Premieres nationwide Sunday, February 24 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings)
Season 13 of Great Performances at the Met continues Sunday, February 24 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) with Puccini’s blazing love story La Fanciulla del West. Based on David Belasco’s play The Girl of the Golden West, Puccini’s American opera stars Eva-Maria Westbroek as the heroine Minnie alongside Jonas Kaufmann as the outlaw she loves, Dick Johnson. Željko Lučić, Carlo Bosi, Michael Todd Simpson, Matthew Rose and Oren Gradus round out the cast. Marco Armiliato conducts.
Giancarlo del Monaco’s production is set during the California Gold Rush of the 19th century at the Polka Saloon, owned by Minnie. A strong and independent woman, Minnie has won the affection of the many men at the miners’ camp who frequent her saloon, including that of Jack Rance, the camp’s cynical sheriff. Later, a stranger enters the saloon and introduces himself as Dick Johnson. Minnie recognizes Dick as a man she once met on the road, but little does she know that he is actually Ramerrez, the notorious Mexican bandit on the run from authorities. Minnie and Dick begin a forbidden romance, but when his true identity is revealed, it is up to Minnie to save him in this western tale of sacrifice and redemption. Susanna Phillips hosts.
Notable Talent:
• Eva-Maria Westbroek – Minnie
• Jonas Kaufmann – Dick Johnson
• Željko Lučić – Jack Rance
• Carlo Bosi – Nick
• Michael Todd Simpson – Sonora
• Matthew Rose – Ashby
• Oren Gradus – Jake Wallace
• Susanna Phillips – Host
Run time: 2.5 hours
Production Credits:
• Marco Armiliato – Conductor
• Giancarlo del Monaco – Production
• Michael Scott – Set and Costume Designer
• Gil Wechsler – Lighting Designer
For the Met, Gary Halvorson directs the telecast. David Frost is Music Producer. Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.
Underwriters:
Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home builder®. Major funding for the Met Opera presentation is provided by M. Beverly and Robert G. Bartner, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This Great Performances presentation is funded by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, and public television viewers.
