Meet the Cast of Summit Chorale's
Opera Uncorked
Featuring Bizet's Carmen
Michele Navarro Currenti (Mercedes)Michele Navarro Currenti, soprano, is a Northern New Jersey native who is thrilled to rejoin the Summit Chorale! Michele obtained a Bachelor of Music at the Eastman School of Music, Bachelor of Science in Brain & Cognitive Science at the University of Rochester, and was a graduate of the University of Maryland Opera Studio. Michele is pursuing her graduate studies in Speech-Language Pathology at Kean University, aspiring to work with people with vocal disorders and injuries.
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Kevin Johnson (Escamillo)Kevin Johnson has performed with many opera companies including Atlanta Opera, Maryland Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New Rochelle Opera, and Light Opera of New Jersey. His roles performed include the title roles in Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, and Gianni Schicchi, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan Tutte, Colline in La Bohème, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro. He has received a BA from Morehouse College, a MM from The Chicago Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and a DMA from The Catholic University of America.
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Hilary Baboukis (Carmen)
Hilary Baboukis is a mezzo-soprano, conductor, arranger/orchestrator, and teacher. (You may remember her as The Modern Major-General in last year's Opera Uncorked!) When she's not getting up to wild shenanigans on stage, she is the Associate Director of Music at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and an adjunct at Wagner College, Staten Island. She is particularly fond of French repertoire and is thrilled to be singing Carmen for the first time.
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Veronica Shea (Frasquita)Veronica Shea is a soprano, actor, producer, and digital marketer passionate about storytelling and sharing authentic onstage connection with audiences. Recent roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), and Julie Jordan (Carousel). She is the founder of Eccentric Theater Company, co-founder/artistic director of Off-Brand Opera, and president of Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company.
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Adam Cromer (Don Jose) Adam Cromer, tenor, is a native of Nashville, TN, and has appeared with the Summit Chorale as Frederick (Pirates of Penzance) and as tenor soloist for Bruckner’s Te Deum. He has also performed across the US in roles including Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Luigi (Il tabarro), Don Jose (Carmen), and Lennie Small (Of Mice and Men).
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James Gooden, III (Morales and Remendado)James Gooden III is making his debut with Summit Chorale. This versatile Texas Tenor has been featured with The Fort Worth Opera, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Ebony Opera Guild, and The Voices of Houston.
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Casandra LaMotte (Micaëla)Cassandra LaMotte is a distinguished soprano renowned for her captivating performances in both opera and on the concert stage. Casandra’s career launched with her debut as Amelia in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, leading to a repertoire featuring iconic Verdi heroines and other beloved roles such as Tosca, Marguerite, La Gioconda and Norma. Highlights of Ms. LaMotte’s concert engagements include Elijah, Messiah, and Requiems by Verdi, Brahms, Mozart, and Fauré. Based in New Jersey, Casandra dedicates her time to nurturing the next generation of vocal talents, while inspiring audiences with her stirring performances.
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