Manon Lescaut

Friday, July 27 & Monday, July 30 @ 7:30pm | Norton Hall | Sung in English with English supertitles

Music: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Illica, Giacosa, Leoncavallo et al

J. Meena

M. Chioldi

R. Breault

B. Gulley*

Barbara Quintiliani in Luisa Miller, 2011. Photo courtesy of Mark Anderson.

Manon Lescaut, a country girl, has ambitions to live in Paris, surrounded by luxury. She will do anything she must to attain her goal. When she becomes the mistress of the elderly Geronte, she achieves her dreams. But will she abandon her extravagant lifestyle when the Chevalier Des Grieux, an aristocrat with limited means, offers her true love? The road to ruin leads her to the New World and tragedy.

The opera is based on the scandalous 1731 novella written by the Abbé Prevost which was banned in 18th century Paris. Giacomo Puccini, composer of La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, achieved his first worldwide success with this gorgeous musical setting of the good girl gone bad. Our new production will be staged by General/Artistic Director Jay Lesenger. James Meena (Sister Angelica/Gianni Schicchi–2006, La Traviata–2008,) conducts.