(Credit: Deutsche Oper am Rhein)

Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas has replaced Italian tenor Fabio Sartori in the title role in Wiener Staatsoper’s “Don Carlo” for the performance on Dec. 19, 2021.

According to the theater, Sartori canceled the performance due to illness.

Vargas joins a cast that includes René Pape as Philippo II, Ain Anger as The Grand Inquisitor, María José Siri in the role of Elisabetta di Valois, Boris Pinkhasovich as Rodrigo, Ekaterina Gubanova as Eboli, Isabel Signoret as Tebaldo, Dan Paul Dumitrescu as the Monk, Robert Bartneck as Herold, and Ileana Tonca as the Voice from Heaven. Philippe Jordan conducts a production by Daniele Abbado.

Vargas has performed the role of Don Carlo at major opera houses to a great a claim including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Regio di Torino, LA Opera and Opernhaus Zurich.

Sartori is still slated to sing the last two remaining performances on Dec. 22 & 25, 2021.