Ric Furman to Sing Florestan in Fidelio at Seattle Opera One Performance Only: Sunday, October 14

Oct 11, 2012 by admin

Seattle—American tenor Ric Furman will sing the role of Florestan in Seattle Opera’s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio at the matinee performance on Sunday, October 14, 2012, replacing the originally announced singer, Clifton Forbis.

“Florestan is one of the most taxing roles ever written for tenor,” says Speight Jenkins, General Director of Seattle Opera. “Ric Furman, originally hired to cover Clifton Forbis, has proven himself up to the challenge, so I have asked him to sing the role at our matinee performance this Sunday.”

Recent roles for Furman include Don José in Carmen (Springfield Regional Opera), Tito in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito (Opera Company of Brooklyn), and Camille in The Merry Widow (Muddy River Opera). A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Western Illinois University, Furman is a former young artist with Cincinnati Opera and Opera Omaha. He sang his first Wagner role in 2010, as Augustin Moser in Cincinnati Opera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and last year sang a concert of music from Wagner’s Ring with Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.

Furman will sing this Sunday opposite soprano Marcy Stonikas, a former Seattle Opera Young Artist who this summer stunned audiences as Princess Turandot. Fidelio also features Greer Grimsley, Arthur Woodley, Anya Matanovič, and John Tessier. The performance is conducted by Seattle Opera Principal Guest Conductor Asher Fisch and directed by three-time Artist of the Year Award Winner Chris Alexander.

Fidelio Production Sponsor: Ann P. Wyckoff
2012/13 Season Sponsor: Gladys Rubinstein, in memory of Sam Rubinstein

Fidelio premieres Saturday, October 13, and runs through Saturday, October 27. Tickets are available online at seattleopera.org or by calling 206.389.7676 or 800.426.1619. Tickets may also be purchased at the Box Office by visiting 1020 John Street (two blocks west of Fairview), Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Ticket prices start at $25.
Please note the following artist list for Fidelio replaces all previously announced cast lists. Further information on the 2012/13 season and full biographies of the cast members can be found at seattleopera.org.

Fidelio

Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

Libretto by Joseph von Sonnleithner, with revisions by Stephan Von Breuning and Georg Friedrich Trietschke

In German with English captions

Revised Version Premiere: Kärtnertor Theater, Vienna, Austria, May 23, 1814

Previous Seattle Opera Performances: 1968, 1980, 1991, 2003

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle, Washington

6 Performances: October 13, 14 (matinee), 17, 20, 24, and 27, 2012

Approximate Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission

Evening performances begin at 7:30 pm, matinee at 2:00 pm

Groups save 15%: 206.676.5588

Seattle Opera Ticket Office: 206.389.7676/800.426.1619

Online orders: seattleopera.org

Artists

Leonore: Christiane Libor †

Marcy Stonikas *

Florestan: Clifton Forbis

Ric Furman *

Rocco: Arthur Woodley

Don Pizarro: Greer Grimsley

Marzelline: Anya Matanovič

Jaquino: John Tessier

Don Fernando: Kevin Short

Conductor: Asher Fisch

Stage Director: Chris Alexander

Set Designer: Robert Dahlstrom

Costume Designer: Catherine Meacham Hunt

Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler

Sets & Costumes: Seattle Opera

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† Seattle Opera debut

* October 14 only

Anya Matanovič and Marcy Stonikas are former Seattle Opera Young Artists.

Fidelio Production Sponsor: Ann P. Wyckoff
Christiane Libor’s performances are sponsored by The James and Sherry Raisbeck Lead Singers Fund
2012/13 Season Sponsor: Gladys Rubinstein, in memory of Sam Rubinstein

Learn more about Fidelio!

Seattle Opera offers the following educational opportunities:

Pre-Performance Talks: An hour and a half before every performance, in the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall, $7

Free Public Previews:

10/11/2012, 12 pm, Seattle Central Library

10/20/2012, 2:15pm, Sylvan Way Library

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About Seattle Opera

Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. The company is recognized internationally for its theatrically compelling and musically accomplished performances, especially the Opera’s interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner. Since 1975, Seattle Opera has presented 38 cycles of the Ring (three different productions), in addition to acclaimed productions of all the other major operas in the Wagner canon. Seattle Opera has achieved the highest per capita attendance of any major opera company in the United States, and draws operagoers from four continents and 50 states.