La fille du Régiment by Donizetti – This Saturday from the Met

Tune in to WHRO-FM 90.3 this Saturday at 1 p.m. for the Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast of a delightful performance from last fall: La Fille du Régiment – The Daughter of the Regiment, Donizetti’s beloved opera-comique. This frothy comedy mixes humor with a rush of buoyant melody and notorious vocal challenges.
The story is about a young orphan girl raised by an army regiment as their mascot. When it’s time for her to experience first love, complications (and comedy) ensue when her true identity is discovered.
This production stars soprano Erin Morley in the virtuosic title role of the tomboy Marie, who was raised by a regiment of French soldiers. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee plays the Swiss villager Tonio, who demonstrates his love for Marie by joining the regiment – and singing a famous aria full of high Cs. The cast also features beloved mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as Marie’s long-lost relative, the Marquise of Berkenfield, and bass-baritone Peter Kálmán as one of Marie’s regimental papas, Sergeant Sulpice. In addition, acclaimed actress Sandra Oh makes a cameo appearance in the speaking role of the imperious Duchess of Krakenthorp. Maestro Giacomo Sagripanti conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus in Donizetti’s exhilarating score.
Don’t miss this joyous, high-energy bel canto classic that will be heard over the Robert K. Johnson Foundation-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, this Saturday at 1 p.m. on WHRO-FM 90.3, and also online through our Media Player or your smart device.