We begin orchestra rehearsals for Idomeneo this Sunday evening and the singers join us a few days later. My brain hasn’t quite left New York (or PucciniLand™ yet, having done an act of Bohème with operamission) but it’s definitely time to switch gears and make the move to Mozart.

I’d been keeping an eye out for the cast listings; usually Opera San José has those up when they announce the upcoming season, but it appears they were changing things up a bit this year and made us wait. They’ve also updated the look of the site — I like the cleaner look! Finally, though, I see the cast listings (and much more) up. If you go to the actual page you’ll see links to bios. I’m not going to do all that right now, but here’s the scoop:

Conductor: George Cleve
Assistant Conductor: Anthony Quartuccio*
Stage Director: Brad Dalton
Choreographer: Dennis Nahat
Chorus Master: Andrew Whitfield
Set Designer: Steven C. Kemp
Costume Designer: Johann Stegmeir
Lighting Designer: Christopher Ostrom
Wig & Makeup Designer: Jeanna Parham

CAST**
(The first name listed sings 9/10, 9/13, 9/18, 9/22, and the second 9/11, 9/17, 9/23, 9/25)
Ilia: Rebecca Davis/Sandra Bengochea
Elettra: Christina Major/Jasmina Halimic
Idamante: Aaron Blake/Betany Coffland
Idomeneo: Christopher Bengochea/Alexander Boyer
Arbace: Nova Safo
High Priest: Mathew Edwardsen
The Voice: Silas Elash
Opera San José Orchestra, Chorus, Dancers and Supers

*Mr. Quartuccio conducts Sept. 18 and 23 performances.
**Casting subject to change without notice

So off to reeds I should go, but picking myself up off this comfy rocking chair isn’t easy; I don’t feel I’ve come close to adjusting back to this time zone, and my brain … well … I think I left what little brain I had in New York City!