Manhattan Lyric Opera presents

The Best of Burt Bacharach, Marvin Hamlisch and More!

Featuring Broadway star William Michals and Anne Tormela

Saturday, October 7, 2017 Time: 8PM @ The Ponds, 100 Waterside Boulevard, Munroe Township, NJ 08831 | Phone: (609) 655-0821

William Paul Michals is an American stage actor and baritone singer. He has recently appeared in Roger’s and Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center. He made Broadway debut as “The Beast” in Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and later returned to play Gaston in the same production. His career continued with roles as Javert in LES MISÉRABLES, Billy Flynn in CHICAGO, Don Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA, Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN, and the title role in PHANTOM. He has received the Anselmo Award, he also earned recognition by Chicago’s “Jeff” and the National STAR awards for his portrayal of Chauvelin in a national tour of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. He has played Captain von Trapp in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and as Billy Flynn in Kander & Ebb’s CHICAGO.

Michals regularly appears with the country’s leading orchestras, including the San Francisco, San Diego, Utah, and Hartford Symphonies, The New York Pops, and Philly Pops.

He has sung The National Anthem for major league sporting events. He has also performed for House and Senate inside The United States Capitol. he also sang at the December 11, 2001 memorial service at Ground Zero, singing “Let There Be Peace On Earth”.

He has performed opera, in New York, Boston, and in concert at the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals. ”

His moniker is “America’s Baritone”. williammichals.com

Anne Tormela – Lyric Coloratura
Ms. Tormela has been noted for her “secure technique, unfailing intonation and expression and clear and sensitive text.” (Ulrik Cold, Royal Danish Opera), her “ringing and strongly expressive voice with extraordinary vocal control.” (Leif Kramp,Critic/Lübecker Nachtrichten) and “negotiating the upper reaches (of her voice) with dazzling security” (David Syrus, Head of Music, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden). In June of 2014 Ms. Tormela covered Mariella Devia in the role of Elisabetta in Donizetti’s (Roberto Devereux) at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of Maestro Eve Queler. Ms. Tormela has performed the roles of Amina “She played the heroine Amina with thespian grace and penetrating vocal beauty.Her quality in the upper register of her voice was ravishing…” (John Paul Keeler, Hudson-Catskill Newspapers), Serpina (La Serva Padrona) , Mamette (La Coupe et les Lèvres) “In her big scene, her urgent phrasing conveyed Mamette’s passionate nature.” (Fred Cohn, Opera News Magazine), Lauretta Gianni Schicchi) Frasquita, Kate Pinkerton ,Nanetta (Natchez Music Festival), Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow), Adina (L’Elisir D’amore), Amalia (I Masnadieri), The Queen of the night and First Lady, (The Magic Flute), Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Rosalinda and Adele (Die Fledermaus), Ophélie (Hamlet), Violetta in (La Traviata), Gilda in (Rigoletto), Frasquita in (Carmen), Rosina in (The Barber of Seville), Cherubino in (Le Nozze di Figaro), Sophie in (Werther), Norina in (Don Pasquale), Musetta in (La Bohème) and most recently the role of Carolina in Cimarosa’s masterpiece (Il Matrimonio Segreto).

Ms. Tormela is an accomplished concert recitalist and has performed all over the world in Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Israel and the United States. Ms. Tormela made her New York debut recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In Germany she made her concert debut at Thronsaal auf Schlo§ in Schwerin; Stidtstheater, Wohnstift Augustinum in Bad Neuenahr, and Kammermusiksaal der Stadthalle Mülheim in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Ms. Tormela was a guest soloist in Italy with the Civitanova Marche Orchestra and has appeared as a guest soloist with the Lake Placid Sinfonietta Orchestra and toured the United States as a soloist with The New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra. In 2015 and 2016 she concertized in Italy and Poland at the Bytomiu Opera house and final concert in Krakow for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

She has won numerous grants, awards and scholarships from venues such as The Rockefeller Foundation, International Vocal Arts Institute. In December of 2009 she performed excerpts of Zerbinetta and Sophie in the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Master Class taught by Metropolitan Opera star Jane Marsh. In 2011 she won Third Prize and Audience Award in the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition.

In addition to Opera, Ms. Tormela is an avid athlete, swimmer and 4th degree Black Belt in Taekwon Do.  –  tormela.com