Anna Netrebko to Sing at Palm Beach Opera Gala

FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
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Anna Netrebko to Sing at Palm Beach Opera Gala

FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
FILE - Soprano Anna Netrebko attends a news conference on the premiere of Manon Lescaut in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia on Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

Soprano Anna Netrebko is scheduled to give a recital at the Palm Beach Opera for its gala on Feb. 3 in what would be her first US appearance in six years.

Considered the world’s top soprano, Netrebko was dropped by the Metropolitan Opera in 2022 after she refused a demand by Met general manager Peter Gelb that she repudiate Russia President President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She has sued the Met, alleging defamation and breach of contract in a case that is pending, The AP reported.

She has appeared since then at major houses including the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opéra, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and Berlin’s Staatsoper unter den Linden but had not been engaged in the US or by The Royal Opera in London. She last appeared at the Met in 2019 in Verdi’s “Macbeth.”

Netrebko will perform with pianist Ángel Rodríguez at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

“I am honored to be lending my voice to the Palm Beach Opera’s annual gala,” Netrebko said in a statement Wednesday sent to The Associated Press.

Palm Beach Opera’s season includes three performances each of Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette" in January, Verdi’s “La Traviata” in February and Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” in April. Casts have not been announced.

Past Palm Beach Opera galas featured Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Renée Fleming and Bryn Terfel, with Isabel Leonard (2024), Piotr Becza³a (2023) and Nadine Sierra (2022) appearing in recent years.

“It means a lot to me to be joining the remarkable list of illustrious singers that have participated in this celebration over the last decades,” Netrebko said.



Take a First Look at the New Harry Potter as HBO Begins Filming Series

 This image released by HBO shows Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray Harry Potter, on the set of HBO series "Harry Potter," scheduled for 2027. (Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP)
This image released by HBO shows Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray Harry Potter, on the set of HBO series "Harry Potter," scheduled for 2027. (Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP)
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Take a First Look at the New Harry Potter as HBO Begins Filming Series

 This image released by HBO shows Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray Harry Potter, on the set of HBO series "Harry Potter," scheduled for 2027. (Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP)
This image released by HBO shows Dominic McLaughlin, who will portray Harry Potter, on the set of HBO series "Harry Potter," scheduled for 2027. (Aidan Monaghan/HBO via AP)

HBO has officially started production on the highly anticipated "Harry Potter" TV series adaption, the network announced Monday, also revealing a first look at the titular character.

The photo released by HBO shows Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, donning the signature Hogwarts uniform paired with round-rim glasses and a lightning bolt scar, not unlike the iconic costume worn by Daniel Radcliffe in the eight-part film series.

The show began production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK, and is expected to debut in 2027.

A new round of actors were announced Monday, including Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

The network announced in late May that McLaughlin was cast as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.

Several high-profile actors have been announced in other key roles, including Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley.

The new series adaption begins production nearly 14 years after the final movie adaption of J.K. Rowling's books, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," was released in theaters.

In addition to the blockbuster movies, the franchise has inspired a Broadway play, video games and theme parks since the first installment was released 28 years ago.

The new series will be "a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books," the network previously wrote, and "will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years."