If real life were an opera, conversations would be sung with soaring high notes for joy, brooding bass lines for frustration, and for sadness you’d collapse on a velvet chaise and lament your fate in Italian. Life would be louder, lusher, and far more fabulous. You’d live for the drama, die for the applause, and probably come back for an encore.
Last night I attended the opening night of Verdi’s Rigoletto which also happened to be the opening of the 2025-2026 Vancouver Opera season at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. And, turns out it was also World Opera Day. So, a triple crown day so to speak. Of course I love the word “crown.”
What I like about opera is that the costumes and sets are visually stunning and the voices, well…they’re like vocal acrobatics. It amazes me that anyone can hit such notes and hold it for so long…in a dramatic, powerful, and grand way. I think that’s the word I’m looking for – Grand! While I don’t love every opera, I certainly appreciate the talent and scope of work that goes into every production.
Every opera is unique but what each have in common is the classic theme of love, secrets, regret and revenge. Someone always tragically dies and usually it’s not the person you expect who dies. If it wasn’t “over-the-top” it wouldn’t be opera. Opera is like a rollercoaster in overdrive where emotions are amplified, drama condensed, in a fast-paced setting of ultimate highs and lows.
The basic storyline: Rigoletto is opera’s ultimate cautionary tale: a snarky court jester mocks everyone but hides a secret – his beloved daughter. When a womanizing duke seduces her, Rigoletto plots revenge with a hired assassin. But in true operatic fashion, the plan backfires spectacularly, and heartbreak hits a high note. Think: curses, disguises, betrayal, and one of the catchiest arias ever – “La donna è mobile.” (woman is fickle) It’s drama steeped in tragedy, with a side of soaring vocals.
Tickets are selling fast. To book:
RUNNING TIME Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 25-minute intermission.
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