Il mondo della luna, Seattle Opera's 2009-10 season, and upcoming PNW opera
Il mondo della luna, University of Washington Opera, Meany Theater
Seen November 14, 2008
Ecclitico - Darin Jones
Ernesto - Rebecca Sulek
Buonafede - Drew Dresdner
Clarice - Arian Ainsworth
Flaminia - Lisa Prina
Lisetta - Cecile Farmer
Cecco - David Margulis
Four servants - Justin Beal, Dustin Jarred, Martin Rothwell, Michael Yakovich
Conductor - Meena Hwang
Director - Noel Koran
Sets - Song Yi Chun
Costumes - Inci Kangal
Lighting - Lara Wilder
It's been a bit too long since this performance take place for me to write a proper review, but I can give you my impressions.
The negatives first: Meany Theater does not seem an ideal venue for opera. At times, I had difficulty hearing the singers. It was even more difficult to understand the sung English translation (I guess I'm a bit too used to original language with English supertitles). Speaking of the English translation, I found it odd that whoever wrote it was not credited in the program.
The singers were talented students, if not at the professional level yet. I most enjoyed Lisa Prina as Flaminia, Rebecca Sulek in the trouser role of Ernesto, and David Margulis as Cecco.
I was most struck by the gorgeous sets and costumes: an excellent job by the designers and builders.
Okay, now to Seattle Opera's 2009-10 season. To my surprise, they really *are* doing three Verdi operas. No complaint from me: I adore Verdi.
La traviata - October 17-31, 2009
Violetta - Nuccia Focile/Eglise Gutierrez
Alfredo - Dimitri Pittas (debut)/Franceco Demuro (debut)
Germont - Charles Taylor/Weston Hurt (debut)
Conductor - Vjekoslav Sutej
Director - Mark Streshinsky (debut)
Sets and Costumes from San Francisco Opera
I'm not hugely fond of Traviata, but I'll go anyway. Maybe this will be the performance when I finally learn to like it? I may trade in my first cast tickets to see Eglise Gutierrez, who I've heard great things about, and who will probably be Lucia di Lammermoor in the 2010-11 season.
Il trovatore - January 16-30, 2010
Manrico - Antonello Palombi/Arnold Rawls (debut)
Leonora - Lisa Daltirus/Mary Elizabeth Williams (debut)
Di Luna - Gordon Hawkins/Charles Taylor
Azucena - Malgorzata Walewska/Mary Phillips
Ferrando - Arthur Woodley
Conductor - Yves Abel
Director - Jose Maria Condemi
Sets from Minnesota Opera
Now that's what I'm talking about. I thought Palombi and Daltirus were aces in Aida, and it will be grand to hear them again in repertoire that suits their voices. Evidently Seattle Opera has dumped their abstract Trovatore production from the 90's. C'est la vie.
Falstaff - February 27-March 13, 2010
Falstaff - Peter Rose/Eduardo Chama
Ford - Simone Alberghini/David Won (debut)
Alice Ford - Svetla Vassileva (debut)/Sally Wolf
Nanneta - Anya Matanovic (debut)
Quickly - Stephanie Blythe (YES!!!!!!)
Fenton - Blagoj Nacoski (debut)
Conductor - Riccardo Frizza
Director - Peter Kazaras
Sets from Seattle Opera
My all-time favorite opera? With Peter Rose as the main cast Falstaff? With STEPHANIE BLYTHE as Quickly for ALL eight performances?
...I might end up going to every single performance. Whatever else happens in 2010, this will be my operatic highlight of the year.
Amelia by Daron Hagen, libretto by Gardner McFall (World Premiere), May 8-22, 2010
Amelia - Kate Lindsey (debut)
Dodge - William Burden
Amanda - Luretta Bybee
Paul - Nathan Gunn
The Flyer - Jennifer Zetlan (debut)
Helen - Jane Eaglen
Trang/Nurse - Karen Vuong (debut)
Huy/Doctor/Chaplain - David Won
Conductor - Gerard Schwarz
Director - Stephen Wadsworth
Sets - Thomas Lynch
Costumes - Ann Hould Ward (debut)
Well, you can't accuse the company of not going all-out, with bringing in stars like William Burden and Nathan Gunn for this new opera. I'm intrigued: this will be the second operatic world premiere I have attended (the other being the already-completely-forgotten Dreamkeepers by David Carlson). It should be interesting, at the very least.
Needless to say, there was no debate on whether or not I should renew my subscription. This looks like an enjoyable season.
Upcoming operas:
Tonight, January 10, Seattle Opera begins two weeks of performances of Bizet's Pearl Fishers, the main cast of which includes Mary Dunleavy, William Burden, Christopher Feigum, and Patrick Carfizzi. Seattle's remaining mainstage productions are Bluebeard's Castle/Erwartung in March and Le nozze di Figaro in May, as well as the Young Artist production of Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream in March/April.
The Lyric Opera Northwest will be doing four performances of Le nozze di Figaro from Jan. 15 to 17 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.
Puget Sound Concert Opera will be doing a double-bill of Mascagni's Zanetto and Puccini's Suor Angelica in Friday Harbor, Seattle, and Bellevue on January 24th, 30th, and 31st, respectively.
La Venexiana will be performing Monteverdi's Orfeo three times from Feb. 6th - 8th at the Moore Theatre in Seattle.
Tacoma Opera will present Gounod's Faust for three performances at the Pantages Theatre from March 6th - 8th.
The Northwest Puppet Center is presenting a puppet production of Don Quixote by Telemann from April 17th to 26th in Seattle.
Bellevue Opera will be doing Tosca on April 24th and 25th.
U of W will be doing Eugene Onegin from May 13th to 17th.
