Stephen Wadsworth to Direct Metropolitan Opera’s Boris Godunov

Stephen Wadsworth will direct the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, replacing Peter Stein, who has withdrawn for personal reasons. The production runs from October 11-30,and March 9-17; the October 23 matinee performance will be transmitted worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Valery Gergiev will conduct the opera, which features René Pape singing the title role. The cast also includes Ekaterina Semenchuk (Marina); Aleksandrs Antonenko (Grigory/the pretender Dimitri); Oleg Balashov (Shuisky); Evgeny Nikitin (Rangoni); Mikhail Petrenko (Pimen); and Vladimir Ognovenko (Varlaam).

Sets are designed by Ferdinand Wögerbauer, costume designs are by Moidele Bickel, and lighting by Duane Schuler. Apostolia Tsolaki is the choreographer.

Wadsworth recently directed the Kennedy Center production of Master Class and Agamemmnon in Los Angels. His previous productions for the Metropolitan Opera include Handel’s Rodelinda and Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride in 2007, and he is the head of dramatic studies for the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

For more information, visit www.metopera.org.