Met Opera Live in HD presents ‘La Sonnambula’

Whitefish Theatre Company, in collaboration with the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, presents “La Sonnambula” (“The Sleepwalker”) as the first opera in the 2025-26 live streaming season of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD.  

Vincenzo Bellini’s poignant tale of love lost and found will be shown at 11 a.m. Nov. 1 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Approximate run time is 3 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.  

Sung in Italian with subtitles, “La Sonnambula” tells the story of Amina, a treasured young woman in a Swiss town who is about to marry the wealthy farmer Elvino. Only Lisa, the innkeeper who was once engaged to Elvino herself, is unhappy. The night before the ceremony, however, Amina is seen at the lodgings of visiting Count Rodolfo. While Amina’s sleepwalking is the cause and she innocently believes that she is in the company of her betrothed, the townspeople are not aware of her condition and turn on Amina because of the scandal. Incredulous and callous, Elvino also returns to Lisa, his past love. Will the truth be told about Amina’s unconscious sleep habit to reach a happy ending?  

“La Sonnambula” has been called Bellini’s first mature masterpiece. Bellini’s score is one meltingly melodic gem after another, offering an expressive range of lyricism with the most beautiful bel canto and lilting melodies. It is a prime example of ‘opera semi-seria’, a genre that blends serious and comic elements with a happy ending, perfect for both the seasoned and first-time opera goer.  

Nadine Sierra summits another peak of her soprano repertoire as Amina, following triumphant Met performances in “Roméo et Juliette” and “La Traviata.” In his new production, Rolando Villazón — a tenor who has embarked on a brilliant second career directing — retains the opera’s original setting in the Swiss Alps but uses its somnambulant plot to explore the emotional and psychological valleys of the mind. Tenor Xabier Anduaga returns after his acclaimed 2023 Met debut in “L’Elisir d’Amore," co-starring as Amina’s fiancé Elvino, alongside soprano Sydney Mancasola as her rival, Lisa, and bass Alexander Vinogradov as Count Rodolfo. Riccardo Frizza takes the podium for one of opera’s most ravishing works.   

Tickets will be sold at the door, which opens at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, paid by cash or check only.   

The Live in HD experience offers exclusive behind-the-scenes content and cast interviews. Food and beverage will be available for purchase during the performance. Visit whitefishtheatreco.org for more information or call 862-5371.