Anyone who is an opera lover, an AVA lover, or a Metropolitan Opera lover knows what happened this weekend at the Saturday matinee and radio broadcast - an amazing debut for one soprano.
Long story short – soprano Latonia Moore (2004) was the cover for the Met’s production of Aida. The original soprano on the part got ill, and a replacement was brought in for a weekday performance who was for the Saturday matinee and radio broadcast, so Ms. Moore was asked to go on. With very little notice and almost no stage time, this past Saturday she made her debut on stage and radio.
Let’s cut to the chase, it was a wonderful performance and there was so much love for Latonia by the radio listeners, and in the house that it will be a day that many of us will not forget.
For a little background on Latonia, she is a seasoned singer and has performed the character of Aida before, including at The Royal Opera House in London as well as the State Opera in Hamburg. She will also be singing the role for Dallas Opera, October 26 – November 11, 2012.
She had great colleagues on stage with her including AVA alum James Morris singing the role of Ramfis.
A huge supporter of AVA is Marcello Giordiani, who was the Radames on Saturday’s broadcast. When being interviewed during the intermission alongside Latonia, he mentioned that he met her while she was a resident artist at AVA. He went on to say her voice was like angel wings. A reviewer mentioned that the Amneris of the broadcast, Stephanie Blythe, patted Latonia’s hand at the end of the opera a moved her to the front for an extra bow.
I spoke with AVA supporter Dr. Emmeline Abella who was at Lincoln Center on Saturday afternoon for the performance. She didn’t know about the cast change until she was seated and read the insert. She was thrilled to have heard Latonia and she mentioned the love in the house for her was monumental.
If you have a chance to hear Ms. Moore’s rendition of Ritorna Vincitor from Act One, it is beautiful, but the applause that followed was so outstanding, I’m sure people there knew history was being made.
Hi Dan:
Theresa and I were at the Saturday afternoon performance of Aida and I was so happy to be there and applaude Latonia: she has been always one of my favorite since I first heard her at AVA...she has a velvety color in her voice that makes her unique..and she displayed it in her singing. Brava Latonia!, it was the first time that I was screaming BRAVA, BRAVA at the Met.
Ciao, Ennio
Posted by: A Facebook User | March 13, 2012 at 12:52 PM