Revenge and tragedy strike onstage with Verdi’s Rigoletto. Dark and brooding, this opera classic brings dramatic storytelling front and center at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Guided by the seasoned vision of Director Stephanie Havey (who has previously directed 10 productions of this very opera), this performance brings together remarkable talent and new vision for the popular tragedy. Scott Hendricks returns to the role of Rigoletto (having received praise from Opera News for his “rich baritone and energetic stage presence”), Jasmine Habersham reprises the role ..read more

Revenge and tragedy strike onstage with Verdi’s Rigoletto. Dark and brooding, this opera classic brings dramatic storytelling front and center at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Guided by the seasoned vision of Director Stephanie Havey (who has previously directed 10 productions of this very opera), this performance brings together remarkable talent and new vision for the popular tragedy. Scott Hendricks returns to the role of Rigoletto (having received praise from Opera News for his “rich baritone and energetic stage presence”). Jasmine Habersham reprises the role of Gilda (havin ..read more

by Michael Clive Dating from 1850, when Giuseppe Verdi was 37, Rigoletto is arguably the opera that announced him as the dominant musical genius of the 19th Century in Italy. It is daringly innovative, departing from the bel canto operatic traditions that informed his earlier operas such as Ernani and Nabucco. And it is so full of gorgeous music—thrilling solo arias, glorious ensembles, and compelling orchestral passages—that it’s tempting to sit back and simply lose ourselves in beautiful sound. If that seems appealing, here’s a word of advice: Don’t. Instead, enjoy Rigoletto as you would ..read more

by Paul Dorgan The success, in 1842, of Nabucodonosar, mercifully known today by its abbreviated title Nabucco, brought Verdi multiple commissions from various Italian theatres which resulted in a period he referred to as his “years in the galleys”, where he was compelled to churn out score after score, with little break between each one. I thought you’d be interested in seeing just what those years were like, and why Verdi considered himself a slave, chained to an oar in some galley. So here is a list of his post-Nabucco operas leading to Rigoletto, and going a couple bey ..read more

A native of Ireland, Paul Dorgan studied at the Dublin College of Music, and spent two student summers at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He continued his piano studies at Ohio State University, which conferred on him a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts. Dr. Dorgan has performed as both a soloist and accompanist on tour throughout Ireland, and has accompanied singers in London, Paris, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, as well as throughout the United States. In Salt lake City, where he now resides, Dorgan has frequently performed on the Temple Square Recital Series, with the NOVA Chamber Musi ..read more

by Paul Dorgan After a short orchestral Prelude the curtain rises on a magnificent room in the palace of the Duke of Mantua where a wild party is in progress; dance music is heard from another room. The Duke enters in conversation with Borsa, one of his courtiers. “It’s time,” the Duke says, “to do something about that unknown commoner.” He saw her in church three months ago; she lives in a house at the end of a deserted alley and every night a strange man visits her; no, she doesn’t know that he has been following her. Borsa admires the number of beautiful women at the Palace this evening, b ..read more

by Paul Dorgan The Orchestra of Rigoletto The Overture of Rigoletto Pit Orchestras and Bandas Verdi’s Rebellion against 19th-century Opera Conventions The Convention of the Concertato No Female Chorus! Duets Between Low Male Voices Three Extended Father-Daughter Duets Drama in the Music “La donna è mobile” The Rigoletto Quartet The Storm at the End of the Opera The Orchestra of Rigoletto Rigoletto is scored for the standard mid-nineteenth-century Italian opera-house orchestra: 2 flutes (with 2nd flute doubling piccolo; 2 oboes (with 2nd oboe doubling English horn); 2 clarinets; 2 bass ..read more

An Opera in Three Acts Music by Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901) Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave (1810 – 1876) Based upon the play Le roi s’amuse by Victor Hugo ACT I A dark atmosphere of forced gaiety prevails at a party in the court of the Duke of Mantua, a heedless libertine. Rigoletto, physically deformed and costumed for his job as court jester, flits among the guests; it’s his task to keep the courtiers laughing and flatter the duke’s ego. In a jaunty aria like an anthem of lechery, the duke boasts about his sexual prowess: This woman or that one, it really doesn’t matter. He dances wit ..read more

Find the cure for the winter blues with this heartwarming comedy! Did you know? This will be the first time Utah Opera has presented Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, and we can’t wait to present this delightful story about growing up, fighting for love, and the true definition of family. Learn more about this charming opera as Classical 89‘s Steven Kapp Perry interviews conductor Stephanie Rhodes Russell and Jack Swanson who performs the role of Tonio: Don’t miss this hilarious romantic comedy, starting Saturday, January 14, 2023. View Details Photo: Ellen Appel for Fort ..read more

A sparkling comedy is a certain cure for the wintertime blues. Utah Opera’s upcoming production of Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment is just that. A stellar cast of Utah Opera favorites including Matthew Burns who recently performed Dr Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Madison Leonard who recently performed as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, along with rising star Jack Swanson making his Utah Opera debut, local theater legend Anne Cullimore Decker, and director Michael Shell who recently directed The Barber of Seville bring the story of an orphan girl rai ..read more