The Met presents Cesare six more times this season, from this evening through April 27. In tonight's performance — available in free streaming audio via the Met's web site — and on April 13, 17 and 21, David Daniels takes the title role, with Ruth Ann Swenson as the alluring queen Cleopatra, Lawrence Zazzo as her scheming younger brother and co-monarch Tolomeo, Michael Maniaci as her confidant Nireno, Patricia Bardon as the grieving widow Cornelia, Alice Coote as her impetuous son Sesto, and Wayne Tigges as the menacing general Achille. (The Saturday matinee on the 21st will be broadcast via the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera Radio Network and streamed in live audio on the Met's web site.)

For the final two performances, on April 24 and 27, Zazzo takes over from Daniels in the title role, Gerald Thompson (now in Handel's Flavio next door at New York City Opera) sings Tolomeo, and Cleopatra is played by the exciting young soprano Danielle de Niese, who took Glyndebourne by storm in the role two summers ago.

More information is available, as are tickets, at www.metopera.org

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All photos by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.