Minnie = Andrea Gruber
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Mark Delavan
Nick = Francis Egerton
Ashby = Robert Lloyd
Jake Wallace = Jonathan Lemalu
Sonora = Mark Stone
Bello = Grant Doyle
Happy = Jared Holt
Joe = Harry Nicoll
Larkens = Graeme Broadbent
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby
Antonio Pappano, conductor
Director - Piero Faggioni
Set Designs - Kenneth Adam
Costume Designs - Piero Faggioni
Lighting - Piero Faggioni
La fanciulla del West
The Royal Opera 2005 - 2006
7:00 PM
15-Sep-05
Supported (2005) by The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Running time: 3 hrs 30 mins
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
§ Jette Parker Young Artist
I liked the production but I think the Zurich production (2004) was superior. Anyway the tenor was the same as in Zurich, and Jose Cura did a wonderful job. He had improved and proved that the role of Dick Johnson alias Ramirez is probably the ideal opera role for Jose Cura at this time. Just as it used to be for Plácido Domingo in the 1980s.
Andrea Gruber was a wonderful Minnie, superbly acted but not always vocally on the top of things, but it was a mere minor detail. Worse was it that Mark Delevan as Sheriff Jack Rance was so weak, a bit better in act 2 and act 3 but nothing as the menace that Juan Pons gave this role in Zurich 2004./ Jonathan Lemalu as Jack Wallace was a disappointment. Francis Egerton as Nick was acting wonderfully and was in beautiful voice the whole evening. Mark Stone made an Ok Sonora. Robert Lloyd was making Ashby almost a good role to do. Harry Nicoll as Joe was something I have a hard time remembering anything of, so unlike Zurich 2004 where Joe was quite poignant. It was a great chorus moment though.
It was a wonderful opera night. It started raining again, and to make matters worse it was a "premiere" party and so we couldn't stand there and just wait for how many hours to maybe see Jose Cura appear. It was a bit cold too. So we just went home...
It was a wonderful opera night. It started raining again, and to make matters worse it was a "premiere" party and so we couldn't stand there and just wait for how many hours to maybe see Jose Cura appear. It was a bit cold too. So we just went home...
This page was last updated: June 20, 2022
