December 6, 2014-January 16, 2015

New Production
by Gaetano Donizetti
In Italian with projected English texts
Approximate running time: 3hrs, 18 min

Doomed queen…tour-de-force drama!

Anne Boleyn may be Queen of England, but she doesn’t stand a chance. Henry VIII wants her gone — with Jane Seymour taking her place on the throne and in his bed. And Henry’s minions do the dirty work, finding “proof” of Anne’s infidelities.

Donizetti exploits all of the glories of the human voice in this bel canto gem and trailblazes with a theatricality that hadn’t been seen in opera before. Listen to vocal fireworks and watch one of opera’s most gripping confrontations: the Queen rages when she finally discovers that Jane is her arch rival, and Jane is haunted by guilt — desperate to marry the King, yet knowing that she’s the reason he’ll send Anne to the scaffold.

Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland made this opera famous—and today Sondra Radvanovsky makes it her own.

Lyric Opera coproduction generously made possible by The Monument Trust (UK) and the Donna Van Eekeren Foundation.

Coproduction of Lyric Opera of Chicago and Minnesota Opera

CAST

Anne Boleyn Sondra Radvanovsky

“Dazzling Sondra Radvanovsky tears into the taxing role of the Queen…sending an electric current through the music and effectively conveying Anne’s pride and vulnerability.” Baltimore Sun – See more at:

Jane Seymour Jamie Barton

Dmitri Hvorostovsky won the hugely prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition…and so did Jamie Barton. “With her plush, impassioned voice, she’s on opera’s fast track!” Chicago Tribune

Henry VIII John Relyea

King Henry must be menacing, manipulative, and suave. John Relyea’s “magnificent black velvet cloak of a voice wraps itself around everything in sight.” The Times, London

Percy Bryan Hymel

This dashing young tenor takes on the role of Percy in his Lyric debut! “Bryan Hymel has the best high notes in the business.” Philadelphia Inquirer

Smeton Kelley O’Connor

Kelley O’Connor has “dark, lustrous vocal tone and an arresting command of melodic phrase. Her moments in the spotlight left a listener wanting more.” San Francisco Chronicle