Florida Grand Opera Breathes New Life into Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte

Florida Grand Opera announces the launch of a revitalized production, Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, to perform in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale. End Quote

Miami, FL (1888PressRelease) December 11, 2014 - Florida Grand Opera follows up its critically acclaimed production of Madama Butterfly with a modern retelling of a Mozart favorite, the comic opera Così fan tutte, opening on Saturday, January 24 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

Adultery, disguised lovers, and a risqué bet. Così fan tutte is the Dangerous Liaisons of the opera repertoire as it makes frank observation of the frailty of human relationships through the lens of a comedy.

This Florida Grand Opera original production, which was last performed in 2008, will be given new life thanks to the efforts of the FGO production staff. Director Bernard Uzan, along with the FGO creative team, will be infusing the opera with a new vision, thus updating and adding credibility to this absurd yet classic opera to make it relevant to modern, South Florida audiences. In addition new costumes and props have been added to further enhance this innovative interpretation.

FGO's updated production will take place at a luxurious hotel in modern-day Europe. The opera tells the story of two young military officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, visiting their fiancées (sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi) who, in this production, are away on vacation. The men make a bet with an older friend, Don Alfonso, that their fiancées will remain faithful to them under any circumstance. Don Alfonso arranges for the men to leave the sisters but to immediately return in disguise to seduce the women. The sisters protest at first, but quickly fall for the other's lover, creating a situation where the men cheat on the women by way of the women cheating on the men. When the trick is revealed, all is forgiven, but will their lives ever be the same again? If you find the ending a little unsettling, you've gotten the point!

Following the triumphs of Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte is the third and final collaboration of the gifted librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte and the brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The theme of testing the constancy of women by improvising a trial can be traced into deep antiquity, but the treatment provided by Mozart and Da Ponte deliciously dissects the social mores of the late. Full of sublime music, virtuosic arias, and beautiful ensembles, Mozart's work is so breathtakingly skillful that it is considered by some to be his best.

"There are some incredible musical moments in this charming opera. Così fan tutte contains some of Mozart's most sensuous and romantic music - all set against this backdrop of a comedy," remarks Susan T. Danis, General Director and CEO of Florida Grand Opera.

This masterful score will be played by the Florida Grand Opera orchestra, led by FGO's Principal Conductor, Maestro Ramón Tebar.

Out of all of Mozart's well-known operas, Così has been the least understood. It was once considered risqué, if not immoral, and during the 1800s Mozart's music was frequently performed with an entirely different libretto bearing no resemblance to the original.

"It's a very misunderstood piece," says Danis. "But between the incredible cast that we've lined up and the direction of Bernard Uzan, I think people are going to be surprised with how much they enjoy the opera."

SCHEDULE | Così fan tutte
Sung in Italian with projected titles in English and Spanish

MIAMI
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade
County / Ziff Ballet Opera House

Saturday, January 24, 2015 7:00pm
Sunday, January 25, 2015 2:00pm
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 8:00pm
Friday, January 30, 2015 8:00pm
Saturday, January 31, 2015 8:00pm

FORT LAUDERDALE
Broward Center for the Performing Arts / Au-Rene Theater

Thursday, February 12, 2015 7:30pm
Saturday, February 14, 2015 7:30pm

CAST | Così fan tutte
Fiordiligi

Sari Gruber
Jan 24, 27, 31, Feb 12

Hailey Clark
Jan 25, 30, Feb 14

Dorabella
Brenda Patterson
Jan 24, 27, 31, Feb 12

Carla Jablonski
Jan 25, 30, Feb 14

Ferrando
Jason Slayden
Jan 24, 27, 31, Feb 12

Daniel Bates
Jan 25, 30, Feb 14

Guglielmo
Jonathan Beyer
Jan 24, 27, 31, Feb 12

Isaac Bray
Jan 25, 30, Feb 14

Don Alfonso
Arthur Woodley

Despina
Ava Pine
Jan 24, 27, 31, Feb 12

Rebecca Henriques
Jan 25, 30, Feb 14

Conductor
Ramón Tebar

Director
Bernard Uzan

Production
Florida Grand Opera

FGO Debut
TICKETS AND DONATIONS

Tickets start at just $12 at the Arsht Center and $21 at the Broward Center.

$21-$225 Opening Night at the Adrienne Arsht Center
$12-$135 all Arsht Center performances
$21-$200 all Broward Center performances

FGO's Box Office is located at the Doral Center on 8390 NW 25 St., Miami, FL 33122, and is open to the public from 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday during the season. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 800.741.1010 or online at www.FGO.org.

Sponsorship opportunities for productions and events throughout the season are available. For more information, contact Individual Giving Officer Max Kellogg at 305.854.1643 or mkellogg ( @ ) fgo dot org.

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