American Soprano Angel Blue Makes Her Metropolitan Opera Debut in Puccini's LA BOHEME

Puccini's La Bohème, the most-performed opera in Met history, returns to the repertory this season with 15 performances of Franco Zeffirelli's production from October 2, 2017 to March 10, 2018. Initial performances feature soprano Angel Blue making her Met stage debut as Mimì, with the role sung later in the season by Anita Hartig and Sonya Yoncheva. Three acclaimed tenors, Dmytro Popov, Russell Thomas and Michael Fabiano, share the role of Rodolfo. Sopranos Brigitta Kele and Susana Phillips play Musetta with baritones Lucas Meachem and Michael Todd Simpson as Marcello.

Across the season, Rodolfo and Marcello's fellow bohemians are portrayed by rising star baritones Duncan Rock and Alexay Lavrov as Schaunard, while Colline is sung by British basses Matthew Rose, who earlier in the season appears as Oroveso in the Met's season premiere of Bellini's Norma, and David Soar. Veteran bass Paul Plishka sings both the roles of Benoit and Alcindoro at all performances this season, marking the 50th anniversary of his Met debut in 1967.

Alexander Soddy, currently music director of the National Theater Mannheim, makes his Met debut conducting performances from October 2 to November 4. Marco Armiliato, who has conducted over 400 performances with the Met including 64 performances of La Bohème, takes up the baton from February 15 to March 10, 2018. The Italian maestro leads two other Puccini operas this season: Turandot and Madama Butterfly.

Angel Blue has previously sung the role of Mimì at the Dresden State Opera and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia. The American soprano performed as part of the Met's Summer Recitals series in 2016 at Central Park SummerStage and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Her recent credits with other companies include Clara in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at La Scala and the Festival Napa Valley, Helena in Boito's Mefistofeles at the Baden-Baden Festival, and Musetta in La Bohème at La Scala.

In addition to her performances as Mimi during the Met's 2017-18 season, Bulgaria's Sonya Yoncheva performs the title roles in the company's productions of Puccini's Tosca and Verdi's Luisa Miller. All three are transmitted as part of the Met's Live in HD series, making Yoncheva the first artist to have three principal roles in the same HD season. Yoncheva sang Mimì during the 2014-15 season, having made her Met debut in 2013 as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, followed by widely acclaimed Met performances in Verdi's La Traviata and Otello.

Anita Hartig made her Met debut in 2013 as Mimì in La Bohème followed by performances as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen, Liù in Turandot, and as Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. The Romanian singer also makes her role debuts as Antonia and Stella in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann in the Met's 2017-18 season.

Dmytro Popov made his company debut last season as Rodolfo. The Ukranian has previously sung the role at the Bavarian State Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Royal Opera, Covent Garden.

Russell Thomas, fresh from his performances in the title role in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito directed by Peter Sellars for the Salzburg Festival, makes his Met role debut as Rodolfo. The American tenor made his company debut in 2005 in Verdi's Don Carlo, followed by performances in eight other productions, including in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer, Verdi's Macbeth and Nabucco, and Berg's Wozzeck.

Michael Fabiano sang Rodolfo at the Met during the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons. Since being named one of the winners of the Met's 2007 National Council Auditions, he has sung Verdi roles including Raffaele in Stiffelio, Cassio in Otello, and Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, as well as Alfred in Strauss's Die Fledermaus, and Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the Met. Later this season, the American tenor will reprise the role Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

The February 24 matinee performance of La Bohème will be transmitted live at 12:55 p.m. ET hosted by Kelli O'Hara. The transmission will be seen in more than 2,000 movie theaters in 73 countries around the world. The October 2 performance of La Bohème will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS XM Channel 75, as will the performance on February 24. The October 2 performance will also be streamed live on the Met's web site, www.metopera.org.

The February 24 matinee performance will be broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

For more information on La Bohème, including casting by date, please click here.

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