Florida Grand Opera Announces 2012-2013 Season

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) announces its 72nd continuous season of opera. With a classic selection of works as well as the return of company favorites in leading roles, the 2012-2013 productions include: Puccini's La bohème, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Bellini's La sonnambula, and Verdi's La traviata.

La Bohème

The new season begins November 17, 2012, with Puccini's most famous and popular opera, La bohème, last seen at FGO in 2008. Known for its glorious arias and intoxicating melodies, it is a standard in Italian repertoire and one of the most frequently performed operas internationally. The inspiration for the popular musical Rent, this opera follows a group of young bohemians living in Paris in the 1830s, focusing on the love story of Rodolfo, the poet, and Mimì, a seamstress suffering from a life-threatening illness.

SCHEDULE

**Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations**

MIAMI - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

Nov. 17, 2012, at 7 p.m. – Opening Night;

Nov. 21, 24, 27, & 30, 2012, at 8:00 p.m.;

Dec. 2, 2012, matinee at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE - Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

Dec. 6, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.;

Dec. 8, 2012, at 8 p.m.

CAST

Mimì ...... Ailyn Pérez

Rodolfo ...... Arturo Chacón-Cruz

Musetta ...... Brittany Ann Reneé Robinson ◊

Marcello ...... Mark Walters

Colline ...... Adam Lau ♦

Schaunard ...... Ryan Milstead ♦

Benoît ...... Craig Colcough ◊

Alcindoro ...... Craig Colcough ◊

Conductor ...... Ramon Tebar

Director ...... David Gately

[Full Cast to be Announced]

* = FGO Debut ◊ = Former Young Artist ♦ = Current Young Artist

Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)

On January 26, 2013, Florida Grand Opera will welcome a new year with the most performed opera in the world – Die Zauberflöte. Mozart's last operatic masterpiece is an allegorical representation of the timeless struggle between good and evil. The handsome prince Tamino is charged by the Queen of the Night with the rescue of her daughter, the lovely Pamina, from the hands of Sarastro. As his quest alongside the bird catcher Papageno nears its end, Tamino begins to realize who the real villain is in this story.

Our hero, Tamino, is sung by Andrew Bidlack, a former FGO Young Artist and recent San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow. He last joined FGO for the 2010-2011 production of Don Giovanni. Former FGO Young Artist Jonathan G. Michie returns home in the part of Papageno. 

Soprano Jeanette Vecchione joins the cast as the Queen of the Night, a role she recently undertook at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in December. In the role of Sarastro is Jordan Bisch. The former Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist made his debut this season with the Dallas Opera as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, which he also performed with FGO in 2010, and returned to the Met as the King in Aida.

FGO Associate Conductor Andrew Bisantz and Director Jeffrey Marc Buchman join forces again, following FGO's most recent Rigoletto. 

SCHEDULE

**Sung in German with English and Spanish projected translations**

MIAMI - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

Jan. 26, 2013, at 7 p.m. – Opening Night;

Feb. 1, 5, & 16, 2013, at 8:00 p.m.;

Feb. 10, 2013, matinee at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE - Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

Feb. 21, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.;

Feb. 23, 2013, at 8 p.m.

CAST

Tamino ...... Andrew Bidlack

Papageno ...... Jonathan G. Michie ◊

Queen of the Night ...... Jeanette Vecchione *

Sarastro ...... Jordan Bisch

The Speaker ...... Adam Lau ♦

Conductor ...... Andrew Bisantz

Director ...... Jeffrey Marc Buchman

[Full Cast to be Announced]

* = FGO Debut ◊ = Former Young Artist ♦ = Current Young Artist

La Sonnambula

The season continues with the return of Bellini's La Sonnambula, an FGO production with sets and costumes by Carlo Maria Diappi. Entitled "The Sleepwalker," this piece speaks of Amina, a simple village girl believed to be unfaithful to her fiancé, Elvino, due to her suspicious nighttime wanderings. It is among the finest of the bel canto (meaning "beautiful singing,") style, which has attracted leading coloratura sopranos since its 1831 debut.

Soprano Renata Scotto, who had made a specialty of singing the title role, directs La sonnambula once again. Scotto, famous for her portrayals of Verdi, Puccini, and bel canto heroines at major opera houses worldwide, made her directorial debut at the Met in 1986 with Madama Butterfly and first directed for FGO in 2001's Tosca. The orchestra is once again under the direction of Maestro Ramon Tebar.

In the role of Amina, FGO features Rachele Gilmore. This January, she had her debut with Teatro alla Scala in Les contes d'Hoffmann. The part of her fiancé is sung by Michele Angelin. He recently performed the roles of Lindoro in L'italiana in Algieri in Bilbao and returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Armida.

SCHEDULE

**Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations**

MIAMI - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

Feb. 9, 2013, at 7 p.m. – Opening Night;

Feb. 12, & 15, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.;

Feb. 17, 2013, matinee at 2 p.m.

CAST

Amina ...... Rachele Gilmore ◊

Elvino ...... Michele Angelini *

Conductor ...... Ramon Tebar

Director ...... Renata Scotto

Set & Costume Designer ...... Carlo Maria Diappi

[Full Cast to be Announced]

* = FGO Debut ◊ = Former Young Artist ♦ = Current Young Artist

La Traviata

The season ends with Verdi's La Traviata. Based on a play by Alexander Dumas, Jr., La traviata is the tragic story of Violetta, a courtesan who finds true love until the prejudices of society force her to relinquish it for the benefit of her beloved. 

The sets and costumes for La traviata were designed by Allen Charles Klein, whose production of Verdi's Aida opened FGO's inaugural season at the Adrianne Arsht Center in 2006. Maestro Ramon Tebar closes the season, conducting three of the four operas presented in 2012-2013.

SCHEDULE

**Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations**

MIAMI - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

Apr. 20, 2013, at 7 p.m. – Opening Night;

Apr. 23, 24, 26, & 27, 2013, at 8:00 p.m.;

Apr. 21, 2013, matinee, at 2 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE - Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

May 2, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.;

May 4, 2013, at 8 p.m.

CAST

Conductor ...... Ramon Tebar

Director ...... Bliss Hebert

Set & Costume Designer ...... Allen Charles Klein

[Full Cast to be Announced]

* = FGO Debut ◊ = Former Young Artist ♦ = Current Young Artist