Opera Carolina is bringing a rare piece of opera history to Charlotte this fall.
Grammy Award-winning contralto Victoria Livengood will star in Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium at Halton Theater on November 14.
Livengood brings an extraordinary connection to the production. She personally knew Menotti and developed Madame Flora under his direct guidance.
Menotti later called Livengood his “ideal Baba,” referring to the opera’s troubled central character.
The pair also worked together on a televised production recorded in Italy for RAI. Menotti directed that performance himself.
Their relationship continued until Menotti’s death in 2007, giving Livengood unusual firsthand insight into the role.
A Psychological Thriller Told Through Opera
The Medium follows Madame Flora, a fraudulent medium who stages séances for grieving clients.
She performs the deceptions with her daughter Monica and a mute servant named Toby.
However, one séance suddenly changes everything when Flora experiences something she cannot explain.
That moment sends her into a psychological collapse driven by fear, guilt and paranoia.
The English-language opera explores grief, manipulation, and the unstable boundary between reality and belief.
Opera Carolina selected the work partly for its accessibility to newcomers and theater fans.
Cast and Creative Team
Kristin Sampson will perform as Monica, while Tim Bostwick will portray Mr. Gobineau.
Aubrey Cole will appear as Mrs. Gobineau, with casting for Toby coming later.
Opera Carolina General Director Stefano Vignati will conduct, while Steven LaCosse will direct.
LaCosse is a distinguished opera professor and artistic director at UNC School of the Arts.
Menotti also has a major Carolina connection. His Festival dei Due Mondi eventually inspired Charleston’s Spoleto Festival USA in 1977.
Performance Details
- Production: Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium
- Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Location: Halton Theater
- Presented by: Opera Carolina
- Madame Flora: Victoria Livengood
- Conductor: Stefano Vignati
- Director: Steven LaCosse
The production combines psychological drama, opera history and a direct artistic connection to Menotti himself.
