Opera Australia's 2010 Season features a ten productions including two new works. Among the great cast of singers are New Zealanders Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Conal Coad as well as several singers who have made appearance recently in New Zealand productions i
Opera Australia's 2010 Season features a ten productions including two new works. Among the great cast of singers are New Zealanders Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Conal Coad as well as several singers who have made appearance recently in New Zealand productions including Rosario La Spina and Elvira Fatykhova.
The season begins with a bold new production of Puccini's Tosca. Originally created for Opera North, this production from controversial US director Christopher Alden tells the story of Tosca with brutal force. It stars Takesha Meshe Kizart (replacing Cheryl Barker) as Tosca, Rosario La Spina as Cavaradossi, and John Wegner as the cruel Baron Scarpia.
In 2004 Rosario La Spina sang the role of the Duke in the NBR New Zealand production of Rigoletto and was described as giving “an heroic performance with a voice charged with drama, passion and cynicism” Conducted by Andrea Licata and Tom Woods, Tosca opens on January 8.
Stuart Maunder's award-winning production of Massenet's Manon returns to the Sydney Opera House on January 15th with Amelia Farrugia in the title role and Julian Gavin as Des Grieux, the love of her life. This period production features sumptuous sets and rococo costumes designed by Roger Kirk. The conductor Frédéric Chaslin most recently conducted Manon at the Met.
Sydney audiences will be to seeing Russian diva Elvira Fatykhova who sang the role of Violetta in NBR NZ Operas 2005 production of Verdi's La Traviata as well as Lucia in the 2007 production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. For her Sydney outing she will again be singing the role of Violetta in La Traviata. She plays opposite Australian tenor Aldo Di Toro as Alfredo Germont and Jonathan Summers takes the pivotal role of Alfredo's father. French conductor Philippe Auguin conducts this famous production originally created by Elijah Moshinsky. La Traviata opens on January 22.
This year’s Mazda Opera in the Domain on Saturday 30 January will be a semi-staged performance of Leonard Berstein’s Candide as part of the Sydney Festival program.
Baz Luhrmann's version of Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream is having a return season with Alexander Briger conducting an ensemble of Hindu-inspired fairies, British colonials and the 'It ain't half hot, mum' entertainment troupe, all lost in an enchanted forest. The production features Rachelle Durkin and Tobias Cole as Tytania and Oberon, with Conal Coad as Bottom and Tyler Coppin as Puck. A Midsummer Night's Dream opens on February 18.
In March the company will present the world première of Bliss, which is based on the Peter Carey novel. The new opera which was written by Brett Dean and Amanda Holden has been commissioned by Opera Australia will star Peter Coleman-Wright as Harry Joy, the erstwhile advertising executive who, after a near death experience, returns to a very unfamiliar life. Neil Armfield is the director for this important new work, with sets by Brian Thomson and costumes by Alice Babidge. Kate Champion choreographs, and British composer Elgar Howarth conducts.
Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s, A Little Night Music by directed by Stuart Maunder and designed by Roger Kirk opens in June. This witty and visually very beautiful production features the hit song, 'Send in the Clowns'. Sigrid Thornton who performed the role in the 2009 Melbourne production will be starring in this performance.
Nigel Jamieson makes his company debut directing a new production of the rarely performed The Girl of the Golden West by Puccini. This expansive tale of frontier life during the 1883 gold rush comes to the stage with a huge cast and chorus and an inventive staging created by Michael Scott-Mitchell. Dennis O'Neill stars as Dick Johnson, while John Wegner is Sheriff Jack Rance. The Girl of the Golden West opens on July 14.
Neil Armfield will be directing Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, with Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Figaro and Peter Coleman-Wright as Count Almaviva.
This dynamic quartet is completed by Rachelle Durkin as the Countess and Taryn Fiebig as Susanna. Patrick Summers, Music Director of Houston Grand Opera, and Stephen Mould share the podium. Figaro opens on July 23.
The final new production for the year is Donizetti’s La Sonnambula opening on August 5th with Emma Matthews taking on the challenges of the role of Amina, while Australian tenor Aldo Di Toro moves into the role of Elvino and Stephen Bennett is Count Rodolfo. Richard Bonynge conducts.
Three works from the extensive repertoire of Opera Australia will also be staged in the middle of the year. The Pirates of Penzance which opens on August 25. Verdi's Rigoletto, which takes its inspiration from Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita is on from September 18 and Der Rosenkavalier from October 1.
The Melbourne season features the new productions of both Tosca (from April 14) and Bliss (April 20), the première of Bellini's La Sonnambula (April 30), and a revival of Fledermaus (May 11), The Marriage of Figaro (November 17), Rigoletto (November 22).and A Midsummer Night's Dream opening on December 4...
