FGO’s 2015–16 PRODUCTIONS

The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia)

FGO will open its 75^th season of continuous production with a beloved opera classic, The Barber of Seville, or Il barbiere di Siviglia. Although composed 30 years after Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville is based on the first of Beaumarchais’ trilogy of “Figaro” plays, serving as a “prequel” to Mozart’s Nozze, and is considered one of the greatest comic operas ever composed.

This opera traces the adventures of handsome young Count Almaviva as he courts the lovely Rosina in spite of her jealous guardian’s attempts to thwart him. Of course, he would never have succeeded without help from the crafty Figaro, who is much more than just a barber.

Witness the delicious unfolding of comic opera at its best: energetic young lovers foiling the grand schemes of a buffoon; mistaken identities; a plot that turns and twists—all wrapped up in Rossini's unmistakably masterful music.

“This is a visually-stunning interpretation of the beloved comedy,” says Danis. “And with so many new artists to look forward to, some of whom will have their Met debuts this and next year, we know our South Florida audiences are in for a treat!”

SCHEDULE | The Barber of Seville

**Sung without amplification in Italian with projected translations in English and Spanish**

MIAMI  ◙  Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

November 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 2015

FORT LAUDERDALE ◙ Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

December 3, 5, 2015

CAST | The Barber of Seville

Norma

Bellini was famously recorded saying, “If I were shipwrecked at sea, I would leave all the rest of my operas and try to save Norma.” Although a failure at its premiere, out of all of Bellini’s operas Norma is the one that has consistently remained an audience favorite and has been among the most-requested operas by FGO audience members over the past decade. Florida Grand Opera is proud to announce that it will be producing this masterpiece after a 26 year absence from South Florida stages.  

“This has been, by far, the most requested opera during my tenure at FGO, and we are thrilled to give our subscribers what they’ve been asking for,” says Danis.

This opera tells the story of a supposedly chaste Druid priestess who has convinced her followers not to go to war with their Roman captors. In secret she has borne children of the Roman leader, Pollione. But when Pollione grows tired of Norma and falls in love with Adalgisa, Norma is driven to murderous jealousy by her lover's inconstancy and vows to make the guilty atone for their crimes.

This work has its scenes of pageantry and moments of ringing grandeur, but it by far rises to its greatest lyrical heights in the celebrated aria, “Casta diva.” The simplicity and directness of this work was celebrated by Wagner, who later conducted the piece at Riga in 1837, remarking that Norma was “indisputably Bellini's most successful composition."

SCHEDULE | Norma

**Sung without amplification in Italian with projected translations in English and Spanish**

MIAMI  ◙  Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

January 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 2016

FORT LAUDERDALE  ◙  Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

February 11, 13, 2016

CAST | Norma

The Passenger (Passazhirka)

As one of only five communities in the United States with the opportunity to experience this piece, Florida Grand Opera is honored to present Weinberg’s The Passenger as the third installment of the company’s “Made for Miami” series. 

“I believe with absolute certainty that this will be the artistic highlight of 2016 in Miami,” says Danis. “In addition, having chosen nearly a full roster of artists who have performed these roles before in Houston, Chicago, or Detroit, these singers are sure to give moving, unforgettable performances.”

The horrors of World War II, still raw today, were fresh in 1959 when Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz wrote a play titled The Passenger from Cabin 45 for Polish radio. The play became the basis of the opera by Mieczysław Weinberg in 1967. The action of the drama takes us from the stylish gentility of a luxury liner's deck to the squalor of a death camp, where cruelty, despair, and unspeakable courage are evident in equal measure. 

En route to a new post with her husband, a German diplomat, Lisa is unnerved by the sight of a woman—another passenger—who eerily resembles Marta, one of the inmates Lisa oversaw when she was a prison guard at Auschwitz. The opera moves back and forth in time, alternating the experience of her tortured present, as she struggles to explain her past to her horrified husband, with flashbacks of life at Auschwitz and her manipulative interactions with Marta.

Suppressed for more than 40 years, Weinberg's gripping opera has emerged anew, electrifying audiences at Austria's Bregenz Festival and again in Houston, New York, Chicago, and London. Unique to this production is that it is a polyglot, meaning it is performed in multiple languages, including German, English, Polish, Yiddish, French, Russian, and Czech. This South Florida premiere will be one of the most important musical events of the year.

SCHEDULE | The Passenger

**Sung without amplification in multiple languages with projected translations in English and Spanish**

MIAMI  ◙  Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

April 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 2016

Don Pasquale

As a long-standing audience favorite, Donizetti’s delightful Don Pasquale is one of the pillars of Italian comic opera, and its scintillating coloratura and spirited ensembles make it a richly rewarding musical experience, from its lyrical arias to its punchy patter and sparkling humor. This revival of a comedic classic will finish out FGO’s 2015–16 Season on a high note.

There’s no fool like an old fool, particularly when it comes to love and money. Don Pasquale, worried that his wealth will be squandered by his scheming nephew Ernesto, sets out to find himself a wife. When a distinctly feline young lady conveniently turns up, he is smitten... but he soon finds out that marriage is not quite as straightforward as he expected.

“We’re eager to end 2015–16 Season on a high note with Don Pasquale,” says Danis. “I am happy to welcome back Kristopher Irmiter (Athanäel, Thaïs 2014) and Sydney Mancasola (Leïla, The Pearl Fishers 2015) after their unforgettable performances during the last few years. It is also great to have the dynamic duo of Barbe and Doucet back in Miami to delight us once again!”

With endearingly eccentric characters, fabulous music, and plenty of laughs, designer André Barbe and director Renaud Doucet return to South Florida with their colorful and quirky style after their 2013–14 Season triumph, Thaïs. Set in Rome at the cusp of the Swinging Sixties, it’s the perfect setting for a titanic clash of the generations.

SCHEDULE | Don Pasquale

**Sung without amplification in Italian with projected translations in English and Spanish**

MIAMI  ◙  Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

May 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 2016

CAST | Don Pasquale