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Tosca

Closing: July 22, 2024

Tosca - West End History , Info & More

__FROM SARDOU'S PLAY TO PUCCINI’S OPERA__


From the early 1890s Giacomo Puccini had toyed with adapting French playwright Victorien Sardou’s gripping melodrama La Tosca into an opera, but only began serious work following the premiere of the critically acclaimed La bohème in 1896. Employing La bohème's gifted librettists Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica to streamline Sardou's complicated plot, Puccini’s Tosca premiered in 1900. 

With the city gripped by political unrest, fears of violence plagued the premiere at Rome’s Teatro Costanzi. However, Tosca opened without incident, and although unpopular with critics who disliked its violence, it became an immediate success with the public and has remained a favourite ever since.

__CHARACTER-PAINTING THROUGH MUSIC__


Puccini portrays the idealism of Tosca and her lover Cavaradossi through radiant, expansive music, including Act I's duet 'Qual occhio al mondo' (What eyes of this world), Cavaradossi's ardent aria 'Recondita armonia' (Hidden harmony) and Tosca's despairing Act II prayer 'Vissi d'arte' (I lived for my art). Scarpia's music, by contrast, is dark and terrifying – from the demonic chords that open the opera to the violence of his Act II exchanges with Tosca.


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TOSCA, CINDERELLA and More Set for Calgary Opera 2026/27 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 23, 2026


Calgary Opera will present its 2026/27 season, showcasing a blend of classic operas and contemporary pieces. The season aims to cater to diverse audiences with performances that highlight both traditional and modern operatic works.

Decca Classics to Release LISE DAVIDSEN: LIVE AT THE MET
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 16, 2026


Decca Classics will present Lise Davidsen: Live at the Met, a live recital recorded during the soprano’s landmark solo appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in September 2023.

Winners Announced For The 2025 BroadwayWorld Philippines Awards
by BWW Awards - Jan 16, 2026


Winners have been announced for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Philippines Awards! The 2025 Regional Awards honor regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

Winners Announced For The 2025 BroadwayWorld Cincinnati Awards
by BWW Awards - Jan 13, 2026


Winners have been announced for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Cincinnati Awards! The 2025 Regional Awards honor regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

Brendan Cooke To Step Down As General Director of Opera Delaware
by Joshua Wright - Jan 6, 2026


OperaDelaware General Director Brendan Cooke will step down from his position at the conclusion of the company’s 2025–2026 season, marking the end of a transformative era for the nation’s 11th oldest opera company.

Jonas Kaufmann Says He Will Not Sing in Great Britain
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 22, 2025


Star tenor Jonas Kafumann has revealed that he has no plans to sing opera ever again in Great Britain.

Review: Before There Was Charlie Brown, There Was Menotti’s AMAHL, now at Lincoln Center Theater
by Richard Sasanow - Dec 21, 2025


Lincoln Center Theater’s new Kenny Leon production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS, presented in association with the Metropolitan Opera, is hardly “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “The Nutcracker.” Yet it manages to give us faith, hope and charity at a time we could all use more than a little of it, though there doesn’t seem to be much of a nod by director Leon to the setting of “The Present” mentioned in the Playbill.

Interview: Charles Busch Rings in the New Year at 54 Below
by Gregory Fletcher - Dec 16, 2025


Actor and beloved drag icon Charles Busch reflects on his long career in cabaret as he prepares for his upcoming New Year’s Eve cabaret on 12/31, 7 pm at 54 Below.

La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra Performs For The First Time At The Salzburg Festival
by Stephi Wild - Dec 4, 2025


For the very first time in the rich history of the theatre, the Music Director and the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra have been invited to perform at the famous Salzburg Festival. Learn more here!

Seattle Opera Offers Concert Presentation Of Rarely Heard Richard Strauss Opera DAPHNE
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 2, 2025


This January, Seattle Opera continues its recent tradition of offering concert presentations of rarely heard operas (Samson and Delilah in Concert '23, Les Troyens in Concert '25) with Richard Strauss's one-act pastoral tragedy, Daphne (1938).

