Fab Five
Stars and directors of the Met’s 2019–20 new productions tell us what to expect from these extraordinary theatrical visions.
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Opens September 23, 2019
James Robinson’s stylish new production of the Gershwins’ American classic transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. Eric Owens and Angel Blue star in the title roles, with David Robertson on the podium.
Philip Glass’s Akhnaten
Opens November 8, 2019
Following his now-legendary staging of Satyagraha, director Phelim McDermott tackles another one of Philip Glass’s masterpieces. Anthony Roth Costanzo is the title pharaoh, the revolutionary ruler who transformed Ancient Egypt, and Karen Kamensek conducts.
Berg’s Wozzeck
Opens December 27, 2019
After wowing audiences with his astounding production of Lulu in 2015, South African artist William Kentridge focuses his extraordinary visual imagination on Berg’s other operatic masterpiece, set in a pre–World War I environment. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the new staging, with Peter Mattei making his role debut as the title character.
Handel’s Agrippina
Opens February 6, 2020
Handel’s tale of intrigue and impropriety in ancient Rome receives its first Met performances, with Joyce DiDonato as the controlling, power-hungry Agrippina and Harry Bicket conducting. David McVicar’s production ingeniously reframes the action to the present, where it should loudly resonate.
Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer
Opens March 2, 2020
Valery Gergiev conducts a new production by François Girard that features sweeping sets by John Macfarlane, turning the Met stage into a rich, layered tableau reminiscent of a vast oil painting. Bryn Terfel returns to the company for the first time since 2012 in the title role.