If you hear of any other Western Washington opera production, be sure to drop me a line!
Seen November 14, 2008
Ecclitico - Darin Jones
Ernesto - Rebecca Sulek
Buonafede - Drew Dresdner
Clarice - Arian Ainsworth
Flaminia - Lisa Prina
Lisetta - Cecile Farmer
Cecco - David Margulis
Four servants - Justin Beal, Dustin Jarred, Martin Rothwell, Michael Yakovich
Conductor - Meena Hwang
Director - Noel Koran
Sets - Song Yi Chun
Costumes - Inci Kangal
Lighting - Lara Wilder
It's been a bit too long since this performance take place for me to write a proper review, but I can give you my impressions.
The negatives first: Meany Theater does not seem an ideal venue for opera. At times, I had difficulty hearing the singers. It was even more difficult to understand the sung English translation (I guess I'm a bit too used to original language with English supertitles). Speaking of the English translation, I found it odd that whoever wrote it was not credited in the program.
The singers were talented students, if not at the professional level yet. I most enjoyed Lisa Prina as Flaminia, Rebecca Sulek in the trouser role of Ernesto, and David Margulis as Cecco.
I was most struck by the gorgeous sets and costumes: an excellent job by the designers and builders.
Okay, now to Seattle Opera's 2009-10 season. To my surprise, they really *are* doing three Verdi operas. No complaint from me: I adore Verdi.
La traviata - October 17-31, 2009
Violetta - Nuccia Focile/Eglise Gutierrez
Alfredo - Dimitri Pittas (debut)/Franceco Demuro (debut)
Germont - Charles Taylor/Weston Hurt (debut)
Conductor - Vjekoslav Sutej
Director - Mark Streshinsky (debut)
Sets and Costumes from San Francisco Opera
I'm not hugely fond of Traviata, but I'll go anyway. Maybe this will be the performance when I finally learn to like it? I may trade in my first cast tickets to see Eglise Gutierrez, who I've heard great things about, and who will probably be Lucia di Lammermoor in the 2010-11 season.
Il trovatore - January 16-30, 2010
Manrico - Antonello Palombi/Arnold Rawls (debut)
Leonora - Lisa Daltirus/Mary Elizabeth Williams (debut)
Di Luna - Gordon Hawkins/Charles Taylor
Azucena - Malgorzata Walewska/Mary Phillips
Ferrando - Arthur Woodley
Conductor - Yves Abel
Director - Jose Maria Condemi
Sets from Minnesota Opera
Now that's what I'm talking about. I thought Palombi and Daltirus were aces in Aida, and it will be grand to hear them again in repertoire that suits their voices. Evidently Seattle Opera has dumped their abstract Trovatore production from the 90's. C'est la vie.
Falstaff - February 27-March 13, 2010
Falstaff - Peter Rose/Eduardo Chama
Ford - Simone Alberghini/David Won (debut)
Alice Ford - Svetla Vassileva (debut)/Sally Wolf
Nanneta - Anya Matanovic (debut)
Quickly - Stephanie Blythe (YES!!!!!!)
Fenton - Blagoj Nacoski (debut)
Conductor - Riccardo Frizza
Director - Peter Kazaras
Sets from Seattle Opera
My all-time favorite opera? With Peter Rose as the main cast Falstaff? With STEPHANIE BLYTHE as Quickly for ALL eight performances?
...I might end up going to every single performance. Whatever else happens in 2010, this will be my operatic highlight of the year.
Amelia by Daron Hagen, libretto by Gardner McFall (World Premiere), May 8-22, 2010
Amelia - Kate Lindsey (debut)
Dodge - William Burden
Amanda - Luretta Bybee
Paul - Nathan Gunn
The Flyer - Jennifer Zetlan (debut)
Helen - Jane Eaglen
Trang/Nurse - Karen Vuong (debut)
Huy/Doctor/Chaplain - David Won
Conductor - Gerard Schwarz
Director - Stephen Wadsworth
Sets - Thomas Lynch
Costumes - Ann Hould Ward (debut)
Well, you can't accuse the company of not going all-out, with bringing in stars like William Burden and Nathan Gunn for this new opera. I'm intrigued: this will be the second operatic world premiere I have attended (the other being the already-completely-forgotten Dreamkeepers by David Carlson). It should be interesting, at the very least.
Needless to say, there was no debate on whether or not I should renew my subscription. This looks like an enjoyable season.
Upcoming operas:
Tonight, January 10, Seattle Opera begins two weeks of performances of Bizet's Pearl Fishers, the main cast of which includes Mary Dunleavy, William Burden, Christopher Feigum, and Patrick Carfizzi. Seattle's remaining mainstage productions are Bluebeard's Castle/Erwartung in March and Le nozze di Figaro in May, as well as the Young Artist production of Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream in March/April.
The Lyric Opera Northwest will be doing four performances of Le nozze di Figaro from Jan. 15 to 17 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.
Puget Sound Concert Opera will be doing a double-bill of Mascagni's Zanetto and Puccini's Suor Angelica in Friday Harbor, Seattle, and Bellevue on January 24th, 30th, and 31st, respectively.
La Venexiana will be performing Monteverdi's Orfeo three times from Feb. 6th - 8th at the Moore Theatre in Seattle.
Tacoma Opera will present Gounod's Faust for three performances at the Pantages Theatre from March 6th - 8th.
The Northwest Puppet Center is presenting a puppet production of Don Quixote by Telemann from April 17th to 26th in Seattle.
Bellevue Opera will be doing Tosca on April 24th and 25th.
U of W will be doing Eugene Onegin from May 13th to 17th.
If you hear of any other Western Washington opera production, be sure to drop me a line!