Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will present two free performances of Verdi’s La traviata, one of the world’s most beloved operas, at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20.

Each spring HGO’s popular outdoor performances allow Houstonians to experience superlative opera in a casual, relaxed setting that’s appropriate for the entire family. This production of La traviata opened HGO’s 2022-23 season to a sold-out, record-breaking audience; and now, operagoers and new audiences can once again experience award-winning director Arin Arbus’s production.

The impressive cast of La traviata will be led by soprano Meryl Dominguez as the doomed courtesan Violetta and tenor Ricardo Garcia as her lover Alfredo, with baritone Anthony Evans as Alfredo’s father Germont. HGO Resident Conductor Alex Amsel takes the podium for this sublime three-act tragedy about passionate lovers torn apart by family, classism, and deceit.

The opera runs for two hours and 25 minutes with two intermissions. It is sung in Italian with projected English translation.

The cast features Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio members including soprano Meryl Dominguez as Violetta Valéry, tenor Ricardo Garcia as Alfredo Germont, soprano Renée Richardson as Annina, mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle as Flora Bervoix, and bass Cory McGee as Doctor Grenvil. Baritone Anthony Evans performs the role of Giorgio Germont. Arin Arbus directs, with Alex Amsel at the podium.

The performance is on Friday, May 19, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. andSaturday, May 20, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Tariff: HGO season subscribers receive reserved seating under the covered area as a benefit to their subscription. Tickets for the covered seating area at Miller Outdoor Theatre are free and will be made available at 10:00 a.m. the day prior to each performance at the Miller website or box office. Seating on the hill is also free and open to the public. For more information on tickets and seating, visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com.