Metropolitan Opera Announces Cast Change Advisory For La Boheme

Marco Armiliato will conduct Puccini's La Bohème on January 31, February 3, 7, 10, 17, 22, and 25, replacing Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.

Armiliato is currently conducting the revival of Tosca, with Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. In the fall, he led the revival of Il Trovatore. He has conducted a career total of 18 operas at the Met to date.

La Bohème features Maija Kovalevska as Mimì, Susanna Phillips as Musetta, Piotr Beczala/Ramón Vargas as Rodolfo, Peter Mattei as Marcello, Trevor Scheunemann as Schaunard, Shenyang as Colline, and Paul Plishka as Benoît/Alcindoro.

Paul Nadler will conduct Gounod's Roméo et Juliette on March 22, replacing Plácido Domingo, who will be in Buenos Aires celebrating his 40th anniversary with the Teatro Colón.

Roméo et Juliette features Angela Gheorghiu as Juliette, Piotr Beczala as Roméo, Julie Boulianne as Stéphano, Lucas Meachem as Mercutio, and James Morris as Capulet.

Arnold Bezuyen will sing the role of Loge in Wagner's Das Rheingold on March 30 and April 2 matinee, replacing Richard Croft who is unable to perform due to complications from a broken foot. The performances mark Mr. Bezuyen's Met debut.

Mr. Bezuyen has previously sung Loge with Essen Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and at the Bayreuth Festival. He has also appeared at the Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera, La Scala, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, and the Hamburg State Opera.

James Levine conducts both performances of Das Rheingold, which feature Bryn Terfel as Wotan, Stephanie Blythe as Fricka, and Richard Paul Fink (March 30) and Eric Owens (April 2) sharing the role of Alberich. Robert Lepage's new production of Das Rheingold, the first installment of the Met's new Ring cycle, opened the current season at the Met. The performance on Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. will be broadcast live on the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. Die Walküre, the second installment of Lepage's Ring, will open on April 22.

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