VIDEO: Bartlett Sher Talks Directing RIGOLETTO

The Metropolitan Opera will ring in the new year with a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto on December 31, with an additional eight performances January 4-January 29, 2022. The Tony Award-winning creative team, including director Bartlett Sher, set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, and lighting designer Donald Holder, sets the classic tragedy in 1920s Europe, featuring Art Deco sets and elegant costumes. Conductor Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to lead a cast starring Quinn Kelsey in his Met role debut as Rigoletto, Rosa Feola as Gilda, and Piotr Beczała as the Duke of Mantua. Varduhi Abrahamyan makes her Met debut as Maddalena, and Andrea Mastroni is Sparafucile.

See director Bartlett Sher discuss Rigoletto below!

Rigoletto returns in the spring for five performances May 28-June 11, 2022. Kelsey reprises the title role opposite Kristina Mkhitaryan as Gilda and Stephen Costello as the Duke of Mantua. In their Met debuts, Yulia Matochkina sings Maddalena, and Ante Jerkunica sings Sparafucile. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

The performance of Rigoletto on Saturday, January 29, 2022, will be transmitted live to cinemas around the globe as part of The Met: Live in HD series and broadcast over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. The December 31 performance, as well as the January 4, 19, 29, and June 8, 2022, performances of Rigoletto will be broadcast live on Met Opera Radio on Sirius XM Channel 355.

Audio from the December 31, 2021, as well as the January 4, 19, and June 8, 2022, performances will be streamed live on the Met's website, metopera.org.