Review: Calgary Opera’s TOSCA embodies the many faces of betrayal.

Calgary Opera’s 2026 / 2027 season starts strong with the classic Italian opera ‘Tosca’ written over 100 years ago, and set over 200 years in the past. With so much time separating our current lives and those of individuals in the distant past, you might expect the story to be archaic. It turns out that the central themes are still highly relevant in our modern world. The story is centered around four individuals: Tosca, a celebrated singer who is fiercely jealous and deeply devoted to her lover; Cavaradossi, a renowned painter and covert anarchist; Angelotti, a notorious revolutionary who just escaped his prison; Scarpia, Rome’s ruthless chief of police who possesses an insatiable lust for Tosca. Each character desperately yearns to achieve their goal, yet each is at odds with one another in their quests. 

Act I introduces us to the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle which dominates the entirety of the stage, a massive shrine to Italian architecture, and a stunning set for our story. There was a surprising amount of humour throughout this act, between the Sacristan and Cavaradossi who tussle over the wine and food prepared for the painter, and comment on his painting of a local woman at prayer. We also have some humours moments between the painter and his love Tosca as they lay bare their love for one another and set the stage for her intensely jealous persona. The act ends with an awe-inspiring sight of over 50 performers spilling onto the stage as they prepare for the religious celebration of Te Deum. Within this ensemble we were treated to the young voices of the Cantaré children’s choir which provided an almost ethereal accompaniment to the action. 

After intermission the stage is transformed into a large study within Scarpia’s home for the start of Act II. Although it is one location, there is an overlap of action between the revelries of the ballroom outside the doors, and the torture chamber just offstage. This is certainly the most emotionally charged act of the performance and the vocal strength of our leading lady is unmatched. The outlook of the play seems doomed until our heroine takes matters into her own hands and it appears that all hope may not be lost. The performances were fantastic and although it was an important part of the play to carry the story, if it wasn’t for the incredible performances by Maria Natale (Tosca) and Boaz Daniel (Scarpia), it would have otherwise been a rather slow chapter to the story.

After a brief pause to prepare the final set we are launched into the third and final act. The stage is now transformed into the impenetrable fortress of Castel Sant’Angelo prison, a breathtaking set adorned with the looming statue of Saint Michael the Archangel. This statue was meant to be symbolic of the angel heralding the end of the plague and a divine message that God's wrath had passed - a fitting backdrop to oversee the exciting conclusion of such a tragic tale. I found the subtle shift in the sky’s colour that tracked the action of this act so stunning, what a beautiful addition! The entire cast really brought this story to life and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra gave an impeccable performance, giving new life to the beautiful music of Puccini. The power behind Cavaradossi is owed in part to the powerful vocal prowess of David Esteban, his songs were some of my favourite throughout the show. Although it may only be humorous to my husband and I, we also laughed to ourselves because we both commented that in this role, David Esteban greatly resembled the character of Lazlo (Matt Berry) from the series ‘What we Do in the Shadows’.

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