Welsh National Opera’s Summer season is a Viennese whirl with the cherry on the cake being a new production of Richard Strauss’s rich and sumptuous comedy Der Rosenkavalier with Rebecca Evans singing her first Marschallin. Alongside will be the lighter fare of Die Fledermaus.
Company’s new Music Director, Tomáš Hanus, will be making his British operatic debut.
Czech conductor Tomáš Hanus’ career includes conducting at major European opera houses including the Dresden Semperoper, the Bavarian State Opera, the Royal Danish Opera, the Norwegian National Opera and Teatro Real Madrid as well as conducting symphony orchestras around the world.
Soprano Rebecca Evans will be making a role debut in the iconic role of The Marschallin in the new production of Der Rosenkavalier. She says “I am hugely looking forward to pursuing Richard Strauss’ love affair with the soprano voice from the mature perspective of The Marschallin. Whilst delicately mourning the loss of her youth and the inconstancy of men she remains full of grace, passion and generosity- truly a character to be relished and treasured.”
Also joining the cast for Der Rosenkavalier are Brindley Sherratt (Baron Ochs), Lucia Cervoni (Octavian), Louise Adler (Sophie), Adrian Clarke (Faninal), Madeleine Shaw (Annina), Paul Charles Clarke (Italian Singer) and Matthew Hargreaves (Police Commissar).
In her WNO directorial debut, Olivia Fuchs will direct this new production, which is a co-production with Theater Magdeburg. Olivia will be working with Niki Turner as designer. Both have worked together previously for Opera Australia on an award-winning production of Rusalka.
Director John Copley returns to WNO for the revival of his production of Die Fledermaus. Die Fledermaus will be sung in English with translation by David Pountney and dialogue by John Copley.
The cast for Die Fledermaus includes Mary Elizabeth Williams in the role of Rosalinde who returns to WNO following recent performances as Lady Macbeth during the Company’s Autumn 2016 season. Mark Stone takes the role of her errant husband Eisenstein, returning to WNO following his role as Count Almaviva last spring. They will be joined by Ben McAteer (Falke), Rhian Lois (Adele), Alan Opie (Frank), Paul Charles Clarke (Alfred), and Emma Carrington (Orlofsky).
Also joining the cast in the role of the jailer, Frosch, is Welsh actor Steve Speirs. Better known to some as Alan in the Sky One series Stella, Steve has appeared in TV shows including Extras, Doctor Who and Miranda, and has also appeared in feature films including Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
The Summer season opens in Cardiff on 20 May, and tours to Birmingham where audiences will also get a chance to see WNO’s classic production of Madam Butterfly. WNO will also return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 19 and 20 July with the London première performances of André Tchaikowsky’s The Merchant of Venice, which WNO performed in Cardiff and on tour during the Autumn 2016 season.
An immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience will also launch in Summer 2017 as part of the Cardiff Festival. The experience is free entry and will be presented inside a shipping container situated outside Wales Millennium Centre.
For further information, visit wno.org.uk
We have ONE pair of tickets for WNO’s Fledermaus at Wales Millennium Centre for £60. The money goes to Wales Critics Fund to support reviewing in Wales. Just email walestheatreawards@gmail.com