Photo Flash: RIGOLETTO Opens Tonight at San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera's 2017 Summer Season opens Wednesday, May 31, with Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto at the War Memorial Opera House. Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Chorus and an international cast featuring baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, soprano Nino Machaidze in her Company debut as Gilda and tenor Pene Pati making his role debut as the Duke of Mantua. In his first San Francisco Opera engagement, English director Rob Kearley will stage this repertory classic.

Check out photos from the show below!

A cornerstone of the operatic repertory since its 1851 premiere, Verdi's masterpiece of seduction, betrayal and vengeance continues to win audiences with its propulsive music, fast-moving story and memorable characters. San Francisco Opera has performed Rigoletto in 34 of its 94 seasons, beginning with the inaugural season in 1923 when Company founder Gaetano Merola conducted a cast featuring baritone Giuseppe De Luca as Rigoletto, tenor Beniamino Gigli as the Duke and soprano Queena Mario as Gilda. For more information about the history of Rigoletto at San Francisco Opera, please visit sfopera.com/archives.

Sung in Italian with English supertitles, the eight performances of Rigoletto are scheduled for May 31 (7:30 p.m.); June 6 (7:30 p.m.), June 9 (7:30 p.m.), June 14 (7:30 p.m.), June 18 (2 p.m.), June 22 (7:30 p.m.), June 27 (7:30 p.m.); and July 1 (7:30 p.m.), 2017.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Photo credit: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Pene Pati and Amitai Pati
Quinn Kelsey
Amina Edris and Pene Pati
Quinn Kelsey and Nino Machaidze
Quinn Kelsey
Quinn Kelsey
Reginald Smith, Jr.
Pene Pati
Cast of RIGOLETTO
Nino Machaidze and Pene Pati
Nino Machaidze
Quinn Kelsey and Nino Machaidze
Pene Pati and Zanda Svede
Pene Pati
Quinn Kelsey and Nino Machaidze
Quinn Kelsey (center), Amitai Pati, Anthony Reed. and Andrew G. Manea
Pene Pati