Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Opera production of
Rigoletto on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in London and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.
The corruption of innocence is at the heart of Giuseppe Verdi’s potent tragedy in David McVicar’s production for The Royal Opera.
The opera’s story follows Rigoletto, the hunchbacked court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua, who is cursed by the father of one of the Duke’s latest conquests for his mocking laughter. When the Duke turns his attention to Rigoletto’s own daughter Gilda, it seems the curse is taking effect, and the jester must plot to protect her from the Duke’s immoral intent.
David McVicar’s production highlights the cruelty at the heart of the court of Mantua. Richly dressed courtiers engage in orgies and revelries to Verdi’s heady, spirited dances. The opera’s many musical highlights include the ebullient ‘La donna è mobile’, in which the Duke boasts of his disregard for women; Gilda’s exquisite, plangent duets with Rigoletto and the Duke; and the gorgeous Act III quartet that beautifully weaves the voices together as the story quickens to its shattering conclusion.
Alexander Joel conducts a cast led by Greek baritone Dimitri Platanias in the title role and featuring American tenor Michael Fabiano as the Duke of Mantua, alongside English soprano Lucy Crowe as Gilda.
Giuseppe Verdi wrote in 1855 that Rigoletto was his ‘best opera’. He had had to overcome state censorship to stage it – the censors objected to its depiction of an immoral ruler – but he was vindicated by the premiere’s huge success in 1851. Rigoletto was performed 250 times in the next 10 years and has remained one of the most popular of all operas.
This screening runs approximately 2 hours 45 minutes including one interval and an onscreen introduction. Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase.
NOTE: Rigoletto is sung in Italian with English surtitles.
The Live Cinema series features current productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet, and Royal Opera. Direct from England, these professional productions are filmed live and rebroadcast later to select international screens.
Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Youth/Students) are available online (
www.phtww.org) or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. Beer, wine and snacks will be available for purchase.
The 2018 Live Cinema Series is sponsored by Shakespeare Walla Walla, a local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to make Shakespeare and theater approachable and entertaining to students in eastern Washington and Oregon.
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Live Cinema Schedule
Wednesday, February 7
Rigoletto
The Royal Opera
Wednesday, February 28
Tosca
The Royal Opera
Wednesday, March 14
Twelfth Night
The Royal Shakespeare Company
Wednesday, March 28
The Winter’s Tale
The Royal Ballet
Wednesday, April 11
Carmen
The Royal Opera
Wednesday, April 25
Macbeth
The Royal Opera
Wednesday, May 9
Bernstein Centenary
The Royal Ballet
Wednesday, May 16
Macbeth
The Royal Shakespeare Company
About the Gesa Power House Theatre
The historic Gesa Power House Theatre is a 300-seat performing arts venue, located in downtown Walla Walla. The 120-year-old building was once the Walla Walla Gas Plant, built to produce coal gas used to light the streets, businesses, and homes of Walla Walla. In 2011 the Gesa Power House Theatre building was transformed into a state-of-the-art playhouse for live performance. The interior design of the theatre was inspired by Shakespeare’s own intimate Blackfriars Theatre in London, England.
The Gesa Power House Theatre is on the Washington State Building Preservation Commission list of State historic buildings and on the National Register of Historic Places. The venue also hosts a variety of other cultural events, musical concerts, and private events (including weddings).
For additional marketing and media information, including interviews and hi-res images, contact:
Bradley Nelson
Media Contact
Phone: 509.529-6500
webmaster@phtww.org
Gesa Power House Theatre
111 North Sixth Ave.
Walla Walla, Washington 99362
