Greenbelt’s Met Opera in HD screens Rigoletto set in Las Vegas

October 14, 2014, 6:30 PM

Greenbelt 3 (Cinema 1)

Ayala Center, Makati

Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic opera Rigoletto opens to the public the Metropolitan Opera high definition (HD) screening series this October 14, 2014, 6:30 PM at Cinema 1 of Greenbelt 3 at the Ayala Center, Makati. This radical production of Rigoletto, directed by Michael Mayer, takes the opera to Las Vegas during the 1960’s from its original setting of Mantua circa the 1600’s.

I am not sure if what will be screened in Greenbelt is the exact the same show that I saw back at the CCP with Željko Lučić and as Rigoletto, Diana Damrau as Gilda, Piotr Beczala as The Duke, Štefan Kocán as Sparafucile, and Oksana Volkova as Maddalena. But flyers distributed for this upcoming series has listed the re-run of the production with a new cast led by Dmitri Hvorostrovsky as Rigoletto, Matthew Polenzani as The Duke, with Irina Lungu and Sonya Yoncheva making their Met debuts alternating as Gilda. But for those who missed the CCP screening last year, or for those who watched the recent Rigoletto production and still want more, this production set in Las Vegas with the gambling and neon lights, is a must see.

Other screenings scheduled for this season are Antonín Dvorák’s Rusalka on November 18, 2014, Giuseppe Verdi’s Othello on December 16, 2014, Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème on January 13, 2015, Jules Massenet’s Werther on February 10, 2015 and George Friedrich Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Enchanted Island on March 13, 2015. All screenings will start at 6:30 PM. 

The Met Opera in HD series is made possible through the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc. in cooperation with the Ayala Malls Cinemas and Greenbelt.

Ticket price:

P400

For inquiries:

Dominique Dionisio (0929) 784-8783

Barbie Maceda (0917) 887-9687

Korean opera singers headline Rigoletto at the CCP

August 22, 2014, 7:00 PM

August 24, 2014, 3:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Daesan No, baritone

Yun-Kyoung Yi, soprano

Jae-Wook Lee, tenor

Ronan Ferrer, tenor

Nenen Espina, mezzo soprano

Thea Perez, soprano

Jun Francis Jaranilla, bass

Noel Azcona, baritone

Coro Tomasino

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Jae-Joon Lee, conductor

After taking a breather last year, full length opera productions are back as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with Filipino Opera Society Foundation Inc., Bohol Restoration Group, and the Rustan Group of Companies, stages Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto with a Gala performance August 22, 2014, 7:00 PM and a Matinee performance on August 24, 2014, 3:00 PM at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

This production of Rigoletto, a dark and tragic opera considered as Verdi’s first masterpiece from his middle to late period, will feature the core cast and team from the CCP’s 2012 production of La Traviata. Leading the cast are the trio of Koreans namely baritone Daesan No, soprano Yun-Kyoung Yi and tenor Jae-Wook Lee essaying the lead roles in this opera. Music director in this production is Jae-Joon Lee who will be conducting the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra while Floy Quintos will be the stage director. Rounding up the cast are noted Filipino vocalists namely Ronan Ferrer, Nenen Espina, Thea Perez, Jun Francis Jaranilla, Noel Azcona, and members of the Coro Tomasino.

Baritone Daesan No and soprano Yun-Kyoung Yi’s last visit in Manila had them performing at the Ayala Museum and at the CCP with the UST Symphony Orchestra earlier this year. Rigoletto will be tenor Jae-Wook Lee’s first return to Manila since La Traviata back in 2012.

Dr. Raul Sunico, Elisanta Cortes, Nenen Espina, Ronan Ferrer, Mary Anne Espina,
 and Jun Jaranilla at the Rigoletto press conference

During the press conference held at the Diamond Hotel, I was able to ask Dr. Raul Sunico, president of the CCP, if this production of Rigoletto will be presented traditionally like La Traviata or will be more like Madame Butterfly which had an edgier take, both were CCP productions from 2012. He responded that he intends to stage Rigoletto as closely as how the composer, Verdi, intended it to be. So as the CCP aims to showcase the grandiose and lavish, visual spectacle of an opera, they also have to bear in mind the cost. And one measure is for director Floy Quintos to move forward a bit the setting since authentic costumes would be very expensive. But the production would still retain the feeling of being held centuries ago. One can breathe easy since this upcoming Rigoletto will be very much unlike the Metropolitan Opera’s production that took place in Las Vegas during the 1970’s instead of Mantua sometime in the 16^th century.

Rigoletto rehearsals at the CCP Main Theater Lobby

Proceeds from this production of Rigoletto will go to the rehabilitation of the heritage sites in Bohol destroyed by the recent earthquake and typhoon Yolanda through the Bohol Restoration Group.

