Nadine Sierra and More to Join Zeljko Lucic in RIGOLETTO at the Met This December

On Wednesday, December 2, Verdi's RIGOLETTO returns to the Met with a new cast of principals stepping into the 1960s Las Vegas setting of Michael Mayer's acclaimed production.

Two of the stars of the production's 2013 premiere, Željko Lucic as Rigoletto and Piotr Beczala as the Duke, reprise their roles, opposite rising American soprano Nadine Sierra (a 2009 winner of the Met's National Council Auditions at 20 years-old) in her Met debut as Gilda. Russian bass Dimitry Ivashchenko makes his Met debut as the assassin Sparafucile, with Nancy Fabiola Herrera as his sister, Maddalena.

Conductor Roberto Abbado leads his first Met performances of Verdi's tragedy. The December 17 performance will star French tenor Jean-François Borras in his company role debut as the Duke.

RIGOLETTO performance dates:

Wednesday, December 2 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 5 - 8 p.m.

Tuesday, December 8 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 12 - 1 p.m.

Thursday, December 17 - 7:30 p.m.

(Running time: 3 hours, 6 minutes, including two intermissions.)

For more information on this season's performances of RIGOLETTO, click here.

Tickets begin at $25; for prices, more information, or to place an order, call (212) 362-6000 or visit www.metopera.org. Special rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling (212) 341-5410 or visiting www.metopera.org/groups.

Same-day $25 rush tickets for all performances of RIGOLETTO are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the Met's Web site. Tickets will go on sale for performances Monday-Friday at noon, matinees four hours before curtain, and Saturday evenings at 2pm. To enter, click here.

Pictured: A scene from Act I of Michael Mayer's production of Verdi's "RIGOLETTO." Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.