Houston Grand Opera Closes Season with XERXES, 4/30-5/14

Houston Grand Opera closes its 2009-2010 season with Nicholas Hytner's Laurence Olivier Award-wining production of Handel's XERXES. XERXES opens on Friday April 30 with performances through May 14.

The cast includes Susan Graham as Xerxes, Laura Claycomb as Romilda, David Danies as Arsamenes, Sonia Prina as Amastre and Heidi Stober as Atalanta. William Lacey returns to Houston to conduct XERXES, which he has previously lef for Cologne Opera. The production is directed by Michael Walling.

XERXES is a three-act opera series by George Frideric Handel. First performed in 1738 in London XERXES is set in Persia around 480 BC and tells the story of Xerxes I of Persia. The role of Xerxes was originally written for and performed by a castrato, the role is now regularly played by a mezzosoprano.

Susan Graham made her Houston Grand Opera debut in 2002 in the title role of Handel's Ariodante. The mezzosoprano's numerous HGO credits include Poppea in Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea and Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo. A Grammy Award-winning recording artist she was named "America's Favorite Mezz" by Gramophone magazine.

XERXES will be performed April 30, May 8, 12 and 14 at 7:30pm And May 2 at 2pm. Tickets range from $23 to $276 and can be purchases online at www.houstongrandopera.com or by phone at 713-228-6737. Tickets are also avaliable in person at the Box Office, licated in the lobby of the Wortham Theatre Center.

All performances will take place at the Wortham Theatre Center, 501 Texas Avenue, Houston TX 77002.