www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, aneducation program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at The KennedyCenter atwww.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developedunder a grant from the U.S. Department of Educationand do not necessarily represent the policy of theU.S. Department of Education. You should notassume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2014 The John F. Kennedy Center for thePerforming Arts

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT...� Jake Heggie chose to cast Ahab as a tenor—a voicetype traditionally assigned to brave and valiant heroes.Why do you think Heggie made this choice? Do youthink Ahab is the “hero” ofMoby-Dick?

� ThoughMoby-Dick has many big and sweeping scenes,it also includes some quieter moments for just one ortwo characters. Do you think these moments contributeto the overall impact of the opera or do you think theyslow the action down? Why?

� Librettist Gene Scheerhas likened the charactersinMoby-Dick, particularlyCaptain Ahab, to those inShakespeare. Does Ahabremind you of a characteryou’ve seen or readbefore? Which one?

� Do you think there arescenes in which themusic gives awaysomething that thecharacters don’t yetrealize? When and wheredo these scenes occur?

WHAT TO LISTEN AND WATCH FOR...� The female singer in the cast who plays Pip, the cabinboy. This kind of role for a woman is called a “pants role”and it’s a typical way of portraying young boys in opera.

� The melancholy four-chord theme at the opening ofthe opera that repeats throughout the performance.What might this theme represent? Why do you think itgets repeated?

� Direct quotations from Melville’s famous novel. Can youspot the book’s most famous line “Call me Ishmael”?

� Scenes in which characters sing from on top of themasthead or while “floating” in mid-air. Whatchallenges do you think these special effects presentedfor the designers and the singers?

� Projections and animations that help set the scene andcreate a sense of atmosphere.

� The scenes of conflict between Ahab and Starbuck.Why do you think these characters are always at odds?

Performances for Young Audiencesis made possible by

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERAWORK ING REHEARSAL

JAKE HEGGIE and GENE SCHEER’S

Moby-DickMusic by Jake HeggieLibretto by Gene ScheerBased on the novel by Herman MelvilleProduction by Leonard FogliaConducted by Evan Rogister

David and Alice Rubenstein are thePresenting Underwriters of WNO.

CuesheetP

ER

FO

RM

AN

CE

GU

IDE

Hoist sail, raise anchor, and join the hunt for thegreat white whale! An enormous cast and crew areabout to take you on a musical journey throughHerman Melville’s epic tale of obsession, madness,and death-defying adventure. Look out for 3Danimation, movie projections, and characters thatsing in mid-air as Moby-Dick comes to life on themodern operatic stage.

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Michael L. MaelExecutive Director

Francesca ZambelloArtistic Director

Student Dress Rehearsals are made possiblein part by the generous support of the U.S.Department of Education.

Additional support for Performances forYoung Audiences is provided by AdobeFoundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation;Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Macy’s Foundation;TheMorris andGwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell FamilyFoundation; an endowment from the Rynaand Melvin Cohen Family Foundation;Washington Gas; and by generouscontributors to the Abe Fortas MemorialFund and by a major gift to the fund from thelate Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs aremade possible through the generosity of theNational Committee for the Performing Artsand the President’s Advisory Committee onthe Arts.

The men swear allegiance to Ahab andvow to destroy Moby Dick.

To learn more about opera, visitwww.kennedy-center.org/artsedge/kc-connections

KC_MobyDick_WkgRehearsal_Final:Layout 1 1/3/14 1:44 PM Page 4

ACT 1The Pequod, a Nantucket whaling ship, hassailed for one week without any word from itscaptain. Greenhorn, a novice whaler, watchesas Queequeg, an island native harpooner,chants a prayer. At dawn, the crew arrives andchief mates Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask chatabout the mysterious captain. As the crewsings, the peg-legged Captain Ahab finallyarrives. He tells captivating stories of MobyDick, a dangerous white whale that chewed offhis leg, and promises a gold doubloon (coin) tothe first man to spot the whale. Despite doubtsfrom Starbuck, the crew vows to capture andkill the creature.

MAIN CHARACTERSAhab, captain of the PequodStarbuck, first mateStubb, second mateFlask, third mateQueequeg, an island native andharpoonerGreenhorn, a young whalerPip, cabin boy

Ahab readies his men for a meeting with a monstrous whale.

Hammerstein (left) and Kern (right)

About Moby-DickABOUT JAKE HEGGIEAmerican composerJake Heggie (b. 1961)began his musicalstudies as a pianistand trained both in

Paris and at UCLA, but turned tocomposing later in life. Though he wrotemany classical songs, Heggie didn’tpursue composition fulltime until hismusic was discovered by chance while hewas employed at the San Francisco Operain 1994. Since then, he has written severaloperas that have been produced acrossthe globe, including Dead Man Walkingand The End of the Affair.

ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERAOriginally founded in 1956, WashingtonNational Opera (WNO) ranks as one oftoday’s largest American operacompanies. WNO presents several operaseach year at the Kennedy Center and itsartists regularly perform throughout thecity. WNO is also active in commissioningnew operas. Among the most popular ofWNO’s community programs is Opera inthe Outfield, which brings free broadcastsof opera to Nationals Park.

