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Austin Lyric Opera Concludes 25th Anniversary Season with Puccini's Turandot

Updated: Tuesday, April 3 2012, 06:22 PM CDT
By Rob Faubion, AustinOnStage.com

Austin Lyric Opera closes its 25th anniversary season with Puccini's final opera, Turandot. 

Featuring American opera star Lise Lindstrom in her Austin debut performing the title role, the production opens on Sat. April 14 at The Long Center, followed by two more performances on Fri. April 20 and Sun. April 22.

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Richard Buckley leads the cast, chorus and orchestra in a production from the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, with stage director Garnett Bruce returning to Austin.  The new production was built to open Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in October 2011, garnering rave reviews from national press.

Puccini’s final work is famous for its grand scale.  Set in ancient China, the story revolves around the icy princess Turandot and prince Calàf, who has fallen madly in love with the princess.  Any prince seeking to marry princess Turandot must answer three riddles - and if he fails, he will die.  Calàf passes the test, but Turandot still hesitates to marry him.  He offers her a way out:  he agrees to die should she be able to learn his real name before sunrise.

The opera was left unfinished at the time of Puccini's death in 1924 and was completed by Franco Alfano in 1926.  The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on April 25th, 1926.  The famous “Nessun dorma” aria achieved international pop status after Pavarotti’s Three Tenors recording of the work in the 1990s.

American soprano Lindstrom made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role, and established herself on the international opera scene - with Turandot quickly becoming one of her signature roles.  American tenor Frank Porretta returns to the Austin Lyric Opera as "Calàf," after recently making his Metropolitan Opera debut in the very same role.

Cuban-American soprano Elizabeth Caballero makes her Austin debut in the role of "Liu."   American bass Matthew Trevino returns to Austin as "Timur," having been named “Best Singer” by the 2011 Austin Critics’ Table Awards for his performance in Austin Lyric Opera’s production of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.  The cast also features Austin Lyric Opera alumni and baritone Craig Verm (Flight, La Bohème), tenor Brian Joyce (The Star, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor), tenor Joseph Frank (The Marriage of Figaro, The Bat), tenor Holton Johnson (Carmen, Dialogues of the Carmelites, La Bohème, The Star, La Traviata, The Magic Flute, Lucia di Lammermoor) and baritone Matthew Arnold (Dialogues of the Carmelites, La Traviata).

Season media sponsor Classical 89.5 KMFA will broadcasts the opening night production live Saturday, April 14th.  In addition, the Austin Lyric Opera Guild will host an Opening Night Gala Dinner in the Kodosky Lounge at The Long Center on April 14th, beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a post-performance toast with Maestro Buckley and the cast; tickets are $125.

Austin Lyric Opera also offers free pre-opera lectures one hour before every performance.  A guest speaker delivers a free 30-minute talk on the main floor of Dell Hall at The Long Center.  Seating is unreserved, and an opera ticket for that specific performance is required.  Doors open approximately 15 minutes before the start of each lecture, which begins an hour before the performance begins.

Performances will be on April 14 and 20 at 7:30 p.m., and April 22 at 3 p.m.  Tickets range from $19 to $200.

The Long Center is located at 701 West Riverside Drive, on the corner of Riverside and South First.  For more information and reservations, call (512) 472 5992 or 1 (800) OPERA-31, or visit www.AustinLyricOpera.org.

(Photos by Corey Weaver)
Austin Lyric Opera Concludes 25th Anniversary Season with Puccini's Turandot