Roberto Alagna News

The late Anthony Minghella's critically acclaimed production of Puccini's classic Madama Butterfly comes to THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met Friday, August 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

The late Anthony Minghella's critically acclaimed production of Puccini's classic Madama Butterfly comes to THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met Friday, August 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

The late Anthony Minghella's critically acclaimed production of Puccini's classic Madama Butterfly comes to THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met Friday, August 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

Puccini's lush classic Manon Lescaut airs on THIRTEEN'S Great Performances at the Met Saturday, August 13 at 11 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). (In New York, THIRTEEN will air the opera on Friday, August 26 at 9 p.m.)

Fathom Events and The Metropolitan Opera present "The Met: Live in HD' 2016 Summer Encores," a series of four encore performances from past Live in HD seasons in select U.S. cinemas nationwide.

The title character of Madama Butterfly - a young Japanese geisha who clings to the belief that her arrangement with a visiting American naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage - is one of the defining roles in opera.

MADAMA BUTTERFLY was never my favorite Puccini until the current production conceived by Anthony Minghella. Before, Butterfly always seemed too submissive, Pinkerton too brutish and their child, well, too cute. Now—particularly with the current cast, headed by the magnificent Kristine Opolais as the young geisha and the dashing Roberto Alagna as the clueless Pinkerton, her American husband--seemed to put my past reservations to rest. The result was a magnificent performance, from beginning to end.

Tenor Matthew Polenzani--he of the refined singing, elegant deportment and serious nature--is having a great season at the Met, with major roles in a pair of new productions. First, he was Nadir, whose love for the priestess Leila (Diana Damrau) tempts her to give up her vows in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS). Now he's working his mojo on no less than Elisabetta (Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen of England), in the new production of Donizetti's ROBERTO DEVEREUX at the Met, premiering March 24.

Kristine Opolais and Roberto Alagna star as the ill-fated lovers at the center of Manon Lescaut, Puccini's passionate adaptation of the classic novel about a free-spirited country girl who becomes the toast of Paris. Sir Richard Eyre's new production, set in the 1940s, reunites him with set designer Rob Howell, his collaborator on recent Met productions of Le Nozze di Figaro, Werther, and Carmen. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi conducts the new staging, which also stars Massimo Cavalletti as Manon's cousin, Lescaut, and Brindley Sherratt as Geronte, her wealthy older lover. The production will be presented in HD at the Peterborough Players on Saturday, March 5th at 1pm. 

Take one part “Casablanca,” a taste of Bernstein's CANDIDE, some Alfred Hitchcock and you get Sir Richard Eyre's film noir concept for the Met's new MANON LESCAUT, now set in France in the 1940s, complete with Nazis. Tack on that behind-the-scenes drama of “Roberto Alagna to the rescue”--when tenor Jonas Kaufmann cancelled at the last minute--and add the visual and vocal glamour of soprano Kristine Opolais and you have, well, a messy-but-enjoyable evening at the opera.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2016-17 season, the 50th anniversary of its home at Lincoln Center, will feature 225 opera performances of 26 operas in a varied repertory that ranges from 18th century masterpieces to one of the most acclaimed operas in recent years. Repertoire for the company's 132nd season will include the Met premiere of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's 2000 opera L'Amour de Loin, as well as new stagings of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Rossini's Guillaume Tell, Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Dvo?ak's Rusalka, and Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier. A gala concert on May 7, 2017 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company's Lincoln Center location with performances by opera's leading stars honoring the Met's past and future. Ticket prices will not increase, remaining the same as in the current season, and audience development programs instituted by the company in recent years will continue.  

The Met Opera invites you to Gay Night at La Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci. Opera's indomitable double bill returns in Sir David McVicar's searing production from the 2014–15 season. Tenor Yonghoon Lee and mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana star in Cavalleria Rusticana, the tragedy of ancient codes and illicit love, Sicilian style. In Pagliacci (the second half of the pair of verismo potboilers), tenor Roberto Alagna is the murderous clown Canio and soprano Barbara Frittoli is his philandering wife. Use code MENEVENTCAV and get orchestra balance seats for only $99* (reg $115) plus a Gay Reception during the first intermission at the Grand Tier Bar (near the windows overlooking the fountain). Just bring your ticket to TheMenEvent representative at the party to get your drink ticket valid for a free glass of sparkling wine.

The Met Opera invites you to Gay Night at La Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci. Opera's indomitable double bill returns in Sir David McVicar's searing production from the 2014–15 season. Tenor Yonghoon Lee and mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana star in Cavalleria Rusticana, the tragedy of ancient codes and illicit love, Sicilian style. In Pagliacci (the second half of the pair of verismo potboilers), tenor Roberto Alagna is the murderous clown Canio and soprano Barbara Frittoli is his philandering wife. Use code MENEVENTCAV and get orchestra balance seats for only $99* (reg $115) plus a Gay Reception during the first intermission at the Grand Tier Bar (near the windows overlooking the fountain). Just bring your ticket to TheMenEvent representative at the party to get your drink ticket valid for a free glass of sparkling wine.

The Met's new production of Puccini's MANON LESCAUT opens February 12 with Kristine Opolais as the seductive, tragic heroine and Roberto Alagna in a role debut as her ardent lover, the Chevalier des Grieux.

The Met's new production of Puccini's MANON LESCAUT opens February 12 with Kristine Opolais as the seductive, tragic heroine and Roberto Alagna in a role debut as her ardent lover, the Chevalier des Grieux.

Roberto Alagna, one of the greatest voices of this generation and the most charismatic artist working in opera today, will tour Australia in 2016, performing in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from 21 July. This will be Roberto Alagna's debut tour of Australia.

Baritone Paulo Szot is set to play Henry Higgins in MY FAIR LADY with Jorge Takla directing.  It will debut in Brazil where Szot became popular as an opera singer. 

Jonas Kaufmann has canceled his performances in this season's new production of Puccini's Manon Lescaut due to illness.

Sometimes, the Metropolitan Opera seems like an endless Puccini festival. It's particularly apparent this season, when top dogs LA BOHEME, TOSCA and MADAMA BUTTERFLY are joined by TURANDOT and MANON LESCAUT, which are not second drawer, though certainly less popular than the first three. (Let's see how that descriptor applies to the latter when Jonas Kaufmann steps on stage for the new production of LESCAUT.)

The popular verismo double bill of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci returns to the Met beginning January 21.