ORT’s Spectacular Tribute to Puccini Through Music, Theater, Dance and Circus

 

A celebration of Puccini’s five female operatic icons will be brought to life in Giacomo Puccini’s Dance Circus Opera at Teatro Verdi (via Ghibellina 99). The renowned composer will be honored through music, theater, dance, and circus, in performances scheduled on Saturday, November 30 at 9 pm and Sunday, December 1 at 5 pm.

The entire production, directed by Caterina Mochi Sismondi, uses female choreography, musicians, and behind-the-scenes strategists and supporters to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of the female body and mind in a beautiful melange of music, dialogue, and movement. Compagnia blucinQue, Teatro del Giglio of Lucca, Teatro Regio of Parma, and Orchestra Della Toscana have collaborated to bring Puccini’s vision to life and honor his musical legacy in a memorable celebration of the 100th anniversary of his passing. 

The Dance Circus Opera features five operas, 12 artists, and 45 musicians of the Orchestra Della Toscana conducted by Gianna Fratta. This empowering show celebrates the resilience, aptitude, and daringness of the five female leading characters showcased in Puccini’s operas: Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, and Turandot. The production focuses on the roles of sisterhood and female solidarity through embracing the pitfalls and subsequent successes of female existence in what production calls a “chorus of bodies.” Sismondi plays with our concept of time; her use of classical and contemporary electronic music, and movement of the characters throughout the past, present, and future illustrate how femininity and female identity have evolved over time.  (Evelyn Sen)

Tickets are €22 for viewers over 30; viewers under 30 pay €10; students pay €5 in-person. To purchase tickets, visit the Teatro Verdi website.