Portland Opera Opens 58th Season In-Person with Puccini’s Tosca 

by Elisa Klein | Sep 18, 2021 | Events, Features, News

Portland, OR. Portland Opera will celebrate its return to the Keller Auditorium with four performances of Puccini’s grand opera Tosca. Masks and proof of vaccination, or a negative test, will be required at all four performances. Tosca: will take the stage October 29th & 31st, and November 4th & 6th. Digital access will also be available for a limited time on Portland Opera Onscreen, starting November 16th.  “We are over the moon to welcome audiences back to the Keller Auditorium with Tosca this fall” says Sue Dixon, General Director of the opera. “We are approaching this production with the health and wellbeing of our entire community at the forefront of our minds and are dedicated to presenting this piece as safely as possible.”

The opera tells the story of Tosca, a renowned diva, in Rome in 1800. An artist-activist has won her heart, and his revolutionary sympathies provoke the wrath of Scarpia, the corrupt chief of police. Her devotion and moral resistance are challenged by abuses of power, attempted rape, and tragedy—as this high drama builds to its haunting finale

Alexandra LoBianco will sing the title role of Tosca. LoBianco, whose performance as Tosca has been described as “thrilling” by Opera News, will make her Portland Opera debut in the title role.

Noah Stewart will sing the role of Cavaradossi in Portland Opera’s production of Tosca.

Stage director Linda Brovsky will make her Portland Opera debut directing this grand, traditional production. 

Performances will also feature the talented local and regional musicians who make up Portland Opera’s orchestra and chorus.

With the launch of the 21/22 season, Portland Opera welcomes Artistic Director Priti Gandhi, who joined the staff in early September. “I am delighted to be here in Portland for my first production as Artistic Director, and to welcome this incredible cast and creative team to Portland” shares Gandhi. “Tosca is full of passion, romance, tragedy, and politics. It is the perfect grand opera for a return to the theater.”

This production will feature a number of company debuts, including tenor Noah Stewart as Cavaradossi, baritone Gordon Hawkins as Scarpia, and tenor Katherine Goforth as Spoletta. Baritone Deac Guidi returns to Portland Opera as Sacristan, bass-baritone Damien Geter (Portland Opera’s co-artistic advisor) returns as Angelotti and the Jailer, and baritone Zachary Lenox returns as Sciarrone. 

Conductor Tiffany Chang will conduct Puccini’s lush score, which features the beloved arias “Vissi d’arte,” “E lucevan le stelle,” and “Recondita armonia.” Chang, who makes her debut at Portland Opera as well as Opera Columbus this season, serves as artist-faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and was a recipient of a 2020 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award as well as a recent OPERA America Grant for Women Stage Directors and Conductors.

Stage director Linda Brovsky will make her Portland Opera debut directing this grand, traditional production. Performances will also feature the talented local and regional musicians who make up Portland Opera’s orchestra and chorus.

All ticketholders, regardless of age, will be required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or of negative test results from a COVID PCR test (taken within 72 hours of performance time) for entry into the theatre. “Fully vaccinated” means that ticketholders have received their final vaccination dose of either the two-dose regimen of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson at least 14 days before the performance date. Audience members aged 18 and over must also present a photo ID. Trained entry staff will be on site at the theatre to review proof of vaccination upon arrival. All patrons, regardless of age, test results, and vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside the theatre at all times, except when consuming food or beverages in permitted areas. Ticketholders will receive additional instructions about how to prepare for onsite entry activities and what to expect. Detailed information about Portland Opera’s COVID-19 policies can be found here. If postponed, alternate COVID-19 dates for this production are May 13 – 21, 2022.

From Portland Opera:

Patrons under the age of 12, for whom there is no currently available vaccine, are not permitted to attend performances in the 21/22 season, or until further notice. The company will work with families and educators for increased and accessible digital access and supporting curricula for arts and opera experiences 

Tosca is generously supported by Curtis T. Thompson, MD & Associates and Winderlea Vineyard & Winery. Portland Opera appreciates the ongoing support of our generous donors, The Collins Foundation, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Community Foundation, Regional Arts and Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts Education & Access Fund, special support from The CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund, and The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. 

Tosca Tickets and Information

Performances take place at 7:30PM at the Keller Auditorium with the exception of the matinee on October 31 which begins at 2:00PM. One hour prior to each performance, audience members are invited to a pre-show lecture. After each performance, audience members are invited to a post-show conversation with company and cast members. 

Tosca will be sung in Italian with projected English translations. The running time of Tosca is 2 hour and 45 minutes, with two intermissions.  

Student rush tickets are available for performances of Tosca, starting two weeks prior to the performance. Call 503-241-1802 Monday through Friday from 10AM–5PM for more information. Portland Opera is proud to also work with the Veteran Tickets Foundation (vettix.org) to share tickets to the performance on November 4 with U.S. Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families. In addition, a limited number of free tickets are available through My Discovery Pass, a program created by Multnomah County Library that offers access to local museums and cultural institutions for library card holders. 

A limited number of $5 tickets for Oregon Trail Card holders are available two weeks prior to each performance, subject to availability. These tickets must be purchased via phone by calling 503-241-1802. 

The performance on October 31 at 2pm will include an audio description of the visual and physical events on stage for patrons who are blind or have low vision. For patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, each performance is visually translated with English text projected above the stage.  

Tickets for Tosca are now available, starting at $35. Digital passes to stream this performance on Portland Opera Onscreen will be available for $50. Digital access will be available from November 16^th through December 31^st.  

For more information, and to purchase tickets visit portlandopera.org or call Patron Services at 503-241-1802. For more information, patrons may also contact the Opera Concierge at [email protected], Monday through Friday from 10PM–5PM. 

Special Event

Tosca Open Chorus Rehearsal 

Sunday, October 3, 2021 | 2pm
Outside of the Hampton Opera Center – 211 SE Caruthers St. 

This outdoor public working rehearsal will feature the Portland Opera Chorus led by Portland Opera’s Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox. The event will be free and open to the public. Masks & proof of vaccination/negative PCR test required. 

Tosca Cast & Creative Team

Dates, programming, artists, and details are subject to change.  

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