Details

Lyrical, sumptuous and poignant, the opera follows the life of Parisian music hall singer, Zaza: her career, her eccentric friends and her passionate love affair with Milio Dufresne, an acquaintance to whom she grows hopelessly and devotedly attached. At least, until Zaz? discovers that he is not only married with a child, but unwilling to give up his comfortable family life: the scene between Zaz? and Milio's child is extremely moving. Leoncavallo's deeply affecting Zaz? is a long-awaited addition to Opera Holland Park, falling as it does into our tradition of late, romantic Italian opera from the ?verismo' repertoire. Leoncavallo is best known for I Pagliacci, and like Mascagni, was often condemned as a one-opera composer. As OHP audiences now know from our exploration of Mascagni's repertoire, this was, and remains a grossly unfair judgement. Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Cast/Performers

Anne Sophie Duprels (Zaza), Joel Montero (Milio), Louise Winter (Anaide), Richard Burkhard (Cascart), James Cleverton (Bussy), Johane Ansell (Floriana), Ellie Edmonds (Natalia), Charne Rochford (Courtois), Eddie Wade (Duciou), Joanna Marie Skillett (La Signora Dufresne), Oliver Brignall (Marco), Michael Bradley (Augusto), Aida Ippolito (Toto Dufresne), Alexandra Stenson (Ciaretta), Charlotte Hewett (Simona)

Creatives/Company

Music: Ruggero Leoncavalio
Producer: Opera Holland Park
Conductor: Peterr Robinson
Director: Marie Lambert
Design: Alyson Cummins
Costume: Camille Assaf
Lighting: Mark Jonathan
Choreographer: Danilo Rubeca