“La traviata” is Opera Western Reserve’s 2024 production

Under the stage direction of Scott Skiba and music direction of Susan Davenny Wyner, Opera Western Reserve will present the Giuseppe Verdi opera at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Powers Auditorium.

Composed by Verdi with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, “La traviata” is adapted from the Alexandre Dumas novel “La Dame aux camélias” and broken into three acts. It tells about love in its many forms: happiness in meeting, pleasure in bodies and minds, fight against convention, social condemnation, the pain of separation and untimely death. “La traviata” is a tale of scandal, forbidden relationships and damaged reputations.

It contains some of the most memorable melodies in opera, including “Sempre libera” and the iconic drinking song “Brindisi.”

Making her Opera Western Reserve debut, soprano Alisa Jordheim sings the role of Violetta. Jordheim earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Musical America described her voice as “a soprano of surprising depth and color,” and the San Diego Union Tribune of her performance as Gilda in “Rigoletto” that, “She has a huge crystalline voice that she effortlessly pirouetted through perfect coloratura acrobatic and piercing high notes.”

Also performing for the first time with OWR is tenor Jose Simerilla Romero as Violetta’s lover Alfredo and baritone Luis Ledesma as Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont.

The Argentina-born Romero previously sang the role of Alfredo with English National Opera, and he will make his Theater Basel debut in the role next year.

He has won awards in more than a dozen singing competitions and has sung with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.

Ledesma has played heroes and villains in the operas of Puccini and Verdi as well as roles in new Spanish-language works, and he has performed with New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and San Diego Opera.

The cast also includes Rachael Pavoski, mezzo-soprano; Sarah Joyce Cooper, soprano; Jaehyuk Choi, tenor; Warren native Brian Keith Johnson, baritone; Hubbard’s Jason Budd, bass; Aidan Eddy, bass; and Youngstown native Benjamin Burney, tenor.

If you go …

WHAT: Opera Western Reserve — “La traviata.”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

WHERE: Powers Auditorium, 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown.

HOW MUCH: Tickets range from $22.50 to $75 and are available at the DeYor Performing Arts Center box office, online at experienceyourarts.org and by calling 330-259-9651. For more information, go to operawesternreserve.org.