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In this case I think you can identify with [Amina] in the fact that she’s a very, very emotional character, delicate, and very human.”

In Scotto’s conception of the production, Amina, the orphan adopted by a mill-owner, and betrothed to Elvino, goes through a nightmare in her sleepwalking. In her nightmare, she dreams that she is found in another man’s bedroom. Elvino, Amina’s fiance, believes she betrayed him, but in the end she is proved to be innocent. “The production is very simple,” says Scotto. “It’s very Switzerland – you see small pieces to represent larger ideas. It should represent the ideas of the country, of the people I wanted to place in the period of Bellini. We’re in the beginning of the 19th century, the costumes are very romantic, and it’s very elegant.” Scotto’s long relationship with set and costume designer Carlo Diappi helped the collaboration take shape into what she had envisioned. “The scenes are very simple… the costumes are in the style of Bellini, light colors, so lighting and costumes are important.”

When rehearsals begin in March for La Sonnambula, the cast and production team will have a lot of work to do. The high artistic standards and tough demands set by Scotto will help create the kind of opera she envisions. “There are never enough rehearsals,” says Scotto. The quality of music and the presentation of the visual elements should be refined by this woman whose critical eye makes her one of the most sought-after artists and stage directors in the world. While she describes the production as “simple,” putting an opera together is never simple, and requires a great cast and production team. Michigan Opera Theatre’s long reputation of high artistic standards means that the company should certainly be able to meet those challenges with Scotto in the director’s chair.

It’s not unnatural to have Scotto finish a conversation with glowing remarks about her grandchildren. Family, it seems, has always been a top priority, and while many women have trouble balancing work and home lives, Scotto seems to have succeeded marvelously in both. These days, she is very selective about what operas she directs, but she is both excited and nervous to make her directorial debut in Detroit. “I feel nervous about directing in Detroit, because I want to make sure everything goes well,” says Scotto. “I have to be nervous, because it’s never a calm job, because you have a big responsibility. I’m looking forward to coming over [to Detroit] and waiting to have a beautiful production.”

Rebekah Johnson is the Public Relations Coordinator for Michigan Opera Theatre and Bravo editor. You may contact her at rjohnson@motopera.org.

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