Lyster Opera is excited to return to Daylesford in this new production of Rossini’s hilarious comedy The Italian Girl in Algiers. The opera tells the story of the Sultan Mustafa who is obsessed with all things Italian and yearns for an Italian wife. He gets more than he bargained for when Isabella, the Italian girl of the title, is shipwrecked and proceeds to take over his court – with an eye on her tenor lover Lindoro, whom the Sultan has enslaved.
Director Jamie Moffat says this early work by Rossini is rarely performed because it is technically very difficult. “The music was written for very, very accomplished singers,” he says. “We are very lucky to have assembled a cast who can really do the score justice.”
Heading the cast as Isabella is mezzo-soprano Alexandra Mathew, who won acclaim for her performance in another Rossini opera, La Cenerentola, which Lyster Opera presented in Daylesford in 2022. Alexandra’s colleague in that opera, Hew Wagner, returns as Lindoro. Audiences will remember Hew as Nero in The Coronation of Poppea in 2023. These are two of the most demanding roles in opera, and they rise brilliantly to the occasion.
Laura Slavin and Maria Woolford take on the roles of Elvira and Zulma, with Troy Castle as Taddeo, Christopher-Jack Andrew as Haly and Jamie Moffat pulling double duty as Mustafa as well as directing.
This new production has musical direction and accompaniment from audience favourite Pamela Christie, with new sets designed by Blair Parkinsons and superb costumes created especially for this tour by Maddy Connellan.
The Italian Girl in Algiers – Daylesford Town Hall 8 September at 2pm. Tickets are $40, $35 (concession) and $30 child – available at lysteropera.com.au or call 0410 0890 388.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 16 August 2024.
