MET IN HD SEASON KICKS OFF WITH NEW PRODUCTION OF DONIZETTI’S L’ELISIR D’AMORE ON OCTOBER 13 AT LINCOLN THEATER

Damariscotta, Maine - Russian diva Anna Netrebko will open the Live from the Met in HD season singing the role of Adina in Donizetti’s comic opera, L’Elisir d”Amore.  Her lovelorn suitor, Nemorino will be sung by Matthew Polenzani, who will wow the audience with his performance of “Una Furtiva Lagrima”, one of the best-known tenor arias in all of opera.  Mariusz Kwiecien will sing Sergeant Belcore and Ambrogio Maestri will be the potion-peddling Doctor Dulcamara.  The new production is staged by Tony Award winning director Bartlett Sher and will be conducted by Maurizio Benini.  Curtain goes up at 1pm.

L’Elisir d’Amore takes place in a small village at the end of the 18th century. In comic opera fashion, disappointed love is cured by a fake elixir; an apparent betrayal is undone, and the hero and heroine live happily ever after.

Gaetano Donizetti was born in the Lombardy area of Italy in 1797.  His family was very poor, in fact his father was the town pawnbroker.   Donizetti was known both for  his comic operas like L’Elisir d’Amore and Don Pasquale as well as for tragic, dramatic operas like Lucia di Lammermoor.  Interestingly, in addition to the many operas he wrote in Italian, he also wrote several operas in French, the best-known of which was La Fille du Regiment which has been broadcast on the Met’s HD series.

Despite his gift for comedy, Donizetti had much unhappiness in his life.  His wife and three children all died, and for a time, he was institutionalized.  He died in 1848 leaving a legacy of much musical happiness.

Tickets for this and other Live from the Met in HD are available from the Lincoln Theater. Tickets are $24 adult, $22 senior.  There is $2 discount for members and an additional 10% discount for season subscriptions. Youth 18 and under are just $5.

For more information contact the Lincoln Theater at info@atthelincoln.org or call 563-3424.  The box office is open Tuesday-Friday from 1-5pm and one hour before each show.

The next Live from the Met in HD will be October 27, when Verdi’s Otello will be broadcast. Shakespeare’s tale of betrayal and jealousy set to the music of Verdi stars Renee Fleming as Desdemona and Johan Botha as Otello. There will be a pre-opera talk by musicologist, Dr. Morton Achter at 11:45 am.  The opera will begin at 1pm.  Additional information can be found on the theater’s website, www.atthelincoln.org.