World-class star to head cast of La Bohème in Gozo

Georgian-born world-class soprano Nino Machaidze will be heading this year’s cast in La Bohème, due to be staged at the Teatru tal-Opra Aurora in Gozo on 12 October.

At merely 36 years of age, Machaidze’s name already appears at the world’s two greatest and most prestigious opera houses – Milan’s La Scala and New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.

Her CV already includes outstanding collaborations with people such as Gheorghiu, Domingo, Villazon, Netrebko, Mastrangelo, Gatti, Oren and Chailly. Her exponential career, powered by her charming physical presence and compelling acting skills, has earned Machaidze the nickname of ‘The Angelina Jolie of Opera’.

Young as she is, Machaidze will be flanked by a predominantly young set of singers who the Aurora took time and care to assemble.

With the academic insight brought to the production by stage director Vivien Hewitt, who has appeared on the bill of the Puccini Festival no less than 19 times in the last 22 years, the Aurora tries to transmit the charm, affection and lure that the great composer desired of his work, La Bohème.

This, however, does not diminish the nocompromise stance as far as quality is concerned, and for which the Aurora has built a name and a reputation over the years. As such, fresh from his international successes in Aida and Trovatore, Ivan Defabiani, one of the foremost exciting emerging tenors and Leo Nucci’s protégé will play Rodolfo, Krum Galabov will play Marcello, Enrico Marabelli will play Schaunard and Mariano Buccino will play the role of Colline.

Flair and glamour, on the other hand, are in store with Maria Novella Malfatti’s interpretation of Musetta. Dario Giorgelé will play the double role of Benoit and Alcindoro, while Gozitan young tenor Angelo Muscat will appear as Parpignol.

Together, this cast brings to the Aurora the finesse and prestige of the continent’s major opera houses - from Barcelona’s Liceu to Venice’s La Fenice, and from Genoa’s San Carlo to Verona’s famed Arena.

La Bohème is the opera of young people, of inspired youths, full of life – even when it fades – at the heart of the city of lights, and getting the ideal cast together can be quite delicate and intricate.

This cast, however, is set to bring these emotional attributes to life in Hewitt’s new production at the Aurora. It will feature the Aurora Opera Chorus and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Colin Attard.

Hewitt designed the period scenes, which will be created in-house at the Aurora and painted by Gozitan artist Paul Falzon, while Luke Azzopardi has designed feature gowns for some of the artists in Camilleri Paris Mode textiles. The costume manufacture is the fruit of hard work by the Aurora theatre’s in-house wardrobe team.

La Bohème’s single performance will run on Saturday 12 October 2019 at 7.30pm. Tickets at €50, €60 and €80 are available online from www.teatruaurora.com or via the ticket helpline +356 79045779. Logistics details such as transport, dining facilities as well as details on a number of supplementary events including a pre-opera talk, walking tours around Victoria and the Gozo Ċittadella and chamber recitals may be found on the website or via ticket helpline. La Bohème is being supported by the Gozo Cultural Support Programme by the Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo