Registration

• Admission for this program is $375.

• Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp@rosenbach.org.

• This program is for those 21 and older.

Description

Join the Rosenbach and Opera on Tap Philadelphia for a spooky and scintillating program exploring the rare books, manuscripts, and music of madness. “Mad scenes” fill literature and opera, often focusing on heroic (or villainous) women who succumb to the pressures of the societies in which they live. This spine-chilling evening will shed new light on some of the most famous mad characters of literature and opera. 

Your descent into madness will begin with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception in the historic Rosenbach townhome. Nathan Weigert, an expert barkeep, will serve cocktails inspired by the opera or sprung from the pages of our collection. Set fire to your senses with Salome by Moonlight: Sparkling with Mystery, Glittering with Desire, a spicy French 75 with star-like glitter. Indulge in The Bride: A Sour Heart, covered in blood red wine, a whiskey or tequila sour. If you prefer a mocktail in the style of Jane Eyre, try Locked in the Attic: Brooding Below, Effervescent Above, a delightful mixture of pomegranate, orange, and ginger.  

Then, journey to the historic library for a private curatorial presentation of rare books, manuscripts, and artworks that illuminate the intersection of gender and madness across history and literature, including first and second editions of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the manuscript of Brontë’s preface to the second edition of Jane Eyre, the manuscript and early editions of Oscar Wilde’s Salome, and other treasures from the collection. 

Following the presentation, the group will travel by candlelight* to 2006 Delancey Place, a private home where Philip and A.S.W. Rosenbach resided for many years before moving into what is now the Rosenbach Museum & Library. The group will settle into “the Spanish Room,” which once served as Dr. Rosenbach’s personal library, for a candlelit recital by members of Opera on Tap, featuring famous “mad scenes” from operas. The pieces will be performed by the singers of Opera on Tap and accompanied by the Steinway grand piano that now resides in Dr. Rosenbach’s former library.** The musical program includes selections from:  

• Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (based on Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor)  

• Menotti's The Consul and The Medium   

• Mozart's Idomeneo (based on characters who appear in The Iliad and The Aeneid)  

• Boito's Mefistofele (based on Goethe's Faust)  

• Strauss's Salome (using a German translation of Oscar Wilde's Salome)  

• Barber's Vanessa   

• Verdi's Macbeth (based on the Shakespeare play)  

The elegant mansion at 2006 Delancey Place is a private home that has recently been restored to its original glory by its owners. This program is a rare opportunity to step inside one of Philadelphia’s most lovingly resurrected historic properties for an intimate musical performance. (The collection presentation at the Rosenbach will include historic photographs showing Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach inside 2006 Delancey Place.)  

Ticket sales for Rosenbach Presents programs provide meaningful support for the Rosenbach’s general operating fund. Thank you!  

*For collection safety, battery-operated candles will be used.  

**The Spanish Room is located on the third floor of the home and is accessible by elevator. Participants will need to climb a series of steps to enter the home from Delancey Place. 

Sponsors

Madwomen in the Attic: Famous “Mad Scenes” from Opera in partnership with Opera on Tap Philadelphia is sponsored by Lenni H. Steiner & Perry A. Lerner and Gage Johnston & Jack I. Jallo.

About the Vocalists

Soprano and director Ryan Colbert has been praised for “rendering text with a touching tenderness” (Berkshire Fine Arts) and making "a feast of quirky dramatic contrasts...while smoothing it with a velvety vocal line” (ArtsKnoxville). Recent credits include Rosalinde (“Die Fledermaus”) with Opera Magnifico and Concert Operetta Theatre, the title role in “Suor Angelica” with Art City Opera, Sappho in the world premiere of “The Sisters,” and Witch (“Hansel and Gretel”) with Liberty City Arts. Later this season, Ryan will serve as stage director for Alice Tierney. Previous directing credits include “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Filthy Habit,” “The Times are Nightfall,” and “A Hand of Bridge.” She currently serves as Artistic Director of Delaware Valley Opera Company and Co-manager of Opera on Tap's Philadelphia chapter. 

Since moving to Philadelphia, emergent soprano Renee Macdonald has become a mainstay in the local music community, finding success with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, the Philadelphia Opera Chorus, The Victor Café, and Opera on Tap. You can catch her next as the soprano soloist for Bucks County Choral Society's “Missa Solemnis” next spring! Hailing from Kalamazoo, MI, Macdonald has studied with some of the most acclaimed performers on the operatic scene, including Christine Goerke, Samuel Ramey, and Alan Held. Past roles include Donna Anna (“Don Giovanni”), Suor Angelica, Alcina, and Contessa (“Le Nozze di Figaro”). She completed both her master’s degree and Certificate of Opera Performance at Wichita State University and holds a Bachelor of Voice Performance from Western Michigan University. 

Soprano Heather McConnell is a dynamic artist based in Philadelphia. In the 2025 season, Ms. McConnell was a semi-finalist in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition and sang Alice 3 in the Philadelphia premiere of “Alice Tierney.” She has received training from Sarasota Opera, where she covered Frasquita in “Carmen” and added the title role in “Luisa Miller” to her repertoire, and the Seagle Festival, where she appeared as Dying Juana in “With Blood, With Ink.” Other roles include “Suor Angelica” (title role), “Don Giovanni” (Donna Anna), “Così fan tutte” (Fiordiligi), “Les Contes d'Hoffmann” (Giulietta), “La Voix Humaine” (Elle), “Gianni Schicchi” (Nella), and “Dido and Aeneas” (Dido). Ms. McConnell holds a Master of Music from Temple University and a Bachelor of Music from Gettysburg College.  

With a voice deemed “powerful” by Operawire, Rebecca Sacks was recently heard as Santuzza in “Cavalleria Rusticana” with Delaware Valley Opera Company, Gertrude in Boheme Opera New Jersey’s “Hansel and Gretel,” and the title role in Philadelphia Opera on Tap’s production of ”The Witch.” Other roles include Fricka (“Das Rheingold”), Nancy and Mum (“Albert Herring”), Queen Alkmene (“Die Liebe der Danae”), and Baba (“The Medium”). She holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Georgia and has received awards from the American Prize in Opera, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Orpheus Competition, Opera Connecticut, and NATSAA.