La Bohème, Met, New York 20. Feb 2010 - 20. Mar 2010

Anna Netrebko returns to the Metropolitan Opera House of New York to sing the role of Mimi in a series of nine performances of Zeffirelli's production of Puccini's "La Bohème", running from 20. February 2010 to 20. March 2010.

The cast is led by Anna Netrebko as Mimi and Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo. Nicole Cabell (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6. March 2010) and Ruth-Ann Swenson (10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010) share the role of Musetta, Gerald Finley (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6. March 2010) and George Petean (10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010), making his role debut at the Met, share the role of Marcello, Massimo Cavalletti (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6., 17., 20. March 2010), making his role debut at the Met, and Patrick Carfizzi (10., 13. March 2010) share the role of Schaunard, Shen Yang (20. February, 6. March 2010) and Oren Gradus (24., 27. February, 2., 10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010) share the role Colline and Paul Plishka is Benoit/Alcindoro. Marco Armiliato conducts the Chrorus and Opera of the Metropolitan Opera.

Anna Netrebko made her role debut as Mimi at the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg on 3. January 2006 with Rolando Villazón as Rodolfo and Valery Gergiev conducting. This one was a really exciting performance marking three debuts, being the first time Anna Netrebko was singing Mimi, the debut of Rolando Villazón at the Mariinsky Theater and the first time Valery Gergiev was conducting La Bohème.

Anna Netrebko has previously sung the role of Mimi at the Met only once, on 5. Decembre 2006, with Rolando Villazón as Rodolfo, Anna Samuil as Musetta, Peter Coleman-Wright as Marcello, Patrick Carfizzi as Schaunard, John Relyea as Colline, Paul Plishka as Benoit/Alcindoro and Plácido Domingo conducting.

In June 2011, Anna Netrebko will take part in a Met Tour to Japan where she will also sing the role of Mimi in Nagoya on 4. June 2011 and Tokyo on 8., 11., 17. and 19. June 2011, with Piotr Beczala and Joseph Calleja alternating as Rodolfo, Susanna Phillips as Musetta, Marius Kwiecien as Marcello, Edward Parks as Schaunard, John Relyea as Colline, Paul Plishka as Benoit/Alcindoro and James Levine conducting.

La Bohème
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Text in Italian by Giuseppe Giacosa und Luigi Illica, based on Henry Murger's novel "Scènes de la Vie de Bohème"

Metropolitan Opera, New York

Production
Production: Franco Zeffirelli
Set designer: Franco Zeffirelli
Costume designer: Peter J. Hall
Lighting designer: Gil Wechsler
Stage director: J. Knighten Smit

Cast
Mimi: Anna Netrebko
Musetta: Nicole Cabell (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6. March 2010)/Ruth-Ann Swenson (10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010)
Rodolfo: Piotr Beczala
Marcello: Gerald Finley (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6. March 2010)/George Petean (10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010)
Schaunard: Massimo Cavalletti (20., 24., 27. February, 2., 6., 17., 20. March 2010)/Patrick Carfizzi (10., 13. March 2010)
Colline: Shen Yang (20. February, 6. March 2010)/Oren Gradus (24., 27. February, 2., 10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010)/
Benoît: Paul Plishka
Alcindoro: Paul Plishka
Parpignol: Jeremy Little(24., 27. February, 2., 6. March 2010)/Daniel Clark Smith (20. February 2010, 10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010)
Sergeant: Jason Hendrix(20., 27. February, 2., 6., 10., 13., 17., 20. March 2010) /John Shelhart (24. February 2010)
Officer: Joseph Turi

Musical Direction: Marco Armiliato
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera

About the Opera
Opera Background
Characters
About the Composer
Story and Music
Synopsis

Broadcasts
The performances on 24., 27. February and 2., 10., 17. March will be broadcast live on the Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius channel 78 and XM channel 79. The Saturday matinee performance on 27. February will also be broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. The performances on 24. February and 10. March will be streamed live via RealNetworks internet streaming on the Met website.

Update | 19. March 2010
Angela Gheorghiu replaces Anna Netrebko, who is ill, in the last performance of the run on 20. March 2010.