Houston Grand Opera goes through three tenors in La Traviata: Day saved with little rehearsal

Young Mexican tenor David Lomelí was slated to play Alfredo Germont in Houston Grand Opera's production of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata. But just days before the opening, Lomelí succumbed to illness, and the HGO scrambled for a replacement.

Elizabeth Baisley, director of communications for the Houston Grand Opera, told CultureMap that the company typically doesn't need understudies. Although a sick lead isn't unheard of, it is uncommon.

New Orleans native Bryan Hymel stepped in at the last minute for a praiseworthy debut at the HGO — but the second tenor, too, had to call it quits after only two performances, this time due to prior commitments in London (as the Prince in Dvorak's Rusalka at the Royal Opera House).

 "It was very fortuitous that we found two great tenors to fill the shoes," Baisley tells CultureMap.  

As they say, the show must go on. 

Houstonian and HGO-alumnus Chad Shelton joined the company for Wednesday night's performance, as the third tenor to play Alfredo.

"It was very fortuitous that we found two great tenors to fill the shoes," Baisley tells CultureMap. "And it was a lot of fun to be able to welcome home someone who started out here."

With no time for a full run-through, Shelton took the stage after just a brief rehearsal with assistant director Tim Claydon, Albina Shagimuratova (who plays Violetta Valéry), and several other members of the cast. Someone who watched the performance tells CultureMap that Shelton was magnificent, and it looked like the cast had been performing together for months.