LA Opera presents Roberto Devereux
UPDATE FEBRUARY 18, 2020:
American soprano Angela Meade returns to LA Opera as Queen Elizabeth. Ms. Meade replaces Davinia Rodríguez, previously announced for the role, who has withdrawn due to illness. One of today's brightest stars, Ms. Meade made her LAO debut in 2012 as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and returned in the title role of Norma in 2015. In September 2020, she will reprise the role of Queen Elizabeth in Roberto Devereux at the Metropolitan Opera.
February 5, 2020 — LA Opera presents the company premiere of Gaetano Donizetti's searing musical drama Roberto Devereux.
Inspired by Tudor-era English history, Roberto Devereux finds Queen Elizabeth I clinging onto her power, influence and heart in the final year of her reign. Her younger lover Devereux—fighting charges of treason—is discovered to have a secret affection for another woman. As Elizabeth searches for her rival, she soon realizes the "other woman” is much closer to her than she ever could have imagined, while Devereux is left to fight for his freedom—and his head—all on his own.
There will be six performances from February 22 through March 14, 2020, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90012).
The Cast
Spanish soprano Davinia Rodríguez makes her LA Opera debut as Queen Elizabeth, one of opera's greatest "diva roles." She will reprise the role later this spring at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy. "This character has great dramatic strength as she weaves her way between political power and love, and this has to be expressed in the singing," she says. "Performing this role is a milestone for any soprano.”
Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas, one of the leading tenors of our time, returns as Devereux. A longtime LA Opera favorite who regularly performs at all the major opera houses of the world, he made his company debut in 1996 as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore, a role he reprised with LAO in 1999. His other LA Opera appearances include the title roles of Werther (1998) and Don Carlo (2018).
Mezzo-sopranos Ashley Dixon and Raehann Bryce-Davis will share the role of Devereux's beloved, Sara. They replace Alice Coote, previously announced for the role, who has withdrawn from the production for family reasons. Ashley Dixon, appearing as Sara from February 22 through March 5, is a 2018 winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions who makes her LAO debut. She recently completed two seasons as an Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera, where her roles included Mercédès in Carmen and the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Raehann Bryce-Davis, performing the role of Sara on March 8 and 14, recently made her LAO debut as the Big Stone in Eurydice. She will return next season as Azucena in Il Trovatore.
Baritone Quinn Kelsey makes his LAO debut as the Duke of Nottingham, singing five of the six performances. South Korean baritone Kihun Yoon, an alumnus of the company's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program who most recently appeared as Marcello in La Bohème, will sing the role of the Duke of Nottingham on March 14.
The cast also includes two current members of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program: tenor Anthony Ciaramitaro as Lord Cecil and baritone Michael J. Hawk as Sir Walter Raleigh.
The Creative Team
Eun Sun Kim will make her LAO debut conducting five performances of Roberto Devereux. Ms. Kim is the principal guest conductor of the Houston Grand Opera, and she will become the music director of the San Francisco Opera in 2021. Louis Lohraseb, a member of LAO's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, will make his mainstage company debut conducting the March 14 performance.
The production is directed by Stephen Lawless, with scenery by Benoît Dugardyn, costumes by Ingeborg Bernerth and lighting by Christopher Akerlind. The chorus director is Grant Gershon and the choreographer is Nicola Bowie.
Performance Dates and Times
There will be six performances of Roberto Devereux at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion:
- Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 7:30pm
- Thursday, February 27, 2020, at 7:30pm
- Sunday, March 1, 2020, at 2pm
- Thursday, March 5, 2020, at 7:30pm
- Sunday, March 8, 2020, at 2pm
- Saturday, March 14, 2020, at 2pm*
*Hispanics for LA Opera Night at the Opera; wine reception at intermission
Tickets
Tickets are on sale now. Tickets begin at $24 and 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.
February 25 Concert Performance in Orange County
On Tuesday, February 25, at 7:30pm, the Musco Center for the Arts will host a concert performance of Roberto Devereux, featuring the cast, chorus and orchestra from the LA Opera production. The Musco Center is located at 415 North Glassell Street, Orange, CA 92866. For tickets and information about this performance, please visit MuscoCenter.org.
Performed in Italian with subtitles.
Production from the Canadian Opera Company.
LA Opera Media Contact
Vanessa Flores Waite
Director of Communications
vwaite@laopera.org
213.972.7554
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS AND PARTNERS
Production made possible with generous support from
Barbara Augusta Teichert
and the
Alfred and Claude Mann Fund
Additional generous support from
The Seaver Endowment
Special support from
The Armenian Consortium