AN OPERA BASED ONMOBY-DICK? Aboutas impossible as chasing an elusive white whale,you may say. Still, despite the challengingnature of the project, creators Jake Heggie andGene Scheer believed this famous story andits complex characters were worthy of song.Together, they spent years editing andre-arranging Melville’s difficult plot and findingjust the right musical sound to enhance thehuman drama behind this great American novel.

Three months later, the restless crew dancesaboard the Pequod, but a fight soon breaksout. The scuffle is interrupted, however, whenGreenhorn spies a pod of whales. Ahab givespermission to begin the hunt and the whalingboats are launched. The hunt is successful, butPip, the cabin boy, falls overboard.

Back aboard the Pequod, the men gather oilfrom a whale carcass. Ahab and Starbuck have aviolent disagreement about the fate of the ship,and the captain threatens Starbuck at gunpoint.Elsewhere, Queequeg daringly rescues thecabin boy and Greenhorn is impressed by theharpooner’s bravery and kindness. Below deck,Starbuck approaches Ahab yet again, but findsthe captain asleep. Because of their combativerelationship, Starbuck considers murdering thecaptain. He decides against it, however, andthe Pequod sails on.

ACT 2Ayear has passed andQueequeg andGreenhornhave become great friends. Yet, as a stormlooms on the horizon, Queequeg unexpectedlycollapses. The harpooner announces he isdying and asks Greenhorn to help build a coffinfor the burial. On deck, Ahab rages at thestorm and tells his crew to remain steadfast.

After the storm, the voice of Captain Gardiner,commander of the nearby ship the Rachel, isheard asking for help finding his son—a boyadrift at sea. Pip, who has lost his mind, criesout to Gardiner in sympathy. In his madness,Pip cuts himself and his blood splashes ontoAhab. Ignoring Captain Gardiner, Ahabprepares to do battle with Moby Dick bybaptizing his harpoon in Pip’s blood.

Later that day, Ahab and Starbuck considerall they have sacrificed in their pursuit of thisterrible whale. Yet, just as Ahab seems movedby Starbuck’s impassioned plea to returnhome, the captain sets eyes on Moby Dick.A wild chase begins—but can the men survive?Will Ahab’s all-consuming quest succeed indestroying him at last?

ALL PERFORMANCE PHOTOS BY CORY WEAVER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

PHOT

OBY

ELLE

NAP

PEL

KC_MobyDick_WkgRehearsal_Final:Layout 1 1/3/14 1:44 PM Page 2

ACT 1The Pequod, a Nantucket whaling ship, hassailed for one week without any word from itscaptain. Greenhorn, a novice whaler, watchesas Queequeg, an island native harpooner,chants a prayer. At dawn, the crew arrives andchief mates Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask chatabout the mysterious captain. As the crewsings, the peg-legged Captain Ahab finallyarrives. He tells captivating stories of MobyDick, a dangerous white whale that chewed offhis leg, and promises a gold doubloon (coin) tothe first man to spot the whale. Despite doubtsfrom Starbuck, the crew vows to capture andkill the creature.

MAIN CHARACTERSAhab, captain of the PequodStarbuck, first mateStubb, second mateFlask, third mateQueequeg, an island native andharpoonerGreenhorn, a young whalerPip, cabin boy

Ahab readies his men for a meeting with a monstrous whale.

Hammerstein (left) and Kern (right)

About Moby-DickABOUT JAKE HEGGIEAmerican composerJake Heggie (b. 1961)began his musicalstudies as a pianistand trained both in

Paris and at UCLA, but turned tocomposing later in life. Though he wrotemany classical songs, Heggie didn’tpursue composition fulltime until hismusic was discovered by chance while hewas employed at the San Francisco Operain 1994. Since then, he has written severaloperas that have been produced acrossthe globe, including Dead Man Walkingand The End of the Affair.

ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERAOriginally founded in 1956, WashingtonNational Opera (WNO) ranks as one oftoday’s largest American operacompanies. WNO presents several operaseach year at the Kennedy Center and itsartists regularly perform throughout thecity. WNO is also active in commissioningnew operas. Among the most popular ofWNO’s community programs is Opera inthe Outfield, which brings free broadcastsof opera to Nationals Park.

AN OPERA BASED ONMOBY-DICK? Aboutas impossible as chasing an elusive white whale,you may say. Still, despite the challengingnature of the project, creators Jake Heggie andGene Scheer believed this famous story andits complex characters were worthy of song.Together, they spent years editing andre-arranging Melville’s difficult plot and findingjust the right musical sound to enhance thehuman drama behind this great American novel.

Three months later, the restless crew dancesaboard the Pequod, but a fight soon breaksout. The scuffle is interrupted, however, whenGreenhorn spies a pod of whales. Ahab givespermission to begin the hunt and the whalingboats are launched. The hunt is successful, butPip, the cabin boy, falls overboard.

