This Wednesday evening at 9:00 on WHRO-FM 90.3, “A Local Touch – Music with a Virginia Connection” turns the spotlight to Williamsburg for a remarkable operatic event. Raymond Jones brings you Offenbach’s opera “The Tales of Hoffmann” from a performance recorded in Williamsburg in May 2024 at the Kimball Theatre.
Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann” follows the poet Hoffmann as he recalls three ill-fated loves: Olympia, a dazzling automaton who turns out to be only a mechanical doll; Antonia, a gifted singer whose fragile health leads her to a tragic end; and Giulietta, a Venetian courtesan who steals Hoffmann’s reflection and with it, his soul.
This fully staged production brought world-class singers and creative talent to the Historic Triangle, including tenor Todd Wilander as the poet Hoffmann and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Doche as Nicklausse, with the Opera in Williamsburg orchestra under Jorge Parodi’s baton.
Listeners will be able to enjoy this captivating performance in French this Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3 and online through our Media Player. And as an added treat, the opera will also be seen on WHRO-TV this Friday evening at 9:00, giving audiences the chance to both hear and see Opera in Williamsburg’s artistry.
