This is also the first opera by a Mexican composer to be presented by the company. With a majority Latinx cast led by celebrated Mexican-American soprano Ailyn Pérez, the premiere of Florencia marks an unprecedented Latin American cultural and artistic moment for the Met.
Fathom Events will also present two encores of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas on Wednesday, December 13, at 1:00PM and 6:30PM local time.
Tickets for Florencia en el Amazonas are on sale through the Fathom Events website and participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit FathomEvents.com (participating theaters are subject to change).
Inspired by the magical realism of novelist Gabriel García Márquez, with a libretto by Mexican writer Marcela Fuentes-Berain, Catán’s 1996 opera follows Florencia Grimaldi, a South American opera diva who returns to her homeland to perform at the legendary opera house of Manaus and to search for her lost lover, who has vanished into the jungle. Led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, the cast stars Pérez in the title role and features a distinguished ensemble of singers portraying the diva’s fellow travelers on the riverboat to Manaus—soprano Gabriella Reyes as the journalist Rosalba, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley as the ship’s captain, baritone Mattia Olivieri as his enigmatic first mate, tenor Mario Chang as the captain’s nephew Arcadio, and mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera and baritone Michael Chioldi as the feuding couple Paula and Alvaro.
The new production by award-winning director Mary Zimmerman brings the mysterious and magical realm of the Amazon to the Met stage. The creative team includes Havana-born, Buenos Aires–raised set designer Riccardo Hernández in his Met debut, with costume designer Ana Kuzmanić, lighting designer T.J. Gerckens, projection designer S. Katy Tucker, and choreographer Alex Sanchez.+
Gary Halvorson will direct the Live in HD presentation for cinemas, with critically acclaimed Mexican tenor, theater director, and artistic director Rolando Villazón serving as host. He will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access and conduct interviews with the cast and creative team during intermission.
The Stars of Florencia en el Amazonas
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Montreal, Canada
Ailyn Pérez, Florencia Grimaldi; Chicago, Illinois
Gabriella Reyes, Rosalba; Meriden, Connecticut
Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Paula; Canary Islands, Spain
Mario Chang, Arcadio; Guatemala City, Guatemala
Mattia Olivieri, Riolobo; Sassuolo, Italy
Michael Chioldi, Alvaro; Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Greer Grimsley, Captain; New Orleans, Louisiana
