The Manoel Theatre is preparing to stage its first full opera following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking place in March, a cast directed and joined by the Argentine tenor José Cura will present Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca.
The Manoel Theatre and Valletta Cultural Agency co-production, in collaboration with Bank of Valletta, features Cura as Cavaradossi, Tanya Ivanova as Tosca and Carlos Almaguer as Scarpia, alongside a local cast including Alan Sciberras, Albert Buttigieg, Louis Cassar and Nadia Vella.
The choir from KorMalta also enhances Puccini’s score under the direction of chorus master Riccardo Bianchi, against the backdrop of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mario De Rose.
“Apart from myself, my team and the two other principal roles, everybody else on stage will be Maltese, from my friends of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra to the choir, the technicians, dressers, make-up artists and so on,” explains Cura.
“Our mission is to strengthen Maltese theatrical structures so that we can repeat such beautiful projects in the future.”
The audience should be ready to see and listen, with an open mind, to something different to the usual operatic setting
Following tempestuous opera singer Floria Tosca as she fights to save her lover, Cavaradossi from police chief Scarpia, Tosca is a tragic story of passion, jealousy, love, lust, murder and political intrigue.
Meeting the challenges of staging this famous opera fan-favourite, the new production at the Manoel features costumes designed by Silvia Collazuol and an innovative set and stage design by Cura himself.
Argentine tenor José Cura“In order to tackle the Manoel’s pit space limitations, which have always prevented the staging of big operas, I have devised a structural change in the use of the stage to be able to use a full symphonic orchestra. This idea could signal a new staging approach which will bring the big operas to the Manoel in the future,” says Cura.
“Therefore, the audience should be ready to see and listen, with an open mind, to something different to the usual operatic setting, which traditionally has the orchestra in the pit and the action behind – we are actually going to do the opposite,” says the tenor, urging audiences to come see the innovative stage design in action next month.
The Manoel Theatre and Valletta Cultural Agency co-production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca will be performed at Manoel Theatre on March 5, 8, 10 and 12, with all performances at 7.30pm. This production is suitable for audiences aged 14 and above. Tickets are available via www.teatrumanoel.mt or by e-mail to bookings@teatrumanoel.mt and telephone on 2124 6389.