| Mark Cortale |
| Tenor |
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| Character tenor Mark Cortale began
the fall season performing at the Boston Center for the Arts for
Theater Offensive’s Out on the Edge Festival where he appeared with
Varla Jean Merman. He will also sing the role of Dr. Blind in Die
Fledermaus this January with Opera Manhattan under the baton of Carmine
Aufiero. Mark made his debut at the Sydney Opera House as Samson in Anatomically Incorrect. He also sang Jacquino in Fidelio with the Cape Cod Opera and Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the California Opera Ensemble. Mark appeared as Tonio in La Fille Du Regiment with Concert Opera Philadelphia. He apprenticed with the Des Moines Metro Opera and then toured with Opera Iowa singing Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte. Other regional credits include Nemorino in L’Elisir D’Amore, Beppe in Pagliacci, Henrik in A Little Night Music, Nikolai in Chess and Pirelli in Sweeney Todd. He also worked with Provincetown Repertory Theatre where he performed the role of Tony in their acclaimed production of Terrence McNally’s Master Class. Mark is a native New Yorker and has appeared Off-Broadway in Splendora, The Matchmaker and Flahooley. He made his European debut as Remy in Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera at the Frankfurt Oper. Oratorial work includes Uriel in The Creation and the Mozart Requiem with the North Shore Symphony on Long Island. Mark is also the founder of The Illyria Theatre, a not-for-profit Off-Broadway company that was created in order to develop, reinvent and bring to light new and neglected works by collaborating with innovative actors, playwrights, composers and lyricists. He collaborated with Edward Albee and LaMama, ETC on a revival of The Death of Bessie Smith. The production evolved into DownHearted Blues: The Life and Music of Bessie Smith which starred Jennifer Holliday. Mark has also recently produced Varla Jean Merman at the Sydney Opera House, London’s Soho Theatre, The Maui Arts and Cultural Institute, and the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center in Los Angeles. He co-wrote and produced Are You God? It’s Me Ann-Margret! starring Maggie Moore at the New York Public Theater and at Ars Nova. Mark studied with Antonietta Stella and Nicola della Santina at the Giovani All’Opera in Rome and now works with Arthur Levy. He is a graduate of the Mannes College of Music, the William Esper Acting Studio in New York, and the International Institute of Vocal Arts. 11/10/08 |