Production Team:
Stage Director & Producer – Julie Fiore
Music Director – Joseph Choi
Technical Director & Lighting/Projections Designer – Matt Smith
Assistant Director – Carol Brown
Stage Manager – Monica Kurtz
with additional assistance from Andy Heilveil, fabricator

This program will be performed without intermission. Total runtime is about 65 minutes.

Las Auténticas
music by Benjamin Morris
libretto by Laura Fuentes

“The Most Authentic Taco in LA,” eh? Join Jenny and her Tía Luz the moment they hear from the “Lord of Tortillas” himself – Esteban Eats – and prepare their food truck for a day they’ll not soon forget. ¿Porqué no hacemos unos tacos?

Luz – Sandra Mercado
Jenny – Annisha Mackenzie
Esteban/Gary – Julius Young

Ray Bradbury, Age 12, at the Carnival in Waukegan, Illinois
music & libretto by Tyler Mabry

The true story, as (very) often told by beloved American author Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles), of the mysterious, fantastical Dill Brothers Circus that sparked his interest in becoming a writer. A cascading carousel of wonder!

Ray Bradbury – Nicholas Flott
Mr. Electrico – Jake Jacobsen
Young Ray – Hillary Schranze
Zara/Tattooed Man – Kaley Williams
Calista/Others – Sandra Villwock

Beyond
music by Lisa Neher
libretto by Caitlin Vincent

Consider what waits for you beyond that door. A glimpse of one possible future for humanity in the stars, this short work is a compelling meditation on life, death, the cycle of oppression, and what it means to be truly human.

142-6 – Patricia Combs
503-2 – Andréa Ochoa

in alphabetical order

Patricia Combs (142-6), mezzo soprano, loves singing a wide variety of music, but excels in French literature, zarzuelas, and loves the challenges of contemporary works. Her most recent role was as Zeresh in Esther the Clever Queen this past fall with the Gilbert & Sullivan Austin. Her roles with One Ounce were Zoe in Sukey in the Dark, Bethel in She’s Fabulous, and Gadruna in A Game of Werewolf, along with working as Production Coordinator for FSOO 2020. Patricia performs frequently with Chorus Austin and Inversion Ensemble. She holds a Bachelors of Music Education from UT-El Paso and a Masters in Vocal Performance from UT-Austin.

Nicholas A. Flott (Ray Bradbury) is an elementary music specialist in Austin ISD and is in his 7th year of teaching. Growing up in Statesboro, Georgia, he graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in music education. After teaching and singing in Atlanta, Nicholas attended Texas Tech University, graduating with his master’s degree in music education. Nicholas has been enjoying the wonderful music community in Austin, singing and performing with other groups around town. You can sometimes catch him singing and playing his ukulele around Mueller Lake. Nicholas is excited to be performing in his first Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera!

Sean (Jake) Jacobsen (Mr. Electrico), baritone, is excited to be involved in FSOO once again. Jake has been a member of One Ounce Opera since its inception in 2012 and has participated in each iteration of the program playing numerous roles, including The Politician in What the Spirits Show of last year’s production. In addition to One Ounce, Jake frequently performs with the opera choruses of Austin Opera and Opera San Antonio and has performed comprimario roles for both companies, having been featured as The Page in OSA’s 2023 production of Amahl and the Night Visitors and Ramiro in El Rebozo, part of Austin Opera’s LatinX Residency Workshop in March of 2024. Originally from Boston, Mass., Jake received his Bachelor’s degree from Boston University in 2009. He then moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where he received a Masters of Music in 2011 and a DMA in Vocal Performance in 2015.

Annisha Mackenzie (Jenny) is a graduate of Texas State university based in Austin, Texas. She has collaborated with Austin Opera, Gilbert and Sullivan of Austin, and Opera San Antonio. Credits include Cendrillon (Cendrillon), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), and Phoebe (The Yeomen of the Guard). Additionally, Annisha works as a voice teacher and opera outreach artist where she has the privilege of sharing her music for opera every day! That is why she is absolutely thrilled to make her One Ounce Opera debut and deeply honored to collaborate with a company that celebrates the works of small artists while bringing opera to a wider, more inclusive audience!

