Austin Opera Presents TOSCA at the Racetrack

Austin Opera's much-anticipated return to live performance is an innovative outdoor staging of Puccini's Tosca at one of the most exciting venues in Austin: Germania Insurance Amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the city's Formula 1 racetrack located just 15 miles outside the downtown core.

The two performances are set for Thursday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Timothy Myers, the company's Sarah and Ernest Butler Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor. David Lefkowich (2018's La traviata) will direct the massive outdoor production, which will employ more than 125 local artists and stage crew who have been out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Making their Austin Opera debuts in Tosca are a trio of important International Artists. A recent Opera News cover star, soprano Latonia Moore is Tosca, the fiery diva caught in the crossfire of love. A native of Houston, Moore has recently sung Tosca at Washington National Opera, Opera Australia, and in Rouen, France. Tenor Adam Smith makes his role debut as the heroic Cavaradossi, and baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is the evil Scarpia. Texas singers take on many of the opera's supporting roles-see complete listing on the Cast & Production tab.

Tosca is one of opera's most popular and enduring classics, and returns to the Austin Opera stage for the first time since 2014. The first act's booming finale, the "Te Deum," will have a unique visual complement in Austin's stunning sunset, adding ethereal power to the full force of the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The second act's most anticipated moment is Tosca's "Vissi d'arte," one of the most famous arias in all of opera, in which Tosca reflects on art, love, and faith as she reaches the most pivotal crossroads of her life. In the final act, Cavaradossi will sing his signature salute to the stars, "E lucevan le stelle," under the blanket of stars in Austin's evening sky. And in the opera's thrilling finale, Tosca will make the ultimate leap of faith in a moment of staging not to be missed in this site-specific production.

Learn more at https://austinopera.org/opera/tosca/.

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