Opera Australia Sydney Rigoletto: Sydney Opera House
Sydney, Sydney Opera House — Joan Sutherland Theatre
About the Event
Seize this opportunity at the beautiful Sydney Opera House in Sydney to experience the breathtaking opear performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.
Rigoletto is a three‐act play by Guiseppe Verdi written in 1851 and based on Victor Gugo’s play Le Roi S’amuse Fr.: The king has fun. The play was banned by the censors for its immoral character and sabotaging the authority of king’s court, therefore in Verdi’s opera the king’s character was substituted with a duke. Rigoletto is thought to be the composer’s first opera masterpiece which presented an immediate box‐office success since its premiere in La Fenice Theatre in Venice.
Act One
The first act opens with a party at the court of the Duke of Mantua. When Rigoletto jokes at the expense of Count Monterone, whose daughter has been seduced by the Duke, Monterone calls down a curse upon Rigoletto. Later, we learn that despite Rigoletto's best efforts to shield his daughter Gilda from the outside world, she has met and fallen in love with the lascivious Duke. When the Duke's henchmen kidnap Gilda from her home, Rigoletto is devastated.
Act Two
Act Two opens the next morning, with the Duke's henchmen gleefully recounting their kidnapping. Rigoletto arrives at the Duke's palace, desperate to discover what has happened to Gilda. When he finds her and learns that she has been with the Duke, Rigoletto becomes obsessed with vengeance.
Act Three
In Act Three, Rigoletto hires a hitman named Sparfucile to murder the Duke. Sparfucile's seductive sister Maddelena lures the Duke to an isolated inn. Maddelena feels drawn to the Duke, and asks Sparfucile to spare him Sparfucile agrees to do so if anyone arrives to die in the Duke's place. Gilda overhears this conversation. Still tragically in love with the Duke, she enters the inn and is killed. Rigoletto discovers that his plot has resulted in Gilda's death, and Monterone's curse is complete.
Practical Information
Language:
Performed in Italian with English surtitles.
Plese note:
This production contains sexual violence, violence against women and strobe lighting effects.
Program
- Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto
Cast / Production
RIGOLETTO
Dalibor Jenis
DUKE OF MANTUA
Kang Wang
GILDA
Gemma Nha
MONTERONE
Gennadi Dubinsky
SPARAFUCILE
David Parkin
MADDALENA
Sian Sharp
MARULLO
Simon Meadows
BORSA
Virgilio Marino
CEPRANO
Jonathan Alley
GIOVANNA
Dominica Matthews
COUNTESS CEPRANO
Jennifer Black
PAGE
Jennifer Bonner
USHER
Malcolm Ede
Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
Address
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, Australia — Google Maps
