LA Opera Presents A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE with Renée Fleming, 5/18-24

When Renée Fleming returns to LA Opera this spring to headline the Company's first performances of A Streetcar Named Desire, General Director Plácido Domingo promises that it will be an experience to savor.

"I have been eager to bring Renée to Los Angeles as Blanche DuBois for more than a decade," said Mr. Domingo. "I was at the magnificent London concert performance of Streetcar conducted by Andre Previn in 2003, and her performance as Blanche was one that I will never forget. I am thrilled that L.A. audiences will now have the opportunity to see this incredible artist in a role tailored to her extraordinary talents."

The soprano starred in the 1998 world premiere of the opera by composer André Previn and librettist Philip Littell. She will reprise the role of Blanche DuBois in three semi-staged concert performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this spring.

One of the most celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, Ms. Fleming made headlines last week when it was announced that she would sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XLVIII this Sunday, February 2. She will be the first opera singer ever to perform the national anthem at the NFL championship game, which had 164 million viewers last year, the largest television audience in U.S. history.

More About Ms. Fleming
Renée Fleming has captivated audiences around the globe with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. Known as "the people's diva" and a four-time Grammy Award winner, including the 2013 Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Solo, she continues to grace the world's greatest opera stages and concert halls, now extending her reach to include other musical forms and media. She holds the position of Creative Consultant with Lyric Opera of Chicago. At a White House ceremony on July 10, 2013, President Barack Obama awarded her the 2012 National Medal of Arts, America's highest honor for an individual artist.

Ms. Fleming made her LA Opera mainstage debut in 2006 as Violetta in La Traviata. The production was filmed and released on DVD. LA Opera has also presented Ms. Fleming in recital three times, as well as in a 2013 joint recital with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in collaboration with the LA Philharmonic.

Renée Fleming and A Streetcar Named Desire
"The role of Blanche DuBois is always a thrilling challenge," said Ms. Fleming. "She is an iconic character of the American stage, and-as realized for the opera by my cherished friend, the brilliant composer and Hollywood legend André Previn-I think she's compelling in new ways, for new audiences."

Ms. Fleming first appeared as the iconic faded Southern belle at the opera's world premiere in San Francisco in 1998. The operatic adaptation of the 1947 Tennessee Williams play was commissioned by the San Francisco Opera, where it was filmed for telecast on PBS' "Great Performances" and released on DVD.

Cast and Creative Team
In addition to Ms. Fleming, the principal cast will include:

• Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Stanley Kowalski
• Soprano Stacey Tappan as Stella
• Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey as Mitch

Mr. Griffey created the role of Harold "Mitch" Mitchell in the world premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire in San Francisco in 1998.

The three semi-staged concert performances will be conducted by Patrick Summers and directed by Brad Dalton. For complete casting, creative team, artist bios and ticketing information, clickhere.

Contemporary Opera at LA Opera
LA Opera has a longstanding commitment to contemporary works like A Streetcar Named Desire. In recent seasons, the Company has presented the world premieres of Il Postino by Daniel Catán and Dulce Rosa by Lee Holdridge, with another world premiere, Jack Perla's Jonah and the Whale, to be presented in March 2014. A notable highlight of LA Opera's current season was the West Coast premiere of Einstein on the Beach Robert Wilson and Phillip Glass in October. The 2014/15 season will include Catán's 1996 opera Florencia en el Amazonas and Dog Days, an opera by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek that was first performed in 2012.

Opera Month in L.A.
A Streetcar Named Desire is just one of several notable operatic performances taking place throughout Los Angeles County during the month of May. Additional highlights include the Company premiere of Massenet's Thaïs, starring Plácido Domingo, and a Dmitri Hvorostovsky recital presented by LA Opera; Così fan tuttepresented by the LA Philharmonic; Porgy and Bess presented by Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson; An American Soldier's Tale and A Fiddler's Tale at Long Beach Opera; La Calistopresented by Pacific Opera Project; and spring concerts by the Verdi Chorus.

Performance Dates and Ticket Information
There will be three performances of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012.

• Sunday, May 18, 2014, at 5pm
• Wednesday, May 21, at 7:30pm
• Saturday, May 24, 2014, at 7:30pm

Tickets start at $17 and can be purchased in person at the LA Opera Box Office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, by phone at 213.972.8001 or online at www.LAOpera.org. For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email laopera@laopera.org.

To download artist and production photographs for A Streetcar Named Desire, click here.

Production made possible by generous leadership gifts from

Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation

Selim K. Zilkha & Mary Hayley/Selim K. Zilkha Foundation
The Blue Ribbon special committee for Streetcar
Marc & Eva Stern Foundation
and
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

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