MidAtlantic Opera Sets RIGOLETTO Cast, Playing Ridge Performing Arts, 10/26

The MidAtlantic Opera, New Jersey's newest professional company, has announced the full cast for its upcoming, fully-staged production of Giuseppe Verdi's well-loved classic, RIGOLETTO, conducted by Maestro Jason C. Tramm and stage directed by Eric Gibson on Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm at the Ridge Performing Arts Center.

Metropolitan Opera baritone, Jason Stearns, will play the title role. Stearns has built a reputation as a distinguished interpreter of some of the most challenging roles in the baritone repertoire, including Barnaba in La Gioconda (Metropolitan Opera); Kurwenal in Tristan and Isolde (Lyric Opera of Chicago); and Biteroff in Tannhauser (Los Angeles Opera). He has performed leading roles in productions at the Savonlinna and Ravinia Festivals, and has appeared with Opera Boston, the Florida Grand Opera, the Leipzig Opera, Chorus Pro Musica, the Washington National Opera, and Den Norske Opera in Oslo. This season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera in La Traviata.

The role of the Duke will be played by tenor Alok Kumar (Santa Fe Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Delaware, Asheville Lyric Opera, Portland Opera Repertory Theatre, Amarillo Opera and at the Spoleto Festival. Soprano Jamilyn Manning-White (NY Gotham Chamber Opera, Heartbeat Opera and Berkshire Theatre Festival) will portray Gilda.

Additional principal cast members include: Justin Beck (Count Ceprano); Christine Byrne (Page); Melanie Campbell (Countess Cepano); Matthew Curran (Sparafucile); Ivan Conrad (Marullo); Kevin Courtemanche (Borsa); Liz Grohowski (Giovanna); Daniel Lickteig (Monterone); Jim Ludlum (Herald/Usher); and Karin Mushegain (Maddalena).

The MidAtlantic Opera Orchestra will accompany the cast joined by an eleven-member men's ensemble.

MidAtlantic Opera is an exciting new professional opera company now entering its second season of performances. It is one of very few professional opera companies that calls New Jersey its home and that is regularly presenting professional level operatic works. MidAtlantic Opera's mission is to inspire audiences and enrich the cultural life of the community by sharing the aesthetic power, and intellectual and emotional engagement of world class opera.

Rigoletto will be performed on Sunday October 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm at the Ridge Performing Arts Center, 268 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. Tickets are $55 (premium seating) and $35 (general admission) and may be ordered online at www.midatlanticopera.org or www.eventbee.com

For further information about Rigoletto and MidAtlantic Opera's 2014 season, please visit www.midatlanticopera.org.

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