Gerald Frantzen
Tenor
Tenor Gerald Frantzen, is the Artistic Director of Folks Operetta and has worked on over 16 operetta translations with FO dramaturg Hersh Glagov . Mr. Frantzen co-founded Folks Operetta (formerly Chicago Folks Operetta) in 2006 with his wife Alison Kelly and has been running it ever since. Under his direction, it has produced the American premiere Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Die Kathrin, named as one of the top ten Chicago classical performances of 2022; released two albums on the Naxos Recording Label (Rose of Stambul and Ball at the Savoy); produced 11 American premieres of Viennese and German operettas, including five Chicago premieres and seven children operettas. Highlights of his work with the Folks Operetta catalog include Arizona Lady (2010), Ball at the Savoy ( Naxos Recording Label 2021), and The Rose of Stambul (Naxos recording label in 2013). Musical Theater highlights include Piangi/Swing in The Phantom of the Opera (Hal Prince director- Hamburg, Germany) and the The Russian in the musical Chess (Vest Norges Opera in Bergen, Norway – London Version).
Mr. Frantzen has sung with the Grant Park Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Lyric Opera of Chicago chorus where he made his LOC solo debut as the Peasant in Eugene Onegin in 2008. He has performed roles in Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Acis and Galatea, and Salome with Glimmerglass Opera; Don Pasquale with Natchez Opera; La Rondine with Sarasota Opera, and Arabella with Santa Fe Opera.
A frequent soloist with the critically-acclaimed Handel Week Festival, he was the featured the soloist in the cantata Look Down Harmonius Saint, Bach’s Magnificat; the Messiah and the rarely performed Handel opera Rodelinda, in which he received rave reviews from the Chicago Tribune for his portrayal of Grimoaldo.
In the operetta world, he has performed roles in The Flower of Hawaii, Johnny Johnson, Madame Pompadour, Ball at the Savoy, Cousin from Nowhere, The Rose of Stambul, Arizona Lady, Clo Clo, The Girl in the Train, Springtime, Mitislav the Modern, Peter and Paul in the Land of Nod, Babes in Toyland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Folks Operetta; Gypsy Love, Yeomen of the Guard, Duchess of Chicago with Light Opera Works; The Student Prince, The Merry Widow, Song of Norway, and The Gondoliers with Ohio Light Opera; The Pirates of Penzance and The Student Prince with Ridge Light Opera. He also directed Csárdás Princess for Folks Operetta. His international musical theater credits include the Bishop Jekyll & Hyde, Bremen, Germany; Piangi The Phantom of the Opera – Hal Prince, Director) in Hamburg, Germany; and The Russian in Chess, Bergen, Norway. Regional credits include Dorsey & the Young Confederate Soldier Parade ( 8 Jeff Citations), Sir Harry Once Upon a Mattress, Tony West Side Story, Baron in Grand Hotel and Charlie in Brigadoon. He can also be heard with “The Three Waiters”, which won the award for Best Corporate Event of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2009 and 2015. Special thanks to Alison, Joseph and Clara- the loves of my life.