staging of Verdi’s Rigoletto. In this performance, recorded as part of the company’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions, commanding American baritone Quinn Kelsey gives a searing portrayal of the title character, a deformed court jester determined to protect the virtue of his daughter, Gilda, sung by radiant soprano Rosa Feola. His debauched employer, the Duke of Mantua, is tenor Piotr Beczała, with dynamic young maestro Daniele Rustioni on the podium to lead a cast that also features bass Andrea Mastroni as the assassin Sparafucile and mezzo-soprano Varduhi Abrahamyan as Maddalena.
Bombshell in Concert
Lighting Design
The stars of the NBC musical drama series Smash reunite virtually for a special one-night-only streaming event featuring the never-seen sold-out live performance of Bombshell in Concert. The concert, with songs from the NBC series Smash, and reunion will benefit The Actors Fund, which has been helping artists in need amid the coronavirus crisis. The performance will be introduced by two-time Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger.
The Metropolitan Opera: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Lighting Design
The Gershwins’ modern American masterpiece has its first Met performances in almost three decades, starring bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Angel Blue in the title roles. Director James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row, a setting vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants.
The Metropolitan Opera: Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila
Lighting Design
A towering biblical epic, Saint-Saëns’s operatic take on the story of Samson and Delilah has many of the hallmarks of grand opera—show-stopping vocal displays, thrilling choruses, and an engrossing plot set against a sweeping, pseudo-historical backdrop. It’s fitting, then, that Samson et Dalila has been chosen to celebrate the opening of the Met’s season four times in the company’s history, including when Darko Tresnjak’s bold new production premiered on the first night of the 2018–19 season. A few weeks later, the opera was shown as part of the Met’s series of live cinema transmissions, featuring an exceptional cast. Tenor Roberto Alagna was the heroic Samson, who ultimately falls victim to the seductive power of Dalila—the captivating mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča. Bass-baritone Laurent Naouri sang the sinister High Priest of Dagon, with conductor Sir Mark Elder on the podium.
She Loves Me
Lighting Design
Amalia and Georg work together at a modest Hungarian perfumerie, and have disliked each other from the very beginning. He thinks she's stuck up, and she thinks he's arrogant and mean. But each rapturously writes to a lonely hearts pen pal when the workday is done, and it doesn't take long for the audience to see that they're in love without realizing it. Originally live-streamed by BroadwayHD, then broadcast as an episode of the PBS series "Great Performances" (season 45, episode 3).
Verdi: Otello
Lighting Design
La audaz producción de Bartlett Sher, la ganadora del premio Tony, investiga los fundamentos psicológicos del escenario dinámico de Verdi de la gran tragedia de Shakespeare. A la cabeza de esta actuación está Yannick Nézet-Séguin, quien saca a la luz todas las emociones en cascada en la turbulenta puntuación de Verdi. Aleksandrs Antonenko es Otello, el general triunfante del ejército veneciano que finalmente es derribado por las insinuaciones astutas de su amigo Iago (Željko Lučić). Sonya Yoncheva continúa ganando fans como Desdemona, la esposa fiel y duradera de Otello.
South Pacific
Lighting Design
Navy ensign Nellie Forbush and Marine lieutenant Joseph Cable find love and confront bigotry (including their own prejudices) while stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Filmed version of the 2008 Broadway revival featuring the original cast. Original broadcast on the PBS series "Live From Lincoln Center" (season 35, episode 3).
The Magic Flute
Lighting Design
Tamino, a handsome prince, and Papageno, a bird-catcher, are sent by the Queen of Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro. Julie Taymor's abridged, English-language production of the classic Mozart opera.