Sarasota Opera Announces Casting for the 2019-2020 Season

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, and Richard Russell, Executive Director, announced the casting for the 2019-20 season at Sarasota Opera, welcoming back returning Sarasota audience favorites as well as introducing new artists for their company debuts.

2019 Fall Season
Sarasota Opera will open the fall season with Verdi’s Rigoletto, one of the composer’s greatest works. Baritone Marco Nisticò — who appeared in this past winter’s comic double bill Rita and Susanna’s Secret — will reprise the title role of the vengeful court jester, which he sang with the company in 2012. Also returning after his critically hailed appearance in the same comic double bill will be tenor William Davenport as the lustful Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto’s naive daughter Gilda will be performed by Hanna Brammer — the “captivating” (Herald Tribune) Pamina in the past season’s The Magic Flute. Longtime Sarasota audience favorite Young Bok Kim (Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Timur in Turandot) returns to play the assassin Sparafucile. Maestro DeRenzi will conduct, with Stephanie Sundine directing. Rigoletto will open on November 1, 2019 with six performances through November 17, 2019.

The 2019 Fall Season will also include Sarasota Youth Opera’s revival of their acclaimed production of Brundibár by Czech composer Hans Krása. All solo roles will be sung by members of Sarasota Youth Opera, ages 8-18. The opera will be preceded by a powerful prologue by Sarasota Youth Opera Music Director Jesse Martins and stage director Martha Collins, featuring quotes from children throughout history. Brundibár will be performed November 15 and 16 at 7pm.

2020 Winter Season

Sarasota Opera will open the 2020 Winter Festival Season with Puccini’s La bohème, one of the most popular operas in the repertoire and a company favorite since 1960. The poet Rodolfo will be performed by tenor William Davenport (Rita, Susanna’s Secret). His neighbor Mimì will be played by soprano Anna Mandina, returning from her acclaimed performance as Lìu in Turandot. The painter Marcello will be sung by returning baritone Filippo Fontana, who — following last season’s roles in The Barber of Seville and Turandot — is spending the summer on the roster of major international theaters such as Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera and Milan’s La Scala. The flirtatious Musetta, Marcello’s former flame, will be played by soprano Jessica Sandidge, making her company debut. New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini describes her as possessing “a melting soprano voice.” Rounding out the cast is the philosopher Colline, played by longtime Sarasota audience favorite bass Young Bok Kim. Maestro DeRenzi will conduct, with stage direction by Mark Freiman (Norma, The Magic Flute). La bohème will open the Winter Festival on Saturday, February 8 and continue through Saturday, March 21, 2020.

Charles Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet, not seen at Sarasota Opera since 1993, is the second offering in the 2020 Winter Festival. Portraying the world’s most famous lovers will reunite tenor Andrew Surrena and soprano Hanna Brammer, who played Tamino and Pamina in last season’s The Magic Flute. Juliet’s nurse Gertrude will be sung by mezzo soprano Lisa Chavez (Nabucco, Barber of Seville, Carmen) who made national headlines this summer as the lead character Maggie in New York City Opera’s world premiere of Stonewall. Romeo’s friend Mercutio will be performed by Matthew Hanscom, returning from his recent role as Papageno in The Magic Flute. Anthony Barrese — current artistic director and principal conductor of Opera Southwest in New Mexico — will be back at Sarasota Opera to conduct, with Martha Collins directing. Saturday, February 15 through Friday, March 20, 2020.

The third offering in the Winter Festival is The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti. The young peasant Nemorino will be played by Geoffrey Agpalo, “a wonderfully gifted tenor” (Broadway World) making his Sarasota Opera debut. The role of Nemorino’s love interest Adina will be performed by Sarasota native and former Youth Opera member Adelaide Boedecker, who sang a performance of Pamina in The Magic Flute last season. Comic bass Stefano de Peppo will return to play the traveling Doctor Dulcamara. Boastful sergeant Belcore will be played by baritone John Viscardi, hailed by critics for his “powerful, nuanced, and absolutely riveting” singing. Marco Nisticò — recently named as General Director of Opera on the James — will be making his mainstage directing debut. Returning maestro John F. Spencer IV will conduct. Saturday, February 22 through Saturday, March 21, 2020.

The final opera of the Winter Festival will be a new production of La Wally by Alfredo Catalani, a work not seen in the U.S. for more than 30 years. Italian soprano Teresa Romano will make her Sarasota Opera debut singing the title role. Ms. Romano has performed at La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, and numerous venues across Europe. Her suitor Gellner will be played by returning baritone Sean Anderson (The Marriage of Figaro, Die Fledermaus). The huntsman Hagenbach, Wally’s love interest, will be played by tenor Rafael Davila. A longtime favorite of Sarasota Opera audiences, Davila has performed leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Washington National Opera, Teatro San Carlo and other international companies. Young Bok Kim — another Sarasota audience favorite — will portray Wally’s father Stromminger. Lisa Chavez will play Hagenbach’s fiancee Afra. Stephanie Sundine — who sang the role of Wally in Sarasota Opera’s 1989 production — will be the stage director, with Maestro DeRenzi conducting. Saturday, March 7 through Sunday, March 22, 2020.

Ticket Information
Individual tickets — starting at only $19 — are available online now, and in-person at the Sarasota Opera box office beginning September 3rd. Subscriptions for the 2019-2020 Season are still available. Become a 4 or 5-opera subscriber for the best savings on tickets and to secure the best seats. For more information, visit SarasotaOpera.org, call (941) 328-1300, or visit in person at 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.