LUCIA Opening Night Dedicated to Sutherland; Photos of Today's Singers

Last night, before the maestro took the podium for Act One, Speight Jenkins addressed the crowd at McCaw Hall:

"It would be impossible to present Lucia di Lammermoor this week without noting the loss of Dame Joan Sutherland. The great Australian soprano, clearly the most famous Lucia of the last fifty years, passed away earlier this week. Ms. Sutherland had a strong connection to Seattle and told me how much she enjoyed our city. She appeared with Seattle Opera four times before I became General Director--in Le roi de Lahore, Don Giovanni, The Tales of Hoffmann, and Lakme. She was one of the unforgettable artists of the 20th century and certainly one of the greatest singers I ever heard. We dedicate this opening night performance of Lucia to her memory."

Here at McCaw Hall, as I post this, everyone is getting prepared for our second performance, featuring the Seattle debut of Davinia Rodríguez, who (like Aleksandra Kurzak last night) is making her role debut as Lucia. The world will miss Dame Joan, but the tradition continues.

A few photos of today's cast:

Davinia Rodríguez as Lucia

Scott Piper as Edgardo

Philip Cutlip as Enrico

Enrico (Philip Cutlip) threatens Lucia (Davinia Rodríguez) with what will become of their family if she refuses to wed Arturo

Edgardo (Scott Piper) demands of Lucia (Davinia Rodríguez) whether she really signed the marriage contract

Photos by Rozarii Lynch.