San Diego Opera's Mainstage Season Continues In March With Gounod's ROMEO ET JULIETTE

Gounod's masterpiece of grand French opera, Roméo et Juliette, continues San Diego Opera's 2021-2022 season when it opens on Saturday, March, 26, 2022 for four performances at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Additional performances are March 29, April 1, and 3 (matinee), 2022.

Making an important Company debut in one of his signature roles is the Samoan tenor Pene Pati as Roméo. Of his recent performances as Roméo at San Francisco Opera, The San Francisco Chronicle wrote "...with a lustrous mid-range and glorious top notes, Pati sings in a gleaming, sensuous stream of sound." He is joined by Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan as Juliette in her Company debut. Tenor Adrian Kramer, last heard as Don José in 2017's The Tragedy of Carmen, returns to sing the role of Tybalt. He is joined by returning bass Colin Ramsey, last heard as Colline in 2020's La bohème, as Count Capulet, and bass Simon Lim, last heard as Ramfis in 2019's Aida, as Friar Laurent. A number of other important Company debuts include baritone Yunpeng Wang as Mercutio and mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit as Stephano. San Diego Opera's Principal Conductor, Yves Abel, who last conducted Carmen for the 2019 season, returns to the podium with his mastery of the French repertoire to lead the San Diego Symphony for these performances. Stage director Matthew Ozawa makes his Company debut staging this production which comes from Minnesota Opera. "Gounod's music is filled with a lush dreamy quality that almost places Roméo et Juliette in a realm beyond that of the natural world," shares Mr. Ozawa. "As a result, while our symbolic production sets the story during the time of Shakespeare, it mixes dreamlike images which both capture the idealism of love (large roses) with the dangerous world of societal division (a ceiling of weapons). Just as love morphs as Roméo et Juliette's story develops, so too do the images of our show. Love, violence and death become intertwined, and time ultimately moves Roméo et Juliette swiftly forward to a fate that is both poetic and tragic."

Performed in French with English translations above the stage, Roméo et Juliette is an operatic telling of Shakespeare's tragedy about two teenage lovers. The Montague and Capulet families are at war. Roméo and his friends attend a masquerade ball at the Capulet's house where he sees Juliette and falls in love. After serenading Juliette on her balcony, the two are married in secret by Friar Laurent. Roméo and Juliette hope their union will finally end the feud between the two families but Capulet's nephew, Tybalt, kills Roméo's friend, Mercutio and Roméo avenges his friend's death which leads to his banishment from Verona. Juliette is told by Count Capulet that she must marry someone else. Friar Laurent gives Juliette a sleeping potion that mimics death which she takes. When news of Juliette's death reaches Roméo he returns to Verona. Finding Juliet "dead" he takes poison but Juliette wakes to see Roméo dying beside her. After a final duet together Juliette stabs herself as Roméo dies, bringing an end to one of the most tragic love stories ever written. With an unforgettable story, incredible love duets, and powerful singing, Roméo and Juliette will delight audiences of all ages.

This production comes from Minnesota Opera. The set designer is William Boles. The costume designer is Sarah Bahr. The lighting designer is Paul Whitaker. These performances are the fourth time the Company has presented Roméo and Juliette with additional performances occurring in 2010, 1998, and 1973. These performances are made possible in part by Lead Production Sponsor Darlene Marcos Shiley.

For information about tickets please visit www.sdopera.org or call 619.533.7000.

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