Otello at LA Opera

He's a beloved leader, a distinguished military commander and a devoted husband. But when an envious subordinate introduces the notionjust the slightest whispered hintthat Othello's wife Desdemona might possibly be unfaithful, it's enough to send him into a downward spiral of fury and murder.Hailed as the pinnacle of the Italian operatic repertoire, Verdis transformation of the original Shakespeare play is a powerful drama of uncontrolled human emotion at its most extreme. Verdi's musical portrait of Otellos descent into a tortured heart of darkness is explicit in every chilling detail as he destroys all in life that he holds dear.Verdi master James Conlon takes command of the truly epic musical forces. The powerhouse cast is led by Artist in Residence Russell Thomas in the title role (considered the "Mount Everest" of the dramatic tenor repertoire). Rachel Willis-Srensen makes a highly anticipated company debut as the doomed Desdemona and Igor Golovatenko is the sadistic Iago, slyly explpoiting Otello's one fatal flaw: jealousy.Sung in Italian with English subtitles.