Rod Gilfry, Laquita Mitchell, et al. Set for New York City Opera Season
New York City Opera has announced casting and creative teams for the 2011-2012 season.
New York City Opera will continue its concert series by presenting Who Are You New York?: The Songs of Rufus Wainwright on Thursday, November 17 at 8pm at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. A talented line-up of opera singers will interpret his song cycle All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu, followed by an intimate performance by the songwriter himself of compositions from his catalog as well as other songs he has performed throughout his illustrious career.
The 2011/12 spring season will open at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House with Verdi’s La Traviata in a new production by Jonathan Miller, to run February 12-18. This co-production between Glimmerglass Festival and Vancouver Opera will star Laquita Mitchell as Violetta, Jeffrey Halili as Gaston de Letorieres, Kenneth Overton as Doctor Grenvil, David Pomeroy as Alfredo, and Karin Mushegain as Flora Bervoix. Steven White will conduct the production, which features stage direction and choreography by Elena Araoz, sets and costumes by Isabella Bywater, with lighting by Robert Wierzel.
Rufus Wainwright’s first foray into opera, Prima Donna, will be presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House, February 19-25. Melody Moore will star as Régine Saint Laurent., alongside soprano Rebecca Bottone as Marie, Randal Turner as Philippe, and Taylor Stayton as André le Tourneur. Tim Albery will direct the production, which will be conducted by Jayce Ogren. It will feature sets and costumes by Antony McDonald, with lighting by Thomas C. Hase.
Christopher Alden’s production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, will be presented at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, March 18-24. The cast for the opera will include Amanda Majeski as Fiordiligi, Jennifer Holloway as Dorabella, Allan Clayton as Ferrando, Philip Cutlip as Guglielmo, Marie Lenormand as Despina, and Rod Gilfry as Don Alfonso. Christian Curnyn will conduct the piece, which will have sets by Andrew Lieberman, costumes by Terese Wadden, and lighting by Aaron Black.
The final production, to run May 12-20, will be Georg Philipp Telemann’s 1726 opera Orpheus, to be directed by Rebecca Taichman. The cast will feature Daniel Teadt in the title role, along with Joélle Harvey as Eurydice, Kelly Markgraf as Pluto, Michelle Areyzaga as Ismene, Victor Ryan Robertson as Eurimedes, and Daryl Freedman as Ascalax. Gary Thor Wedow will conduct the production, which will feature set and costume designs by David Zinn.
The NYCO and The Public Theater have also announced plans to present, free-of-charge, operas based on Shakespeare plays at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in the fall of 2012.
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