Rigoletto

Verdi’s tense and brutal tale of a megalomaniac’s bitter minion caught in a web of lechery, betrayal, and revenge runs the emotional gamut in true operatic fashion. Hugely popular ever since its Venice premiere, the indelible melodrama boasts memorably complex characters and an action-packed plot propelled by a parade of iconic, unflaggingly brilliant music, especially the iconic La donna è mobile. It’s Election Night at the Presidential Palace and the Duke of Mantua is holding court. Contrasting the bawdy ostentation of the privileged and powerful with the gritty squalor of Rigoletto’s working class struggles, director Lindy Hume pulls no punches drawing comparisons to newsmakers of today.