Houston Grand Opera Presents The Flying Dutchman for Season Opener at Wortham Theater Center
Houston Grand Opera opens its 64th season with The Flying Dutchman, Wagner’s gothic romance
This new production by director Tomer Zvulun heightens the dramatic elements of the famous legend of a cursed ghost ship. The opera marks the company’s to the Wortham Theater Center after being displaced by Hurricane Harvey for the entire 2017–18 season.
PERFORMANCE DATES include Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. The Wortham Theater Center is located at 501 Texas Avenue.
ABOUT THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
HGO’s first Wagner opera since the four-part Ring cycle, The Flying Dutchman is described as a haunting love story in which every seven years, the Dutchman comes ashore for a chance to break the curse that binds him to the desolate seas.
His quest for true love leads him to Senta, a captain’s daughter who has been obsessing over a mystifying portrait of him. When the two meet, the Dutchman is hopeful, but Senta must decide between her arranged marriage and her overpowering love for the Dutchman.
The production is part of HGO’s Seeking the Human Spirit, a six-year multidisciplinary initiative designed to highlight the universal spiritual themes raised in opera; as well as expand and deepen Houstonians’ connections to opera and to art.
This year’s theme is transformation and also includes the main stage productions of Florencia en el Amazonas and The Phoenix, a world premiere.
The opera will be sung in German with projected English translation and runs 2 hours and 20 minutes with no intermission.
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Polish baritone Andrzej Dobber, who impressed audiences as Scarpia in HGO’s 2015 Tosca, sings the title role of the Dutchman, while the demanding role of Senta will be sung by American soprano Melody Moore, who will also appear as Donna Elvira in HGO’s spring production of Don Giovanni.
Senta’s father, Daland, will be sung by the Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson, who gave a “jolly and rich-toned performance” (San Francisco Chronicle) of the role at San Francisco Opera in 2013 and appeared as Fasolt in HGO’s Das Rheingold in 2014.
Tenor Eric Cutler, who sang the Duke of Mantua in HGO’s 2009 Rigoletto and Florestan in the Stuttgart 2016 production of Fidelio, will take the role of Erik.
Houston Grand Opera Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers, now in his 20th season, will conduct.
TICKETS
Tickets range from $20 to $270. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.HGO.org or call the box office at 713-228-6737.
ALL PHOTOS BY JEFF ROTHMAN