Jonas Kaufmann Returns to the Met in La Fanciulla del West, Sharing the Role of Dick Johnson with Yusif Eyvazov, Opposite Eva-Maria Westbroek as Minnie

Jonas Kaufmann Returns to the Met in La Fanciulla del West, Sharing the Role of Dick Johnson with Yusif Eyvazov, Opposite Eva-Maria Westbroek as Minnie

• Puccini’s operatic epic of the Wild West is transmitted live around the world on October 27 as a part of The Met: Live in HD series

New York, NY (October 1, 2018) – Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West returns to the Metropolitan Opera for seven performances from Thursday, October 4, 2018. Yusif Eyvazov and Jonas Kaufmann share the role of the outlaw Dick Johnson, opposite Eva-Maria Westbroek in the title role of the saloon owner, Minnie, and Željko Lučić as the sheriff, Jack Rance. Marco Armiliato conducts all performances of Giancarlo del Monaco’s 1991 production. The matinee on Saturday, October 27, will be transmitted throughout the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD series. Set during the California Gold Rush, La Fanciulla del West had its world premiere at the Met in 1910, with the composer himself in the audience.

Eva-Maria Westbroek has previously sung Minnie at La Scala and the Vienna State Opera. She made her Met debut in 2011 as Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre,followed by performances in the title role of Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini, as Katerina Ismailova in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and as Elisabeth in Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Later this season at the Met, with the return of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, she returns to the role of Sieglinde.

Yusif Eyvazov (October 4, 8, 12) makes his role debut as Dick Johnson. Last season, he made a Met role debut as Cavaradossi opposite Anna Netrebko in Puccini’s Tosca, a role he previously sang at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2011. He made his Met debut in 2015 singing Calàf in Puccini’s Turandot and also performed at the Met’s 50 Years at Lincoln Center gala. Upcoming performances include Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca at Prague Opera, the title role in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier at the Vienna State Opera, and Don Alvaro in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Jonas Kaufmann (October 17, 20, 23, 27) makes his Met role debut as Dick Johnson. His previous starring roles at the Met have included the title characters in new productions of Wagner’s Parsifal andGounod’s Faust,as well as Siegmund in Wagner’s Die Walküre. He made his debut in 2006 as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. His subsequent roles with the company have included Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte,Don José in Bizet’s Carmen,and Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca. Upcoming performances include the title role in Verdi’s Otello at the Bavarian State Opera, Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca at the Paris Opera, and Don Alvaro in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Željko Lučić made his Met debut in 2006 as Barnaba in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda and has sung 14 roles with the company, including the title role in Verdi’s Nabucco, Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida,Countdi Luna in Verdi’s Il Trovatore,and Iagoin a new production of Verdi’s Otello, which opened the 2015–16 season. His performances in Tosca, Otello, and in the title roles of Rigoletto and Macbeth have all been seen throughout the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD series. Later this season, he will return to the role of Iago.

Marco Armiliato has conducted more than 400 performances at the Met since his debut in 1998. In recent seasons, he has conducted performances at the Vienna State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Zurich Opera, and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Upcoming performances include Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, and Puccini’s Tosca at the Vienna State Opera; Verdi’s Il Trovatore at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Massenet’s Manon at the Zurich Opera.

La Fanciulla del West Radio Broadcasts and Live in HD

The October 27 matinee performance of La Fanciulla del West will be transmitted live around the world at 1PM. The transmission will be seen in more than 2,000 movie theaters in 73 countries around the world.

The October 4, 12, and 23 performances of La Fanciulla del West will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS XM Channel 75, and the October 12 performance will also be streamed live on the Met’s web site, www.metopera.org. 

For More Information

For more information on La Fanciulla del West, including casting by date, please click here.

La Fanciulla del West

Composer:                   Giacomo Puccini

Libretto:                       Carlo Zangarini

Performances:

Thursday, October 4 at 7.30 p.m.

Monday, October 8 at 7.30 p.m.

Friday, October 12 at 7.30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 17 at 7.30 p.m.

Saturday, October 20 at 8.00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 23 at 7.30 p.m.

Saturday, October 27 at 1.00 p.m.

Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund

Revival a gift of Rolex

For prices and ticket information, please call (212) 362-6000 or visit www.metopera.org.

Special rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling (212) 341-5410 or visiting www.metopera.org/groups.