Directed by Abdalla Saad, Verdi's opera Rigoletto will be staged at the Cairo Opera House on two consecutive evenings, between 30 and 31 May.

In Egypt, opera Rigoletto has a significant history. Rigoletto was the first opera performed at the opening of the Khedivial Opera House on 1 November 1869. In modern history Rigolleto has been staged several times at the new Cairo Opera House where the last performance took place in 2008.

Rigoletto then returns to the Cairo Opera House in the current season when it was staged last February, with a new scenography designed by Mahmoud Haggag.

Composed in forty days in 1851, Rigoletto is Verdi's outburst of creative musical energy, inspired by Vic­tor Hugo’s Le roi s’amuse (The king’s amuse­ment/"The King Has Fun").

Back in 1850, Verdi wrote a letter to his libret­tist, Fran­cisco Maria Piave: “I have in mind a sub­ject that would be one of the great­est cre­ations of the modern theater if the police will only allow it. Who knows? Have a try! The sub­ject is grand, immense and there’s a char­ac­ter in it who is one of the great­est cre­ations that the the­ater of all coun­tries and all times can boast. The sub­ject is Le roi s’amuse and the char­ac­ter I’m speak­ing about is Triboulet."

The opera will be performed by the soloists of the Cairo Opera Company and guest singers. The Cairo Opera Orchestra will be conducted by David Crescenzi.

The opera will have English and Arabic translations screened.

Programme:
30 and 31 May, 8pm
Main hall of the Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo  

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