LA Opera will begin performances of Benjamin Britten\u2019s \u201cNoah\u2019s Flood\u201d Friday evening, the first of two free shows at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles featuring a cast of hundreds of professional and community performers.<\/p>\n
The productions, conducted by LA Opera Music Director James Conlon, will bring together more than 300 volunteer musicians from across the Los Angeles area alongside members of the LA Opera Orchestra and professional vocalists, according to organizers.<\/p>\n
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday at the cathedral, 555 W. Temple St.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to generous longtime support from the Dan Murphy Foundation, LA Opera is able to produce `Noah\u2019s Flood\u2019 and offer it free of charge as a special gift to the greater Los Angeles community,\u201d LA Opera officials said in a statement last month.<\/p>\n
Organizers said the cast will include singers of all ages and student musicians, along with members of the LA Opera Orchestra and professional vocal soloists, including baritone Hyungjin Son as Noah, mezzo-soprano Peabody Southwell as Mrs. Noah and actor Jamieson Price as the Voice of God. The production is directed by Eli Villanueva.<\/p>\n
Based on a 15th-century play, \u201cNoah\u2019s Flood\u201d tells the Old Testament story of Noah and his family as they endure a catastrophic flood, accompanied by a wide array of animals.<\/p>\n
LA Opera has staged annual community productions at the cathedral since 2007, and this will mark the eighth time the company has presented Britten\u2019s work at the venue.<\/p>\n