(Credit: Merri Cyr)

The San Francisco Opera is set to open its 97th season with Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.”

The season, which opens on Sept. 6 with two season-opening benefit events (Opera Ball 2019: The Capulets’ Masked Ball and BRAVO! CLUB’s Opening Night Gala), will showcase French-Canadian conductor Yves Abel in a new production of Gounod’s work by Jean-Louis Grinda.

In a press release Grinda said, “To ensure this drama of absolute love touches every spectator, we respect its original setting and gracefully simplify its scenographic presentation. Without being minimalistic, we suggest Renaissance splendor and leave the imagination to work, focusing the attention on the stage artists.”

The opera will star Bryan Hymel and Nadine Sierra in the title roles alongside a cast that includes Lucas Meachem, Daniel Montenegro, James Creswell, Timothy Mix, Philip Skinner, Stephanie Lauricella, and Eve Gigliotti. Pene Pati and Amina Edris will also star in performance of the title roles making their role debuts.

The opera will be presented from Sept. 7 through Oct. 1 with the Sept. 21 performance transmitted as part of Opera at the Ballpark, a free community event transmitting the work in high definition live from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House to the new Mitsubishi Electronic Diamond Vision Board at Oracle Park.