Glimmerglass Opera has announced that soprano Lyubov Petrova will make her company and role debut as Cleopatra in the company’s new production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, which will run July 6 through August 23 at the Alice Busch Opera Theater in Cooperstown, New York.
Earlier this month, the company announced that soprano Mary Dunleavy is pregnant and had withdrawn from the role of Cleopatra in consideration of her health, the health of her baby and in the best interest of the Glimmerglass production.
An alumna of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera, Petrova made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2001 as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos and has returned as Sophie in Werther, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Blondchen in Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, among others. Petrova appears as the Queen of the Night in the new film of The Magic Flute, directed by Kenneth Branagh and conducted by James Conlon.
Most recently, Petrova was seen as Angelica in Handel’s Orlando at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain, Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto at Washington National Opera and Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera at Houston Grand Opera. During the 2006-2007 season, Petrova was seen as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos in Madrid, as well as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette with Pittsburgh Opera and Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera, among other roles. Petrova has won first prize at both the 1999 International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers Competition and the 1998 International Rimsky- Korsakov Competition for Operatic Singers.
“We are absolutely delighted that Lyubov Petrova will be joining us this summer at Glimmerglass as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare in Egitto and have no doubt that her portrayal of this great character will be riveting,” said Michael MacLeod, Glimmerglass Opera General & Artistic Director.
The cast of Giulio Cesare in Egitto will also feature mezzo-soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen in her company debut as Giulio Cesare, French mezzo-soprano Aurhelia Varak in her U.S. stage debut as Sesto and countertenor Gerald Thompson in his company debut as Tolomeo. Mezzo-soprano Lucia Cervoni and baritone Jonathan Lasch, both members of Glimmerglass Opera’s 2008 Young American Artists Program, will sing the roles of Cornelia and Achilla, respectively.
Directed by Robin Guarino and conducted by David Stern, the production will feature costumes by Gabriel Berry and lighting by Robert Wierzel. Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto will run in repertory with three other works linked to Shakespeare: Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, the American fully-staged premiere of Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot and Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi. The four productions will be staged on a single set inspired by an Elizabethan theater, designed by Glimmerglass Opera Associate Artistic Director John Conklin. The company will also present two concert performances of Mendelssohn's Complete Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream. -- www.glimmerglass.org
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