Sandra Mercado (Luz), praised by El Nacional for her “crystal clear, powerful voice,” made her debut at the Teatro Nacional in the Dominican Republic alongside Metropolitan Opera tenor Francisco Casanova. She has since performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Teatro Bellas Artes, and the Teatro Nacional collaborating with the orchestras like the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, NY Philharmonic, and New Jersey Symphony. Sandra’s 2023-2024 season included a Spanish Music lecture tour with pianist Laura Ahumada and performances of new operas with AOP, including The Rat by Wang Jie and Patience and Sarah by Paula M. Kimper. She also celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with LOLA in Austin and performed Tosca at the Castleton Festival in memory of Maestro Lorin Maazel. Known for her versatility, Sandra’s signature roles include Giselda in I Lombardi, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Giovanna in Giovanna D’Arco, Aïda, Desdemona in Otello, Donna Elvira and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Contessa D’Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Tosca. She continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her dynamic voice and artistry.

Andréa Ochoa (503-2) is a Mexican American soprano and arts administrator based in Austin, TX. Roles include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Ms. Wordsworth (Albert Herring), Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief), Bessie (Mahagonny – Songspiel), and Marian Paroo (The Music Man). She has also performed numerous world premiere works through the First Stages composition lab at New York University. Ms. Ochoa received her Master of Music degree in Classical Voice Performance and an Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from New York University, and her Bachelor of Music Education degree with a concentration in Vocal Studies from Oklahoma Christian University. Ms. Ochoa serves as the Director of Education & Community Impact at Austin Opera.

Hillary Schranze (Young Ray) is thrilled to be in her first production with One Ounce Opera! Most recent credits include in her third season as a full time chorister at Houston Grand Opera, Il Trovatore, Tosca, La bohème, Madame Butterfly and Parsifal. She was most recently seen in Austin as Dame Carruthers in Yeomen of the Guard and the Bride in Trial by Jury with Gilbert & Sullivan Austin. She has sung with Austin Opera in The Revolution of Steve Jobs and Sweeney Todd. She also recently played the role of Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music with Charlottesville Opera. Ms. Schranze is on the roster with Nancy Wertsch and still regularly performs with Bard Festival Chorale at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Sandra Villwock (Caliste) is a German-American lyric soprano, pianist, and educator currently based in Austin, Texas. She attained her Bachelor and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Southern California and is the co-founder of non-profit organization, VOCA Music Association. Recently, she has sung with Austin Opera chorus in Pagliacci, Carmen, and The Manchurian Candidate as well as served as an Austin Opera Teaching Artist. She has travelled internationally performing with companies including Opera Classica Europa, L’Opera Piccola, Bologna International Opera Academy, Pacific Lyric Opera, and Lyric Opera of Orange County. Upcoming performances include Verdi’s Requiem with Austin Opera, Madame Butterfly with Austin Opera & Opera San Antonio, as well as her debut of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Opera Classica Europa this July. She is thrilled and honored to be singing with One Ounce Opera for the first time this season in their 7th Annual Fresh Squeezed Ounce of Opera.

Known for her rich tone and wide range, mezzo-soprano Kaley Williams is excited to dazzle the stage as Zara/Tattooed Man in this new opera Ray Bradbury, Age 12, at the Carnival in Waukegan, IL. She made her debut as Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with the Matador Opera Workshop and has gone on to sing other roles such as the 3rd Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Brambilla in Offenbach’s La Perichole and the title role in scenes from Torroba’s zarzuela Luisa Fernanda. She also recently made her musical theatre debut singing in the ensemble for Sweeney Todd at the Georgetown Palace Theatre. She has always had a passion for performing and can’t wait to share this new and exciting story with everyone. Her thanks go out to her husband, family, and friends who have supported her over the years as well as OOO for allowing her to be a part of this production.

Possessing “a well-articulated operatic voice and immense stage presence” (CTX Live Theatre), Julius Young is excited to return to FSOO after participating in the 2020 production of The Seance. Julius has performed a wide variety of personalities with Gilbert and Sullivan Austin, most notably Wilfred Shadbolt (Yeomen of the Guard), and Pischtusch (The McAdo), both roles eliciting both depth and comedic physicality. He has sung chorus in Austin Opera productions such as The Manchurian Candidate, Carmen, and last month in Verdi’s Requiem. Other roles include Belcore in L’elisir d’amore and the Gamekeeper in Rusalka. Julius is passionate about Austin’s musical roots and often sings with the Saengerrunde, a German-language choir located at Scholz Garten. Aside from singing, Julius enjoys studying languages and learning about far-off places, and can sometimes be found working on the riverboats that run along Lake Austin.

