Amarillo Opera brings a western twist to a timeless tragedy with Verdi's 'Rigoletto'

The Amarillo Opera is putting a western twist on a classic tale including love, fate, revenge and the abuse of power in Verdi's "Rigoletto," set to be performed in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts for one night only, on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.

In the operatic story's traditional language of Italian, local and traveling musicians will bring to life "Rigoletto" by Giuseppe Verdi, based on the play "Le Roi s'amuse" by Victor Hugo.

The story follows a court jester named Rigoletto, kept by the womanizing Duke of Montua of The Panhandle, for his witty comments mocking the husbands and fathers of the women the Duke seduces. This includes a senator named Monterone, who casts a violent curse on Rigoletto. The jester, in fear of the curse, leaves to ensure the safety of his own daughter, Gilda, from what may come — only to find that fate and revenge have already played their cards, and his daughter makes the ultimate sacrifice to break her father's curse.

According to the Amarillo Opera, the concert will be semi-staged, meaning that it will utilize a limited version of the props, costumes and stage space, creating a more casual, stripped down and relatable production for the audience to enjoy. According to Mary Jane Johnson, General and Artistic Director of the Amarillo Opera, this will be the first semi-staged production that the organization has ever held.

"We are doing a western flavor to the traditional 'Rigoletto,' so it includes the Duke of Montua, of The Panhandle, to signify the area, and we are adding more of that flavor with the dress," Johnson said. "It isn't formal clothes and tuxes like a normal concert. We will have a different staging, and we want the clothing to match with the more western bar theme. ... It will be really fun, and we encourage those that attend to dress western if they want to. We want them to feel very relaxed and enjoy themselves."

"I am all about celebrating the voice, and this allows that. It truly is grand opera on the highest level, but in a way everyone can enjoy," Johnson added.

To add to the western theme, the production will also include the serving of beer on stage instead of the common champagne or wine. The story will be told in Italian, with English subtitles cast above the stage for viewers' enjoyment and understanding. Johnson said the idea for the semi staging and western implementations came after a similar twist produced with the story in Las Vegas was well received.

This production is the Amarillo Opera's first tragedy of the season and includes world famous arias such as "La donna è mobile," "Bella figlia dell'amore," "Caro nome che il mio cor" and more.

Eric Barry, portraying the Duke of Montua, spoke about his role playing a ladies' man and how the opera hopes to bring in more viewers to enjoy a western twist on the classic tale.

"We want to see more people attending than we have ever seen before," Barry said. "So many people think that this artform is snooty and only for a certain class of people, and opera was always made for the people, not for the elite. And, we are hoping that this story that talks about drama, love — a story about a playboy, because that is what my character is, essentially — will be something entertaining enough to bring in someone who may not normally be a subscriber to the operas."

The production's director is Ellen Schlaefer, with music conduction by Jorge Parodi, featuring the Amarillo Symphony and Amarillo Orchestra, including a 23-person chorus.

Cast members include Alisa Jordheim as Gilda, James Westman as Rigoletto, Barry as the Duke of Montua, Sarah Saturnino as Maddalena, Griffen Hogan Tracey as Sparafucile, Sean Milligan as Monterone, Nicholas Flott as Borsa, Chancelor Barbaree as Marullo, Travis Hyman as Ceprano, Katrina Perales as Countess Ceprano and Melody Rich as Giovanna.

Jordheim spoke about her traveling to Amarillo from Milwaukee for her role as Gilda, as well as the one-of-a-kind opportunity that the Amarillo area can experience with the upcoming production.

"I just think that the music is so moving, and the cast is phenomenal, as both singers and actors," Jordheim said. "I think this will be a very moving experience for those who experience it, and I think it is a great first opera for someone who has never seen an opera before. There is a lot of drama, a lot of high notes, and a lot of familiar tunes, and then the end has a very dramatic operatic ending that is a must-see."

The production will be held in two acts with one intermission, instead of the traditional four acts with two intermissions.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Amarillo Opera online at https://www.amarilloopera.org/rigoletto .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Opera presents Verdi's Rigoletto with western twist