Domingo to Sing in Woody Allen’s Production of Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi”

Placido Domingo is headed into the Wood(ys)

The 74-year-od Spanish tenor, conductor and arts administrator will take on his 146th role when he sings the title character of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi in a Woody Allen production on September 12, the opening night of the Los Angeles Opera 2015-16 season.

Placido Domingo

Allen will return to direct his staging, which premiered in 2008, according to the company. Domingo will conduct the second half of the double bill, a revival of Franco Zeffirelli‘s 1996 production of Leoncavallo‘s Pagliacci featuring Marco Berti as Canio.

Domingo, the L.A. Opera’s general director, has shifted from tenor to baritone parts in recent years. He’s scheduled for his 144th role, the title character in Verdi‘s Macbeth, at Berlin’s Staatsoper starting February 7 and for his role debut as Don Carlo in Verdi’s Ernani at New York’s Metropolitan Opera beginning March 20.

The LA Opera’s 30th anniversary season also includes Jay Hunter Morris in the Los Angeles premiere of Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick (Oct. 31), Angela Meade in Bellini’s Norma (Nov. 21), Mozart‘s Die Zauberfloete (Feb. 13, 2016), Ana María Martínez in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (March 12) and Nino Machaidze in Puccini’s La Boheme (May 14).

Former ‘Juliet’ Hussey to Portray Lady Capulet in the “Romeo and Juliet”-Inspired “Social Suicide”

Olivia Hussey is returning to her Romeo and Juliet roots… And, she’s bringing her Romeo and her real-life daughter along for the ride.

The 63-year-old Argentinian actress, who was born Olivia Osuna, will be reteaming with her former Romeo and Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting in the upcoming film Social Suicide.

Olivia Hussey

Hussey and Whiting will be portraying Lord and Lady Capulet, the parents of the character based on Juliet in the thriller inspired by William Shakespeare‘s romantic love tragedy. Meanwhile, Hussey’s actress daughter, India Eisley, will portray Julia, the latest incarnation of Juliet.

Social Suicide centers on a police investigation of the murder-suicides of social-media-savvy teenagers. The police investigate the romance and tragedy through videos, vlogs and snapchats, but soon discover nothing was as it seemed.

Bruce Webb will be directing the film, which also stars Jackson Bews as Balthaza.

Hussey earned critical acclaim for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli‘s Academy Award-winning 1968 film classic Romeo and Juliet, winning a Golden Globe and also the David di Donatello Award for best actress.

She’s also well known for her role as Mary, the mother of Jesus in the 1977 TV production of Jesus of Nazareth. She last appeared in the 2008 films Three Priests and I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell.