Layla Claire Departs The Metropolitan Opera's THE MAGIC FLUTE

The Metropolitan Opera has just announced a cast change for THE MAGIC FLUTE.

Janai Brugger will sing the role of Pamina in the December 20, 23, 26, 30 matinee, January 2 and 5 performances of Mozart's The Magic Flute, replacing Layla Claire, who has withdrawn due to pregnancy.

Caitlin Lynch will sing Pamina at the December 29 matinee performance, which Brugger was originally scheduled to sing.

Janai Brugger was a 2012 winner of the Met's National Council Auditions, in which she sang Pamina's aria "Ach, ich fühl's." In fall 2012, she made her Met debut as Liù in Puccini's Turandot. In the 2013-14 season, she sang Helena in a revival of the Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island. Also this season at the Met, she will sing Jemmy in the new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell and Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen. She has sung Pamina at Los Angeles Opera and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden.

Caitlin Lynch made her Met debut in 2013 as Biancofiore in Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini and returned later that year to sing the role of Cynthia in the North American premiere of Nico Muhly's Two Boys. Her recent performances have included Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata with Des Moines Metro Opera; Marguerite in Gounod's Faust with Michigan Opera Theatre; Yadwiga in the world premiere of Ben Moore's Enemies, A Love Story with Palm Beach Opera; and Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera.

This season's performances of The Magic Flute, abridged and sung in English as the Met's annual Holiday Presentation, will be conducted by Antony Walker and will also star Jessica Pratt (in her Met debut) and Kathryn Lewek as Queen of the Night; Ben Bliss as Tamino; Christopher Maltman as Papageno; Shenyang as Speaker; and Morris Robinson as Sarastro.

For more information, visit the Met's website at www.metopera.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.