NYCO Tells Casting for Center Run

New York City Opera has announced casting for productions of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote” and Lehar’s “The Merry Widow,” to be staged in January at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Pablo Elvira will sing the title role in “Rigoletto,” conducted by Scott Bergeson, on Jan. 17 and 19. Faith Esham will be Gilda. Jon Garrison and Frederic Kalt will sing the Duke of Mantua on Jan. 17 and 19, respectively. Mark S. Doss will be Sparafucile. Susanne Marsee will be Maddalena on Jan. 17; Janis Eckhart on Jan. 19.

Tito Capobianco’s staging will be re-created by James Furlong. Sets and costumes are by Carl Toms.

For “Die Zauberflote,” in which Lotfi Mansouri’s staging will be re-created by Laura Alley, Elizabeth Hynes will sing Pamina on Jan. 18 and 20. Walter MacNeil and Garrison will be Tamino on Jan. 18 and 20, respectively. The Queen of the Night will be sung by Rachel Rosales on Jan. 18 and by Virginia Sublett on Jan. 20. Other principals include Stephen Dickson as Papageno, Rodney Godshall as Sarastro, Michele McBride as Papagena and Richard Fracker as Monostatos.

Sergiu Comissiona will conduct both performances. Sets and costumes are by Thierry Bosquet.

Imre Pallo will conduct “The Merry Widow” at 2 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 21 and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22. Leigh Munro will sing Sonia at the matinee performances; McBride at the Jan. 21 evening performance. Louis Otey will sing Count Danilo at each performance.

Ronald Bentley’s staging will be re-created by Cynthia Edwards. Sets are by Helen Pond and Herbert Senn; costumes by Suzanne Mess.