The evergreen tragedy of two star-crossed lovers comes to the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre as The Met: Live in HD presents the opera Romeo et Juliette on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Showtime is 9:55 a.m. so be in your seats a little early to be ready for the start. Running time is three and a half hours: long but nothing for those opera lovers used to enjoying such punishing delights as Wagner’s Parsifal or Siegfried.
Opera is built on passion and what better story to let it loose than the timeless tale of the Montagues and Capulets and the sad story of a pair of young lovers caught up in fierce family squabbles.
The electrifying team of Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau are reuniting in this new production of Gounod’s opera based on the famous Shakespeare play. Damrau makes her role debut as Juliette in Bartlett Sher’s production, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.
Elliot Madore sings Mercutio and Mikhail Petrenko sings Frère Laurent. Sher’s staging is a La Scala production, initially presented by the Salzburg Festival, where it premiered in 2008.
Tickets are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and $23 for students, with children getting in for $16.
Go online to cowichanpac.ca to book, or call the Cowichan Ticket Centre at 250-748-7529 to reserve. And don’t forget the hankies when you go.