Royal Opera House 2017-18 Preview: Michael Fabiano, Dmitri Platanias Among Who’s Who of ‘Rigoletto’ Revival

By David Salazar

This Thursday, Dec. 14, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden kicks off its revival of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

The production will get a total of nine performances, the final one taking place on Jan. 16, 2018. There will be cast variations throughout, though there will be a consistent crop of artists for most of the performances. Here is a look through the who’s who of this production.

Michael Fabiano

Taking on the role of the Duke, the American tenor continues what is shaping up to be a major season for him in London. He already scored raves as Rodolfo in “La Bohème” on opening night. He has made Verdi a specialty of his and this production will get a broadcast on its final performance. Fabiano will sing seven of nine shows, with tenor Ivan Magri replacing him for two outings.

Dmitri Platanias

The veteran baritone has the tall order of being the man to replace Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who was originally scheduled to interpret the famed character. Platanias is a seasoned veteran who will sing every single performance of this role, which is the one with which he made his ROH debut in 2012.

Sofia Fomina and Lucy Crowe

The two sopranos are no strangers to the ROH public. Fomina gets the opening night of the run as Gilda but only performs in three of the nine shows. Crowe, who has become a favorite after her numerous outings since her 2009 debut will get the six total shows, including the grand finale that will be broadcast in cinemas.

Andrea Mastroni and Nadia Krasteva

The duo will play the conniving Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena. Mastroni has become THE Sparafucile interpreter of today, appearing around the world as the hitman and even recording the work with Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Krasteva will make her ROH debut in this production and has become one of the leading Verdi mezzos around the world. They will both sing in every single performance.

Alexander Joel

The maestro will lead every single performance of the opera. He made his ROH debut in 2013 and has become a fixture with the company since.

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