PORT ANGELES — The mysterious knight Lohengrin arrives not in a horse-drawn carriage but a swan-drawn vessel. He’s poised to rescue the lovely duchess Elsa.
But then Ortrud, the cunning sorceress, appears on the scene, her power-hungry spouse Telramund by her side.
From here the tumultuous story unfolds in “Lohengrin,” the Metropolitan Opera production to be simulcast live in Port Angeles this Saturday.
The Met in New York City, the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts and Ghostlight Productions present “Lohengrin” at the Naval Elks Lodge, 131 E. First St., in this fourth opera of the season.
Show time is 9 a.m. Saturday, with refreshments available in the lodge ballroom.
Tickets are $24 general, $18 for seniors and $14 for students and children. To purchase in advance, visit https://jffa.org/met; tickets also will be sold at the door on Saturday morning.
On the 25- by 15-foot movie screen, the opera stars Polish tenor Piotr Beczala as the swan knight. Chicago-bred soprano Tamara Wilson is Elsa, who, despite her virtue, is falsely accused of murder. Christine Goerke, a soprano from Medford, N.Y., is Ortrud, and Russian-born bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin sings the role of her husband. Bass Günther Groissböck from Austria portrays King Heinrich.
At one point in the story, a large circular opening forms in the sky. A glowing red globe can be seen through it. The opening “is a window to the celestial realm of the Holy Grail,” said Metropolitan Opera spokesperson Abby Davis.
“The red hues indicate the bewitching power that Ortrud has on the people … Red is her color in the production, whereas [King] Heinrich is green, and Lohengrin and Elsa are white,” she said.
“Lohengrin,” which had its first performances in Weimar, Germany, 173 years ago, opened this time at the Met opera house in New York City on Feb. 26. The production is enjoying good reviews.
“Beczala sings with uncanny serenity and command in the title role … a shining musical performance,” a New York Times critic wrote of “Lohengrin” at the Met.
About the characters Elsa and Ostrud, “the two women represented two sides of human nature that equally play a role in the balance of life,” noted an OperaWire writer.
The live transmission of this Wagner opera is part of the Met’s “Live in HD” series, which sends the New York City productions to venues around the world.
The Elks Lodge simulcasts — which began in November — have been well-attended, said Juan de Fuca Foundation Executive Director Kyle LeMaire.
“People are coming from across Clallam County,” he said, noting that the operas feature backstage visits and interviews with Met cast and crew and backstage visits during the intermission.
The next operas in the Met season are Verdi’s “Falstaff” on April 1 and Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” on April 15.
To learn more about these and other Juan de Fuca Foundation events — including the March 21-24 workshops and performance by Bill Evans and Repertory Dance Theatre — see https://jffa.org, email contact@jffa.org or phone 360-457-5411.
