Saturday, August 2, 7:30 p.m., Orcas Center
— from Artha Kass —
Renée Fleming sings one of her greatest roles as the innocent Desdemona in Verdi’s towering tragedy Otello streaming to Orcas Center as part of The Met: Live in HD Summer Encores on Saturday, August 2 at 7:30 pm.
South African tenor Johan Botha sings the title role, one of the most demanding parts in the operatic repertory, with German baritone Falk Struckmann as the treacherous villain Iago. Rising American tenor Michael Fabiano makes his Live in HD debut as Cassio in Verdi’s dramatic masterpiece, which is based on Shakespeare’s play. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, one of the Met’s leading Verdi stars, hosts the transmission and conducts backstage interviews with the stars.
“The return of Otello to the Met stage provides an ideal vehicle for Ms. Fleming, who can still be convincing as a naïve young woman in love, albeit one a bit careless with her handkerchiefs, so well-bred and chaste she cannot bring herself even to say the word “whore.” Fleming’s rich, full tones, as true as crystal, can produce such gentleness, anguish, and prayerful pleading that she could break your heart. An accomplished actress, her deft phrasing creates a real empathy with one of the theater’s most pitiable characters.” —Huffington Post
Tickets for Otello from The Met: Live in HD Summer Encores are $18 for adults, $13 students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon – 4 pm. For more information about Orcas Center 2014 season events, please visit www.orcascenter.org.
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