What does it take to put on an opera in Spanish? What does it feel like to not only meet your opera idol, but get to sing with her onstage?
Join producer Emily Duncan Wilson as she chats with the soprano singing the role of Rosalba in "Florencia en el Amazonas" at the Metropolitan Opera.
Emily got to go to the dress rehearsal of "Florencia en el Amazonas" written by Mexican composer Daniel Catán at the Met in New York City.
This is the first time in over 100 years that the Met has produced an opera in Spanish, and is the first time the Met has ever programmed an opera by a Latin-American composer.
"Florencia" tells the enchanting story of an opera diva who returns to her native South America to perform at the legendary opera house of Manaus—and to search for her lost lover, who has vanished into the jungle.
Click here for a beautifully illustrated synopsis.
This Met premiere stars soprano Ailyn Pérez as Florencia Grimaldi, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to lead a new production by Mary Zimmerman that brings the mysterious and magical realm of the Amazon to the Met stage.
To hear more about the design of the show, listen to Emily chat with director Mary Zimmerman, puppet designer and puppeteer Tom Lee and Rosalba, Gabriella Reyes, about what it takes to create the world of the Amazon onstage at the Met in Part 1 of our "Florencia" series.
Emily even got to talk to some Sprouts from local elementary schools in Manhattan that were also there to see the dress rehearsal.
DIRECTOR: Mary Zimmerman
CONDUCTOR: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
SET DESIGNER: Riccardo Hernández
COSTUME DESIGNER: Ana Kuzmanić
LIGHTING DESIGNER: T.J. Gerckens
PROJECTION DESIGNER: S. Katy Tucker
CHOREOGRAPHER: Alex Sanchez
Thanks to Chanel Williams and the Education Team at the Metropolitan opera for helping to organize the interviews presented in this episode.
