Palm Beach Opera To Present Mozart's LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

Palm Beach Opera concludes the 2017-2018 mainstage season with a triumphant production of Mozart's poignant masterpiece Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), a new co-production between Palm Beach Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Philadelphia, and San Diego Opera. The popular opera will have three performances March 23-25 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts at 701 Okeechobee Blvd.

Palm Beach Opera is thrilled to welcome back Conductor Maestro Antonino Fogliani for Le nozze di Figaro, who was last seen at Palm Beach Opera in 2016 for Don Pasquale, and Stage Director Stephen Lawless, who directed the company's productions of Così Fan Tutte in 2011 and both Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci in 2006.

Bass-baritones Marko Mimica and Federico De Michelis (March 24) will make their Palm Beach Opera debuts as Figaro, and Janai Brugger, Palm Beach Opera's former Juliette in Roméo et Juliette and Norina in Don Pasquale, will share the role of Susanna with Lauren Michelle (March 24), who will sing with Palm Beach Opera for the first time.

The Countess will be sung by Caitlin Lynch, who recently performed the same role with both the Metropolitan Opera and Seattle Opera, and Sarah-Jane Brandon (March 24) in another debut performance. Also known for his work as a stage director, composer, and video designer, David Adam Moore, praised for his "lush baritone," will share the role of the Count with Brett Polegato (March 24), who has sang the role to great acclaim for New York City Opera and L'Opéra de Montréal. Polegato's performance will also be a first on the Palm Beach Opera stage.

Former Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artists Irene Roberts, whose flourishing career includes performances at San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and Berlin State Opera, and Danielle MacMillan (March 24), known for her "deep plumy sound," will return to Palm Beach Opera as Cherubino. Set and costume designs are by Leslie Travers, with lighting design by Thomas C. Hase.

The ornate set for Le nozze di Figaro combines 18th-century aesthetics with modern design, complete with thoughtful staging and stunning visual effects. The new co-production, which premiered in 2016 and was praised for being "as beautiful as it is humorous," by The Kansas City Star, is part of Palm Beach Opera's continued efforts to produce world-class opera and reach new audiences, maintaining its position as a vital and thriving arts organization.

"This collaboration, and sharing of the costs and future rental revenues, allows us to invest in new productions of well-known operas that will be regularly performed all over the country, expanding our artistic reach and business strategies," said General Director Daniel Biaggi.

This season's annual Children's Performance will feature a 60-minute abridged version of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, starring members of the Benenson Young Artist and Apprentice Artist Programs, and conducted by Associate Conductor and Chorus Master Greg Ritchey. Children's Performance: The Marriage of Figaro will take place on Saturday, March 24 at 1 p.m. Families can enjoy in Education Stations before the show, beginning at 11:30 a.m., where children can explore instruments, costumes, and other interactive activities. Immediately following the performance, there will be a cast meet-and-greet and an opportunity for autographs. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Le nozze di Figaro will be sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on March 23 and 24, and at 2 p.m. on March 25.

Tickets for Le nozze di Figaro start at $20 and are available at 561-833-7888 or pbopera.org, and can also be purchased at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts at 561-832-7469 or kravis.org.

Tickets for Children's Performance: The Marriage of Figaro can be purchased at 561-833-7888 or online at pbopera.org

Palm Beach Opera is dedicated to producing live opera at an international standard of excellence and to enriching the life of the communities it serves with a diverse offering of educational programs. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents mainstage performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and is a proud member of OPERA America and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.

(Photo Credit: Dana Sohm)