With less than a month left for this season's first opera in Gozo, Georges Bizet's Carmen, the Aurora theatre has announced its international cast, headed by the Georgian mezzosoprano Tea Demurishvili in the title role.
Residing in Spain, Demurishvili is set to bring Carmen with her ‘rebellious love' back to life, as she has been doing for the last year in Tel Aviv, to wide critical acclaim. She will be remembered for her interpretation of Amneris in Verdi's Aida, both in Russia under the artistic direction of Franco Zeffirelli and at the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora last year.
Demurishvili will be flanked by two of the most impressive male voices the Aurora has yet seen - the Italian tenor Mario Malagnini as Don José and the Venezuelan born bass-baritone Ernesto Morillo Hoyt as Escamillo. Malagnini is rightly so an international household name when it comes to the interpretation of Don José, having performed it well over 200 times around the world.
Some of these performances were conducted by Riccardo Muti and Placido Domingo (whom he himself substituted on other occasions), amongst others. His latest Don José was barely two months ago at the Arena di Verona, also under the artistic direction of the great master Franco Zeffirelli. Malagnini debuted at the Aurora in Fedora (2005) while Morillo Hoyt debuted successfully as Padre Guardiano in La Forza del Destino (2007).
The remaining line up includes Andriana Yordanova as Micaela, Noel Galea as Zuniga, Kevin Caruana as Moralés, Claudia Tabone as Frasquita, Giuseppina Trotta as Mercedes, Stefano Consolini as El Remendado and Andrea Cortese as El Dancairo. While the wardrobes shall be a joint collaboration between the Aurora and the Sartoria Pipi of Palermo, scenes designed by Novella Tabili are being constructed by Teddy Mizzi and painted by Paul Falzon with props by Alfred Camilleri. Donald Camilleri has been entrusted with the lights operations while Maria del Sol was engaged as choreographer. Her Alegria Dance Company, specialising in typical Spanish Flamenco dance, will also take part.
The theatre is urging all those patrons who intend watching this production, featuring the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Colin Attard, with the artistic direction of Novella Tabili, to secure their seats at the earliest possible to avoid any disappointment.
Carmen returns to the Aurora stage after ten years, on Saturday 16th October 2010 starting at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost between €70 and €45.