The 2019-2020 San Francisco Opera season opens on Friday night with the first of seven performances of Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. Performances continue through October 1st at the War Memorial Opera House.
This production, directed by Jean-Louis Grinda, is new to San Francisco Opera and marks the first time this opera has been performed there in 32 years. Grinda is director at Opéra de Monte-Carlo and this also marks his American directorial debut.
Starring as Romeo is Pene Pati. He had originally been booked to sing only the final performance. However it was announced today that Bryan Hamel, who was originally scheduled to sing all but that final performance, has left the production “for personal reasons.” Pati now sings all seven performances.
In the role of Juliet is Nadine Serra for all but the final performance. On October 1st, Amina Edris, who is also Pati’s wife, will perform the role. How interesting will that be to see a real-life husband and wife performing the role of Shakespeare’s ill-fated lovers?
Additional members of the company are Lucas Meachem as Mercutio, Timothy Mix as Capulet, James Creswell as Friar Lawrence, Daniel Montenegro as Tybalt, Philip Skinner as the Duke of Verona, Stephanie Lauricella as Stéphano and Eve Gigliotti as Gertrude. Yves Abel will conduct.
There will be a live and free simulcast of the September 21st performance at Oracle Park – the home of the San Francisco Giants.
Gounod’s opera runs slightly under three hours and has one intermission.
For tickets go here.
Photo of Roméo et Juliette by Alain Hanel/Courtesy of San Francisco Opera