Director Harry Silverstein
The Duke of Mantua - Francesco Demuro
Rigoletto - Željko Lučić
Gilda - Aleksandra Kurzak
Maddalena - Kendall Gladden
I appear to have missed this series of Rigoletto performances at the San Francisco Opera in 2012. It's the same production as the one I saw in 2017. I saw the second cast in 2012 which consisted of Marco Vratogna as Rigoletto, Albina Shagimuratova as Gilda and Arturo Chacón-Cruz as The Duke of Mantua.
We have more name artists than in the other presentations. Perhaps this was Zeljko Lucic's preparation for his Met performance in 2013. I like Željko Lučić in roles where he is truly nasty: Iago, Scarpia. That sort of thing. Rigoletto is a truly tragic figure who demands more. He was fine in the clownish rat pack version from the Met. He does not replace Quinn Kelsey from 2017 in my heart. "Cortigiani" should tear your heart.
This may be my first view of a performance by Aleksandra Kurzak, whom I know mostly for her relationship with Roberto Alagna. I will have to listen to something more recent. She very successfully brings us the youth and innocence of Gilda. For this innocent child Rigoletto should have had an entirely different reaction.
The ending is excellent. Lučić rises to the occasion. I'm sorry I missed them the other time.
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