After a year of chamber productions with few singers and a smaller than usual orchestra, the Sarasota opera house plans a return to life-size works for its season of four shows, which will feature a few newcomers to the company as well as returning favorites.

To open the season, soprano Ann Toomey will make her Sarasota debut in the title role of “Tosca,” which begins February 12. Toomey has performed frequently at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and has been described by Opera News as having a “penetrating voice”. She will play the tenor Ben Gulley in the role of the painter Cavaradossi. He last appeared at the Sarasota Opera House as Ismaele in the 2019 production of “Nabucco”. The cast will also include returning singers Stefano from Peppo as sacristan, Stephen Gaertner as police chief Scarpia.

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The company announced that for a performance on March 11, an actual couple Caitlin Crabill and Samuel Schlievert will sing the roles of Tosca and Cavaradossi. Crabill had the title role in the 2020 production of “The Wally” and Schlievert was most recently seen in “The Silken Ladder”. Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi will conduct the Sarasota Opera Orchestra and Stephanie Sundine will be the director.

For the second production, Donizetti’s romantic comedy “The Girl of the Regiment”, opening February 19, soprano Jessica Sandidge plays Marie. She was last heard in the 2020 productions of “The Wally” and “Bohemian.” William Davenport, also heard in “Bohemian,” will play Tonio, and the cast includes returning singers Matthew Hanscom (Papageno in “The magic flute” in 2019) and Lisa chavez (who had the title role in the company’s 2018 production of “Carmen”). Marc Freiman directs production and Jesse martins to lead to.

Soprano Hanna Brammer, who has become a company favorite in recent seasons with roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” “Tiefland” and “Rigoletto” and “The Silk Ladder” plays Priestess Leila in George Bizet’s “Pearl Fishers”, which opens on March 5th. The Pearl Fishers are played by tenor Andrew Surrena as Nadir and 2021 resident artist baritone Kyle Oliver as Zurga. Bass David Weigel made his Sarasota debut as High Priest Nourabad. Director Katherine M. Carter is also making her company debut with the production. She previously worked at the Santa Fe Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, and the Boston Lyric Opera, among others. Marcello Cormio will lead.

The last production of the season is Verdi’s “Attila”, which marks the return of bass Young Bok Kim, reprising the title role he played when the opera premiered in 2007. He is joined by the soprano Rochelle Bard, heard for the last time in “Nabucco”. and Matthew Vickers, who has been seen in several productions. De Peppo is also featured as the former Roman Leone, and former baritone Brian Major, former artist at Sarasota Opera Studio, sings the role of Roman General Ezio. DeRenzi conducts the orchestra and the director is Martha Collins.

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All four productions will feature costume design by Howard Tsvi Kaplan, stage design by Ken Yunker, and hair and makeup design by Kellen Eason.

The productions will also mark the return of the company’s apprenticeship and studio artist programs, with singers making up backing vocals and performing smaller roles.

For information on tickets and subscriptions: 941-366-8450; sarasotaopera.org

The company also announced that Melissa Voigt has returned as Senior Development Officer. Voigt first joined Sarasota Opera in 2000 as Head of Individual Donations and was appointed Director of Development in 2002, leading the completion of a $ 20 million fundraising campaign for the Sarasota Opera renovation. House.

She left in 2009 to become a development manager for Girl Scouts of Southwest Florida, and then worked for the Child Protection Center and the Van Wezel Foundation. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of the Ear Research Foundation.

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