Opera San José will conclude its 40th Anniversary season with the Bay
Area premiere of "Florencia en el Amazonas." Marrying romance with
magical realism, this enthralling opera was co-commissioned by Houston
Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Seattle Opera – making it the
first Spanish-language opera to be commissioned by major U.S. opera
houses. "Florencia en el Amazonas" premiered at the Metropolitan Opera
in November 2023 and this spring will debut at the California Theatre
as Opera San José’s first Spanish-language opera performed on its
mainstage. In this two-act opera, Mexican composer Daniel Catán
transports audiences to a 20th century riverboat sailing the Amazon
River. There, a famous opera singer is returning home to perform,
while hoping to reunite with her lover, a butterfly hunter who has
disappeared into the jungle. A story rich in allusion that bridges
drama and fantasy, "Florencia en el Amazonas" will be performed in
Spanish with English and Spanish supertitles. Celebrated Latina
international director Crystal Manich returns to OSJ where she helmed
the company’s award-winning production of West Side Story. Manich
was also nominated for a 2021 Emmy Award for her production of Daniel
Catán’s La Hija de Rappaccini. Working alongside Manich, Opera San
José has cast a trio of astronomical talent to inhabit the female
characters in the opera: soprano Marlen Nahhas in the title role of
Florencia Grimaldi, soprano Melissa Sondhi as Rosalba, and
mezzo-soprano Guadalupe Paz as Paula. Former Resident Artist and
favorite of OSJ audiences, baritone Efraín Solís, joins the cast as
Alvaro while tenor César Delgado will play Arcadio. Baritone Ricardo
José Rivera – who charmed audiences as Figaro in this season’s
The Barber of Seville – returns as Riolobo and bass-baritone Vartan
Gabrielian will take on the role of Captain. Opera San José Director
of Music Joseph Marcheso will conduct.
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06/05/2024 Last update