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Rigoletto A tragic story of jealousy, vengeance and sacrifice, Rigoletto is one of Verdi’s most popular operas. Jonathan Miller’s much-loved ‘Mafia’ production makes a welcome return to the ENO stage, relocating the action to New York’s Little Italy in the 1950s. Verdi’s thrilling score will be conducted by Sir Richard Armstrong and features some of opera’s most immediately recognisable music, including ‘Women abandon us’ (‘La donna è mobile’). Leading the cast is Nicholas Pallesen in the title role, alongside lyric tenor Joshua Guerrero as The Duke and Sydney Mancasola as Rigoletto’s love-stricken daughter Gilda. Rigoletto opens on Thursday 2 February 2017 at 7.30pm for 9 performances. Tickets are available at eno.org/020 7845 9300 The Pirates of Penzance A swashbuckling farce of brilliant humour and razor-sharp wit, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is the perfect night out. The sparkling score is chock-full of memorable melodies, including the famous tongue-twisting Major-General’s Song and the cowardly Police Sergeant’s ‘When a felon’s not engaged in his employment’. For the first revival of filmmaker Mike Leigh’s smash-hit production, ENO favourite Andrew Shore returns to sing the role of the Major General alongside John Tomlinson as the Sergeant of Police. ENO Harewood Artists David Webb and Soraya Mafi sing the roles of the young lovers, Frederic and Mabel, and Gareth Jones conducts. The Pirates of Penzance opens on Thursday 9 February 2017 at 7.30pm for 16 performances. Tickets are available at eno.org/020 7845 9300 The Winter’s Tale A world premiere from ENO’s composer-in-residence Ryan Wigglesworth, The Winter‘s Tale is a compelling new interpretation of Shakespeare’s tale of love, loss and reconciliation. This new work will be directed by Olivier Award-winning actor Rory Kinnear, who brings his considerable Shakespearean experience (as the National Theatre’s Hamlet and Iago) to the production in his directorial debut. The highly acclaimed British cast includes three international singers whose careers were nurtured by ENO: Iain Paterson, Sophie Bevan and Leigh Melrose. They are joined by former ENO Harewood Artist Anthony Gregory and company favourite Susan Bickley. Ryan Wigglesworth conducts this world premiere performance of his first opera. The Winters Tale opens on Thursday 27 February 2017 at 7.30pm for 5 performances. Tickets are available at eno.org/0207845 9300 Partenope Combining glittering arias and wonderful ensembles, Handel’s comic masterpiece follows the exploits of four rival suitors in pursuit of Partenope’s love. Christopher Alden’s Olivier Award-winning production – with designs inspired by the Surrealist imagery of Man Ray and 1920s Paris – returns for its first revival. Baroque-specialist Christian Curnyn conducts a world-class cast, including soprano Sarah Tynan, mezzo soprano Patricia Bardon, and tenor Robert Murray. Partenope opens on Wednesday 15 March 2017 at 7.00pm for 5 performances. Tickets are available at eno.org/020 7845 9300 Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD – Performed at Hackney Empire Hackney Empire and English National Opera present the European Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, a jazz-infused chamber ‘be-bopera’ by Daniel Schnyder with libretto by award winning African-American poet Bridgette A. Wimberly. Lawrence Brownlee stars as the legendary saxophonist—a role crafted around the effortless, improvisational style that makes him one of music’s most sought after tenors. This project is the first in a series of work planned in partnership with English National Opera, Hackney Empire and Opera Philadelphia, to engage with a diverse range of artists and audience members through opera. Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD opens on Friday 9 June 2017 at 7.30pm for 5 performances. Tickets are available at eno.org/020 8985 2424 |
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Music Reviews
