Bass-Baritone David Pittsinger will assume the role of Emile de Becque in Lincoln Center Theater's Tony Award winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, during two upcoming periods when the production's current Emile de Becque, baritone Paulo Szot, leaves the musical to honor two previously scheduled opera commitments.
Mr. Pittsinger will make his debut as the French plantation owner on Tuesday, December 2 for an eight week engagement through Sunday, January 25th, while Mr. Szot appears in a production of The Merry Widow for Opera Marseille. Mr. Szot will then return to
SOUTH PACIFIC on Tuesday, January 27 for six weeks through Sunday, March 8. after which he will leave to star in a production of Carmen for Opera Toulouse. During this five week period, Mr. Pittsinger will return to the role of Emile de Becque from Tuesday, March 12 through Sunday, April 12, with Mr. Szot returning to the show on Tuesday, April 15.
David Pittsinger made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Truelove in The Rake's Progress conducted by
James Levine. He went on to appear in the MET productions of Don Carlo, La Boheme, Die Zauberflote and Giulio Cesare. Later this season he will also appear in the New York City Opera's concert performance of Antony and Cleopatra at
Carnegie Hall. His other operatic credits include the role of Zoroastro in Handel's Orlando at both Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera and numerous appearances with leading opera companies throughout the United States, South America and Europe. His numerous orchestral credits include concert appearances with the
Los Angeles Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony and the Vienna Philharmonic. A Connecticut native, he can be heard on the Grammy Award-winning Virgin Classics record of Carlysle Floyd's Susannah and in La Calisto by Cavalli on the Harmonia Mundi label.
Directed by Barlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's
SOUTH PACIFIC, which also stars
Kelli O'Hara as Ensign Nellie Forbush, is the winner of 7 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. Tickets are available at the Vivian Beaumont Theater box office (150 W 65 Street), at telecharge.com or by visiting www.lct.org.
