Washington National Opera to Present Company Premiere of Handel's ALCINA

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 2017-2018 season with the company premiere of Handel's magical Baroque opera Alcina - starring megawatt soprano Angela Meade in the title role - November 4-19, 2017, in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

This bold new WNO production is brought to life by visionary director Anne Bogart, the creative force behind WNO's celebrated 2013 production of Norma. The WNO Orchestra is conducted by Jane Glover in her WNO debut.

Alcina's cast is led by Angela Meade in the title role of the magical sorceress, in her triumphant return to WNO following her much-heralded debut as Norma in 2013. Joining Meade in the world-class cast are mezzo-sopranos Elizabeth DeShong and Daniela Mack. Chinese soprano Ying Fang makes her WNO debut in this production.

A special Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance of Alcina is presented in the Eisenhower Theater on Saturday, November 18, 2017, and features current singers of WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, WNO's signature artist-development program.

The sorceress Alcina lures her unsuspecting victims to her island world that is filled with the souls of her past lovers. The warrior knight Ruggiero has fallen under Alcina's spell and Bradamante, his fiancée, attempts to rescue him by disguising herself as a man. After misdirection, secrecy, and confusion, Bradamante and Ruggiero are eventually reunited and are successful in breaking Alcina's-and her sister Morgana's-magical spells and destroying their kingdom.

This exciting new WNO production is the company's first-ever staging of Handel's Baroque masterwork, crafted at the pinnacle of his creativity in the era of Ariodante and Messiah. Gifted opera and theater director Anne Bogart, who directed WNO's powerful Norma in 2013, returns to the company with her unique vision of Handel's most exotic opera. Bogart is currently one of the artistic directors of the innovative Siti Company, which she founded with Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki in 1992, as well as a professor at Columbia University, where she oversees the graduate program in directing.

Conducting the WNO Orchestra is noted Handel specialist Jane Glover in her WNO debut. Glover, who is also highly regarded for her academic writings on music, enjoys a major international career as a conductor and was only the third woman to lead performances at The Metropolitan Opera when she appeared there in 2013. The orchestra for WNO's production of Alcina will include an added continuo group, situated on a raised platform and visible to the audience, featuring a theorbo (a Baroque-period string instrument from the lute family), a cello, and two harpsichords. Glover will conduct from and perform one of the harpsichord parts herself.

Matched to the fine acoustics of the Kennedy Center's more intimate Eisenhower Theater, Alcina boasts the outstanding vocal talents of four of today's most exciting singers. Star soprano Angela Meade sings the title role of the powerful sorceress for the first time. Since her WNO debut as Norma, Meade has sung the role around the world, including LA Opera. Later this season she brings her star power to the title roles of Semiramide and Norma at the Met and the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur at Oper Frankfurt.

Elizabeth DeShong, a mezzo-soprano who has quickly become one of the most important and sought-after singers in her repertory, sings the "trouser role" of Alcina's enchanted lover, the knight Ruggiero. DeShong, who made her WNO debut in 2009 as the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, won raves for her recent performances as Adalgisa in Norma with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with the Royal Opera House and Bavarian State Opera. Later this season she stars as Arsace in Semiramide at The Metropolitan Opera alongside Angela Meade in the title role.

Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, whose international career has taken her to the most important opera houses in the world, returns to WNO as Ruggiero's fiancée, Bradamante. She previously appeared with the company as the Madrigal Singer in 2013's Manon Lescaut and recently starred in the world premieres of JFK at Fort Worth Opera and Elizabeth Cree at Opera Philadelphia. Later this season she returns to Philadelphia in the title role of Carmen and to Santa Fe Opera as Isabella in The Italian Girl in Algiers.

Alcina's sister, Morgana, is the rising Chinese soprano Ying Fang in her WNO debut. Fang, known locally for her memorable recent appearances with Wolf Trap Opera as Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare and Contessa di Folleville in Il viaggio a Reims, is a regular artist at The Metropolitan Opera, where she appeared in recent productions of Idomeneo, Jen?fa, L'elisir d'amore, Tannhäuser, Hansel and Gretel, and Le nozze di Figaro, and will appear in its new production of Cendrillon later this season.

Rounding out the cast are tenor Rexford Tester, a recent alumnus of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, as Morgana's lover Oronte, and current Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Michael Adams, who starred in the title role of last season's Don Giovanni, as Ruggiero's tutor Melisso.

Anne Bogart's acclaimed creative team from her 2013 WNO production of Norma reunites for this new production of Alcina, including set designer Neil Patel, costume designer James Schuette, lighting designer Christopher Akerlind, and choreographer Barney O'Hanlon. Hair and makeup designer David C. Zimmerman completes the creative team for Alcina.

At the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance on Saturday, November 18, first-year young artist Alexandria Shiner sings the title role in her WNO debut. Returning young artist Allegra De Vita, who appeared as Kate Pinkerton in last season's Madame Butterfly, is Ruggiero. First-year artist Madison Leonard, seen earlier this season as the High Priestess in Aida, is Morgana, while first-year artist Eliza Bonet makes her WNO debut as Bradamante. First-year artist Arnold Livingston Geis is Oronte in his WNO debut, while returning young artist Michael Adams is Melisso.

Alcina opens on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 7 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater and runs for eight performances, including November 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance is Saturday, November 18. The opera's running time is approximately three hours, including one intermission. Alcina is performed in Italian with projected English titles. Visit WNO's website for complete production details and casting information.

Washington National Opera's 2017-2018 season continues with Verdi's soaring drama Don Carlo, Rossini's delightful comedy The Barber of Seville, and Bernstein's biting satire Candide. The season also features a festival weekend of four world premieres as part of the American Opera Initiative, the return of the holiday family opera The Little Prince, a concert featuring Marian Anderson Vocal Award winner John Holiday, and more. Subscription packages and single tickets are available now.

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