Russell Thomas To Sing Title Role Tonight In MET's ATTILA

Russell Thomas will sing the role of Foresto in Verdi's Attila at tonight's performance, replacing Ramón Vargas, who is ill. Thomas, who was scheduled to sing Uldino this evening will be replaced in that role by Eduardo Valdes.

Thomas is already scheduled to sing Foresto on March 19. He made his Met debut in 2005 and sang Malcolm in the new production of Macbeth in 2007. He has also sung Tamino in Die Zauberflöte here.

Attila is conducted by Riccardo Muti. The production is by Pierre Audi, with set and costume designs by Miuccia Prada and Herzog & de Meuron and lighting design by Jean Kalman. The cast stars Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role, with Violeta Urmana as Odabella, and Giovanni Meoni as Ezio.

Champion of the Verdian tradition Riccardo Muti makes his Met debut with one of the composer's rousing early operas. This story of civilization's encounter with barbarism is explored in a new production by director Pierre Audi. Some of the brightest lights in contemporary design, including Miuccia Prada and the architecture team of Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron (the 2008 Beijing Olympics "Bird's Nest" stadium), have created the costumes and scenery. "Our approach is to stay very close to the descriptions supported by Verdi: destruction, rubble, lagoon, forest, darkness-all in a very naturalistic way," explain Herzog & de Meuron. 

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/production.aspx?id=10465

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