Cast & Creative Team | thomasclarktenor

Cast & Creative Team
(click picture for biography)

Jordan Best (Minnie)

Soprano Jordan Best has been praised for her "viscerally thrilling" voice and character portrayals that are "vivacious, captivating, and steeped in raw emotion." Her recent stage highlights include Rosalinde ("Die Fledermaus"), Mimi ("La Boheme"), and the Countess ("Le Nozze di Figaro") with the Santa Cruz Opera Project; Jack's Mother and Cinderella's Mother ("Into the Woods") with Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and the title role in "Suor Angelica" alongside Lauretta ("Gianni Schicchi") with CA Lyric Artists. Jordan holds BM and MM degrees in Voice Performance from DePaul University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). A dedicated educator, she has taught voice and musical theater at Cabrillo College, and is the Co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Santa Cruz Opera Project, where she fosters vibrant artistic communities through accessible, collaborative performance initiatives. Jordan lives in Felton with her husband, Josh, their three children--Lennon, Elliot, and Lincoln. She is grateful to her mentor, Thomas Clark, both for producing this extraordinary production and for equipping her with the vocal tools to bring the legendary, formidable role of Minnie to life.

Website: https://www.bestsoprano.com/

Xavier Prado (Dick Johnson) (first 6 perfs.)

Xavier Prado, a Chilean-American tenor, captivates global audiences with his versatile voice and dynamic stage presence and is widely regarded as one of the most compelling and versatile young tenors of his generation. Winner of First Prize at the 2024 Concorso Internazionale Piero Cappuccilli, he is an alumnus of the Accademia Rossiniana Alberto Zedda (2023), a finalist and
grant recipient at the 2023 Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition, a finalist at the 2023 Giulio Gari Int’l. Vocal Competition, and has earned Second Prize, Third Prize, and Audience Choice at the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition (2022), along with finalist and Audience Choice honors at the Pasadena Vocal Competition (2023, 2024) and Mary Jacobs Singer of the Year Competition (Robinson/Tyrrell Award, 2023, 2024), plus the Beverly Hills National Auditions (2019-20).

His portrayals of Zorro in Héctor Armienta’s "Zorro" with Opera San Jose, Arizona Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara have drawn critical acclaim for his “handsome countenance and vocal aplomb” (Theatre Eddys), “plaintive and strong” tenor with “swashbuckling flair” (Opera Today), and “charming underdog quality” with a “bell-like tone” (The Opera Tattler). He has performed lead roles in "Le Nozze di Figaro," "Streetcar Named Desire," "L’Italiana in Algeri, "Don Pasquale," "Les Dialogues des Carmélites," and "Il Viaggio a Reims" with Opera San Jose, Sarasota Opera, and the Rossini Opera Festival, while shining as a soloist with these companies as well as Opera Las Vegas and the CA Philharmonic; his stage credits further include Rodolfo ("La Bohème"), Edgardo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Romeo ("Roméo et
Juliette"), the title role in "Faust," world premieres such as "Dulcinea XL" (2019) with LA Grand Ensemble and "Again, and Again, and Again" with Opera Las Vegas, a 2018 American TV miniseries film debut, and Ruodi in "Guillaume Tell" with Opera Southwest (broadcast
nationwide).

A dedicated pupil of legendary Italian bass Carlo Colombara and Sherman Lowe, he continues studying under their guidance and has received extensive mentoring from luminaries including Ernesto Palacio, Juan Diego Flórez, Luca Canonici, Luis Lima, Giulio Zappa, Rubén Sánchez-Vieco, Rosetta Cucchi, and Vanessa García. Recently praised as Cavaradossi in "Tosca" with West Bay Opera for “resplendent notes” that “build to a passion-filled peak” and “blazing ribbons of sound” reminiscent of Mario Del Monaco, and as a “properly bullish and defiant” Turiddu in "Cavalleria Rusticana" with Opera Santa Barbara, his future engagements include "Zorro" with Opera in Williamsburg—the official East Coast debut of the opera—and a return to West Bay Opera in "Don Carlo."

Website: https://www.xavierprado.com

Robert Balonek (Sheriff Jack Rance)

Robert Balonek, Baritone is thrilled to be debuting the role of Jack Rance. This year, Robert will perform Scarpia in "Tosca" (West Bay Opera) Baron Douphol in "La Traviata" (Sacramento Phil & Opera San Jose), Tonio in "Pagliacci" (Music in the Mountains), Marcello in "La Boheme" (Mendocino Music Fest), in 2027 Robert will perform Angelotti in "Tosca" (Sac Phil ).
Recent performances include the title roles of Rigoletto (Opera San Jose & BOTNJ), Figaro in "Le Nozze di Figaro" (Piedmont Opera & Opera on the James), Figaro in "Barber of Seville" (Boston Midsummer Opera, Mendocino Music Fest, Opera on the James, and "The Flying Dutchman" (West Bay Opera). He has also performed Iago in "Otello" (West Bay Opera), Tonio in "Pagliacci" (Auburn Symphony), Marcello in "La Boheme" (Opera on the James), Count Almaviva in "Le Nozze di Figaro," Scarpia in "Tosca" (Opera Modesto, and Father Capulet in "Romeo and Juliette" (Opera San Jose). Robert is from Rochester, NY and currently resides in Sonoma County.

