Puccini: Manon Lescaut
1980
130 minutes
Overview
All the throbbing eroticism—and ultimate heartbreak—of Puccini’s youthful score is unleashed by James Levine and his top-flight cast. Plácido Domingo is Des Grieux, the handsome, headstrong young aristocrat who falls head over heels for the enticing, impetuous Manon Lescaut (Renata Scotto). Manon returns his love, but her obsession with luxury ruins them both. Gian Carlo Menotti’s opulent production, with sets and costumes by Desmond Heeley, superbly captures the colorful world of 18th century France.
Top Cast
Renata Scotto
Manon Lescaut
Plácido Domingo
Chevalier des Grieux
Pablo Elvira
Lescaut
Renato Capecchi
Geronte
Isola Jones
A musician
Philip Creech
Edmondo
Mario Bertolino
An innkeeper
Andrea Velis
Dancing master
John Carpenter
A lamplighter
Julien Robbins
A sergeant
Russell Christopher
A sea captain