Chris Alexander won Seattle Opera’s Artist of the Year Award in 2003/04 for his brilliant production of Strauss's fascinating opera-within-an-opera, designed by Robert Dahlstrom and set in the Seattle home of a wealthy arts patron. Amazing performances from each member of the cast, masterful conducting by the Seattle Symphony’s Gerard Schwarz, and indoor fireworks made this production one to remember for a lifetime.

Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Kimberly Barber (The Composer) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Jane Eaglen (Prima Donna) and Richard Stilwell (Music-Master) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004
© Rozarii Lynch

Doug Jones (Dancing-Master) and Jane Giering-DeHaan (Zerbinetta) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

William Saetre (Brighella), Julianne Gearhart (Zerbinetta), Philip Cutlip (Harlekin), Seth Malkin (Truffaldino), and Steven Goldstein (Scaramuccio) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Michael Hendricks (Tenor), crew members, Richard Stilwell (Music-Master), Archie Drake (Lackey), Georg Martin Bode (Major-Domo), Molly Filmore (Dryad), Priti Gandhi (Echo), Doug Jones (Dancing-Master), Julianne Gearhart (Zerbinetta), Seth Malkin (Truffaldino), William Saetre (Brighella), Philip Cutlip (Harlekin), and Steven Goldstein (Scaramuccio) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Carrie Kahl (The Composer) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Guests and the Three Nymphs (Terri Richter, Priti Gandhi, and Molly Fillmore) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Jane Eaglen (Ariadne), Jane Giering-DeHaan (Zerbinetta), Philip Cutlip (Harlekin), William Saetre (Brighella), Seth Malkin (Truffaldino), and Steven Goldstein (Scaramuccio) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Philip Cutlip (Harlekin), Jane Eaglen (Ariadne), and Jane Giering-DeHaan (Zerbinetta) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch

Kyle Cable (Supernumerary) and Jane Giering-DeHaan (Zerbinetta) in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, 2004 © Rozarii Lynch