Pittsburgh Opera Produces Handel's ALCINA

Alcina is a Baroque masterpiece by George Frideric Handel. The title character, Alcina, is a malicious sorceress who lives on an enchanted island with her sister Morgana. Alcina uses her magic spells to trick men into falling in love with her. But once she tires of them, she turns them into animals or inanimate objects.

Alcina's current crush is Ruggiero, a chivalrous knight she has captured. Ruggiero's fiancé Bradamante, and her tutor, Melisso, arrive to bring Ruggiero home. But Alcina and Morgana have no intention of letting him leave, setting the stage for a climactic showdown. Will Ruggiero regain his senses in time? Will Alcina's evil spell finally be broken?

All performances will be in the cozy confines of Pittsburgh CAPA Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, which is ideally suited for Baroque performances.

Pittsburgh Opera is pleased to partner with Chatham Baroque for Alcina. Founded in 1990, Chatham Baroque continues to excite local, national, and international audiences with dazzling technique and lively interpretations of 17th- and 18th-century music played on authentic period instruments.

Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker conducts. Matthew Haney directs.

As always, English supertitles will be projected above the stage.

The story was originally taken from Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto's chivalric epic Orlando furioso (The Frenzy of Orlando), which harkens back to 1516 and was also the source material for Handel's operas Orlando and Ariodante.
Alcina premiered in 1735, but after 1738 another 190 years would elapse before it was performed again, in Leipzig in 1928. While still rare, it has been performed in a number of cities since then. These will be Pittsburgh Opera's first performances of Alcina.

Like many Baroque operas, Alcina contains a pants role (female singer portraying a young man). Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Antonia Botti-Lodovico, who performed a pants role in last year's afterWARds: Mozart's Idomeneo Reimagined, sings the role of chivalrous knight Ruggiero.

Single tickets for adults are $52; tickets for kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. Call 412-456-6666 or visit pittsburghopera.org/tickets.
Group discounts, including student discounts, are available. For more information about group ticket services and discounts for groups of six or more people, contact Regina Connolly at (412) 281-0912, ext. 213 or groups@pittsburghopera.org.