(Credit: Iko Freese / drama-berlin.de / Courtesy of LA Opera)

There is a lot going on this weekend on the North American opera scene. With the 2019-20 season really coming into its own, major companies and opera stars are launching their big seasons. So here are the top five operas to see this weekend.

Bounce: The Basketball Opera –  Ardea Arts, New York

On Friday and Saturday, Ardea Arts will present a unique experience about teen violence, which i-D Magazine called “A Message of nonviolence and a theatrical marriage of basketball and opera.” This might just be one of the most interesting operas that you experience in a long time.

La Bohème – Los Angeles Opera, California

The LA Opera opens its 2019-20 season with Puccini’s masterpiece in a production that showcases Marina Costa-Jackson and Saimir Pirgu as Mimì and Rodolfo, respectively. James Conlon conducts the production which will likely be Barrie Kosky’s unique take on the work.

Cavalleria Rusitcana / Il Tabarro – Maryland Lyric Opera

This unique double bill will feature a fantastic cast that includes Susan Bullock, Mark Delavan, and Jonathan Burton, among others. Performances on Saturday and Sunday will take place at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland.

Eugene Onegin – Opéra de Montréal, Canada

On Saturday, audiences will get a chance to hear Nicole Car and Étienne Dupuis, a pair of top-end opera stars take the stage together in Tchaikovsky’s masterwork. That alone makes this production a must-see experience this weekend. The performance is set for the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts.

“’Eugene Onegin’ is the ultimate romantic work, and we are proud to welcome Nicole Car and Étienne Dupuis, two of today’s most prominent artists, who will carry this opera brilliantly.” Says Patrick Corrigan, General Director of the Opéra de Montréal in a press statement. We agree.

Tosca – Opera San Antonio, Texas

Jennifer Rowley brings her signature interpretation of the Puccini heroine to San Antonio. That alone makes this essential viewing as Rowley has had tremendous success in this opera all over during the last two years. But the cast also boasts Michael Chioldi as Scarpia and Rafael Davila as Cavaradossi. E. Loren Meeker directs and Francesco Miloto conducts. Closing night is Saturday.