SAN DIEGO, Calif. – San Diego Opera’s 2016-2017 season comes to a close with one of opera’s most beloved classics, Verdi’s La traviata which opens Saturday, April 22 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Additional performances are April 25, 28, and 30.
A roster of young American singers will bring Verdi’s tragic opera to life. Making an important company debut as Violetta Valéry is American soprano Corinne Winters who has performed this role to critical acclaim from Seattle Opera to the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. She will be joined by tenor Jesús Garcia as Alfredo Germont also in his Company debut. American baritone Stephen Powell makes a welcome return as Giorgio Germont. They are joined by returning mezzo-soprano Peabody Southwell as Flora Bervoix, bass Kevin Langan as Dr. Grenvil, and bass-baritone Scott Sikon as Marquis D’Obigny. Tenor Brenton Ryan makes his House debut as Gastone. Rounding out the cast is baritone Walter DuMelle as Baron Douphol and soprano Tasha Koontz as Annina. Conductor David Agler makes his Company debut leading the San Diego Symphony for these performances and Stage Director Marta Domingo stages the action in this production she designed both sets and costumes for. The production is owned by the Los Angeles Opera and takes place in Paris in the “Roaring Twenties.” The lighting designer is Alan Burrett.
Performed in Italian with English translations above the stage, Verdi’s tragic opera La traviata tells the story of Alfredo Germont, a man who falls in love with the courtesan Violetta Valéry. In love for the first time, Violetta lives happily with Alfredo in the country. Alfredo’s father however is not happy with this arrangement and convinces Violetta to give up Alfredo in order to protect his family’s reputation. Violetta agrees and returns to her former boyfriend, Douphol. Unaware of his father’s actions, Alfredo humiliates Violetta in public, causing his father to disown him and Douphol to challenge Alfredo to a duel. Realizing the foolishness of his ways, Alfredo repents to Violetta and she forgives him in her final act of life. With some of the most beautiful music ever written for the stage, La traviata continues to delight audiences of all generations. These performances will be the 9th time the Company has presented La traviata since its debut in 1970. The opera was last heard by the Company in 2010.
La traviata will have a radio broadcast on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8 PM on KPBS radio, 89.5 FM (97.7 FM Calexico) and online at www.kpbs.org
