RIGOLETTO
Opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Victor Hugo’s drama Il re si diverte.
Saturday 27 September | 7.30 pm
San Francisco Opera
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Get the 20% discount reserved for the Italian Cultural Institute for the closing show, Saturday 27 September 2025, 7.30 pm, by entering the code IIC20 at checkout.
Gossip is Rigoletto’s stock-in-trade. As the court jester to a womanizing duke, there is plenty of scandal to go around, and his sharp tongue keeps him in gainful employment. But underneath the caustic barbs, Rigoletto is devoted to his daughter, Gilda, whom he keeps shielded from the lascivious eyes of the duke. When a nobleman lays a curse on Rigoletto for his cruel humor, the jester has no idea how far he is about to fall.
As Rigoletto’s life unravels, his desperation intensifies, underscored by some of the most lyrical, heartfelt music ever written for the stage. Verdi’s operatic masterpiece is a study in dualities: cynicism and tenderness, hope and despair. This production echoes these contrasts with its richly designed renaissance couture set against a striking backdrop inspired by Giorgio de Chirico.
Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in a continuation of her multi-year exploration of the works of Verdi.
In collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco