NASPERS and Cape Town Opera to Present MARIA STUARDA

NASPERS and Cape Town Opera in collaboration with the UCT Opera School, proudly presents Gaetano Donizetti's MARIA STUARDA at Artscape for two riveting performances. Donizettie's score is set to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, which is based on Friedrich Schiller's play, MARIA STUART.

MARIA STUARDA brings to life the greatest confrontation history never saw, that between the Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. Banned by the Royal Court of Naples and censored at La Scala as too-hot-to-handle, this riveting examination of the pride and frailties of the people who lead our destinies leaps off the page.

The best award winning local voices will shine in this powerful story filled with spite, ambition and jealousy. On alternating nights, Cape Town favourites Noluvuyiso Mpofu (the bronze winner in Placido Domingo's 2015 Operalia competition, a finalist in the 34th International Belvedere Competition and the winner of the 2015 ATKV Music Competition) and Maudée Montierre (the winner of the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition for Singers as well as the Eric Chisholm Memorial Prize for Opera) embody the passionate Maria, as Bongiwe Nakani (who performed for world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday in 2012 ) and multi-award winning mezzo-soprano, Violina Anguelov plumb the depths of Elisabetta's psyche. Lukhanyo Moyake and Makudupanyane Senaoana return from recent European triumphs to sing Leicester; George Stevens's rich baritone voice and the award winning Cape Town Opera chorus adds to this stellar cast.

Recognised as containing some of Donizetti's most moving music, this semi-staged production of MARIA STUARDA is directed by the newly appointed Artistic Director of Cape Town Opera, Matthew Wild (CABARET, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, TROUBLE IN TAHITI), and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Maestro Kamal Khan. The beautiful stylised Elizabethan costumes are made of the richest fabrics with large intricate lace collars, beautiful silks and taffetas designed by Maritha Visagie with set design by Michael Mitchell and lighting by Kobus Rossouw.

Following MARIA STUARDA, Cape Town Opera's season culminates with the staging of FOUR: 30, which introduces four new home-grown operas on one bill at the Artscape Theatre from 21 to 28 November. Funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, these short operas proudly showcase South Africa's finest and freshest operatic talent, setting the tone for even-greater opera performances in 2016.

MARIA STUARDA will be performed on 7 and 8 November at Artscape. Tickets can be purchased online at Computicket as well as at all Computicket outlets.