Further Casting for ‘Il Barbieri,’ ‘Norma’ Given

Opera Pacific has announced further casting for Bellini’s “Norma” and Rossini’s “Il Barbieri di Siviglia” to be presented February at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

In “Norma,” soprano Nova Thomas will sing Adalgisa and tenor Cesar-Antonio Suarez will sing Pollione. Dame Joan Sutherland, in the title role, and conductor Richard Bonynge were announced previously. Dates for “Norma” are Feb. 11, 15, 18 and 24.

Thomas, whose coach is Bonynge, was a Metropolitan Opera audition finalist in 1984 and sang Michaele in Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Hamburg State Opera during the 1986-87 season. She is scheduled to appear with the Syracuse, Memphis, Indianapolis and San Diego operas in 1988-89.

The Cuban-born Suarez, who received scathing criticism when he sang Pollione at the San Francisco Opera in 1977, was more favorably reviewed in Verdi’s Requiem with the Pacific Symphony conducted by Keith Clark in April, 1987.

The stage director for “Norma” will be announced.

In “Il Barbieri,” mezzo-soprano Gail Dubinbaum will alternate with the previously announced Judith Forst as Rosina. Vincenzo La Scola will be Count Almaviva.

Dubinbaum will sing on Feb. 19 (matinee), 22 and 25 (evening); Forst, on Feb. 17, 19 (evening), 23 and 25 (matinee).

Dubinbaum is a former Metropolitan Opera audition winner and has been heard on numerous occasions in Los Angeles.

La Scola will be making his first U.S. appearance as Almaviva. A third-prize winner in the Enrico Caruso Competition in 1982, the Palermo-born tenor is scheduled to sing in Venice, Bergamo and Paris in 1988-89.

Casting for Opera Pacific’s production of Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady,” June 23-30 and July 1-2, has yet to be announced.