Review: Beczala and Golovatenko Make Met’s CHENIER a Memorable Night under Rustioni
by Richard Sasanow - Nov 26, 2025


For those of us who like verismo opera—combining the raw emotions of everyday people with historical splendor—but have heard one too many BOHEMEs, TOSCAs, TURANDOTs and BUTTERFLYs in this lifetime, noting Giordano’s ANDREA CHENIER in the Met’s repertoire for this season seemed like a godsend. Not seen in these parts since 2014, this tale of the French Revolution, a poet (the title role, sung by tenor Piotr Beczala) and blinding love set to a sweeping score was something to look forward to.

Review: MASTER CLASS at Roustabouts And Scripps Ranch Theatre
by ErinMarie Reiter - Nov 22, 2025


'Master Class,' running through December 14 in a co-production between The Roustabouts Theatre Company and Scripps Ranch Theatre, revisits Maria Callas in the final chapter of her performing life; when her voice had faded, yet her fervor for her art had not.

Kristin Sampson and Jeremy Brauner to Star in Light Opera Of New Jersey 2025 Holiday Pops Concert
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 7, 2025


Light Opera of New Jersey has revealed Kristin Sampson and Jeremy Brauner as the principal artists who will headline its Holiday Pops Concert at the Ridge Performing Arts Center in Basking Ridge, NJ.

David Hyde Pierce Stars in Boston Lyric Opera's VALKYRIES!
by Stephi Wild - Oct 31, 2025


Join David Hyde Pierce in Boston Lyric Opera's VALKYRIES!, a comedic take on Wagner's classic, premiering Nov. 12 in Boston.

Guild Opera Company to Present Free Concert Of IL TROVATORE This Weekend
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 28, 2025


Guild Opera Co. will present Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi in concert. A musical masterpiece filled with passion, revenge, and a mistaken identity. Learn how to attend!

Photos: PARSIFAL at the San Francisco Opera
by Gillian Blum - Oct 25, 2025


San Francisco Opera's new production of Richard Wagner's PARSIFAL runs from October 25 through November 13 on the War Memorial Opera House stage, and the production released photos.

THE MET: LIVE IN HD Continues With Puccini’s LA BOHÈME On November 8
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 16, 2025


The Metropolitan Opera’s 2025–26 Live in HD season continues with Puccini’s La Bohème on Saturday, November 8, at 1 p.m. ET, transmitted live to cinemas worldwide.

THE MAID OF ORLEANS Comes to the Dutch National Opera Next Month
by Stephi Wild - Oct 16, 2025


The Maid of Orleans is coming to the Dutch National Opera next month. Tchaikovsky based his opera on the play of the same name by Friedrich Schiller. Learn more here!

The Programme GNO for All Continues For a Second Season
by Stephi Wild - Oct 14, 2025


Following its great success during the 2024/25 season, the programme GNO for All will continue into the 2025/26 season. Learn more about the upcoming programming here!

Berkeley Playhouse Rings In The Holidays With ANNIE
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 6, 2025


Berkeley Playhouse will celebrate the holiday season with one of Broadway’s most beloved family musicals, Annie, running November 7–December 21, 2025, at the Julia Morgan Theater.

McCarter Theatre Center Presents Celia Cruz - A Tribute To The Queen
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 3, 2025


Prepare for an electrifying celebration of Celia Cruz’s legacy, Cuban music, and culture at McCarter Theatre Center. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets here!

Opera Carolina Will Host A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
by Stephi Wild - Oct 2, 2025


This fall, step into a world of passion, sacrifice, and unforgettable music as A Night To Remember returns to the prestigious Belk Theater. Learn more about the performance here!

New Opera LILI EBE To Preview at Works & Process at the Guggenheim
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 29, 2025


Works & Process at the Guggenheim will host a first look at Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s new opera Lili Elbe on October 27, 2025. The opera, starring Lucia Lucas in the title role, will have its U.S. premiere at Santa Fe Opera in August 2026.

Ailyn Pérez Will Sing the Title Role in TOSCA at the Royal Opera House
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 23, 2025


The Royal Opera House has announced a cast change for the September 24, 2025, performance of Puccini’s Tosca. Ailyn Pérez will perform the title role in place of Aleksandra Kurzak, who has withdrawn due to illness.

McCarter Theatre Center Opens Fall Season With Camille A. Brown and Dancers in I AM
by Stephi Wild - Sep 23, 2025


McCarter Theatre Center will open its fall presenting season with Camille A. Brown & Dancers performing I AM. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Brown has redefined boundaries across dance, opera, and Broadway.

Tosca History

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