LA Opera announced Tuesday it will present two free performances of Benjamin Britten’s “Noah’s Flood” next month at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, featuring a cast of hundreds of professional and community performers.
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.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 8 and 3 p.m. May 9 at the cathedral, 555 W. Temple St.
“Thanks to generous longtime support from the Dan Murphy Foundation, LA Opera is able to produce `Noah’s Flood’ and offer it free of charge as a special gift to the greater Los Angeles community,” LA Opera officials said in a statement.
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.
Based on a 15th-century play, “Noah’s Flood” tells the Old Testament story of Noah and his family as they endure a catastrophic flood, accompanied by a wide array of animals.
LA Opera has staged annual community productions at the cathedral since 2007, and this will mark the eighth time the company has presented Britten’s work at the venue.
Reservations are encouraged but not required, and more information is available at www.laopera.org/.