Thursday, January 17, 2013

HGO Season Announcement: Good One

Houston Grand Opera's season-announcement press release for 2013-14 hit the inbox this morning, and, well, there's some stuff to be excited about.

The company's Ring cycle will be the production by La Fura dels Baus, which can be seen on DVD with Zubin Mehta conducting. The singers include Ian Patterson as Wotan, Stefan Margita as Loge, and Jamie Barton as Fricka.

The season also sees the North American premier of Mieczyslaw Weinberg's The Passenger and the world premier of Ricky Ian Gordon's A Coffin in Egypt, a monologue starring none other than the great Frederica von Stade. It's based on a play by Horton Foote.

Also scheduled are Aida, Rigoletto, Die Fledermaus, A Little Night Music, and Carmen, each with interesting casting, though I am looking cross-eyed at Gilda: TBA (Huh? late drop-out? under negotiation?). Details after the cut.


Houston Grand Opera: 2013-14 season   

* HGO debut
+ former HGO Studio Artist

Giuseppe Verdi: Aida
Oct 18, 20m, 26, 29. Nov 1, 3m, 9, 2013
Aida: Liudmyla Monastyrska*
Radamès: Riccardo Massi* / Issachah Savage*
Amneris: Dolora Zajick
Amonasro: Scott Hendricks+
Ramfis: Ain Anger*
King:  Robert Gleadow
Conductor: Antonino Fogliani
Chorus Master: Richard Bado+
Original Director: Jo Davies
Director: José Maria Condemi
Choreographer: Dominic Walsh*
Set Designer: Zandra Rhodes
Costume Designer: Zandra Rhodes
Lighting Designer: Michael James Clark

A co-production of Houston Grand Opera, English National Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Norwegian National Opera.


Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus
Oct 25, 27m, Nov 2, 8, 10m
Eisenstein: Liam Bonner+
Rosalinde: Wendy Bryn Harmer* 
Adele: Laura Claycomb
Prince Orlofsky: Susan Graham
Alfred: Anthony Dean Griffey 
Frank: Michael Sumuel+
Frosch / Bell Boy / Waiter: Jason Graae
Conductor: Thomas Rösner
Chorus Master: Richard Bado+
Director: Lindy Hume
Set Designer: Richard Roberts*
Costume Designer: Angus Strathie*
Lighting Designer: Michael James Clark
Associate Director / Choreographer: Daniel Pelzig

An original production by Opera Australia, owned by Opéra de Montréal.


Mieczyslaw Weinberg: The Passenger (North American premiere)
Jan 18, 22, 25, 31; Feb 2m, 2014
Lisa: Michelle Breedt*
Walter: Joseph Kaiser 
Martha: Melody Moore 
Tadeusz: Morgan Smith*
Katja: Kelly Kaduce*
Conductor: Patrick Summers 
Chorus Master: Richard Bado+
Director: David Pountney
Set Designer: Johan Engels
Costume Designer: Marie-Jeanne Lecca
Lighting Designer: Fabrice Kebour

A co-production of Bregenzer Festspiele; Wielki Teatr, Warsaw; English National Opera; and Teatro Real, Madrid.

Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto
Jan 24, 26m, 29; Feb 1, 7, 9m
Rigoletto: Ryan McKinny+
Duke of Mantua: Stephen Costello*
Gilda: TBA
Count Monterone: Robert Pomakov
Sparafucile: Dmitry Belosselskiy*
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Chorus Master: Richard Bado+
Set Designer: Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall
A co-production of Houston Grand Opera and Dallas Opera


Stephen Sondheim: A Little Night Music
March 7, 9m, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23m
Desiree Armfeldt: Elizabeth Futral 
Fredrik Egerman: Chad Shelton+
Count Carl-Magnus: Mark Diamond+
Madame Armfeldt: Joyce Castle 
Petra: Alicia Gianni+
Conductor: Eric Melear+
Production: Isaac Mizrahi
Revival Director: Matthew Ozawa
Set Designer: Isaac Mizrahi
Costume Designer: Isaac Mizrahi
Lighting Designer: Brian Nason

An original production of Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

Ricky Ian Gordon: A Coffin in Egypt (World Premiere)
March 14, 16m, 19, and 22m
Myrtle Bledsoe: Frederica Von Stade
Conductor: Timothy Myers
Director: Leonard Foglia
Set and Costume Designer: Riccardo Hernandez
Lighting Designer: Brian Nason

A co-production and co-commission of Houston Grand Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia

Richard Wagner: Das Rheingold
April 11, 13m, 17, 23, 26
Wotan: Iain Paterson*
Loge: Stefan Margita
Alberich: Christopher Purves
Mime: Rodell Rosel 
Fricka: Jamie Barton+
Erda: Meredith Arwady
Fasolt: Kristinn Sigmundsson
Fafner: Andrea Silvestrelli
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Director: Carlus Padrissa/La Fura dels Baus
Set Designer: Roland Olbeter
Costume Designer: Chu Uroz
Lighting Designer: Peter Van Praet
Video Designer: Franc Aleu
A co-production of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino


Georges Bizet: Carmen (new production)
April 25, 27m, 30; May 2, 4m, 8, 10
Carmen: Ana María Martínez+ 
Don José: Brandon Jovanovich
Escamillo: Ryan McKinny+
Conductor: Rory Macdonald
Director: Rob Ashford*
Chorus Master: Richard Bado+
Children’s Chorus Director: Karen Reeves

Media Contacts
Houston Grand Opera: Ali Vise, ali@elmorepr.com(713) 524-0661
21C: Glenn Petry, gpetry@21cmediagroup.com(212) 625-2038






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