Rigoletto brings Italian masterwork to West Coast stage in thrilling new production
Vancouver Opera launches its 2025-2026 season on October 25 with Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, a tale of paternal devotion twisted by vengeance that continues to captivate audiences more than 170 years after its premiere. The production promises an edge-of-the-seat theatrical experience, exploring the dark consequences when a father’s love collides with the corruption of absolute power.
The opera centers on Rigoletto, a court jester who has made his living ridiculing the enemies of the Duke of Mantua. But when the Duke’s predatory attention turns toward Rigoletto’s sheltered daughter Gilda, the jester’s world implodes. His desperate plot for revenge spirals into tragedy, transforming what begins as righteous fury into a cautionary tale about the devastating cost of retribution.
This new co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria marks an ambitious opening for Vancouver’s second-largest opera company. Director Glynis Leyshon brings fresh perspective to Verdi’s masterwork, while Music Director Jacques Lacombe conducts the Vancouver Opera Orchestra through some of opera’s most beloved music—including the Duke’s infamous “La donna è mobile” and Gilda’s haunting “Caro nome.”
The production features an impressive international cast making their Vancouver Opera debuts. American baritone Micheal Chioldi takes on the complex title role, while award-winning Montréal soprano Sarah Dufresne portrays his ill-fated daughter. Yongzhao Yu rounds out the principal cast as the morally bankrupt Duke, supported by Nathan Berg, Emma Parkinson, and Neil Craighead.
A German Perspective on Italian Opera
German audiences have long embraced Rigoletto with particular enthusiasm, viewing Verdi’s psychological complexity through the lens of their own rich operatic tradition. The work’s exploration of power dynamics and moral corruption resonates deeply in a culture that values both philosophical depth and musical excellence. German opera houses from Berlin to Munich regularly program Rigoletto, appreciating how Verdi balances melodic beauty with dramatic intensity—a fusion that appeals to audiences raised on Wagner’s psychological probing and Mozart’s dramatic sophistication.
From Scandal to Standard
When Rigoletto premiered at Venice’s La Fenice in 1851, it caused immediate controversy. Based on Victor Hugo’s banned play Le roi s’amuse, the opera’s depiction of a debauched nobleman initially attracted censorship concerns. Verdi fought to preserve the story’s provocative elements, and his persistence paid off. The premiere was a triumph, and Rigoletto quickly became one of opera’s most frequently performed works, cementing Verdi’s reputation as Italy’s greatest living composer.
Rigoletto runs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre through November. Tickets and season subscriptions available at vancouveropera.ca.
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PHOTO CREDITS: (clockwise): 1. Matthew Pearce as the Duke and Grant Youngblood as Rigoletto. 2. Jan van der Hooft as Matteo Borsa and Justin Welsh as Marullo with the Pacific Opera Victoria Chorus and Supernumeraries. 3. Sarah Dufresne as Gilda. 4. Justin Welsh as Marullo, Jan van der Hooft as Matteo Borsa, and Andrew Greenwood as Count Ceprano with the Pacific Opera Victoria Chorus and Supernumaries. Pacific Opera Victoria, Rigoletto (2025). Conducted by Robert Tweten with stage direction by Glynis Leyshon. David Cooper Photography.
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