The best award winning local voices will shine in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda – this powerful opera, filled with spite, ambition and jealousy.
On alternating nights, Cape Town favourites Noluvuyiso Mpofu (bronze winner in Placido Domingo’s 2015 Operalia competition, finalist in the 34th International Belvedere Competition and winner of the 2015 ATKV Music Competition) and Maudée Montierre (winner of the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition for Singers as well as the Eric Chisholm Memorial Prize for Opera) embody the passionate Maria, as Bongiwe Nakani (performed in 2012 for world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday) and multi-award winning mezzo-soprano, Violina Anguelov plumb the depths of Elisabetta’s psyche. Lukhanyo Moyake and Makudupanyane Senaoana return from recent European triumphs to sing Leicester; George Stevens’ rich baritone voice and the award winning Cape Town Opera chorus adds to this stellar cast.
Donizetti and Schiller give us the greatest confrontation history never saw, that between the Queen Elizabeth 1 and Mary, Queen of Scots. Banned by the Royal Court of Naples and censored at La Scala as too-hot-to-handle, this riveting examination of the pride and frailties of the people who lead our destinies leaps off the page.
Recognised as containing some of Donizetti’s most moving music, this semi-staged production of Maria Stuarda is directed by acclaimed director, Matthew Wild (CTO’s newly appointed Artistic Director, who also recently directed West Side Story), and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Maestro Kamal Khan. The beautiful stylised Elizabethan costumes are made of the richest fabrics with large intricate lace collars, beautiful silks and taffetas designed by Maritha Visagie with set design by Michael Mitchell and lighting by Kobus Rossouw.
WHAT, WHERE & WHEN: NASPERS and Cape Town Opera in collaboration with the UCT Opera School, presents Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda at Artscape Opera House, Foreshore, Cape Town 8001 – for two performances on Sat 7 November at 18:00 and Sun 8 at 15:00 on November 2015.
CAST:
Elisabetta Violina Anguelov (7 Nov)
Bongiwe Nakani (8 Nov)
Maria Stuarda Noluvuyiso Mpofu (7 Nov)
Maudee Montierre (8 Nov)
Roberto Lukhanyo Moyake (7 Nov)
Makudupanyane Senaoana (8 Nov)
Talbot George Stevens (7 & 8 Nov)
Cecil Sandile Sikhosana (7 & 8 Nov)
Anna Kennedy Jacobi de Villiers (7 & 8 Nov)
TICKETS: R125, R175 and R250
BOOKINGS: Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or visit your nearest Computicket service centre.
NOTE: This year’s season culminates with the staging of FOUR: 30, which introduces four new home-grown operas on one bill at the Artscape Theatre from 21 to 28 November. Funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, these short operas proudly showcase South Africa’s finest and freshest operatic talent, setting the tone for even-greater opera performances in 2016.
