Figuring out who is singing in the current production of TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Metropolitan Opera is akin to playing Russian Roulette.

See the cast listing from the previous 5 performances with one to go (and NO BETS for this one either!) :

1st Perf: Voigt/MacMaster (tenor booed)

2nd Perf: Voigt (Act I/II partial)/Baird (Act II/III)/Gary Lehman – Lehman’s Met debut and role debut, Debbie got sick in Act II replaced by debutante Baird.

3rd Perf: Voigt/Lehman (night of Lehman flying rug into prompter’s box drama)

4th Perf: Voigt/Robert Dean Smith (Saturday matinee radio and HD broadcast) no major drama. One or two cracks from Smith and his wig got caught on Kurwenal’s coat in Act III. Pretty minor.

5th Perf: Baird/Heppner (Voigt canceled due to illness) (Photo on left from CBC)

6th Perf: coming this Friday – listed as of now as Voigt/Heppner – will be the only performance with the originally scheduled casting.

(The above from a posting on Parterre Box in the ever increasing comments for a post re last night’s cast change.)

This writer will be seeing the 6th and final performance (ticket purchased months ago initally with disappointment at being the last one but that has faded obviously in light of current events).

Check back here over the weekend for details of the sure-to-be event, for IF Heppner and Voigt ACTUALLY sing together and make it to the end – it will be one of those evenings.

Already expectations are high and given the performances last night by the cast, orchestra and James Levine this promises to be an incredible performance.

Read more here