Tosca by Puccini
Photo Gallery
AO Official Photographer, Kathleen Behnke, captured stunningly all the drama and passion of our production of Tosca!
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
Performance Dates
Friday, April 22, 2022 @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 23, 2022 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, April 24, 2022 @ 4:00 PM
In Italian with English Supertitles
Video Galleries
Enjoy this ‘tour de force’ performance of “Vissi d’arte” by Elizabeth Baldwin. She was born to sing this role! On the podium, Brian DeMaris, Anchorage Opera Principal Conductor, with the fabulous Anchorage Opera orchestra.
Stellar portrayal by Hunter Enoch as Scarpia in the “Te Deum” procession. The spectacle is grand! Anchorage Opera chorus, supers, costumes, hair/makeup, staging, sets, lighting, and full AO orchestra!
Stunning singing of his ACT III aria “E lucevan le stelle” by Benjamin Werley. His poignant portrayal of the passionate painter, “Cavaradossi” in his role & company debut with us! It was definitely a night to remember at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
Interviews with Cast & Artistic Team
AO Principal Conductor, Brian DeMaris and Stage Director Laura Alley spoke with Alaska Public Media‘s State of Art host, Ammon Swenson about all things Tosca and what it means to be returning to live opera after a two year “intermission”!
Elizabeth Baldwin (Tosca) and Benjamin Werley (Cavaradossi) had a fun chat on air with Eddie P. of KTMB Classic Hits 102.1 radio about the show and their roles as in it!
About
Tosca
by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
“A soaring, sensuous saga of love, power and corruption”
Step into a web of politics, police brutality, betrayal and jealousy! Set against a backdrop of war, chaos and corruption in Rome, the beautiful, celebrated singer, Floria Tosca, must give the performance of a lifetime to save the man she loves from the tainted hands of the treacherous chief of police. Will she murder for the man she loves? Will she save her lover in time? Will she emerge as the victor or victim of her own destiny? Puccini’s sumptuous tale of ill-fated love captivates new and longtime opera lovers alike. With passionate arias and soaring, sensuous melodies, Tosca’s power and raw emotion will leave you breathless.
Starring a large cast of internationally acclaimed artists, returning fan favorites and wonderful local talent, including our own children’s chorus that will warm your hearts. A great date night! Perfect for the first-time opera-goer, and lovers of all ages!
The Cast
Production Team
Elizabeth Baldwin – FloriaTosca
Hunter Enoch – Baron Scarpia
Luke Honeck – Spoletta
Dustin Jorgensen – Sciarrone
Malachi Falvo – Shepherd
Eva Marley Jester – Shepherd
Benjamin Werley – Cavaradossi
Kyle Gantz – Angelotti
Daniel Spiotta – Sacristan
Denny Wells – Jailer
Brian DeMaris – AO Principal Conductor
Greg Mitchell – Set Designer
Catherine Warden – Costumière
Elle Janecek – Hair & Makeup Designer
Richard Gordon – Chorus Master/Rehearsal Accompanist/Coach
Laura Alley – Stage Director
Scott Holdredge – Lighting Designer
Kathryn Strock – Children’s Chorus Master
Helen Irene Muller – Stage Manager
Andrea Anderson – Assistant Stage Manager
Synopsis
Act I
Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, runs into the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle to hide in the Attavanti family chapel. At the sound of the Angelus, the Sacristan enters to pray. He is interrupted by Mario Cavaradossi, who has come to work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene – inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti, Angelotti’s sister. Mario contrasts the beauty of the blond Marchesa with that of the woman he loves, the raven-haired singer Floria Tosca (“Recondita armonia“).
Angelotti ventures out and is recognized by Mario, who gives him food and hurries him back into the chapel as Tosca is heard calling outside. She jealously questions Mario, then prays and reminds him of their rendezvous that evening (“Non la sospiri la nostra casetta“). Recognizing the Marchesa’s likeness in the painting, she explodes with renewed suspicions, but he reassures her (“Qual’occhio al mondo“). When she has left, Mario summons Angelotti as a cannon signals that the police have discovered the escape; the two flee to Mario’s villa.
