Romeo and Juliet by Gounod, S 21 jan 2023, No (2023/2023), Režisēja Dylan Thomas,, Diriģents Brian Stone

Shakespeare’s immortal love story comes to glorious musical life, as Valley Opera & Performing Arts and Mission Opera meld their formidable creative forces to present Charles Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette”. The fully-staged opera with orchestra stars Shira Renee Thomas and Xavier Prado as the star-crossed lovers. The cast also includes international artist Joshua Wentz, as well as Hugo Vera, who has appeared as a principal artist on the Metropolitan Opera stage, and Southern California favorites Rachel Labovitch and Eric Castro. Director Dylan F. Thomas, noted for his imaginative re-envisioning of mainstays of the operatic repertoire, has chosen a more traditional presentation for this beloved work. “Gounod’s romantic music takes us to heights of love and depths of despair”, says Thomas. “A truly powerful emotional experience.” Take Shakespeare’s timeless story of passionate, transcendent, ultimately tragic love, add the power of Gounod’s soaringly passionate and exquisitely heartbreaking score, and you have the ultimate date movie come to life in a moving live performance. “Romeo et Juliette” will be sung in the original French, with English translation projected above the stage. Both the Santa Clarita and Lake Balboa venues are fully wheelchair accessible, and feature comfortable individual theater-style seats.