Gounod’s
Roméo et Juliette
REVIVAL
Live: Saturday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m.
Encore: Wednesday, March 27 at 3:00 p.m.
There will be a pre-opera talk led by John Steinbrunner one hour before the LIVE performance on Saturday.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Conductor), Nadine Sierra (Juliette), Samantha Hankey (Stéphano), Benjamin Bernheim (Roméo), Frederick Ballentine (Tybalt), Will Liverman (Mercutio), Alfred Walker (Frère Laurent)
Two singers at the height of their powers — soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Benjamin Bernheim — come together as the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s Shakespeare adaptation, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct one of the repertoire’s most romantic scores.
Bartlett Sher’s staging also features baritone Will Liverman and tenor Frederick Ballentine as the archrivals Mercutio and Tybalt, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as the mischievous pageboy Stéphano, and bass-baritone Alfred Walker as Frère Laurent.
ACT I
Verona, 18th century. A feud has been raging for generations between the Capulets and Montaigus. Juliette, Capulet’s daughter, has been promised to Count Pâris, but she is not interested in marriage. At a masked ball at her father’s house, she meets Roméo, a Montaigu, and the two fall instantly in love.
ACT II
That night, Roméo comes to Juliette’s balcony, and they reassure each other of their love.
ACT III
Roméo meets Juliette at Frère Laurent’s cell. Hoping that their love might reconcile their families, he marries them. A street fight breaks out. Tybalt, Juliette’s cousin, challenges Roméo’s friend Mercutio. Roméo steps between them, but when Tybalt kills Mercutio, he stabs Tybalt to death in revenge. The Duke of Verona exiles Roméo from the city.
ACT IV
After spending a secret wedding night with Juliette, Roméo leaves Verona. When Capulet declares that Juliette is to marry Pâris that same day, Frère Laurent gives her a potion to make her appear dead. He promises she will wake with Roméo beside her. On the way to the chapel, Juliette collapses.
ACT V
Roméo breaks into the Capulets’ crypt and — faced with Juliette’s seemingly dead body — takes poison. At that moment, Juliette awakens, and they share a final dream of happiness. Then she decides to follow him. The lovers die asking God for forgiveness.
The 2023-2024 Met Live Opera season in Sedona is generously sponsored by Bea Hanks, Chris Fladlien and Jim Dunne.
The season is dedicated in loving memory to Marc DuCharme.