2o19 - 2o2o
SEASON ENGAGEMENTS
The 2019-2020 season begins with a series of debuts for the tenor, including his Metropolitan Opera debut as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess. Other season highlights include engagements with LA Opera, Seattle Opera, and Washington National Opera.
SPORTIN' LIFE
porgy & bess
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
SEPT - FEB 2019/2020
SEPTEMBER
23, 27, 30
OCTOBER
5, 10, 13, 16
2019
JANUARY
8, 11, 15, 18, 24, 28
FEBRUARY
1
2020
The Metropolitan Opera
New York, New York
Mr. Ballentine makes his Metropolitan Opera debut as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess, which returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. Mr. Ballentine appears alongside a dynamic cast conducted by David Robertson and including the sympathetic duo of Eric Owens and Angel Blue in the title roles and an all-star ensemble that includes Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore, Denyce Graves, Frederick Ballentine, Alfred Walker, and Ryan Speedo Green.
The performance on February 1, 2020 will be broadcast live as part of the 19/20 Met: Live in HD season.
CHARLIE PARKER
charlie parker's
yardbird
SEATTLE OPERA
FEB/MAR 2020
FEBRUARY
23, 29
MARCH
4, 7
2020
McCaw Hall
Seattle, Washington
Mr. Ballentine makes his Seattle Opera debut in the title role of Charlie Parker's Yardbird. Finding himself in a deserted limbo, the ghost of tormented jazz great and bebop innovator Charlie “Yardbird” Parker struggles to complete one last masterpiece. In a series of flashbacks, the legendary saxophonist remembers the heyday of famous New York City jazz club Birdland and revisits the demons, inspirations, and women who have fueled and hindered his creative genius.
HOFFMAN
tales of hoffman
OPERA LOUISIANE
APRIL 2020
APRIL
3 & 5
2020
Manship Theater at Shaw Center for the Arts
Baton Rouge, LA
Mr. Ballentine appears in the title role of Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman with Opera Louisiane.
SPORTIN' LIFE
porgy & bess
WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA
MAY 2020
MAY
9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23
2020
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Ballentine reprises the role of Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess with Washington National Opera. Francesca Zambello’s adaptation of Gershwin’s beloved “folk opera” returns after playing to critical acclaim across renowned opera stages.