Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Washington National Opera 2011-12


The Washington National Opera's first post-Domingo season will open in September with a production of "Tosca" conducted by . . . Plácido Domingo.

The famed tenor will step down as general director of WNO at the end of this season, and the company will become an affiliate of the Kennedy Center. Domingo will remain a presence, though, with both "Tosca" and the Plácido Domingo Celebrity Series, presenting concerts by sopranos Angela Gheorghiu on March 3, 2012, and Deborah Voigt on March 17, 2012. The concerts are open only to season subscribers and major donors to WNO.

The 2011-12 season also will feature the company's first production of Verdi's "Nabucco" and a Jonathan Miller production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" in modern dress and set in Washingtion.

The coming season's productions and casting:

* Puccini: "Tosca" (Sept. 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 24) – Domingo conducting, starring Patricia Racette, Frank Porretta and Alan Held; production by Giulio Chazalettes. In Italian with English captions.

* Donizetti: "Lucia di Lammermoor" (Nov. 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19) – WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin conducting, with Sarah Coburn and Lyubov Petrova alternating in the title role; production by David Alden. In Italian with English captions.

* Mozart: "Così fan tutte" (Feb. 25 and 28; March 2, 4, 7, 10, 12 and 15) – Auguin conducting, starring Elizabeth Futral, Renata Pokupic, Joel Prieto, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, William Shimell and Ketevan Kemoklidze; production by Jonathan Miller. In Italian with English captions.

* Verdi: "Nabucco" (April 28; May 2, 5, 10, 13, 15, 18 and 21) – Auguin conducting, starring Franco Vassallo and Csilla Boross; production by Thaddeus Strassberger. In Italian with English captions.

* Massenet: "Werther" (May 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 25 and 27) – Emmanuel Villaume conducting, starring Francesco Meli and Sonia Ganassi; stage director TBA. In French with English captions.

For ticket subscriptions and other information, call the Washington National Opera at (202) 295-2400 or visit http://www.dc-opera.org/