Patrick Carfizzi News

Please note the following updates to Carnegie Hall's 2013-2014 schedule, reflecting major updates made since the hall announced the concert season last January.

Broadway actor Danny Burstein will make his Metropolitan Opera debut in the non-singing role of Frosch in this season's performances of Die Fledermaus. The new production of Johann Strauss II's operetta, conducted by Adam Fischer and directed by Jeremy Sams in his Met directorial debut, features new English-language lyrics by Sams and dialogue by acclaimed Broadway playwright Douglas Carter Beane.

Carnegie Hall has announced its November 2013 calendar. Details below!

The Metropolitan Opera's 2013-14 season will feature many of the world's greatest singers, conductors, and theater artists in 26 operas, including six new productions, of a varied repertory that ranges from the Baroque era to the 21st century. Met Music Director James Levine will return to the Met podium for the first time in two years, conducting three operas with which he has long been associated: a new production of Verdi's final masterpiece Falstaff, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and Berg's Wozzeck. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will be conducting two operas in the 2013-14 season, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2013-14 season will feature many of the world's greatest singers, conductors, and theater artists in 26 operas, including six new productions, of a varied repertory that ranges from the Baroque era to the 21st century. Met Music Director James Levine will return to the Met podium for the first time in two years, conducting three operas with which he has long been associated: a new production of Verdi's final masterpiece Falstaff, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and Berg's Wozzeck. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will be conducting two operas in the 2013-14 season, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to movie theaters, will feature 10 productions in the 2013-14 season, offering a significant portion of the Met season to opera lovers around the world.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2013-14 season will feature many of the world's greatest singers, conductors, and theater artists in 26 operas, including six new productions, of a varied repertory that ranges from the Baroque era to the 21st century. Met Music Director James Levine will return to the Met podium for the first time in two years, conducting three operas with which he has long been associated: a new production of Verdi's final masterpiece Falstaff, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and Berg's Wozzeck. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will be conducting two operas in the 2013-14 season, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Seattle Opera rings in the New Year next month with royalty, a ball, and plenty of giant rats when it stages La Cenerentola, Rossini's effervescent take on the Cinderella story. But you won't find a glass slipper, an evil stepmother, or a fairy godmother in this opera; instead, this uniquely Italian retelling features a prince in disguise, a pompous stepfather, and a wise philosopher. Love, laughter, virtue, and brilliant bel canto vocalism win out at the end of this opera by the composer of The Barber of Seville. La Cenerentola opens tonight, January 12, and runs for eight performances through January 26.

Seattle Opera rings in the New Year next month with royalty, a ball, and plenty of giant rats when it stages La Cenerentola, Rossini's effervescent take on the Cinderella story. But you won't find a glass slipper, an evil stepmother, or a fairy godmother in this opera; instead, this uniquely Italian retelling features a prince in disguise, a pompous stepfather, and a wise philosopher. Love, laughter, virtue, and brilliant bel canto vocalism win out at the end of this opera by the composer of The Barber of Seville. La Cenerentola opens on Saturday, January 12, and runs for eight performances through January 26.

In this week's edition of 'Around the Broadway World: Regional Highlights of the Week', we bring you the most-read stories for the week of October 29. Catch up on all the latest theater happenings from all corners of the world!

Patrick Carfizzi has a lot of future projects lined up. Yet, Houston audiences are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see him perform as Mustafa in Rossini's THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS, playing now through November 11, 2012. When Patrick Carfizzi isn't on stage he is teaching (which is something he loves and plans to do more of as time and schedule permits), volunteering for community groups, and working with the elderly from time to time. He is "delighted, honored, and grateful" to do what he does for a living. Despite his busy schedule, he spent a few minutes to talk with me about his career in opera, THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS, and his character Mustafa.

Houston Grand Opera is performing Gioachino Rossini's splendid, humorous, and simply delightful L'italiana in Algeri or THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS for the first time. Even knowing that comedic operas exist, it is still seems somewhat like a contradiction to this opera novice. With that said, being able to laugh and smile all the through a performance made this production all the more memorable and enjoyable.

Houston Grand Opera, with Music Director Patrick Summers and Managing Director Perryn Leech, announces its 2012-13 season, headlined by four new productions. The first of these is Puccini's La boheme, which launches the new season with a new staging by award-winning British director John Caird. To honor 2013's joint bicentennials of Wagner and Verdi, the coming season juxtaposes Tristan und Isolde - starring Ben Heppner and Nina Stemme in a new contemporary staging by Christof Loy - with a revival of Steven Lawless's unforgettable take on Il trovatore. British conductor Trevor Pinnock leads a strong international cast in Mozart's ensemble masterpiece Don Giovanni, while Francesca Zambello's new production of Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat brings together stars of Broadway and the opera house in a celebration of America's own contribution to the art. For a more intimate experience, Daniela Barcellona and Lawrence Brownlee star in Rossini's dramma giocoso, The Italian Girl in Algiers.

Seattle Opera kicks off its 2012/13 season this summer in blockbuster fashion with Turandot, Puccini's final masterpiece. Boasting "Nessun dorma," one of the world's most beloved arias, Turandot sweeps audiences away to a fairy-tale China ruled by a harsh princess. The prideful Turandot learns how to love when a life-or-death riddle game, a slave girl's sacrifice, and the passion in a prince's heart transform fear and hatred into hope. Turandot opens tonight, August 4, and runs for eight performances through Saturday, August 18.

Seattle Opera kicks off its 2012/13 season this summer in blockbuster fashion with Turandot, Puccini's final masterpiece. Boasting "Nessun dorma," one of the world's most beloved arias, Turandot sweeps audiences away to a fairy-tale China ruled by a harsh princess. The prideful Turandot learns how to love when a life-or-death riddle game, a slave girl's sacrifice, and the passion in a prince's heart transform fear and hatred into hope. Turandot opens on Saturday, August 4, and runs for eight performances through Saturday, August 18.

Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE will be simulcast live tonight, April 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) at the high-tech home of the Dallas Cowboys at One Legends Way in Arlington, Texas. Patrons will be able to enjoy a complete, unabridged live performance on the world's largest high-definition video board structure, comprised of four massive viewing screens (the largest, 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide) suspended directly above the playing field.

The Dallas Opera presents the finale of its 2011-2012 "Tragic Obsessions" Season: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's comic-drama, THE MAGIC FLUTE (Die Zauberflote), opening Friday, April 20, 2012 at 7:30 PM in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

The Dallas Opera, in partnership with Cowboys Stadium, has entered world record territory: more than 30,500 tickets to the Dallas Opera's one-night-only April 28th Dallas Opera Cowboys Stadium Simulcast, presented by The Dallas Foundation, have been requested by opera lovers from throughout Texas and 26 additional states. Ticket requests have also come in from the District of Columbia and Canada since the joint announcement was made on January 26th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Dallas Opera presents the finale of its 2011-2012 "Tragic Obsessions" Season: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's comic-drama, THE MAGIC FLUTE (Die Zauberflote), opening Friday, April 20, 2012 at 7:30 PM in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE will be simulcast live on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) at the high-tech home of the Dallas Cowboys at One Legends Way in Arlington, Texas. Patrons will be able to enjoy a complete, unabridged live performance on the world's largest high-definition video board structure, comprised of four massive viewing screens (the largest, 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide) suspended directly above the playing field.