Opening on November 4, Massenet’s romantic tragedy Manon takes the stage at San Francisco Opera, featuring Michael Fabiano in his greatly anticipated debut as Chevalier des Grieux. Mr. Fabiano stars alongside soprano Ellie Dehn as Manon, who is also making her debut in the role. Performances continue through November 22 with a cast that also includes David Pershall as Lescaut, James Creswell as Comte des Grieux, Timothy Mix as De Brétigny, and Robert Brubaker is Guillot de Morfontaine. Maestro Patrick Fournillier leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra for all dates, with a bold staging from director Vincent Boussard. Tickets and additional details can be found via SFOpera.com.

Mr. Fabiano has received tremendous acclaim for another Massenet debut just last year, singing Jean (John the Baptist) in the composer’s Hérodiade with Washington Concert Opera:

“Those who lament that exciting singing is dead, take heart, because the young singers onstage at the Lisner Auditorium proved that thesis wrong with some thrillingly sung, blood-and-guts performances. I’ve raved before about Michael Fabiano (last heard at WCO in “Il Corsaro” in 2014), but I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him sing with the clarity and power he brought to the role of Jean (John the Baptist) on Sunday, his sound heroic and translucent, with no evident strain, culminating in a showstopping performance of his aria “Adieu donc, vains objets” in Act IV.” (Anne Midgette, The Washington Post)