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1964 production photo from Rigoletto

Rigoletto 1964

July 1 - August 29, 1964

Misfired revenge and betrayals galore…

Women are but playthings to the Duke of Mantua. Even court jester Rigoletto is helpless to preserve the honor of his daughter, Gilda. With one gorgeous melody after another, Verdi wreaks heartbreak in the first of his masterpieces.

Music By
Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto By
Francesco Maria Piave
Based on the play Le roi s'amuse By
Victor Hugo
English Version By
Ruth and Thomas Martin

Synopsis

Act I

The Duke of Mantua boasts of his many amatory escapades in which he is aided by Rigoletto, his jester, a hunchback. Rigoletto, both by his caustic wit and unscrupulous conduct, has made many enemies at the court. He suggests that the Duke might win the beautiful Countess Ceprano by imprisoning her husband. Count Ceprano vows in revenge to abduct a young girl whom he believes to be the mistress of Rigoletto. When Count Monterone forces his way in to denounce the Duke for seducing his daughter, the jester meets him with laughter and derision. As Monterone is led off to prison, he curses Rigoletto.

Act II

Rigoletto has a daughter, Gilda, whom he keeps in strict seclusion. As he hurries home to her, late at night, he broods over the curse of Monterone. He is accosted in the street by Sparafucile, a professional assassin, who offers his services for a fee. The Duke, unknown to Rigoletto, has seen and fallen in love with Gilda, though he does not know who she is. As Rigoletto leaves the house, the Duke slips into the garden, and posing as a poor student, declares his love to Gilda. When footsteps are heard in the street, he flees.

Count Ceprano, believing Gilda to be the mistress of Rigoletto, has formed a plan to carry off the young girl and so arranges it that Rigoletto unwittingly assists in her abduction. Told that it is the Countess Ceprano who is to be kidnapped, he allows himself to be blindfolded and holds the ladder for the abductors as they break into his house and quickly carry off Gilda.

The Duke believes that his courtiers have robbed him of Gilda. When they return and tell him that the girl is in his chamber, he rushes to the conquest. Rigoletto enters in search of his daughter. Gilda appears and runs in shame to her father, who orders the courtiers to leave. The girl tells her father of the long courtship of the Duke whom she had seen in church. As Monterone is led through the corridors, Rigoletto swears to avenge himself; Gilda, out of love, begs for the Duke’s pardon.

Act III

Rigoletto engages Sparafucile to murder the Duke. This man has a sister, Maddalena, who lures the Duke to their inn. She becomes fascinated with him, however, and begs her brother to spare his life and kill Rigoletto instead. Sparafucile refuses, but agrees to substitute the next guest who comes to the inn. Rigoletto brings Gilda to the inn to witness the Duke making love to Maddalena in order to cure his daughter of her unfortunate love. Gilda overhears Sparafucile’s promise to his sister, knocks on the door, and is stabbed on entering. Rigoletto returns to collect the body of the Duke and is given a sack. The jester is about to throw it into the river when he hears the voice of the Duke in the inn. He tears open the sack only to find his own daughter and realizes that the curse of Monterone has been fulfilled.

Artists

Adib Fazah

Baritone

Rigoletto (July 1 - 17)

Chester Ludgin

Baritone

Rigoletto (August 26 - 29)

Nadja Witkowska

Soprano

Gilda (July 1 - 17)

Jeanette Scovotti

Soprano

Gilda (August 26 - 29)

Stanley Kolk

Tenor

Duke of Mantua (July 1 - 4)

George Shirley

Tenor

Duke of Mantua (July 17 - August 29)

Paul Franke

Tenor

Borsa

Conrad Immel

Baritone

Marullo

John West

Tenor

Count Monterone

Peter Harrower

bass

Sparafucile

Rosalind Hupp

Mezzo-soprano

Maddalena (July 1 - 17)

Marlena Kleinman

Mezzo-soprano

Maddalena (August 26 - 29)

David Hatfield

Bass

Count Ceprano

Mary Alexander

Mezzo-soprano

Countess Ceprano

Batyah Godfrey

Contralto

Giovanna

Janet Walker

Mezzo-soprano

A Page

Michael Devlin

Michael Devlin

Bass-baritone

An Usher

John Crosby headshot

John Crosby

Conductor

Bliss Hebert

Director

John Braden

Scenic Designer

Henry Heymann

Designer

Costume Designer

Georg Schreiber

Lighting Designer

Ron Sequoio

Choreographer

John Moriarty

Chorus Master