NEW ORLEANS (press release) – New Orleans Opera announces its first ever production created for film, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium. It is directed by James Marvel, conducted by Robert Lyall, and features Victoria Livengood, Sarah Jane McMahon, Carlo Barrera, Amy Pfrimmer, Kathryn Frady, and Dennis Jesse, accompanied by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tickets are available for purchase online at www.neworleansopera.org or by phone at (504) 529-3000. Tickets are $40/link and discounts are available for military, teachers, all essential workers, and students. Of special note: links to view the film are included for subscribers to the opera’s spring 2021 season.
In a recent article published on the New Orleans Opera’s website, Artistic Director Robert Lyall mentions, “evidence suggests that The Medium, Menotti’s 1946 hour-long melodrama, was inspired by a séance that he had attended.” The story centers around Madame Flora, performed by Victoria Livengood, as she experiences a bizarre encounter with the supernatural that leads to mayhem and murder. (This production is not recommended for children.) The performance is sung in English and was produced in New Orleans by Esplanade Studios.
DETAILS at a glance:
- Menotti’s The Medium premieres on April 16, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.
- Access available for purchase until May 15, 2021
- Cast and Crew:
- Directed by James Marvel
- Conducted by Robert Lyall
- Victoria Livengood as Madame Flora
- Sarah Jane McMahon as Monica
- Carlo Barrera as Toby
- Amy Pfrimmer as Mrs. Gobineau
- Kathryn Frady as Mrs. Nolan
- Dennis Jesse as Mr. Gobineau
- Performed by Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
- By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner
- More information, including bios, at www.neworleansopera.org
Additional Events for spring 2021 from New Orleans Opera:
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 6:00 pm on Zoom, A Virtual Road Trip from OPERA America, Free.
Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7:00 pm on Zoom, the last installment of the spring adult education lecture series, ALLONS! – a discussion about the opera, Freedom Ride, with Wilfred Delphin, Dan Shore, and Dara Rahming. $12 (student discounts available)
Friday, April 9, 2021 at 7:00 pm, The Orpheum Sessions – A Night at the Opera, in partnership with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, $15.00. Tickets available through the LPO. Please call (504) 523-6530, opt. 2.
Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm on the lawn at the Guild Home, 2504 Prytania Street, Opera on Tap – In Our Yard: Shakespeare, $30/pod of three people.
Friday, April 23, 2021 at 7:30 pm at The Broadside Theater, 600 N. Broad Street, a screening of La Traviata, a Franco Zeffirelli film with an opera concert prior to the movie, $30/person.
Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:00 pm, Masterclass Monday on YouTube, in partnership with Loyola University. This is the last session of the season for this free series and is led by Alfred Walker.
Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm on the lawn at the Guild Home, 2504 Prytania Street, Opera on Tap – In Our Yard: Around the World, $30/pod of three people.
