The Met’s previous take on Verdi’s Rigoletto, the Las Vegas version, has worn out its welcome, thank goodness! Bartlett Sher’s production, new this year, is far more interesting, set wise and costumes, and also very well executed, which, to be fair, as was the Vegas.

**Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto in his jester outfit**

Sher relocates the tale to the late Weimar Republic in the late 1920s. The misery in Europe that followed the end of the First World War created an atmosphere of greed and hedonism among the upper class, while at the same time submerging the lower class into abject poverty. They were particularly battered by the war time deaths of working age males, husbands and fathers.

**The splendor of the Duke’s Court. The Duke and Rigoletto discuss a way to dispose of a jealous spouse**

Michael Yeargan’s ingenious sets, a four sided square on a large turntable, effortlessly allows for the juxtaposition of the two worlds: a brilliantly colored licentious party for the upper class and the military compared to dark alleys in the poor section. The courtiers are in formal military dress and the women are colorfully dazzling. Donald Holder’s lighting accentuates these differences; Catherine Zuber’s costume are appropriately bright or drab.

**In Act Two, Gilda reveals herself to her father in the Duke’s court. Taken at rehearsal: masks for safety**

The Duke of Mantua, sung by Piotr Beczała, is a lusty young fellow, this one will do or that one will do. His jester Rigoletto, sung by Quinn Kelsey, has a working relationship with the Duke, but we quickly find out that Rigoletto is not fully on board with the goings on. Throughout the evening, Kelsey’s sincere vocal presence is felt; Beczała rings through his three solos and the quartet.

The cube set turns slowly to reveal a dark alley as Rigoletto returns home; Sparafucile, sung by Andrea Mastroni, offers his assistance in a marvelous bass voice. We also get a view inside Rigoletto’s two story dwelling, Gilda looking out the window now and then in anticipation of his return, Giovanna, who cares for her, is busy here and there.

**Andrea Mastroni is Sparafucile, the assassin**

**Gilda, sung by Rosa Feola, is Rigoletto’s daughter, here singing *Caro nome* in Act One, Scene Two**

Rosa Feola, new to me, brought new shades to Gilda’s character through Sher’s staging. Yes, she falls in love with the Duke (who is disguised as a poor student) and yes, unfortunately, she is kidnapped by the courtiers. They think she is Rigoletto’s mistress. Yet once in the Duke’s estate, she seems to evolve into a grown woman, rather than a frightened overprotected girl. As Rigoletto is pouring his heart out to the courtiers, asking them to return his daughter to him, she calmly emerges, dressed in white, as if to say that things have changed.

Feola continues to evolve both dramatically and vocally through to the final scene. One can almost feel her soul leaving her body at the end. Brava!

**The famous Quartet in the final Act: Kelsey and Feola lower left; Beczała and Gigliotti in upper right**

Others in the cast include Varduhi Abrahamyan as a spirited and aggressive Maddalena. Craig Colclough is a menacing Monterone; as courtiers, Jeongcheol Cha as Marullo, Christopher Job as Count Ceprano, and Scott Scully as Borsa. Yohan Yi was a Guard; Sylvia D’Eramo was the Countess Ceprano, Eve Gigliotti was Giovanna, Catherine MiEun Choi-Steckmeyer was the Page.

Daniele Rustioni conducted the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Met Chorus under Donald Palumbo brought off an exuberant party in Act I and a howling storm in the final Act.

Performance date: January 22, 2022.

Met photos by Ken Howard.

Rigoletto is performed with one intermission; the performance lasts two hours, forty minutes. This was the Met’s 905th performance of the opera.

Verdi’s Rigoletto was my eighth opera in a now very long list from then to present day, but also my first opera as a standee at the Old Met. The performance starred Roberta Peters, Jan Peerce, and Robert Merrill, certainly icons of that period. Rigoletto remains in my top twenty operas, and, as productions go, this current one is a real winner.

Glad to be back again! More to come!