When the most voluptuous, sought-after courtesan in the world meets an ascetic monk whose life is devoted to God, you know erotic sparks are going to fly. And when the clash takes place in a glorious, but rarely performed, opera by Massenet, it’s a delight to the ear just as much as to the eye. Renée Fleming is every inch the glamorous Thaïs, swathed in elegant gowns designed by Christian Lacroix. Thomas Hampson is Athanaël, the tortured man of God. This production by John Cox, which premiered in December 2008, brilliantly sets the stage for a confrontation as old as civilization itself.
Renée Fleming
as Thaïs
Thomas Hampson
as Athanaël
Michael Schade
as Nicias
Alain Vernhes
as Palémon
Alyson Cambridge
as Crobyle
Ginger Costa-Jackson
as Myrtale
Maria Zifchak
as Albine
Trevor Scheunemann
as Guard
Daniel Clark Smith
as Cenobite Monk
Roger Andrews
as Cenobite Monk
Kurt Phinney
as Cenobite Monk
Richard Pearson
as Cenobite Monk
