Joaquin Romaguera
Born(1932-09-05)September 5, 1932
Key West, Florida, U.S.
DiedMay 9, 2023(2023-05-09) (aged 90)
Occupations

Joaquin Fidel Romaguera (September 5, 1932 – May 9, 2023)[1] was an American tenor and actor. A longtime performer with the New York City Opera from the 1960s through the 1980s, he notably created the role of Professor Risselberg in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man in 1971. On Broadway he originated the role of Adolfo Pirelli in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979). He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Teddy in the 1987 off-Broadway revival of Cole Porter's Gay Divorce. Other career milestones included portraying Nicolas Orsini in the world premiere of Alberto Ginastera's Bomarzo with the Opera Society of Washington (1967, a role which he also recorded on disc), and appearing as Captain Pirzel in the United States premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten with conductor Sarah Caldwell and the Opera Company of Boston in 1982.

Life and career

Born in Key West, Florida, Romaguera began his career at the age of 18 as a tenor with the Miami Opera Company.[2] He is best known for his portrayals of Adolfo Pirelli in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) and Teddy in the off-Broadway 1987 revival of Cole Porter's Gay Divorce at the Martin R. Kaufman Theatre.[3] For the latter role he was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical in 1987. In late 1987 and early 1988 he portrayed the leading role of Robinet in the off-Broadway musical Mademoiselle Colombe at the Theatre Off Park.[4] In 1994 he portrayed Mr. Lopez in Jerry Bock's Fiorello! for the first Encores! at the New York City Center.[5] In 2000 he gave his final stage performance as Magaldi in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita with Broadway Sacramento.[1]

In addition to working in musical theatre, Romaguera appeared regularly in operas with the New York City Opera (NYCO) from the late 1960s into the 1980s. He notably created roles in several world premieres with the NYCO, including The Dead Man in Hugo Weisgall's Nine Rivers from Jordan (1968)[6] and Professor Risselberg in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man (1971).[7] In 1972 he recorded the role of Parpignol in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème with the NYCO in a cast that included José Carreras as Rodolfo, Elisabeth Carron as Mimi, and Nancy Shade as Musetta.[8]

Other roles Romaguera sang with the NYCO included Monostatos in Mozart's The Magic Flute (1969);[9] Goro in Puccini's Madama Butterfly (1969);[10] the Village Drunk in Dmitri Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (1970);[11] the Chief Justice in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (1971, 1974);[12] Nathaniel in Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann (1972);[13] Little Bat in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah (1972);[14] Normanno in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1974); Spoleta in Puccini's Tosca (1974);[8] Slave in Richard Strauss's Salome (1975);[15] Dr. Blind in Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus (1975);[16] the Emperor Altoum in Puccini's Turandot (1975, 1977);[17] Balthasar Zorn in Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1975);[18] Nereo in Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele (1977);[19] The Pony Express rider in Puccini's La fanciulla del West (1977);[20] and Pisoni in Robert Wright and George Forrest's Song of Norway (1981).[21]

Romaguera also sang operas with other organizations. In 1967 he portrayed Nicolas Orsini in the world premiere of Alberto Ginastera's Bomarzo with the Opera Society of Washington; a role he recorded on disc and repeated a year later at the NYCO.[4] In 1969 he portrayed Cassio in Giuseppe Verdi's Otello with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf at the Tanglewood Music Festival.[22] That same year he sang the title role in the world premiere of Ashley Vernon's The Triumph of Punch at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[23] In 1982 he portrayed Captain Pirzel in the United States premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten with conductor Sarah Caldwell and the Opera Company of Boston.[24] That same year he sang Emperor Altoum with the San Diego Opera.[25] In 1991 he sang Goro in Madama Butterfly for the Baltimore Opera Company.[26]

Romaguera's life partner, the Broadway hair designer Robert W. Cybula, died in 2000.[27] In 2004 he directed a production of Fiddler on the Roof for Island Opera Theatre in the Florida Keys.[28]

Romaguera lived in retirement in Mount Dora, Florida. He died on May 9, 2023, at the age of 90.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Margaret Hall (May 15, 2023). "Joaquin Romaguera, the Original Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Passes Away at 90". Playbill.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Joaquin Fidel Romaguera Jr". dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Dan Dietz (2015). The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 434. ISBN 9781442251663.
  4. ^ a b Dan Dietz (2010). Off Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007: Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception and Performance Data of More Than 1,800 Shows. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786457311.
  5. ^ Stephen Holden (February 11, 1994). ""Review/Theater; La Guardia Administration in a Dramatic Comeback". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  6. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (October 10, 1968). "Opera: 'Nine Rivers From Jordan' Has Premiere; City Troupe Performs Hugo Weisgall's Work Johnston Libretto Full of Religious Symbolism". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (March 14, 1971). "The Opera: Menotti's Important Man". The New York Times.
  8. ^ a b Roger Flury (2012). Giacomo Puccini: A Discography. Scarecrow Press. p. 109. ISBN 9780810883291.
  9. ^ Donal Henahan (March 6, 1969). "City Opera Sings The Magic Flute; Water Main Adds a Hazard to Those of Libretto". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (December 17, 1969). "Opera: Lyric Troupe in Debut With 'Butterfly'; Met's Fernandi Heard in Pinkerton Role Beacon Theater Series of 9 Weeks Planned". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Theodore Strongin (13 April 1970). "City Opera Presents Bright 'Ismailova'". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Allen Hughes (April 12, 1971). "Richard Fredricks is Renato in Ballo". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Allen Hughes (October 24, 1972). "Eight Singers New in Hoffmann Roles at the City Opera". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Thomas Holliday (2013). Falling Up: The Days and Nights of Carlisle Floyd, The Authorized Biography. Syracuse University Press. p. 258. ISBN 9780815651956.
  15. ^ Donal Henahan (March 3, 1975). "City Opera: Strasfogel's New Salome". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Raymond Ericson (August 31, 1975). "Music: New City Opera Fledermaus Engaging Revival From Year Ago Performed". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Allen Hughes (September 1, 1975). "New Violetta in City Opera 'Traviata'". The New York Times.
  18. ^ Donal Henahan (October 25, 1975). "Opera: Mastersingers of Nuremburg". The New York Times.
  19. ^ Raymond Ericson (March 22, 1977). "Opera: Boito's Mefistofele". The New York Times.
  20. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (October 17, 1977). "Opera: La fanciulla del West". The New York Times.
  21. ^ Donal Henahan (September 4, 1981). "City Opera: Song of Norway Opens". The New York Times.
  22. ^ Allen Hughes (July 28, 1969). "Leinsdorf Offers Otello Concert; Title Role Is Sung by Cassilly at Berkshire Festival". The New York Times.
  23. ^ Margaret Ross Griffel (2013). Operas In English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. p. 508. ISBN 9780810883253.
  24. ^ John Rockwell (February 8, 1982). "Boston Opera: Die Soldaten Has U.S. Premiere". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "San Diego Performance History". San Diego Opera Archives.
  26. ^ Ernest F. Imhoff (April 18, 1991). "'Madame Butterfly' closes Baltimore Opera season". The Baltimore Sun.
  27. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths Cybula, Robert W." The New York Times. December 24, 2000.
  28. ^ "Island Opera to Stage Fiddler on the Roof March 18-20". Florida Keys News. March 30, 2004.

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