Joshua Benevento and Jacqueline Thompson Headline Enrico Caruso Room Tonight, 5/22

Tenor Joshua Benevento, who made his Metropolitan Opera debut this season in Wagner's "Gotterdammerung" and soprano Jacqueline Thompson will perform together for the first time at The Enrico Caruso Room at Grotta Azzurra Ristorante in Little Italy tonight, May 22, 2012 at 8 PM. They will be supported on keyboard by David Schaefer.

There is a $20 cover charge and no minimum. The Enrico Caruso Room opens at 7 PM. Reservations are suggested by calling Grotta Azzurra at 212-925-8775. Grotta Azzurra is located at 177 Mulberry Street at the corner of Broome Street in historic Little Italy.

Joshua Benevento is the recent recipient of first place in the Lieder Division of the prestigious Liederkranz Foundation Competition, as well as the first place winner of the highly respected Mario Lanza competition. He has sung leading roles in numerous operas including iL Barbiere di Sivilia, Richard Coeur de Lion, Aida, Gianni Schicchi, Die Zauberflöte, Turandot, Carmen, L'incoronazione di Poppea, The Merry Widow, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Hänsel und Gretel. He has also had the honor of performing the challenging and exquisite role of Caliban in New York premiere of Lee Hoiby's brilliant opera, The Tempest, a role he later interpreted on a recording recently released by Albany Records to rave reviews by three of the major reviewers of recorded works. Mr. Benevento was also chosen to create the role of the Uncle in the highly acclaimed recent world premiere production of Raphaël Lucas's Confession, an opera that he also recorded with Albany Records. In addition to his work in opera, he has performed as soloist in orchestra performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Handel's The Messiah, Bach's Magnificat, Orff's Carmina Burana, Carissimi's Jephte and Mozart's Requiem. Interestingly, Mr. Benevento's professional career began with a singing role in the HBO Series, The Sopranos. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut this spring singing with the men's chorus in the highly anticipated new production of Wagner's Götterdämmerung.