Florida Grand Opera to Present Donizetti's DON PASQUALE

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) will present Donizetti's comedic masterpiece Don Pasquale at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County from May 7 through May 14, 2016.

"This production, from Scottish Opera, was very well received and promises to both engage and amuse our South Florida audience," said Susan T. Danis, General Director and CEO of FGO. "The highly acclaimed director and designer team of Renaud Doucet and André Barbe have created a number of sensational productions internationally, and this very funny Don Pasquale is one of their best."

A long-standing audience favorite, Donizetti's delightful Don Pasquale is one of the pillars of Italian comic opera, and its scintillating bel canto and spirited ensembles make it a richly rewarding musical experience. This truly grand opera buffa will conclude FGO's 2015-16 Season on a high note.

There's no fool like an old fool, particularly when it comes to love and money. In this production, Don Pasquale, a reclusive old man with a penchant for cats, runs his pensione with only a chain-smoking chambermaid, a greasy cook, and an ancient porter for company. Worried that his wealth will be squandered by his underemployed nephew Ernesto, Pasquale purposes to find himself a wife. Learning of this foolhardy plan, Enersto and Pasquale's physician, Dr. Malatesta, determines to thwart it. When a distinctly feline young lady conveniently turns up, Don Pasquale is hopelessly smitten. But having a wife soon turns out to be more complicated than he ever imagined. When the plot is revealed, the chastened Don Pasquale accepts his lesson with good grace.

Director Renaud Doucet and designer André Barbe return to South Florida with their colorful, energetic style following their 2013-14 Season triumph, Thaïs. This delightful production features an abundance of endearingly eccentric characters, exceptionally beautiful music, and hearty laughter. Set in Rome on the cusp of the Swinging Sixties, this Don Pasquale provides the perfect milieu for a titanic clash of the generations.