(Los Angeles) July 11, 2024 — LA Opera announces complete casting and creative team details for the 2024/25 season's five mainstage productions.

A notable addition to the roster since the original season announcement on February 3, 2024, Kitty McNamee will make her company debut as director with Romeo and Juliet, for which she will also return as choreographer. To date, she has been the choreographer of 14 LA Opera productions of eight different operas including, most recently, Turandot. She was the choreographer of the company's previous presentations of Romeo and Juliet in 2005 and 2011.

Additionally, Shawna Lucey will now direct Così fan tutte. The production was created by director Michael Cavanagh, who passed away earlier this year. She made her LA Opera debut last season, directing her acclaimed production of La Traviata.

Among the newly announced artists appearing in principal roles, mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel (Highway 1, USA and Fire and Blue Sky) will return as Gertrude in Romeo and Juliet. Bass Wei Wu will appear as the Bonze in Madame Butterfly in addition to his previously announced return as Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. Debuting artists include mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm as Stephano in Romeo and Juliet, flamenco singer Alfredo Tejada as Ruiz Alonso in Ainadamar and baritone Blake Denson as Count Monterone in Rigoletto. Throughout the season, members of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program will also appear in important roles.

Full details for the 2024/25 season can be found at LAOpera.org.

Madame Butterfly (September 21 through October 13, 2024)
Cio Cio San: Karah Son *
Pinkerton: Jonathan Tetelman *
Suzuki: Hyona Kim *
Sharpless: Michael Sumuel
Goro: Rodell Aure Rosel
Prince Yamadori: Hyungjin Son * †
Bonze: Wei Wu
Imperial Commissioner: Vinícius Costa * †
Kate Pinkerton: Gabrielle Turgeon * †
Official Registrar: Ryan Wolfe ‡

Conductor: James Conlon
Production: Mario Gas *
Associate Director: Brenna Corner
Scenic Designer: Ezio Frigerio *
Costume Designer: Franca Squarciapino *
Original Lighting Designer: Vinicio Cheli *
Revival Lighting Designer: Pablo Santiago
Chorus Director: Jeremy Frank

Romeo and Juliet (November 2 through 23, 2024)
Romeo: Duke Kim *
Juliet: Amina Edris *
Mercutio: Justin Austin *
Friar Laurence: Wei Wu
Count Capulet: Craig Colclough
Tybalt: Yuntong Han * †
Duke of Verona: Vinícius Costa †
Stephano: Laura Krumm *
Gertrude: Deborah Nansteel
Gregorio: Hyungjin Son †
Benvolio: Nathan Bowles * †
Count Paris: Ryan Wolfe ‡

Conductor (November 2-17) : Domingo Hindoyan *
Conductor (November 20-23): Lina González-Granados
Original Production: Ian Judge
Director/Choreographer: Kitty McNamee (LAO debut as director)
Scenic Designer: John Gunter
Costume Designer: Tim Goodchild
Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
Chorus Director: Jeremy Frank

Così fan tutte (March 8 through 30, 2025)
Fiordiligi: Erica Petrocelli ‡
Dorabella: Rihab Chaieb
Ferrando: Anthony León ‡
Guglielmo: Justin Austin
Despina: Ana María Martínez
Don Alfonso: Rod Gilfry

Conductor: James Conlon
Original Production: Michael Cavanagh *
Director: Shawna Lucey
Scenery Designer: Erhard Rom *
Costume Designer: Constance Hoffman
Lighting Designer: Jane Cox *
Chorus Director: Jeremy Frank

Ainadamar: The Fountain of Tears (April 26 through May 18, 2025)
Margarita Xirgu: Ana María Martínez
Federico García Lorca: Daniela Mack
Nuria: Vanessa Becerra ‡
Ruiz Alonso: Alfredo Tejada *
Voice of the Fountain (soprano): Gabrielle Turgeon
Voice of the Fountain (mezzo-soprano): Abi Levis ‡
Maestro: Hyungjin Son †
Torero: Nathan Bowles †
José Tripaldi: Vinícius Costa †

Conductor: Lina González-Granados
Director: Deborah Colker *
Associate Director: Roxana Haines *
Scenic and Costume Designer: Jon Bausor *
Lighting Designer: Paul Keogan *
Video Designer: Tal Rosner *
Chorus Director: Jeremy Frank
Choreographer: Antonio Najarro *

Rigoletto (May 31 through June 21, 2025)
Rigoletto: Quinn Kelsey
Gilda: Rosa Feola *
Duke of Mantua: René Barbera
Count Monterone: Blake Denson *
Sparafucile: Peixin Chen
Maddalena: Sarah Saturnino ‡
Marullo: Hyungjin Son †
Borsa: Nathan Bowles †
Count Ceprano: Vinícius Costa †
Giovanna: Madeleine Lyon ‡
Countess Ceprano / Page: Gabrielle Turgeon †

Conductor: James Conlon
Production: Tomer Zvulun *
Scenic Designer: Erhard Rom
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn *
Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel
Chorus Director: Jeremy Frank
Choreographer: Ricardo Aponte *

* LA Opera debut
† Member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program
‡ Former member of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program

Ticket Info
Season tickets as well as tickets for individual performances are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.

Artist headshots and production photographs are available here.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. The company also offers a multitude of online content via its LA Opera On Now digital offerings, which launched in 2020. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

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