German tenor Jonas Kaufmann will make his Bayreuther Festspiele debut later this week, singing the title role in Hans Neuenfels' new production of Lohengrin. With opening night on July 25, the Wagner opera officially kicks-off the 2010 festival, the 99th edition of the 24/7 Wagner festival.
Andris Nelsons conducts Kaufmann as Lohengrin and Annette Dasch as Elsa. With Wagnerian singing lately at a trickle, can Kaufmann fill the void? He already did last summer in Munich for the Bayerische Staatsoper's opera festival, exiting to fabulous reviews.
German director Hans Neuenfels (below) spoke to the press a few days ago about his highly-anticipated new staging of Wagner's opera, the first new staging that the Festspielhaus has sanctioned in two years, along with the first new production under the leadership of the late Wolfgang Wagner's daughters, Eva and Katharina. We're praying that Katharina styles her Mariah Carey silky p0rn curlz like she did at last year's opening night Gala. Guurl, don't let us down!