Sat 6/11 @ 7:30PM
Giuseppe Verdi’s 1853 opera Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) is one of the staples of the opera repertoire. It’s full of the stuff that delights opera lovers, including memorable music (the familiar “Anvil Chorus” derives from this opera), two meaty roles for divas and two equally big dramatic roles for male singers, and a plot that involves mistaken identities, star-crossed lovers and dramatic deaths, including one where a character sings an aria while dying.
The 21-year-old company Opera Circle Cleveland presents a single performance of the opera at PlayhouseSquare’s Ohio Theatre this weekend — but what a performance. It’ll be fully staged with costumes and sets, with English subtitles and a live orchestra, conducted by recently retired president of the Cleveland Institute of Music Joel Smirnoff.
Opera Circle Cleveland founder Dorota Sobieska sings one of those meaty leads, that of Leonora who is being romanced by the Conte di Luna (Kevin Wetzel) while she harbors a love for the troubadour Manrico (Jorge Pita Carreras). The gypsy Azucena (Christina Carr) plays a key role in all their lies.
Arrive early so you can bask in the Ohio Theatre’s newly renovated historic foyer. Tickets are $26.50-$66.50. Call the PlayhouseSquare box office at 216-241-6000 or go to playhousesquare.org.