Newport hosts special opera-tions
A new season of the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live, high-definition cinema simulcasts, Live in HD, returns with 10 performances on the big screen at the Newport Performing Arts Center.
The season kicks off with a Met premier of Cherubini’s “Medea,” this Saturday, Oct. 22.
Having triumphed at the Met in some of the repertory’s fiercest soprano roles, Sondra Radvanovsky stars as the mythic sorceress who will stop at nothing in her quest for vengeance. Joining her is tenor Matthew Polenzani as Medea’s Argonaut husband, Giasone; soprano Janai Brugger as her rival for his love, Glauce; bass Michele Pertusi as Medea’s father, Creonte, the King of Corinth; and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Medea’s confidante, Neris.
Next up is a revival of Verdi's “La Traviata” on Saturday, Nov. 12. Soprano Nadine Sierra stars as the self-sacrificing courtesan Violetta — one of opera’s ultimate heroines — in Michael Mayer’s vibrant production of Verdi’s beloved tragedy. Tenor Stephen Costello is her self-centered lover, Alfredo, alongside baritone Luca Salsi as his disapproving father, and Maestro Daniele Callegari on the podium.
The season will also feature two company premieres led by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Kevin Puts’s “The Hours,” starring the powerhouse trio of soprano Renée Fleming, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and soprano Kelli O’Hara, and Terence Blanchard’s first opera, “Champion” about the life of boxer Emile Griffith. Four additional new productions will be presented throughout the season: Giordano’s “Fedora” with soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role; Wagner’s “Lohengrin” starring tenor Piotr Beczała and two Mozart operas conducted by Nathalie Stutzmann, including a cinematic staging of “Don Giovanni” by Ivo van Hove and Simon McBurney’s production of “Die Zauberflöte,” which raises the orchestra pit to allow interaction with the cast.
“Our 2022–23 Live in HD season picks up where we will have left off at the end of the current season, with more new productions and more Met premieres than in recent decades,” General Manager Peter Gelb said. “Our lessons learned during the two years of the pandemic are that the future of the Met, and of opera, rely upon ceaselessly breaking new and diverse artistic ground. It’s our path forward.”
Tickets for the 2022–23 season are on sale now. Save up to $85 by subscribing to the full season. Subscription pricing for all 10 transmissions range from $173 to $206 and individual tickets range from $15.50 to $25.50. The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.
If you go
What: “Medea” Live in HD
When: 10 am, Saturday, Oct. 22
Where: Newport Performing Arts Center, 777 W Olive Street
Cost: $15.50-$25.50
Call: 541-265-2787