Opera Philadelphia is set to present  Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims.”

The company will present the work four times at the Academy of Music on Sept. 19, 21, 26, and 28 in Damiano Michieletto’s production.

In a statement, General Director Anthony Roth Costanzo said, “This opera is an explosion of sparkling bravura energy, and with the brilliant Corrado Rovaris at the helm of our incredible orchestra, chorus, and cast of 17 stars, it promises to be joyful. What’s more, it is such an honor to present the American debut of the wildly creative and revered Damiano Michieletto, who has conquered all of Europe with his ingenuity. The hilarity and intricacy he has created with this grand staging promises to make the opening of our 50th Anniversary Season feel like a celebration.”

Rovaris added, “‘Il viaggio a Reims’ is one of the most inspired titles of Rossini’s operas. Through a writing characterized by a brilliant rhythmic momentum, this score uses the most diverse musical possibilities to describe the various situations in the libretto. Rossini takes advantage of the possibilities of such a large cast by presenting a series of musical gems that follow one after the other and ask the protagonists to showcase all their technical and interpretative skills to celebrate at the highest level the joy of his music.”

The cast will include soprano Emilie Kealani as Corinna, mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck as Marchese Melibea, soprano Lindsey Reynolds as Contessa di Folleville, soprano Brenda Rae as Madama Cortese, baritone Daniel Belcher as Il Barone di Trombonok, tenor Alasdair Kent as Il Conte di Libenskof, and bass Scott Conner as Lord Sidney.

The opera will also star bass-baritone Ben Brady (Don Profondo), tenor Minghao Liu (Cavalier Belfiore), baritone Alex DeSocio (Don Alvaro), bass Anthony Reed (Don Prudenzio), tenor Fran Daniel Laucerica (Don Luigino), baritone Brandon Bell (Antonion), mezzo-soprano Sarah Scofield (Maddalena), tenor Hongrui Ren (Zefirino/Gelsomino), soprano Maya Mor Mitrani (Modestina), and soprano Olivia Prendergast (Delia).

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