East Coast Premiere

Cherry first appeared as Jo March in the East Coast premiere of Little Women the summer of 2001. Ash Lawn-Highland Summer Festival hosted the event with the cooperation of the Houston Grand Opera. The conductor (Christopher Larkin) and the costumes were from the original production. Director Sharyn Pirtle was also from the staff at Houston.  The cast included Cara Johnston as Amy, Jennifer Chung as Beth, Quinn Patrick as Meg, Chad Berlinghieri as Laurie, Kevin Kees as Bhaer, Rachel Rose as Alma, Daniil Gurvich as Gideon and Charlotte Paulsen as Aunt March.

West Coast Success

Cherry returned to the role of Jo the following summer, this time creating the Northern California premiere. The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, led by Maestro Marin Alsop, kicked off its 40th season with Adamo's popular new opera. The stellar cast was led by Peter Kazaras, director. Cast included 2 of Cherry's "sisters" from the previous summer: Quinn Patrick as Meg and Cara Johnston as Amy. Cast members new to Cherry included Natalie Taormina as Beth, Wesley Rogers as Laurie, Kurt Ollmann as Bhaer, Alexandra Hughes as Aunt March, Linda Pavelka as Alma, Dean Elzinga as Gideon. 

Jo in Japanese

In May of 2006, Cherry traveled to Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan to understudy Jennifer Dudley's Jo in New York City Opera's first international tour. Mark Adamo went along too, of course, as well almost all the administration of NYCO, the orchestra and many of NYCO's regular singers. Cherry also covered the role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly during this tour.

In Nagoya, Cherry and the other Little Women covers performed selections from the opera for a girls' school. Mark Adamo narrated the event with the help of Atsushi Yamada, the company's Japanese conductor.

Learn more about the Japan tour by visiting Cherry's photo gallery from the trip.

"Mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke was a standout as Jo. In a vital, shapely vocal performance, she caught both the character's headstrong determination and the reservoir of tenderness underlying it."

—San Francisco Chronicle

"Cherry Duke carried the daunting role with dignity and...intensity."

—Metroactive.com

"Duke was superb! She created a vibrant, strong-willed woman who knows her own mind and her own place in the world. Her singing proved crystal clear, beautifully consistent and always true to the meaning of the text. Her striking voice-acting and stage movement set a high standard for the entire work.

—The Daily Progress

"Duke is a singer who communicates both the music and the text impeccably... it takes 'heroic diction' to do that and Duke surely has the helden-delivery."

—San Francisco Classical Voice

"Cherry Duke, as Jo, around whom most of the story revolves, anchors the drama securely and has the physical and vocal stamina for the role."

—Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Composer's Voice

In May 2006, Cherry was invited to participate in the inaugural presentation of American Lyric Theater's master class series, The Composer's Voice. Cherry sang Jo March in 4 scenes from Little Women, with Mark Adamo giving guidance and commentary. Other singers included stars from NYCO and Broadway, including Emily Pulley, Chad Shelton, Jennifer Rivera, Jennifer Roderer, Lauren Molina and Aaron Lazar.

Audio and video from the event is available at ALT's web site: www.altnyc.org. (Pictured at left, Cherry performs with Lauren Molina from the cast of Broadway's Sweeney Todd)

Other featured roles: Hansel in Hansel & Gretel