Rigoletto

The three-act opera braved the Austrian censors and fought its way onto the stage of La Fenice in Venice in 1851. The premier was an explosive success, marking a high-point of Verdi’s long career as a composer. The Melbourne production of Rigoletto returns with all the props, costumes, the typical La Dolce Vita-inspired setting, and talented opera artists that made generations of viewers fall in love with the masterpiece. Elijah Moshinsky, the director of Rigoletto, is widely hailed as one of the world’s most versatile directors. Although many of his successful productions explore Mozart, Britten, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky, he has also made a career out of his interpretations of Verdi. Led by the seasoned conductor Andrea Licata, the homegrown star Stacey Alleaume takes on the challenging role of Gilda in her debut alongside the winner of the 2015 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition Amartuvshin Enkhbat, who plays the Duke of Mantua.

The Story

Serving as a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua, the hunchbacked Rigoletto is a man of no virtues. He openly humiliates the courtiers to entertain the duke, much to the courtier's dismay. The Duke is a womanizer who finds the idea of true love amusing and foreign. On one of his many escapades looking for women to woo, the Duke manages to seduce the daughter of Count Monterone. When the count objects to this furiously at the court, Rigoletto ridicules him, causing him to lay a curse on the unruly jester. Rigoletto’s glee is soon turned to horror and shock as he discovers that the Duke has been courting the charming Gilda - Rigoletto’s daughter. What ensues is a heartbreaking series of events that is expertly woven into the irresistible three-act opera.

Good For

Lovers of Drama

Critics Reviews

“Rigoletto: Tragedy and melody in triumph”
– J-Wire