October 27, 2022 update: Conductor Oksana Lyniv has withdrawn for personal reasons. Tosca will now by conducted by Louis Lohraseb, an alumnus of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, making his mainstage company debut.
Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv makes her U.S. debut leading a cast that also includes Michael Fabiano, Gregory Kunde and Ryan McKinny
(Los Angeles) October 20, 2022 — LA Opera continues its 2022/23 season with a revival of Tosca, Giacomo Puccini's enthralling tale of love, deception and corruption. In her U.S. debut, trailblazing Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv leads a heart-pounding production staged by the legendary director John Caird. Performances will take place from November 19 through December 10, 2022, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
The cast is led by four of the greatest artists of their generations. Soprano Angel Blue takes on the iconic role of the glamorous but tough-as-nails title heroine, with tenors Michael Fabiano and Gregory Kunde sharing the role of Mario Cavaradossi, the rebel who becomes the target of the most dangerous man in Rome. Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny is the evil Scarpia, who likes nothing more than seeing his victims suffer.
"Similar to our season-opening production of Lucia di Lammermoor, this season’s revival of Tosca is headlined by an extraordinary artist who received early training as a member of our Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program," said Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera's president and CEO. "Angel Blue is a brilliant soprano who has emerged as one of the most exciting artists of our era and I am thrilled to welcome her back to our stage for the first time in more than a decade."
About the Opera
Floria Tosca, the famous opera singer, seems to have it all. Audiences cherish her artistry—and adore hearing about her tempestuous offstage romances. But as storms of repression and rebellion rage throughout Italy, the diva is forced to play a real-life role she never imagined.
Torn between devotion to her lover and the machinations of a treacherous sociopath who will do anything in his power to break her down, Tosca is trapped in an impossible predicament, with fatal consequences for them all. But this prima donna isn’t going down without a fight...
Tosca has been one of the most popular and frequently produced of all operas ever since its 1900 world premiere in Rome.
The Performers
The title role is performed by soprano Angel Blue, who has risen to superstardom after early training in LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program from 2007 to 2010. Tosca will be her first leading role on the company's main stage. The role of Mario Cavaradossi will be shared by two star tenors, Michael Fabiano (November 19 through December 4) in his first return to the company since his 2018 debut as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, and Gregory Kunde (December 7 and 10), who made his company debut last season as Manrico in Il Trovatore. Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny returns as Scarpia; his notable LA Opera appearances including Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (2014) and the Count in The Marriage of Figaro (2015).
Bass-baritone Philip Cokorinos returns as the Sacristan, his third appearance in that role at LA Opera. Additional soloists include bass Wei Wu in his company debut as Angelotti and bass Zachary James as Sciarrone. Tenor Anthony León, a member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, performs the role of Spoletta.
The Creative Team
Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv came to international attention as the first woman to conduct at the prestigious Bayreuth Festival, where she led The Flying Dutchman in 2021 and 2022. This year, she became the first female chief conductor of an Italian opera orchestra, as the General Music Director of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. She has conducted numerous productions for the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and has also conducted at the Berlin State Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. The founder and artistic director of the LvivMozArt Festival and the founder and artistic director of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, she has become a symbol in the international music world as a fighter against the war that broke out in her country.
John Caird is a British director whose long career includes the original West End and Broadway smash hit productions of Les Miserables. His celebrated production of Tosca was previously presented by LA Opera in 2013 and 2017. The scenery and costumes are designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting designed by Duane Schuler. The LA Opera Chorus is led by Jeremy Frank and the Los Angeles Children's Chorus is led by its artistic director, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz. The fight director is Andrew Kenneth Moss.
Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.
Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of Tosca at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:
- Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 7:30pm
- Sunday, November 27, 2022, at 2pm
- Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 7:30pm
- Sunday, December 4, 2022, at 2pm
- Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 7:30pm
- Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 7:30pm
Tickets
Tickets for Tosca begin at $27 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.
Masks are no longer required indoors at the theater, although the wearing of masks is encouraged.
More information is available at LAOpera.org/Tosca.
About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.
In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. The company also offers a multitude of online content via its LA Opera On Now digital offerings, which launched in March 2020. Learn more at LAOpera.org.
LA Opera Media Contact
Luz Villarreal
Director of Communications
lvillarreal@laopera.org
213.972.7554
Production made possible by generous support from
The Blue Ribbon
Margo Leavin
Alfred and Claude Mann Fund
and the
Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn)
With additional support from the
Armenian Consortium
Angel Blue’s appearance made possible by generous support from
The Eva and Marc Stern Principal Artists Fund
LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl
LA Opera’s 2022/23 season is generously underwritten by
GRoW @ Annenberg
LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.
