Palm Beach Opera presents iconic romantic comedy “The Elixir of Love” at the Kravis Center on Feb. 25-27, featuring international artists, sparkling sets, and stunning music.
For the second mainstage opera of the historic 60th Anniversary Season, Palm Beach Opera is excited to present the charming opera “The Elixir of Love,” a bel canto classic featuring endearing characters and an exhilarating score in a fizzy, vibrant production. Created by prolific 19th century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, the heartwarming “Elixir” offers a dreamy escape for audiences of all ages, boasting a timeless story and universal appeal.
Palm Beach Opera’s Chief Conductor David Stern, who was praised by South Florida Classical Review for giving “full justice to Puccini’s glorious melodies” in the 2021 Festival performance of “La bohème,” will lead the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. The group has recently been celebrated as “brilliant” by Opera News for their performance in last month’s “Carmen.” Imaginative director and producer Fenlon Lamb, who has directed several PBO productions including the acclaimed “Tosca” in 2018 and the family-friendly “Hansel and Gretel” in 2019, returns to lead the cast.
Marking her Palm Beach Opera debut as Adina is Metropolitan Opera star and Ukrainian-Canadian soprano Andriana Chuchman, whose performance of the role has been celebrated as “irresistibly lively” by The New York Times. In another debut performance, award winning Guatemalan tenor Mario Chang will sing alongside Chuchman as Nemorino. Chang, praised as a “born bel canto tenor” by the New York Times, is also a co-founder of Querido Arte: Compañía de Ópera de Guatemala–a new opera company with a mission to make Guatemala a benchmark for opera in Latin America and to help to fight illiteracy.
Russian baritone Alexey Lavrov, recognized for his “dramatic fervor and characterful nuance” by The New York Times, will debut at PBO as Belcore, a role he sang recently at the Macau International Music Festival. Last seen at PBO as Zuniga in a 2016 production of “Carmen,” Musa Ngqungwana will return as Dulcamara. Ngqungwana is the author of “Odyssey of an African Opera Singer,” which was published in South Africa by the prestigious Penguin Random House. The inspiring memoir chronicles the opera singer’s journey from the townships of South Africa to the world stage.
“We are thrilled to follow up our successful ‘Carmen’ with Donizetti’s captivating ‘Elixir of Love,’” said General and Artistic Director David Walker. “The magnetic story, matched with the incredible artistry and talent on stage, is sure to make for an unforgettable opera experience.”
“The Elixir of Love” will be sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage. Single tickets start at $25 and are available at pbopera.org and at the Kravis Center. As of Dec. 14, all patrons over two are required to wear face masks inside the Kravis Center and all patrons over 12 are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within the past 72 hours. For more information, visit pbopera.org and pbopera.org/faq or call the box office at 561-833-7888.