The L.A. Opera's latest production of 'Rigoletto' presents a politically charged interpretation, set against the backdrop of fascist Italy. Directed by Tomer Zvulun, whose vision draws on cinematic techniques, the production highlights the struggles of the titular character, a tortured jester navigating a world marked by cruelty and mob rule. After facing challenges with previous renditions, this latest offering showcases powerful performances, particularly by baritone Quinn Kelsey, and aims to resonate with contemporary themes of authoritarianism and disquieting societal forces.
This time, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday night, L.A. Opera unveiled a violent, politically disquieting production in which a tortured jester faces mob rule.
Tomer Zvulun...begins his director's note in the program book with a quote from Alfred Hitchcock: 'There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.' Baritone Quinn Kelsey's gripping 'Rigoletto,' as good as it gets these days, is all bang.
For the company's first go with the opera in 1993, it approached Peter Medak, who unfortunately bowed out to make the thriller 'Romeo Is Bleeding.' Seven years later, L.A. Opera went Hollywood.
L.A. Opera has struggled with one insufficient 'Rigoletto' production after another, imported or homegrown. Singers and conductors have been counted on to save the show, and sometimes they have.
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