# Which "Tosca" cast should I see at Lyric Opera?



## elycelynne (Aug 23, 2014)

Hello, everyone. First of all, I'm brand new to this forum, so please be gentle! 

The two casts from which to choose are: Tatiana Serjan (Tosca), Misha Didyk (Cavaradossi) and Evgeny Nikitin (Scarpia); OR Hui He (Tosca), Jorge de Leon (Cavaradossi) and Mark Delavan (Scarpia).

So which would be the preferable cast, and why? I know that Hui He has previously sung with the Lyric as Aida, but that was also a split cast and I decided that I really wanted to hear Sondra Radvanovsky in that particular role.

Thanks in advance for your input!


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Unfortunately, I haven't heard any of these individuals live in a theater -- only read reviews in various opera magazines. What you may want to do is check YouTube for videos with these singers and see whose voices you prefer.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

How fortunate to be able to choose ... why not go to both and compare the performances directly?


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## elycelynne (Aug 23, 2014)

Headphone Hermit said:


> How fortunate to be able to choose ... why not go to both and compare the performances directly?


Primarily because I'm not made of money.

I have a full-season (8 operas) subscription for which I'm already kind of overextending myself financially. If I went to both of them, I'd probably have to sit in the nosebleed section for the second one, which I really don't want to do.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Having already seen a wonderful portrayal of Scarpia by Delavan (and knowing of Hui He's fine work in Butterfly last season at the Met) I'd go with that cast. I say this not being familiar with the other cast which will probably be good as well.


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## jdcbr (Jul 21, 2014)

I second the above opinion.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Here are a couple of clips of the tenors. Jorge de Leon is singing one of Cavaradossi's arias:






Unfortunately, the one clip from _Tosca_ with Misha Didyk was focused more on the soprano singing the title role. But here is Didyk singing another Puccini role, Ruggero in _La Rondine_:






Hope this is helpful.


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## elycelynne (Aug 23, 2014)

Very helpful! Thanks very much.


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