Program Highlight

From Chicago to Opera Southwest, there's variety in October's operas - Sat at 1pm

Classical 91.5 WXXO-FM

Published September 29, 2023 at 2:23 PM EDT

Ben Gulley’s turn as Foresto was the standout performance of the evening. Foresto, like most early Verdi tenor roles, is a one-dimensional meathead. But you wouldn’t know that from Gulley’s interpretation.

10/7 Handel: Jephtha (Music of the Baroque)
CAST:
Jephtha — David Portillo
Iphis — Lauren Snouffer
Storgé — Clara Osowski
Hamor — Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Angel — Katelyn Lee
Zebul — Neal Davies

Tenor Ben Gulley is Foresto in Verdi’s Attila.

10/14 Pizzetti: Assassinio nella cattedrale (Opera Festival of Chicago)
CAST:
Thomas Becket — Andrea Silvestrelli
First Coryphée — Maria Kanyova
Second Coryphée — Anna Laurenzo
First Knight/Tempter — Reuben Lillie
Second Knight/Tempter — William Powell III
Third Knight/Tempter — Patrick Blackwell
Fourth Knight/Tempter — Eric Dubin
First Priest — Michael Rivera
Second Priest — Jeff Ray
Third Priest — Frank DeVincentis
Herald — André De Mesquita

10/21 Verdi: Attila (Opera Festival of Chicago)
CAST:
Attila — Andrea Silvestrelli
Odabella — Jenny Schuler
Ezio — Franco Pomponi
Leone — Patrick Blackwell
Foresto — Ben Gulley
Uldino — Reuben Lillie

10/28 Rossini: Le comte Ory (Opera Southwest)
CAST:
Count Ory — Christopher Bozeka
Tutor — Tim Mix
Isolier — Amanda Crider
Raimbaud — Matthew Hanscom
Countess — Adèle Lindsay Ohse
Ragonde — Laurel Semerdjian
Alice — Mary Brzezinski