Eduardo Villa, a leading Metropolitan Opera tenor, will reprise his roles as Canio in Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" and Turridu in Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" this weekend at Meydenbauer Theater for Lyric Opera Northwest. He will be joined in "Pagliacci" by West Seattle baritone Craig H. Nim who will sing the role of Tonio this weekend at the 7:30 p.m. Friday night opening and Saturday evening performances.

Villa sang the roles on the Met stage in New York in April and Lyric Opera Northwest secured him to sing the lead roles with an otherwise all Puget Sound area cast. Villa had closed in February at the Met with his riveting presentation in the lead role of Otello. As a personal friend of Lyric Opera Northwest's founders and co-directors, Pamela Casella and Craig Heath Nim, Villa agreed to come to the Northwest to perform the roles here this weekend.

In a second short opera to be performed with "Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana" (the pairing is called "Cav-Pag" by opera aficionados), Nim will sing the role of Alfio and daughter Veronica Nim will sing the role of Lola at both the 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinee performances.
 
Nim, an internationally recognized baritone, has performed extensively across the United States and Europe. He sang leading roles with New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Francisco, and Seattle Opera companies and toured twice with their National Company, singing Mephistopheles in Gounod's "Faust" and Monterone in Verdi's "Rigoletto."

He sang the role of Jochanaan in Strauss's "Salome" with the Bremen, Germany Opera, Figaro in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" and Escamillo in Bizet's "Carmen." At Santa Fe Opera, he and bass James Morris sang Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" and covered Michael Devlin as the Kommandmant in Strauss' "Friedenstag."
 
Veronica Nim, lyric coloratura soprano, studied at Pacific Lutheran University on multiple music scholarships. She began performing professionally at age 9 in some half-dozen productions with the Metropolitan Opera. From the very beginning, Opera has been at the center of her life. Now, at 23, she has already appeared in numerous featured principle roles with Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Bellevue Opera and Bremerton/Kitsap Opera, as well as with Pacific Northwest Ballet.

She has been a featured soloist on several international tours with nationally acclaimed concert choirs and has sung for the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. She was named “Best Supporting Actress” at the 5th Avenue High School Theater Awards and was crowned “Miss Italian Community 2004” for the Miss Seafair Scholarship Pageant -- taking first place in Talent, Community Service, People's Choice and Top 5 -- and has been invited to compete locally for the Miss America Organization Scholarship Pageants.

Most recently, she poured the heart wrenching lead role of Nancy in the Broadway musical "Oliver!" for Kirkland Performance Center. For Lyric Opera Northwest, she has sung the roles of Frasquita in "Carmen," Kate Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly," Annina in "La Traviata," the Dew Fairy in "Hansel and Gretel," and now Lola in "Cavalleria rusticana." 
 
What and Where:
"Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci,"  two short, dramatic Italian operas, will be performed at the Theater at Meydenbauer Center, 11100 N.E. 6th St., near I-405 at N.E. 6th St. and 112th Ave. N.E.,  Bellevue, WA 98004
 
When:
Friday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 29, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday. Aug. 30, 2 p.m. 
 
Tickets:
All shows $42-$45 general admission, $35 seniors/students. Opening with after-show patrons’ gala $65.
 
Tickets may be ordered online at www.brownpapertickets.com, or by calling 1.800.838.1020.
 
To learn more about “Cav/Pag," go to www.meydenbauer.com (425.637.1020), or to www.lonw.org (206-939-7820).