Obituary: New York City Opera Director Frank Corsaro Dies At 92

By Francisco Salazar

Director and actor Frank Corsaro has died at the age of 92.

Corsaro was known as both an opera and Broadway director as well as his work at the New York City Opera, where he was a lead figure. Among the productions that he was recognized for were Prokofiev’s “The Fiery Angel,” Verdi’s “La Traviata,” which starred Patricia Brooks and Plácido Domingo, Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and Robert Ward’s “The Crucible” which starred Chester Ludgin. He also directed Beverly Sills in Gounod’s “Faust,” Borodin’s “Prince Igor,” and Maralin Niska in Janáček’s “The Makropulos Affair.”

Other productions included Lee Hoiby’s “Summer and Smoke,” Cherubini’s “Médée,” Korngold’s “Die tote Stadt” with Carol Neblett, Janáček’s “The Cunning Little Vixen,” and Bizet’s “Carmen.”

Corsaro is also known for directing the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s operas, “Of Mice and Men” and “Flower and Hawk” and also made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1984, with Handel’s “Rinaldo,” starring Marilyn Horne and Samuel Ramey. It also marked the first time that a Handel opera was presented at the Metropolitan Opera.

Corsaro was also an active Broadway director with a career spanning from 1955 to 1980 where he directed “It’s So Nice to be Civilized,” “Knockout,” “Whoopee!,” “Cold Storage,” “Treemonisha,” “Baby Want a Kiss,” “The Night of the Iguana,” “The Night Circus,” “A Hatful of Rain,” and “The Honeys.”

Corsaro served as the artistic director of the Actor’s Studio from 1988 to 1995.

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