Opera Pacific Selects 3 Works for Winter

Opera Pacific will present three operas for its 1991 winter season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, company officials announced Monday.

The company’s fifth season will open Jan. 12 with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” It will run through Jan. 19 and followed by Bizet’s “Les Pecheurs de Perles” (Feb. 15-March 3) and Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” (Feb. 20-March 2). Productions of the Puccini and Verdi works were designed for Washington (D.C.) Opera; the Bizet production was staged originally for Fort Worth Opera. Stage directors for the Costa Mesa performances will be named later.

A summer program, which may include more than one work, will be announced within eight weeks, general director David DiChiera said in a phone interview from Detroit, where he is also general director of Michigan Opera Theatre.

Bizet’s work signals a five-year commitment to French opera, according to DiChiera. The schedule will include Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila,” in a co-production with Houston Grand Opera for 1992 (Beni Montresor will be the designer); a new production of Gounod’s “Faust,” directed by David Alden, for 1993; a new production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” for 1994, and Meyerbeer’s “Les Huguenots” for 1995.

“Butterfly” will be sung by two casts. Yoko Watanabe and Elizabeth Hynes will alternate as Cio-Cio San. Watanabe will sing Jan. 12, 17 and 19; Hynes will sing Jan. 13 (matinee) and 18. Jonathan Welch and a tenor to be named will alternate as Pinkerton. Welch will sing Jan. 12, 17 and 19.

At all performances, Gail Dubinbaum, who sang Rosina in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” last year for Opera Pacific, will be Suzuki; and Andreas Poulimenos, seen last year in Verdi’s “La Traviata” for Opera Pacific, will be Sharpless.

The conductor will be John Mauceri, an Opera Pacific veteran who led Puccini’s “La Boheme” in 1987 and Verdi’s “Aida” in 1988 at the Center. The production comes from Washington Opera, with sets designed by Ming Cho Lee in 1977 and costumes by Zack Brown in 1981.

Bizet’s “Les Pecheurs” will also be double-cast. Janice Hall and a soprano to be named will alternate as Leila. Hall will sing Feb. 15, 21 and 23. Alternating as Nadir will be Marcello Giordani and Jianyi Zhang. Giordani will sing Feb. 15, 21 and 23; Zhang on March 1 and 3 (matinee).

James Dietsch will be Zurga and Kenneth Cox will be Nourabad on Feb. 15, 21 and 23. Alternates in these roles will sing March 1 and 3 (matinee).

The conductor will be Mark Flint, another Opera Pacific veteran who conducted “La Traviata” and “Il Barbiere” last year at the Center. The sets by Johniene Papandreas and costumes by Marjorie McCown were designed for Fort Worth Opera in 1983.

In “Ballo,” Leona Mitchell and Priscilla Baskerville will alternate as Amelia. Mitchell will sing Feb. 20, 24 (matinee) and 28; Baskerville will sing Feb. 22 and March 2.

Vyacheslav Polozov and a tenor to be named will alternate as Riccardo. Polozov will sing Feb. 20, 24 (matinee) and 27. Timothy Noble will be Renato at all performances.

The conductor will be Louis Salemno, who recently led Puccini’s “Turandot” for Opera Pacific at the Center. The sets and costumes by Zack Brown were originally designed in 1980 for the Washington Opera.

Additional casting for all three works will be announced. Subscription tickets will range from $54 to $550. Information: (714) 979-7000.