Sutherland to Sing ‘Norma’ in Opera Pacific’s 1989 Split Season

Dame Joan Sutherland and conductor Richard Bonynge will open Opera Pacific’s third season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with four performances of a new production of Bellini’s “Norma” in February 1989.

The season will be weighted evenly between musical theater and opera, with 12 performances of Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” balanced against seven of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and the four of “Norma.”

Dates for the Sutherland-Bonynge “Norma” will be Feb. 11, 14, 18 and 24, 1989.

The season’s two other productions will be split between February and June 1989.

--Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” on Feb. 17, 19, 22, 24 and 25.

--Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” on June 23-30 and July 1-2.

Stage director for “Norma” will be named later.

The cast of “Barbiere” will include Judith Forst as Rosina, Pablo Elvira as Figaro and Louis Quilico as Dr. Bartolo. All three have sung at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and Forst and Elvira also are well-known for their appearances with New York City Opera.

“Norma” and “Il Barbiere” will be sung in Italian, with English supertitles.

The set designs for “My Fair Lady” are by Robert O’Hearn. Costumes are by Charles R. Caine.

Other personnel and production details for the presentations will be announced at a later date.

“I’m particularly excited about the season,” Opera Pacific general director David DiChiera said in announcing the series.

“In ‘Norma,’ we’re going to cast Adalgisa as a soprano as was done originally, instead of as a mezzo which is what is usually done now.

“ ‘Barbiere’ is the San Francisco Opera production, with all the multirooms. It’s great fun. I’ve used it in the past (for Michigan Opera). We are going to bring in a new stage director, but I’m not free to announce the name yet.”

DiChiera said the O’Hearn sets for “My Fair Lady” were created for Michigan Opera Theatre in 1985 and will be used by Cleveland Opera before the Costa Mesa dates. DiChiera also is general director of the Michigan-based company.

DiChiera said he will utilize some operatically trained singers for “My Fair Lady.”

“Eliza will be a legitimate singer but probably not Higgins,” he said. “He will be a fairly well-known actor who sings.”

As for amplification at the Center, DiChiera said: “I would think we will not use it for the two operas but will use it for ‘My Fair Lady.’ Just like any of the musicals, we will need it. The operas are completely sung.”

DiChiera said he decided to split the offerings into two parts in order to facilitate growth of separate seasons for the Irvine-based company.

“Eventually, we will do a second piece, more in the lighter vein, in the summer. Then we will do another opera--a third--in the winter slot. This will allow us to grow without making great timedemands at any one period for the Center. Probably each change would be added a year at a time.”

DiChiera projects an operating budget of $4 million for the 1989 season.

“We’re hoping to keep our budget pretty much where it is this year, at $4 million. We will have to raise $1.5 million from private and public sources.”

Although Opera Pacific’s 1988 season ended on March 5, DiChiera said budget and attendance figures are not yet available.

“We’re just finishing up this year and putting all of the figures and expenses to bed,” he said. “A lot of expenses from the season are still straggling in. As for attendance figures, we haven’t correlated them with expenses and with what we earned in income. We should have that in the next several weeks. We’re trying to do it all in terms of total budget.”

DiChiera said he is not concerned that Opera Pacific presentations will be treading on the heels of the New York City Opera, which will be at the Center from Jan. 17-22. (During that week, City Opera will present Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote” and Lehar’s “The Merry Widow.”)

“The two seasons will give the Orange County audiences a rather nice palette to satisfy their appetites from,” he said.

“The two companies will have a different look about them. City Opera deals with young American artists. This company looks at more of the whole range--international artists, national and young artists. Each production is geared to specific performers.

“For me, what makes an opera come to life is when you have the artists you want to do. I wouldn’t be doing certain operas without some of the artists we are announcing.

“To do a bel canto masterpiece with Dame Joan before she brings her career to an end is also a great privilege.”

Subscription prices for two- and three-opera series package will range from $23-$189. Current Opera Pacific subscribers will be able to purchase series tickets in mid-April. Subscriptions will go on sale to the general public in early June. Single tickets will not be available until November. For information, call (714) 474-8000.