FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26 2012 MEDIA CONTACT Bonnie Hargrove, Director Center for the Arts 843.521-4145; bhargrov@uscb.edu
“La Traviata” comes to USCB Center for the Arts in The MET: Live in HD performance on April 14 “La Traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi is a romantic tragedy featuring some of the most unforgettable music in all of opera. And once again this popular favorite will be brought to the stage on April 14 by The MET: Live in HD in a stunning production by Willy Decker. Soprano Natalie Dessay is Violetta, Matthew Polenzani will sing the role of her lover, Alfredo, and Alfredo’s father will be sung by Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Fabio Luisi will be on the podium. Long a favorite of aficionados and casual opera goers alike, “La Traviata” is based on a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas. It tells the story of a beautiful and popular courtesan in 18th century Paris who falls in love with a young admirer, Alfredo, and gives up her lavish and self-indulgent lifestyle to live with him in the country. For three years they live happily until one day Alfredo’s father visit’s Violetta and asks her to give up Alfredo for the sake of his family’s good name and reputation. Reluctantly she agrees to end their affair and goes back to Paris. When Alfredo returns home and reads her note, he believes she has left to join another lover. He follows her to Paris to denounce her, but later, after discovering the truth of her sacrifice, he returns to beg her forgiveness. Finding her near death with consumption, he has only a short time to tell her he was wrong before she collapse in his arms and dies.