New Year's Eve At The Met Offers One-Time Performance Of 'Maria Stuarda'

In a special New Year's Eve performance, the Metropolitan Opera House will stage the Gaetano Donizetti's piece "Maria Stuarda," presented by producer David McVicar.

On Dec. 31 the Met will host the Donizetti play starting at 6:30 p.m. The performance is approximately two hours and 46 minutes long for the two act play.

The cast on the evening as chosen by McVicar include conductor Maurizio Benini, star of the show Joyce DiDonato as Maria Stuarda, Elza van den Heever as Elisabetta and Matthew Polenzani as Leicester. Joshua Hopkins will play the role of Cecil and Matthew Rose that of Talbot.

The production team for the Donizetti piece consists of McVicar himself as producer, set and costume designer John Macfarlane, Jennifer Tipton as lighting designer and Leah Hausman as the choreographer.    

Donizetti's tragic play centers around the Tudor period in England and is loosely based on Mary, Queen of the Scots and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England.