2019-2020 Met Opera Season Opens Monday, Sept. 23, With Porgy and Bess

Summary: The 2019-2020 Met Opera season opens Monday, Sept. 23, with George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and also offers Manon and Macbeth in the first week.

British soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn, who made her American debut Aug. 12, 2018, as Bess at Seattle Opera, makes her Met Opera debut Oct. 13, 2019, as Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: Seattle Opera @SeattleOpera, via Facebook Dec. 20, 2018

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season opens Monday, Sept. 23, with George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and also presents Jules Massenet’s Manon and Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth in the season’s first week. Each opera receives two performances during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s opening week.

The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Porgy and Bess by American composer and pianist George Gershwin (Sept. 26, 1898-July 11, 1937) premieres Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The week’s second performance is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m.

James Robinson directs the new production. The American stage director’s production team comprises Michael Yeargan, set designer; Catherine Zuber, costume designer; Donald Holder, lighting designer; Luke Halls, projection designer.

The Metropolitan Opera last presented George Gershwin’s folk opera 28 years 9 months ago, on Dec. 9, 1990. The 1990-1991 season’s staging revived the production designed by American opera and stage director Nathaniel Merrill (Feb. 8, 1927-Sept. 9, 2008) for the opera’s Metropolitan Opera premiere Feb. 6, 1985. Merrill’s production received 54 performances between the 1984-1984 and 1990-1991 Met Opera seasons.

In addition to the new production’s two opening week performances, Met Opera offers 12 performances during the 2019-2020 season. A third September performance takes place Monday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.

Four performances are slated for October. The month’s performances take place Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 13, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Six performances are scheduled in January. The month’s performances take place Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Closing night’s performance takes place Saturday, Feb. 1, at 1 p.m.

The second opera presented during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s opening week is Manon by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912). The season’s opening night for Manon takes place Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m.

A second performance of Manon is given during the 2019-2020 season’s opening week. The second performance takes place Saturday, Sept. 28, at 12:30 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of Massenet’s Manon revive Laurent Pelly’s staging. The French opera and theatre director’s staging debuted March 26, 2012, as a new Met Opera production in the opera house’s 258th performance of Manon. The Metropolitan Opera’s most recent staging of Pelly’s production took place during the 2014-2015 season.

Laurent Pelly is credited as both director and costume designer. His production team comprises Chantal Thomas, set designer; Joël Adam, lighting designer; Lionel Hoche, choreographer; Christian Räth, associate director.

Beside Manon’s two opening week performances, the Metropolitan Opera offers five additional performances during the 2019-2020 season. All five performances take place in October. The month’s Manon performances are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m.

The third opera presented during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s opening week is Macbeth by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). The season’s opening night for Macbeth takes place Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. The week’s second performance of Macbeth is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of Verdi’s Macbeth revive Adrian Noble’s staging. The British theatre director’s staging debuted Oct. 22, 2007, as a new Met Opera production in the opera house’s 81st performance of Macbeth. The Metropolitan Opera’s most recent staging of Noble’s production took place during the 2014-2015 season.

Noble’s production team includes Mark Thompson as set and costume designer. The production’s lighting designer is Jean Kalman. Sue Lefton is the production’s choreographer.

Beyond two opening week performances, Macbeth also receives four performances during the 2019-2020 season. All four performances are scheduled for October. The month’s performances take place Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12, at 8:30 p.m.

The takeaway for the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s first week is that George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess opens the season Monday, Sept. 23, as a new production and shares opening week with revivals of Jules Massenet’s Manon and Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth.

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Russian operatic soprano Anna Netrebko revives her 2014 Met Opera role debut as Lady Macbeth in British theatre director Adrian Noble's staging of Verdi's Macbeth: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Sep. 30, 2014

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

British soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn, who made her American debut Aug. 12, 2018, as Bess at Seattle Opera, makes her Met Opera debut Oct. 13, 2019, as Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: Seattle Opera @SeattleOpera, via Facebook Dec. 20, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/SeattleOpera/photos/a.10158119286216038/10158119287671038/

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Russian operatic soprano Anna Netrebko revives her 2014 Met Opera role debut as Lady Macbeth in British theatre director Adrian Noble's staging of Verdi's Macbeth: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Sep. 30, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10154710822610533/10154710822950533/

For further information:

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Porgy and Bess.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 279510 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Porgy and Bess {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/6/1985.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=279510

“New Production: Macbeth.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352126 New Production Macbeth {81} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/22/2007.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352126

“New Production: Manon.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354438 New Production Manon {258} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/26/2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354438

Opera Online. “James Robinson.” Opera Online > Encyclopera.
Available @ https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/personnalities/james-robinson