Quinn Kelsey Sings Amonasro, Marcello, Rigoletto at Met in 2022-2023

Summary: Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey sings Amonasro, Marcello and Rigoletto in Met Opera's 2022-2023 season as role reprisals from 2018-2019 and 2021-2022.

Met Opera's 2022-2023 season reunites Quinn Kelsey (Rigoletto) and Rosa Feola (Gilda) in their first reprisals as tragic father and daughter in the first revival of Bartlett Sher's production of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Jan. 19, 2022

Native Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey sings Amonasro, Marcello and Rigoletto at Met Opera for the 2022-2023 season in his second Aida role reprisal, third La Bohème role reprisal and first Rigoletto role reprisal, respectively.

Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey (born March 7, 1978) made his Metropolitan Opera debut Saturday, March 29, 2008, as Schaunard in the opera company's 1,194th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). He sang the role of the bohemian musician in six of the opera's seven performances in the 2007-2008 season.

Seven seasons later, in the 2014-2015 season, Kelsey made his first revisit to La Bohème at Met Opera. His return to Puccini's bohemian opera added a second La Bohème role to his Met Opera portfolio. He sang Marcello the painter in four of the season's 15 performances of the opera.

Kelsey's first reprisal of Marcello occurred in Met Opera's 2015-2016 season. He sang the painter's role in five of the season's 16 performances of La Bohème.

His second reprisal of Marcello took place in the 2021-2022 season. He sang the role in the last four of the season's 15 performances of La Bohème.

Quinn's third reprisal of Marcello happens in Met Opera's 2022-2023 season. His appearances as the bohemian painter mark his second consecutive season in the role and qualifies as the third of his three paternal roles in the 2022-2023 season.

All 14 of the season's performances of La Bohème are scheduled for spring. Kelsey's appearances are slated for the season's last five performances of the opera. He sings Marcello Friday, May 26, at 8:00 p.m.; Monday, May 29, at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 4, at 3:00 p.m.; and closing night, Friday, June 9, at 7:00 p.m.

Kelsey added Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) as the second opera in his Met Opera repertoire during the 2010-2011. He appeared as elderly Count Monterone, father of one of the lustful Duke of Mantua's victims, in the last 10 of the season's 15 performances of the tragic Verdian opera.

Kelsey's return to Rigoletto at Met Opera 11 seasons later, in the 2021-2022 season, added a new paternal role to his Met Opera repertoire. He sang the title role, as the father of self-sacrificing, Duke of Mantua-besotted Gilda, in the first and last 10 of the season's 14 performances of Rigoletto.

Kelsey makes his first reprisal of the title role in Met Opera's 2022-2023 season. His appearances as the jester who painfully learns the disvalue of ridiculing others mark his second consecutive season in the role and qualify as the first of his two paternal roles in the 2022-2023 season.

All 14 of the 2022-2023 season's performances of Rigoletto are scheduled for winter (November, December). Kelsey sings the title role in the opera's first seven performances: Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 20, at 3:00 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 26, at 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 8:00 p.m.

Kelsey added Aida as the seventh opera in his Met Opera repertoire during the 2018-2019 season. He made his role debut as Amonasro, King of Ethiopia and Princess Aida's father, in the first seven of the season's 11 performances of the ancient Egypt-themed opera by Verdi.

Kelsey's first reprisal of Amonasro took place in the 2018-2019 season. He appeared in the three of the season's seven performances of Aida.

Three seasons later, in the 2022-2023 season, Kelsey makes his second reprisal of Amonasro. His appearance as Amonasro marks his second paternal role, as Princess Aida's father, in the 2022-2023 season.

The season's 15 performances of Aida are scheduled as seven winter (December, January) and eight spring (April, May) performances. Kelsey is slated to sing the role of Aida's kingly father in December's last four performances: Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 7:30 p.m.

The takeaways for Quinn Kelsey as Amonasro, Marcello and Rigoletto at Met Opera in 2022-2023 are that the native Hawaiian baritone is scheduled for three of the 23 operas rostered for the Metropolitan Opera's 2022-2023 season and that he appears in one Puccini and two Verdi operas. Also, two (Amonasro, Rigoletto) of his three roles are paternal.

Met Opera makeup artist Marian Torre transforms Quinn Kelsey into Rigoletto: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Dec. 8, 2021

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Met Opera's 2022-2023 season reunites Quinn Kelsey (Rigoletto) and Rosa Feola (Gilda) in their first reprisals as tragic father and daughter in the first revival of Bartlett Sher's production of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Jan. 19, 2022, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10166033022075533/

Met Opera makeup artist Marian Torre transforms Quinn Kelsey into Rigoletto: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Dec. 8, 2021, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10165916516395533/

For further information:

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Hawaii Opera Theatre. "We are tuning in to tonight’s Great Performances at the Met on PBS . . . are you? Baritone Quinn Kelsey takes on the title role in Verdi's timeless tragedy, Rigoletto, tonight at 8pm HST. An HOT Orvis Opera Studio alumnus, Quinn first took the stage as a member of the HOT Chorus and has gone on to international stardom. HOT fans will recognize Quinn from last year’s performance of Opera Kanikapila and past mainstage productions such as La Traviata. Get all the details at https://www.hawaiiopera.org/…/great-performances-at-the-m…/. . ." Facebook. June 17, 2022.
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Linda C @LindaClassical. "A desire for revenge and a curse leads to tragic consequences for a court jester, Rigoletto, and his beloved daughter, Gilda. Giuseppe Verdi's dramatic opera, Rigoletto, today 1pm ET @classicalweta 90.9FM, a live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, featuring Quinn Kelsey." Twitter. Jan. 29, 2022.
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OPERA NEWS @OPERANEWS. "2022 OPERA NEWS Awards honoree Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto at the Met, with Rosa Feola as Gilda. Read our tribute to "a singer for the ages" who "expands what it means to be a Verdi baritone" here: https://operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2022/4/Features/OPERA_NEWS_Awards_Honorees_%E2%80%94_Quinn_Kelsey.html Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera." Twitter. March 25, 2022.
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