Casting Update News

José Cura will sing the role of Don José in the Friday, March 1 performance of Bizet’s Carmen, replacing Andrew Richards, who is ill.

Cura, who begins rehearsals this week for his first Met performances of the title role in Verdi’s Otello, has graciously agreed at short notice to step in for what will be his company role debut as Don José. He most recently sang the role earlier this season at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, opposite Anita Rachvelishvili as Carmen. Cura made his Met debut in 1999 as Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and has subsequently sung Samson in Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila, Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca, Canio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and the title role in Verdi’s Stiffelio.

Carmen, conducted by Michele Mariotti, also stars Anita Rachvelishvili in the title role, Dwayne Croft as Escamillo, and Ekaterina Scherbachenko as Micaëla.