Napoleon’s army is supposed to have suffered defeat, and the Sacristan returns with choirboys who are about to sing a Te Deum. Their excitement is silenced by the entrance of Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, in search of Angelotti. When Tosca comes back looking for Mario, she encounters Scarpia, who shows her the Attavanti crest on a fan he has just found. Thinking Mario faithless, Tosca tearfully vows vengeance and leaves as the church resounds with the Te Deum. Scarpia has the diva trailed, scheming to get her in his power (“Va, Tosca!“).
Act II
In the Farnese Palace, Scarpia anticipates the pleasure of bending Tosca to his will (“Ha piu forte sapore“).
The spy Spoletta arrives, not having found Angelotti; to placate the baron, he brings in Mario, who is interrogated while Tosca is heard singing at a royal gala downstairs. She enters as her lover is being taken to an adjoining room for torture. Unnerved by Scarpia’s questioning and Mario’s screams, she reveals Angelotti’s hiding place.
Mario is carried in; realizing what has happened, he rages at Tosca, but the gendarme Sciarrone rushes in to announce that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo, a defeat for Scarpia’s side. Mario shouts his defiance (“Vittoria!”).
Tosca yields to Scarpia in exchange for her lover’s life. Fighting him off, she protest her fate to God, having dedicated her life to art and love (“Vissi d’arte“).
Spoletta interrupts: faced with capture, Angelotti has killed himself. Tosca, forced to decide, agrees to Scarpia’s proposition. The baron pretends to order a mock execution for the prisoner, after which he is to be free. Spoletta leaves.
Scarpia prepares a document of safe-conduct for the lovers. When he embraces her, Tosca stabs him with a knife, wrenches the document from his fingers and, placing candles at his head and a crucifix on his chest slips quietly out.
Act III
The voice of a shepherd is heard as church bells toll the dawn. Mario is led to the roof of Castel Sant’Angelo prison to await execution; he bribes the jailer to convey a farewell note to Tosca. Writing it, overcome with memories of love, he gives way to despair (“E lucevan le stelle“).
Suddenly Tosca runs in, filled with the story of her recent adventure. Mario caresses the hands that committed the murder for his sake (“O dolci mani“), and the two hail the future.
As the firing squad appears, the diva coaches Mario on how to fake his death convincingly; the soldiers fire and depart. Tosca urges Mario to hurry, but when he fails to move, she discovers that Scarpia’s treachery has transcended the grave: the bullets were real.
Spoletta rushes in to arrest Tosca. She climbs the battlements and, crying that she will meet Scarpia before God, leaps to her death.
Free Pre-Opera Talks
Plan to join us one hour before each show for an informative exploration of the show. Learn fascinating facts and historical background before the curtain goes up.
We are proud to present our colleague in the arts, Michael Jungreis, as the your Pre-Opera Talk Host. Michael is well-known to Anchorage audiences as the host of KLEF’s “Saturday Night at the Opera”
Free Student Final Dress Rehearsal
Anchorage Opera would like to open the final dress rehearsal to K-12 students at no cost for our production of Tosca by Puccini in the spring of 2022 (dates TBA) performed in Italian with projected Supertitles in English. Seating is limited. We will do our best to accommodate any K-12 student that would like to come, however some parties may receive fewer tickets than requested based on availability.
Please contact Kay Nicholas at 907-279-2557 or email admin@anchorageopera.org to request your vouchers.
As this is a coveted event for many schools in the Anchorage area, please do not request more tickets than you will use. If you are promised a certain number of tickets and find you will not be able to use them all, please contact us as soon as possible so that people on the wait list can be notified and make arrangements to attend.
We hope to see a full house of K-12 Students there! BRAVO