Lyric Opera Of Kansas City Announces TOSCA

Lyric Opera of Kansas City General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler today announced the last production of the 2021-2022 season, Tosca. This Italian tragedy full of lies, lust and corruption by composer Giacomo Puccini will run April 30 through May 8, 2022 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (1601 Broadway, KCMO 64108).

Sandler stated, "Unfortunately, we still find ourselves in a time when ruthless political ambition results in violence. Tosca is timeless in that way. While there are other motivations at play as well, the story takes place in Rome in the year 1800 during the Napoleonic wars. Tosca is one of Puccini's most ardent and beautiful operas. We are thrilled to welcome the legendary soprano, Carol Vaness, to direct this production. Ms. Vaness is considered one of the preeminent interpreters of the title role having performed it countless times. It is an opera well-served by a woman director and she brings her expertise and vision of the opera to our audiences."

All is fair in love and war. But for Rome's celebrated opera singer, Tosca, all is not well. Fueled by jealousy, the Chief of Police pursues her artist lover for alleged treasonous acts, pausing only to pursue Tosca with a decidedly different set of acts in mind. From the start, Puccini's penchant for verismo is as present as ever, and to further tighten the tension, each act plays out in real-time - packing twists and terrors by the truckload into one 24-hour period. Also, present is Puccini's unrivaled ear for melodies that swirl like smoke trails, forming soft stacks of billowing clouds. But we know that eventually, all that heavy, haunting beauty will begin to block out the sun. Facing ruthless tyranny and torture, Tosca's revenge is bathed in verismo violence and sealed with a kiss. But her willingness to trust a dead man spawns a startling, tragic twist. She lived for art and love. But Puccini saves what she'd die for until the bitter, shocking end.