Ticket prices:

August 22, 2014 Gala performance:

P2000 Orchestra Center

P1500 Orchestra Side

P800 Balcony I

P500 Balcony II

August 24, 2014 Matinee performance:

P1200 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I

P300 Balcony II

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Metropolitan Opera in HD: Rigoletto

Having watched a few full length opera productions, I went in to see the screening of Rigoletto by the Metropolitan Opera with more knowledge, confidence and also a more discerning eye and ear. Rigoletto was the second opera in a series of Metropolitan Opera productions  screened in high definition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Thankfully, I took the time to familiarize myself with the opera by Giuseppe Verdi since this particular staging deviated from the norm and moved the setting to Las Vegas during the 1960’s. As always, I viewed this production with the desire to know if the material would still hold up and be relevant in current times.

One thing that definitely worked with this Rigoletto was the stellar cast led by Željko Lučić in the title role. His Rigoletto was annoying at first but one could eventually feel his pain when tragedy fell upon him. Piotr Beczala’s portrayal of the Duke was spot on as well. He showed what an arrogant prick he was that one could easily hate. But his charm that made everyone swoon over him could not be denied. Lastly, Diana Damrau’s Gilda embodied youthful giddiness that made her aria Caro nome more memorable. I really adored her when she bit her lip in the midst of the aria and it made me realize that most audience members inside the Met would not have seen that. I was thankful at that moment for close up shots or else, I would’ve missed that nice touch as well. It was also interesting to see Štefan Kocán part of the cast again since he was also in Aida.

Moving the setting to Las Vegas looked like a perfect fit for Rigoletto at first glance. The decadence along with the seduction and betrayal in the opera is very much in line with the reputation of the Sin City. But the superstition element that goes with the curse that Rigoletto felt haunted him was a bit hard to reconcile with. Also, the ending could’ve been a lot different since the automobile would be able to rush the wounded Gilda to the nearest hospital in the 1960's. Alas, the father and daughter just resorted to singing it out. I just told myself to overlook these details and not let them ruin my satisfaction with the stellar performances of the main cast.

The running time of the screening was a lot longer than usual. While Aida had the behind the scenes footage showing during the actual intermission, Rigoletto had them separate instead. This enabled people to go on bathroom breaks without missing any of the bonus stuff. Behind the scenes footage from Rigoletto consisted of interviews with the main cast (Lučić, Beczala and Damrau), director Michael Mayer, set designer Christine Jones and costume designer Susan Hiferty by Renée Fleming. I wish that the conductor Michele Mariotti was also interviewed but unfortunately, he wasn't. A preview of Parsifal was also shown alongside with interviews with the leads Jonas Kaufman and Katarina Dalayman. Unfortunately, the viewers inside the theater who were intrigued by this production had to be disappointed since Parsifal is not part of the screenings offered by the CCP.

I’ve always wanted to see a drastic and radical interpretation of a well known opera to see how the material could be handled and given a new spin. And this screening of Rigoletto managed to satisfy this curiosity. The Metropolitan Opera in HD series at the CCP continues with L’Elisir d’Amore on May 28, 2013 with screenings starting at 2:00 & 7:00 PM.

Met Opera screenings at the CCP continue with Rigoletto

April 16, 2013, 2:00 & 7:00 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

The high definition screenings of Metropolitan Opera productions continue this April 16, 2013 with Rigoletto. Responding to feedback after the screening of Aida, the screening times for Rigoletto will be held earlier at 2:00 and 7:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

This screening of Rigoletto will be different take as this will be set in Las Vegas during the 1960’s compared to the traditional Mantua sometime in the sixteenth century. This could ruffle the feathers of some opera purists but I’ve always been interested in watching a classic opera set in modern times and see if the material will hold up pretty well and still be relevant.

This opera by Giuseppe Verdi tells the tale of the hunchback Rigoletto, the sidekick of the Duke who is a playboy. A jester who constantly ridicules, Rigoletto earns the ire of Monterone and places a curse on him. This curse will haunt him and his daughter, Gilda throughout the opera. And as expected, things end up in tragedy which is a norm in opera such as these. The Duke’s La donna è mobile is definitely the most popular tune while Questa o quella and Caro nome are also considered as among the familiar tunes from this opera.

Željko Lučić leads the cast as Rigoletto. Joining him are Piotr Beczala as the Duke and Diana Damrau as Gilda. Robert Pomakov (Monterone), Štefan Kocán (Sparfucile), and Oksana Volkova (Maddalena) will also have featured roles in the opera. Michele Mariotti conducts, Michael Mayer directs this production.

Ticket price:

P500

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704, 832-1125 local 1409

TicketWorld 891-9999