Ryan McKinny to make role debut as Don Giovanni in Houston

Kasper Holton's Don Giovanni (left) and Ryan McKinny at the Los Angeles Opera (right)

Bass-barihunk Ryan McKinny will make his role debut as the title character in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Houston Grand Opera from April 20 through May 5. The cast includes Paolo Bordogna as Leporello, Ailyn Pérez as Donna Anna, Melody Moore as Donna Elvira, Ben Bliss as Don Ottavio, Dorothy Gal  as Zerlina, Daniel Noyola as Masetto and Kristinn Sigmundsson as The Commendatore.

The new production by Kasper Holten will be on a rotating set with projections to let the audience delve into the mind of the serial philanderer. Set designer Es Devlin has designed sets for Beyoncé, Jay Z, U2 and Adele, as well as the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Tickets are available online.

Ryan McKinny sings Schubert's "Gute Nacht":

If you can't make it to Houston, McKinny will return to the role at the Washington National Opera from February 29-March 22. The cast includes fellow barihunk Kyle Ketelsen as Leporello,  Vanessa Vasquez as Donna Anna,  Keri Alkema as Donna Elvira, Alek Shrader  as Don Ottavio and Peter Volpe as The Commendatore. Tickets are available online.

Other upcoming performance for McKinny include Mahler's 8th Symphony with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, his role debut as Joseph De Rocher in Heggie's Dead Man Walking a the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a Mahler concert with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and the San Francisco Symphony.