Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Nathan Gunn, Michael Grandage, Des McAnuff, Paulo Szot, et al. Set for Metropolitan Opera’s 2011-2012 Season

The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2011-2012 season.

A highlight of the season will be the world premiere of The Enchanted Island on December 31. This new work, featuring a libretto by Jeremy Sams, borrows characters and elements from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, and features a variety of music from such Baroque composers as Handel, Rameau, and Vivaldi.

The opera will be conducted by co-creator William Christie, and feature direction by Julian Crouch, sets by Phelim McDermott, choreography by Graciela Daniele, costumes by Kevin Pollard, lighting by Brian MacDevitt, and animation and projection by 59 Productions. The cast will feature Placido Domingo, Danielle DeNiese, Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Luca Pisaroni.

Other highlights will include David McVicar’s production of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena (opens September 26), starring Anna Netrebko in the title role; Tony Award winner Michael Grandage’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni (opens October 13); Robert Lepage’s production of Wagner’s Siegfried (opens October 27) and Gotterdammerung (opens January 27), both of which feature Deborah Voigt; Stephen Wadsworth’s production of Handel’s Rodelinda (opens November 14), with Renee Fleming in the title role; Tony winner Des McAnuff’s production of Gounod’s Faust (opens November 29); Laurent Pelly’s production of Massenet’s Manon (opens March 26), starring Tony Award winner Paulo Szot, Anna Netrebko, Piotr Bezcala, and David Pittsinger; and John Dexter’s production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd (opens May 4), with Nathan Gunn in the title role.

For more information, visit www.metopera.org.