BELLEVUE/BEACON HILL - Following sold-out performances of Carmen in 2005 and Madama Butterfly in 2006, the Puget Sound area's newest opera company is producing Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece, La Traviata in a dual venue schedule.
Beacon Hill area singer Andrew Mayzak, tenor, is a newcomer to opera and sings the role of Joseph. He comes to Lyric Opera Northwest from a primarily choral background. Past works include performances of Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah, Vaughn Williams' Five Mystical Songs, and a production of Orff's Carmina Burana with the Tacoma Symphony. A graduate of the University of Washington, Andrew began formally studying voice in early 2007. La Traviata marks his operatic debut.
Unique to the Lyric Opera Northwest creative strategy, internationally known opera professionals perform with talented local opera singers in this fully staged and costumed opera with live orchestra directed by maestro R. Joseph Scott.
The opera company is becoming known for special casting and staging touches, incorporating a stilt walker in Carmen, and a former sumo wrestler and award winning Japanese dancer in Madama Butterfly.
La Traviata opens and closes on consecutive Sundays (Nov. 11 and 18) at the Kirkland Performance Center. Three evening performances and one matinee are offered at the Meydenbauer Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 through 17. The opera runs under three hours including intermission with lobby refreshments. For more information, visit www.lonw.org.
