Madison-area opera fans, especially those who might be wondering about the quality of the singing they hear in town, might want to read this.

Allan Naplan, the general director of The Madison Opera, which has been on a run of sold-out, high-profile productions the past couple of seasons, recently sent Art Talk the following note after he read this week's entry about the Metropolitan Opera's high defintion, digital broadcast of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" that was screened last weekend at the Point Cinemas on Madison far west side. (Puccini's "La Boheme" and Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment" will wind up this season of the popular, $22-a-seat live broadcarts that go out via satellite to 600 theaters around the world.)

Jake,

Thanks for the two nods to Madison Opera in your recent Art Talk about the Met broadcasts.

Thought you might be interested to know that the recent "Peter Grimes" HD broadcast included Leah Partridge (our Leila in Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" last spring, shown at the top right in a photo by Madisonian Jamie Young).

And the upcoming MET HD "La Boheme" broadcast will feature baritone Quinn Kelsey as Schaunard. Two weeks later, Quinn (shown in recital at the middle right) will be here for the start of our "Lucia di Lammermoor" rehearsals. He's singing the role of Enrico for us.

In other related news - or as I'm now affectionately calling it "From Madison to the MET" - I also thought you might enjoy knowing that when the MET recently released their casting for next season, there were two VERY familiar names listed on the roster.

Next season, Susanna Phillips will make her MET debut in the role of Musetta in "La Boheme." She, of course, debuted the role first for us last fall (shown at the top in a photo by Jamie Young).

And "Singer of the World" Nicole Cabell (shown at bottom 

with members of the Madison Opera's children's chorus) will also make her MET debut next year, singing, as she did for us in '06, the role of Pamina in Mozart's "The Magic Flute."

So what do you think about the Madison-Met ties?

Are you satisfied with the singing (and other production aspects) of the Madison Opera? 

Let Allan Naplan and other readers of Art Talk know.