Duke Kim and Amina Edris star in a revival of one of LA Opera's signature productions

(Los Angeles) September 23, 2024 — From November 2 through 23, LA Opera will present Charles Gounod's 1867 French opera adaptation of the beloved Shakespeare tragedy: Romeo and Juliet. Tenor Duke Kim and soprano Amina Edris will make their company debuts in the title roles. The performances will be conducted by Venezuelan conductor Domingo Hindoyan in his LA Opera debut (November 2 through 17) and by LA Opera Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados (November 20 and 23). This will be a highly anticipated revival of one of LA Opera's signature productions, originally created by director Ian Judge and previously presented in 2005 and 2011. Kitty McNamee will make her company debut as director and will also be the choreographer; she was the choreographer for both of this production's previous stagings.

"Audiences rapturously hailed this staging of Romeo and Juliet when we first unveiled it in 2005, and the 2011 return engagement cemented its reputation as one of our landmark productions,” said Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera's president and CEO. “This opera truly shines with brilliant young singers as Shakespeare's iconic star-crossed lovers, so it is a great pleasure for me to welcome two wonderful rising stars, Duke Kim and Amina Edris, in the leading roles for this long anticipated revival."

About Romeo and Juliet
Two feuding families rule Verona, with the Montagues and Capulets each determined to write their victory in blood. A chance meeting between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet sparks a forbidden romance. But it wouldn’t be a Shakespearean tragedy without...well...tragedy. Gounod’s lush and romantic score dazzles with swirling waltzes, dramatic choruses and an exquisite flood of sublime duets for the iconic star-crossed lovers. Enter a sensuous, elegant world of vengeful duels and youthful passion as this beloved classic returns to LA Opera for the first time in over a decade.

Gounod and his librettists made significant changes to Shakespeare’s tragedy in order to make their adaptation more suitable for the operatic stage. Plot elements that did not focus specifically on the two protagonists were pared down or eliminated. The opera’s four love duets, an unusual and unprecedented number, are particular highlights of the score, with the lovers gradually shifting from the alternating vocal lines of the first duet to the thrilling unison melodies in the fourth. The most drastic plot alteration occurs in the final scene; while Shakespeare’s Juliet revives only after Romeo has died, the opera’s heroine awakens in time to share a final duet with the dying Romeo. Other musical highlights include Mercutio’s sparkling Queen Mab soliloquy, Juliet’s coloratura waltz aria “Je veux vivre” and Romeo’s ravishing “Ah! lève-toi, soleil.” Gounod’s skillful writing for the chorus is particularly memorable in the third act’s confrontation between the Capulets and Montagues.

Meet the Cast
The cast is led by two fast rising artists making their first Los Angeles appearances: South Korean tenor Duke Kim as Romeo and Egyptian-New Zealand soprano Amina Edris as Juliet. Baritone Justin Austin makes his mainstage company debut as Mercutio, the first of two roles he will perform in Los Angeles this season, with a return as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. Bass-baritone Craig Colclough, a longtime company favorite, will appear as Count Capulet, his 14th LA Opera role. Chinese bass Wei Wu, currently appearing with the company as the Bonze in Madame Butterfly, will return as Friar Laurence, and mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel, who recently appeared in Los Angeles as Aunt Lou in Highway 1, USA and as a soloist in Joel Thompson's Fire and Blue Sky, will return as Gertrude, Juliet's nurse. [Casting update (October 10, 2024): the role of Gertrude will be performed by Margaret Gawrysiak in her company debut.] Mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm will make her debut in the trouser role of Stephano, Romeo's page, who sets off a bloody confrontation between the Capulets and the Montagues.

Three members of LA Opera's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program will perform in Romeo and Juliet. Brazilian bass-baritone Vinícius Costa, current appearing as the Imperial Commissioner in Madame Butterfly, returns as the Duke of Verona. Chinese tenor Yuntong Han will make his company debut as Tybalt and Nathan Bowles will make his company debut as Benvolio. A former member of that program, baritone Ryan Wolfe, returns as Count Paris.

The Creative Team
Venezuelan conductor Domingo Hindoyan, the chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, will make his company debut leading the first four performances of Romeo and Juliet. Columbian-American conductor Lina González-Granados, LA Opera's Resident Conductor, will conduct the final two performances.

Kitty McNamee, who choreographed the 2005 and 2011 presentations of Romeo and Juliet, will wear two hats for this season's revival: in addition to serving as choreographer, she will make her company debut as stage director. The production was originally created by director Ian Judge. The scenery was designed by the late John Gunther and the costumes were designed by Tim Goodchild. Nigel Levings was the original lighting designer of the production; Duane Schuler will serve as revival lighting designer. Jeremy Frank is the chorus director. Fight director Andrew Kenneth Moss will stage the production's extensive combat scenes and the intimacy director is Sara E. Widzer.

Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of Romeo and Juliet presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:

• Saturday, November 2, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 2pm
• Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 2pm
• Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 7:30pm

Tickets
Tickets begin at $33.50 and 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.

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet (Roméo et Juliette) is sung in French with an English translation projected above the stage.

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. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

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

Production made possible by generous support from
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Alfred and Claude Mann Fund
Barbara Augusta Teichert

Special additional support from
The Armenian Consortium

With special appreciation to
Régina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten

Amina Edris’ appearance is generously underwritten by a gift from
The Piera Barbaglia Shaheen Next Generation Artist Award

Domingo Hindoyan’s appearance made possible by generous support from
The Eva and Marc Stern Principal Artists Fund

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.