Troupe Adds ‘The Mikado,’ ‘Cosi fan tutte’

IRVINE — Opera Pacific will present two operas new to its repertory during the 1997-98 season, general director Patrick L. Veitch announced Thursday.

The new productions--Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” and Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte”--will open and close the season, Nov. 11 and March 31, respectively, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Two Puccini operas--”Tosca” and “La Boheme”--will complete the season.

“I’m proud to be introducing ‘Cosi fan tutte,’ ” Veitch said Thursday. “It is a masterpiece, and it’s high time it was done here.”

In keeping with belt-tightening at the financially strapped company, each opera will be presented four times.

They will open Tuesday evenings rather than on weekends, as in the past. This allows an extra weekend to rehearse before the opening, Veitch said.

In another departure from past seasons, there will be one cast in most cases, rather than two.

“There are a few artists we’re still in discussion with about back-to-back [Saturday and Sunday] performances,” Veitch said. “In any case, we will be engaging a second artist for major roles.”

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Prices will go up to reflect the same price for all performances.

“In the past, we have had two different price scales, one for weekend and another for weekday performances. The result is that the cheapest subscription last year was $68 on some nights and $88 on other nights. That will now be $92. So some nights are getting hardly any increase, and others are getting a higher increase. But everybody’s getting the same performance.”

The higher prices will also include the new 5% surcharge the center is imposing on all productions there.

This season reflects the last imprint of departing founding general director David DiChiera, who is stepping down as artistic director at the end of the 1997-98 season. DiChiera will devote his time to Michigan Opera Theatre, which he founded in 1971. He had split his time between Detroit and Orange County. Veitch said a new music director will be chosen by the spring.

Subscription tickets, from $92 to $472, go on sale April 1. Single tickets, from $28 to $131, will go on sale next summer. Tickets: (800) 346-7372.

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OPERA PACIFIC

The 1997-98 Season:

* “The Mikado,” Nov. 11-6. Cast to be announced. Stewart Robertson will conduct. Christopher Renshaw will direct his original production for the Australian Opera.

* “La Boheme,” Jan. 6-11. Leontina Vaduva will sing Mimi, Marcello Giordani will sing Rodolfo, and Christopher Schaldenbrand will sing Marcello. Musetta will be announced. Christian Badea will conduct. Roman Terleckyj will direct the Washington Opera production.

* “Tosca,” Feb. 24-29. Maria Guleghina will sing the title role, Clifton Forbis will sing Cavaradossi, and Richard Cowan will sing Scarpia. Steven Mercurio will conduct. Harry Silverstein will direct the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production created for San Francisco Opera.

* “Cosi fan tutte,” March 31-April 5. Brenda Harris will sing Fiordiligi, Margaret Lattimore will sing Dorabella, Robert Swensen will sing Ferrando, and Andrew Schroeder will sing Guglielmo. Despina and Don Alfonso will be announced. John DeMain will conduct. Mark Lamos, who originally directed the production for Portland Opera, will direct.

All productions will be at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.