Theatre & Performing Arts
Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle
Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents the highly anticipated Chicago premiere of Falstaff, ossia le tre burle by composer Antonio Salieri and librettist Carlo Prospero Defranceschi. Featuring a cast of local and national stars led by internationally acclaimed bass-baritone Christian Pursell as Sir John Falstaff and led by singer-turned-conductor Christine Brandesand director Robin Guarino both making company debuts, this sparkling classical Italian opera is a comedic gem full of laughs, pranks, and fun. Presented in three performances only Falstaff is Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7 at 3:00 PM at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building 410 S Michigan Ave. Tickets are $50-$150 and are available now at cot.org. The opera is presented in Italian with English supertitles.
Premiered in 1799 and inspired by the plot of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff follows the misadventures of an arrogant and bumbling knight as he schemes to seduce two married women — only to be hilariously outwitted by their clever tricks. Director Robin Guarino with renowned local designers costume designer Jessica Pabst and set designer Andrew Boyce have moved the story from the English countryside to an upscale resort in Southern Italy. Set and costume designs provide a lush and modern background for the timeless antics in the opera and provide a cheery alternative to Chicago’s December weather.
Filling out the cast for this production are distinguished local artists soprano Vanessa Becerra as Mistress Ford, tenor Andrew Morstein as Master Ford, Tzytle Steinman as Mistress Slender, bass-baritone Peter Morgan as Bardolfo, and recent Ryan Center alumni baritone Laureano Quant as Master Slender and soprano Denis Vélez as Betty.
The production is also timed to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of composer Antonio Salieri in 1825. Though best known today for his supposed rivalry with Mozart memorialized in the play and movie Amadeus, Antonio Salieri was a prolific and successful composer in his own right. The performance coincides with a run of Amadeus at Steppenwolf Theatre.
