Rigoletto, an Italian opera in three acts, is considered one of by Giuseppe Verdi’s most acclaimed works.
On November 4, Atlanta Opera will open its new mainstage season with this masterful opera. The show play the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre until November 7.
Rigoletto tells the story of a curse, betrayal, and murder. Set against a backdrop of Italy in the 1930s, the story features a sinister carnival atmosphere, and follows the tragic story of Rigoletto, the unfortunate, sycophant jester to the licentious Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto’s life takes a tumultuous turn when a curse he inadvertently invokes begins to unravel his life.
The show contains some of opera’s most famous arias, including “La Donna e Mobile” (“Women Are Fickle”) and “Caro Nome” (“Sweet Name”).
Metropolitan Opera favorite George Gagnidze, renowned for his portrayal of Rigoletto, once again tackles the title role, while Jasmine Habersham, a Macon native, sings Gilda.
This production was created by The Atlanta Opera’s Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. general & artistic director Tomer Zvulun, and an internationally acclaimed creative team.
“Verdi’s iconic clown character, Rigoletto, is doomed from the very first scene to a cursed fate,” says Zvulun. “Our production highlights his decline. Particularly the psychological one. We leaned into the aesthetic of German painters Otto Dix and George Grosz and their cinematic successors Fellini and Buñuel to present the abstraction, grittiness, and surrealism that are essential to our story.”
Ticket prices start at $45 and can be purchased online at AtlantaOpera.org. A free livestream of the production will take place on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., at stream.atlantaopera.org/tao-livestreams.
For more information, visit atlantaopera.org.
