Following New Year’s Eve Controversy, Metropolitan Opera Announces Inevitable Cast Change for ‘Aida’
By Francisco SalazarEveryone knows what happened on New Year’s Eve at the Metropolitan Opera. Tenor Piotr Beczala, sick as he was, sang through the entire night, creating an unforgettable experience for all involved, but not of the kind anyone will remember fondly.
It was inevitable that he would cancel subsequent shows and that announcement has finally come.
The company announced that tenor SeokJong Baek will sing the role of Radamès in the performances on Jan. 4 and 7, replacing the ill Beczala.
Baek has become a Met favorite over the past two seasons singing in productions of “Nabucco,” “Tosca,” and “Turandot.” He recently sang the role of Radamès at the Royal Opera House in 2023, where he had his breakout in “Samson et Dalila.”
Baek is set to join a cast that includes Angel Blue, Judit Kutasi, Dmitry Belosselskiy, Quinn Kelsey, and Morris Robisnon. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the new production by Michael Mayer.
“Aida” opened on Dec. 31 to mixed reviews with OperaWire noting, “Angel Blue, Quinn Kelsey, Judit Kutasi Shine in a Night Full of Troubling Questions. ”
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