The Broadway revival of the classic opera La traviata at the Metropolitan Opera has met with high acclaim from critics, audiences, and performers alike. This revival stars soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Violetta and baritone Marc Martínez as Alfredo, and features conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin in his role debut leading the Met. A New Level of Intimacy: Marc Martínez as Alfredo
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What is Marc Martínez
Marc Martínez is an actor. He is best known for his performances in El Lute (2017), Julieta (2016) and Perdita Durango (2012). Film credits include Wild Tales, En el Séptimo Día, La Última Fiesta, Los Perros and A Little Bit of Heaven. Television credits include Grand Hotel and La Que Se Avecina. His most important role will be Marius in La La Land. He has just finished shooting a new movie called Vidas Cruzadas directed by Daniel Vega for which he was nominated for a Goya Award for Best Actor in a leading role. In addition to performing Marc is also interested in teaching drama at high school level with Impulso Escénico Company.
Marc Martínez Play as Alfredo
Classical music lovers have it easy. Listen to a bit of chamber music and you’re likely to recall its composer’s name in an instant. So we’re left with one great composer whose name always escapes us, even though we’ve probably heard his work dozens of times–Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But after seeing Marc Martínez play Leopold in Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville at LA Opera on Saturday night, I can say that I now know exactly who wrote that aria–and so do you! It was Mozart!
The musical (and intimate) experience
When you think about The Fantasticks, what comes to mind? Probably images from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production in 2002. Maybe an older movie or television version starring Carol Burnett and a young Ronny Howard. If that’s all you know, then you’re missing out on one of New York City’s longest-running shows. With no book and little dialogue, The Fantasticks is still going strong after more than 50 years. It can give you life lessons, too! In these fast-paced times—we rarely sit down for three hours to experience something anymore—the musical teaches us how to slow down, take time for ourselves and be present in moments with our family and friends.
The performance by Marc Martínez
The real star of David Aldana’s Obra Maestra is Marc Martínez, who gives a beautiful and moving performance as Alfredo. He goes through an incredible journey in his character, with a very visible personal growth. Marc is amazing in both singing and acting; he has a great ease when it comes to conveying emotion, and he sings wonderfully. His voice feels incredibly expressive no matter what he’s singing (be it upbeat or sad), which makes him my favorite La Boheme tenor so far! As someone who also trained at Opera de Canarias for four years (one year longer than him), I can say that his technique is fantastic.
The key features of the production
Carmen is a new production, not an established classic. On Wednesday, April 17, 2017 at 8 pm at The Theater Center, SLS Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Marc Martínez (Alfredo) will be starring in it. This marks one of his very first performances on stage and makes him part of an international cast in a contemporary setting. The great tenor José Carreras will be conducting and singing as Don José with multi-platinum singer Deborah Cox as Micaela and newcomer Blanca Paño as Carmen.
How it affected the audience
In Beaumarchais’s The Barber of Seville, while pursuing his love interest Rosina, Count Almaviva disguises himself with a mask. Still, he is unable to woo her. This being 18th-century Spain and all, she doesn’t marry a man she hasn’t first seen. When all seems lost, Beaumarchais’ servant Figaro—for whom Almaviva is also infatuated—comes up with an ingenious solution to win Rosina’s hand in marriage: He tells Almaviva that before he can propose to her, he must dress as a poor student and secretly observe how she treats others.
Finally, here is what they have to say
As you can see, watching a performance by Marc Martinez can truly be a transformative experience for an audience member. His passion for what he does is communicated through his expressive gestures, deliberate movements and impeccable acting ability. For those who have yet to see him perform in person, I encourage you to view one of his latest interviews and get to know more about him. He has experienced great success with film, TV and commercial roles (notably playing Rodrigo Santoro’s older brother in Love Actually), but theatre continues to hold his heart most dearly. You will soon discover why—his work makes your own pulse race.