Website: https://www.robertbalonek.com

Richard Bogart (Joe)

Richard Bogart has appeared as a chorus member or in principal roles in over a hundred opera productions with multiple companies around the Bay Area. Among the more than 30 roles he has sung are Goro in "Madama Butterfly," Mime in "Das Rheingold," Marullo in "Rigoletto," Remendado in "Carmen," and the Lord Chancellor in "Iolanthe." In addition to performing, he has directed productions of Wagner's "Die Walküre" for Verismo Opera and "Siegfried" for Voices SF, and of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Kashchey the Immortal" and "Mozart and Salieri" for Island City Opera, the last sung in his own English translation.

Veronica Talton (Ensemble)

Veronica Talton is a performing arts educator, arts consultant, vocalist, and songwriter passionate about public education as well as championing the rights of the arts. Previous credits include: Grandmother in "Cinderella" (African American Shakespeare Company); Aunt Ethel in "The Colored Museum" (Griot Theater); Velma in the musical "Crowns" (Tabia African American Theater Ensemble); Nannie Helen Burroughs in "The Other Mr. Lincoln" (Showcase Theater Actors Repertory); and Sarah's Friend u/s in "Ragtime" (Lyric Theater). Veronica received her degrees in music at Bennett College for Women & Towson University and has gained stage experience working with many talented directors and fellow actors. When not on stage, she can be found riding horses and researching Black history. Veronica would like to thank her friends and loved ones for their unwavering support.

Umberto Barisciano Conductor/Pianist

Umberto Barisciano is an Italian conductor and pianist whose artistic activity is primarily focused on the operatic repertoire. Alongside his conducting career, he maintains an active profile as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician. After completing his piano studies with highest honors, earning Master’s Degrees in Piano and Chamber Music, he gradually devoted his career to orchestral conducting. In 2024, he was Music Director and Conductor for Verdi’s "La Traviata" at the Jackson Theater in Fremont, CA, leading the CLAA Orchestra for the California Lyric Artists Association. In 2026, he returns to the USA to conduct Puccini’s "Tosca" and "The Girl of the Golden West" in San Francisco.
As a pianist, he has performed at prestigious venues in Italy and abroad, including the Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona, the Teatro Carlo Gesualdo in Avellino, the Auditorium Arvedi in Cremona, the Museo Teatrale alla Scala in Milan, the Goryeong Gun Nuri Hall in South Korea, and the Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose, CA. He is regularly invited as a collaborative pianist for opera productions, vocal masterclasses, and instrumental courses, working with internationally renowned artists such as Mario Luperi, Andrea Cigni, Maria Billeri, Silvia Chiesa, and Francesco Fiore.
In 2020, he conceived and performed the original stage work “Io, Beethoven: Opera interiore per voce e pianoforte” which was successfully presented at the Teatro dei Filodrammatici in Cremona and later featured in the “Musica a Santa Tecla” concert season in San Remo. He performs extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the USA, and continues to develop an international career as both conductor and pianist. Together with pianist Yevheniya Lysohor, he forms a well-established piano duo.

Website: https://umbertobarisciano.org/

Gary L. Stanford, Jr. (Larkens/Stage Director)

Gary L. Stanford, Jr. has been a part of Bay Area Theater for 30+ years, working as a Stage Director, Choreographer, Actor, Arts Educator & DEI Consultant. He has performed in around 200 Musical Productions and has been Stage Directing and Choreographing shows for over ten years. He is currently directing and choreographing an English-adapted production of "Girl of the Golden West" with Thomas Clark vocal studios. He has recently directed "Hadestown Teen," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Beetlejuice Jr," in San Jose, as well as the world premiere musical "Pet Lingerie" with Ross Valley Players. He also choreographed "Mean Girls" with Capuchino High School in San Bruno. As an actor, he recently appeared in the highly successful run of "The Toxic Avenger," with Los Altos Stage Theater. As a regular teaching artist with American Youth Conservatory Theater in SF, he brings “Improv Acting”, “Musical Theater Cabaret”, “Short Film” and “Acting in front of the Camera” classes for elementary, middle school, and high school performing students.

Thomas Clark (Nick/Producer)

Thomas Clark holds degrees in German and French and was a Fulbright Scholar to Germany and France. A dramatic tenor, he studied with Peter Gregg, coach and accompanist to the great Italian dramatic tenor of the Golden Age, Mario del Monaco, whose vocal technique allowed Thomas to step onto the stage as Loge (“Das Rheingold”), Calaf (“Turandot”), Cavaradossi (“Tosca”), Florestan (“Fidelio”), and Dick Johnson (“La Fanciulla del West”) with SF Lyric Opera, and Siegmund ("Die Walküre") and Canio (“Pagliacci”) with Golden Gate Opera. Thomas is producing “The Girl of the Golden West” for the USA’s 250th Anniversary, in his own English translation for soprano Jordan Best, his student of 8 years, the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.

Website: https://www.thomasclarktenor.com

Cast & Creative Team (click picture for biography)

Cast & Creative Team
(click picture for biography)