Domingo: `Le Cid' in Opera's Next Season By Tim Page Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, February 24 1999; Page C02

Placido Domingo. (File photo)

Highlights will include what the Washington Opera believes to be the first U.S. staging of Jules Massenet's "Le Cid" since 1902, with Domingo in the leading role; a new production of Puccini's "Tosca," staged by Frank Corsaro with soprano Galina Gorchakova as the heroine; the first Washington Opera production of Handel's "Giulio Cesare," and a revival of Verdi's "Otello," starring Jose Cura and conducted by Domingo.

The season will open on Oct. 23 with a revival of the troupe's 1983 production of Verdi's "Rigoletto," conducted by Washington Opera Music Director Heinz Fricke, at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The cast will include baritone Haijing Fu, tenor Kimm Julian and soprano Anna Netrebko, the last of these in her company debut. Marta Domingo will restage the original Zack Brown production, which will be presented 10 times through Nov. 26.

"Le Cid," which comes to the Kennedy Center Opera House on Oct. 30, is the only opera Domingo will sing next season. This work has been out of favor for much of the 20th century, although the aria "O Souverain" has been recorded by many tenors (and parodied by performance artist Laurie Anderson as "O Superman" in the early 1980s). The production is borrowed from the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, directed and designed by Hugo de Ana in his company debut. The cast will also include soprano Elisabete Matos and bass Hao Jiang Tian. Emmanuel Villaume will conduct. There will be eight performances.

Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah," a 1956 opera based on the biblical tale of Susannah and the Elders, will receive its first Washington Opera performance on Nov. 6. The cast will include Mary Mills in the title role and bass-baritone Jeffrey Wells as the Reverend Blitch. John DeMain will conduct; the staging, by Michael Yeargan, will also be seen this season at the Metropolitan Opera as well as in Chicago and Houston -- a somewhat unusual arrangement. "Susannah" will be presented eight times.

Bellini's "I Puritani," in its Washington Opera premiere, is the only opera that will be staged in the intimate Eisenhower Theater this year. As if to compensate for the small house, the piece will be presented 14 times between Dec. 29 and Jan. 25, 2000. There will be twin casts -- one featuring tenor John Osborn, soprano Lynette Tapia and baritone Jorge Lagunes, the other with Alexandru Badea, Eteri Lamoris and Guido LeBron. Christopher Larkin will conduct, with direction by Charles Roubaud.

The production of "Giulio Cesare" is still taking form; Domingo said he was dissatisfied with the way a planned co-production with the Basel Opera was coming along, and decided to go another way. Only three cast members were announced yesterday -- soprano Hei-Kyung Hong as Cleopatra and mezzo-sopranos Vivica Genaux and Marguerite Krull as Cesare and Sesto. Director and conductor are yet to be appointed. One way or another, the opera is scheduled to open on Feb. 12, 2000, and run for eight performances.

The company's only brand-new production will be a special centennial staging of "Tosca" that will open on Feb. 19, 2000 -- only a little more than a month after the 100th anniversary of its first performance on Jan. 14, 1900. In addition to Gorchakova, the cast will include baritone Sergei Leiferkus as Scarpia and Marcus Haddock as Cavaradossi. Fricke will conduct all but two performances, which will be led by Eugene Kohn. (Susan Patterson and Alfredo Portilla will also substitute for Gorchakova and Haddock in selected performances).

Finally, tenor Cura, a Domingo protege, will take on a role that is all but identified with his great mentor when he steps onto the Kennedy Center Opera House stage as Otello on March 1, 2000. Domingo said he was happy to "switch from a role I have sung almost 200 times to conducting it." The cast will also include soprano Daniela Dessi and baritone Justino Diaz. Sonja Frisell will direct the 1992 Zack Brown production. Ian DeNolfo will sing Otello in three of the performances.

The company will present seven operas next season instead of the current eight, and eight fewer performances. Domingo justified this by promising a "gala performance" on March 12 -- about which he would say nothing further for the moment -- and by assuring the public that some of the leading Washington Opera singers would appear in company-sponsored recitals during the coming season.

Special correspondent Pierre Ruhe contributed to this report.

NEXT SEASON AT A GLANCE

The following works will be presented in the Kennedy Center Opera House next season except for "I Puritani," which will be offered in the Eisenhower Theater. For information call 202-295-2400 or 800-876-7372.

RIGOLETTO: Oct. 23, 28; Nov. 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26.

LE CID: Oct. 30; Nov. 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22.

SUSANNAH: Nov. 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27.

I PURITANI: Dec. 29, 31; Jan. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25.

GIULIO CESARE: Feb. 12, 15, 18, 20, 28; March 2, 4, 9.

TOSCA: Feb. 19, 21, 25, 29; March 5, 7, 10, 14, 16, 18.

OTELLO: March 1, 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19.

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