Botha withdraws from Lyric “Otello”; Forbis to sing final two performances

Mon Oct 28, 2013 at 11:56 am

By Lawrence A. Johnson

Clifton Forbis will sing the role of Otello in the final two Lyric Opera performances of Verdi's opera..
Clifton Forbis will sing the role of Otello in the final two Lyric Opera performances of Verdi’s opera.

The Lyric Opera’s bad luck with indisposed singers in its production of Otello continues.

Johan Botha is withdrawing from the title role of the fatally jealous Moor due to “severe back pain,” the company announced Monday.

“Mr. Botha deeply regrets his inability to sing these last performances,” said his manager Michael Lewin in a statement released by the company. “He has been suffering with this for the past several weeks, but the pain has now reached a point that he feels he can no longer perform at the level he demands of himself, or that his audiences deserve.”

On opening night, Falk Struckmann, the production’s Iago, had to withdraw after Act 1 due to “severe allergies.” The German bass-baritone returned to the cast in the second performance.

Clifton Forbis, who has tackled the demanding role to positive reviews, will sing the final two Lyric Opera performances of Verdi’s Otello 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and November 2. The American heldentenor previously appeared at Lyric in The Great Gatsby in 2001 and Tristan und Isolde in 2008. lyricopera.org.

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