in alphabetical order

Carol Brown (Assistant Director & Makeup Consultant) is a soprano, composer, and production maven about town and is pumped to return as assistant director for FSOO ‘25! Helping share new music through different avenues with Austin audiences from on stage, on the page and behind the scenes is something she’s super passionate about, especially because of the amazing talents and collaborative vibe within this community. In addition to performing with and AD’ing for OOO, Carol served as production manager for Inversion from 2020-24 and has assisted in producing events for CTC Music Publishing, as well as performing with and composing for both groups. Additionally, Carol has performed with LOLA, Density512, Austin Opera, and Gilbert & Sullivan Austin, whom she will reunite with this June to direct their Grand Production of H.M.S. Pinafore.

Korean-American pianist Joseph Choi (Music Director & Pianist) is a multi-faceted artist of the 21st century. A graduate of The Juilliard School (Master of Music) and the University of Texas at Austin (Doctorate and Bachelor of Music), he studied with esteemed mentors Anton Nel, Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. Joey’s career includes serving as Assistant Conductor for the Vienna Opera Academy, where he worked on Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. He has earned awards such as Second Prize at the 2014 NTD International Piano Competition and the Baroque Prize at the 2016 San Antonio International Piano Competition. His performances span prestigious stages, including Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, with collaborations alongside Austin Symphony Orchestra, Aeolus Quartet, Austin Cantorum and Inversion Ensemble. Previously serving on the faculty at Concordia University, Joey currently is a staff accompanist for Huston-Tillotson University and performs actively with Austin Opera and Conspirare. An avid cyclist, he resides in Austin, Texas.

Julie Fiore (Producer & Stage Director) is a creative director, strategist, marketer, producer, and communicator dedicated to exploring connection and community-building through storytelling. She founded One Ounce Opera in 2012 after receiving degrees in Music Performance from the University of North Texas (BMus) and University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music (MM). As a performer, her most celebrated operatic roles were Abigail in The Crucible, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, and Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Most recently, she joined as Co-Director at Tetractys New Music where she is the Producing Director of the Here Be Monsters Indie-Classical Festival, now in its 3rd year. With OOO, she has championed 28 micro-operas to date and been nominated for over 20 theatre awards including four B. Iden Payne nominations for Outstanding Direction. She serves as the Executive & Artistic Director of OOO and the Creative Director for local firm Zanate Marketing.

Monica Kurtz (Stage Manager & Props Designer) has been working in community theater for over 30 years and is happiest backstage or in the booth, calling cues and ensuring everything runs smoothly. She is a company member of The VORTEX and Shrewd Productions and also serves on the Board of Directors for Gilbert & Sullivan Austin. Theater is in her blood—her family has ties to the stage in both the U.S. and Europe, so perhaps it’s genetic. Over the years, she’s worked on everything from new works to familiar standards. She is thrilled to be working with One Ounce Opera and is thankful to Julie and Carol for bringing me on board. Many thanks to her family for always supporting her. You can find her backstage once more at GSA’s production of H.M.S. Pinafore in June!

Matt Smith (Technical Director & Lighting/Projections Designer) is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin, within the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies. Matt specializes in lighting and projection technologies and has supported a wide variety of projects on the local and national level. A few notable projects or companies include: Austin Opera, dadalab, Texas Performing Arts, Paramount Films, and MTV Awards.

Welcome to the FSOO, presented by One Ounce Opera Production Company!

Who we are:
One Ounce Opera Production Company (OOO) provides occasions where our community gathers to immerse themselves in dynamic storytelling.

Together, we explore contemporary topics through the lenses of diverse trailblazers, forging new paths in the art form for the next generations to enjoy.

Founded in 2012, we are dedicated to reimagining opera in unexpected spaces – whether that’s your favorite neighborhood watering hole or a creative space we transform.

Our programming invites you to be curious.

OOO produces opportunities for you to reflect, recharge, and connect – with yourself, your community, a story, or a cause. We encourage you to grow compassion for a different lived experience or see your culture reflected in an impactful and affirming way.

All while immersing yourself in a virtuosic, sonic experience.

We enrich lives and bust barriers by meeting people where they are in spaces that don’t seem out of reach regardless of socio-economic status or past experience with the art form.

At the core of everything we do is this statement:
OPERA IS FOR EVERYONE.