Gaetano Donizetti’s beloved opera L’elisir d’amore – one of the most-performed operas worldwide – will return to the Israeli Opera stage to open the 2024 – 2025 opera season. The opera will be directed by Shirit Lee Weiss in an homage to the 1997 iconic production directed by Omri Nitzan z”l, with set and costumes designed by Ruth Dar, which transposes the romantic story to an Israeli kibbutz in the 1930s. L’elisir d’amore will be performed from November 7 – 18, 2024.
Nemorino, a naïve youth, falls in love with Adina, the strong-minded girl-next-door who refuses his advances. Nemorino’s path to true love accrues obstacles as the arrogant Sergeant Belcore comes to town and seeks Adina’s favor as well. When the duplicitous Dulcamara comes around selling magical potions, Nemorino is easily persuaded to purchase an elixir of love. Although the elixir is actually just cheap wine, Nemorino with his pure heart does eventually win the love of Adina.
Director Shirit Lee Weiss stated: “I remember the first time I saw Omri Nitzan’s L’elisir d’amore over twenty years ago. As an artist who constantly strives to find the connections between the universal genre to create a work that is grounded in the local culture, I appreciated the connection that Nitzan created between the popular Italian opera and the landscape of our childhood, the landscape of Israel. When you close your eyes and remember that production, the first thing you see are the sunflowers. I return to the kibbutz, to the sun, and embrace the personal and operatic nostalgia, this is an homage that is all love.”
Soloists in L’elisir d’amore will be: Yael Levita alternating with Shira Patchornik as Adina, Mario Rojas alternating with Aaron Blake as Nemorino, Oded Reich alternating with Michael Schwarze as Belcore, Ionut Pascu alternating with Marcel Bakonyi as Dulcamara, Anat Czarny alternating with Tamara Navoth as Gianetta, and Shaked Strul as Mrs. Dulcamara.
Performances will take place:
Thursday, November 7th at 19:30; Friday, November 8th at 13:00, Sunday, November 10th at 20:00, Monday, November 11th at 20:00, Wednesday, November 13th at 18:00, Thursday, November 14th at 20:00, Friday, November 15th at 13:00, Saturday, November 16th at 20:00, Monday, November 18th at 18:00.
Tickets and additional information may be found on the Israeli Opera website.