Back aboard the Pequod, the men gather oilfrom a whale carcass. Ahab and Starbuck have aviolent disagreement about the fate of the ship,and the captain threatens Starbuck at gunpoint.Elsewhere, Queequeg daringly rescues thecabin boy and Greenhorn is impressed by theharpooner’s bravery and kindness. Below deck,Starbuck approaches Ahab yet again, but findsthe captain asleep. Because of their combativerelationship, Starbuck considers murdering thecaptain. He decides against it, however, andthe Pequod sails on.

ACT 2Ayear has passed andQueequeg andGreenhornhave become great friends. Yet, as a stormlooms on the horizon, Queequeg unexpectedlycollapses. The harpooner announces he isdying and asks Greenhorn to help build a coffinfor the burial. On deck, Ahab rages at thestorm and tells his crew to remain steadfast.

After the storm, the voice of Captain Gardiner,commander of the nearby ship the Rachel, isheard asking for help finding his son—a boyadrift at sea. Pip, who has lost his mind, criesout to Gardiner in sympathy. In his madness,Pip cuts himself and his blood splashes ontoAhab. Ignoring Captain Gardiner, Ahabprepares to do battle with Moby Dick bybaptizing his harpoon in Pip’s blood.

Later that day, Ahab and Starbuck considerall they have sacrificed in their pursuit of thisterrible whale. Yet, just as Ahab seems movedby Starbuck’s impassioned plea to returnhome, the captain sets eyes on Moby Dick.A wild chase begins—but can the men survive?Will Ahab’s all-consuming quest succeed indestroying him at last?

ALL PERFORMANCE PHOTOS BY CORY WEAVER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

PHOT

OBY

ELLE

NAP

PEL

KC_MobyDick_WkgRehearsal_Final:Layout 1 1/3/14 1:44 PM Page 2

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, aneducation program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at The KennedyCenter atwww.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developedunder a grant from the U.S. Department of Educationand do not necessarily represent the policy of theU.S. Department of Education. You should notassume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2014 The John F. Kennedy Center for thePerforming Arts

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT...� Jake Heggie chose to cast Ahab as a tenor—a voicetype traditionally assigned to brave and valiant heroes.Why do you think Heggie made this choice? Do youthink Ahab is the “hero” ofMoby-Dick?

� ThoughMoby-Dick has many big and sweeping scenes,it also includes some quieter moments for just one ortwo characters. Do you think these moments contributeto the overall impact of the opera or do you think theyslow the action down? Why?

� Librettist Gene Scheerhas likened the charactersinMoby-Dick, particularlyCaptain Ahab, to those inShakespeare. Does Ahabremind you of a characteryou’ve seen or readbefore? Which one?

� Do you think there arescenes in which themusic gives awaysomething that thecharacters don’t yetrealize? When and wheredo these scenes occur?

WHAT TO LISTEN AND WATCH FOR...� The female singer in the cast who plays Pip, the cabinboy. This kind of role for a woman is called a “pants role”and it’s a typical way of portraying young boys in opera.

� The melancholy four-chord theme at the opening ofthe opera that repeats throughout the performance.What might this theme represent? Why do you think itgets repeated?

� Direct quotations from Melville’s famous novel. Can youspot the book’s most famous line “Call me Ishmael”?

� Scenes in which characters sing from on top of themasthead or while “floating” in mid-air. Whatchallenges do you think these special effects presentedfor the designers and the singers?

� Projections and animations that help set the scene andcreate a sense of atmosphere.

� The scenes of conflict between Ahab and Starbuck.Why do you think these characters are always at odds?

Performances for Young Audiencesis made possible by

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERAWORK ING REHEARSAL

JAKE HEGGIE and GENE SCHEER’S

Moby-DickMusic by Jake HeggieLibretto by Gene ScheerBased on the novel by Herman MelvilleProduction by Leonard FogliaConducted by Evan Rogister

David and Alice Rubenstein are thePresenting Underwriters of WNO.

CuesheetP

ER

FO

RM

AN

CE

GU

IDE

Hoist sail, raise anchor, and join the hunt for thegreat white whale! An enormous cast and crew areabout to take you on a musical journey throughHerman Melville’s epic tale of obsession, madness,and death-defying adventure. Look out for 3Danimation, movie projections, and characters thatsing in mid-air as Moby-Dick comes to life on themodern operatic stage.

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Michael L. MaelExecutive Director

Francesca ZambelloArtistic Director

Student Dress Rehearsals are made possiblein part by the generous support of the U.S.Department of Education.

Additional support for Performances forYoung Audiences is provided by AdobeFoundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation;Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Macy’s Foundation;TheMorris andGwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell FamilyFoundation; an endowment from the Rynaand Melvin Cohen Family Foundation;Washington Gas; and by generouscontributors to the Abe Fortas MemorialFund and by a major gift to the fund from thelate Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs aremade possible through the generosity of theNational Committee for the Performing Artsand the President’s Advisory Committee onthe Arts.

The men swear allegiance to Ahab andvow to destroy Moby Dick.

To learn more about opera, visitwww.kennedy-center.org/artsedge/kc-connections

KC_MobyDick_WkgRehearsal_Final:Layout 1 1/3/14 1:44 PM Page 4