Costume Designer

Lighting Designer

Opera Orlando is thrilled to present a unique operatic experience with "Beatrice Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana" at the esteemed Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This innovative production will take place in Steinmetz Hall on April 25 & 27, 2025, offering performances at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively.

This exceptional event combines Hector Berlioz’s "Beatrice Benedict," based on Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing," with Pietro Mascagni’s "Cavalleria Rusticana" into a single, compelling performance. Audiences will be transported to an Easter day in the Sicilian town of Messina, where they will first be delighted by Berlioz’s comedic tale of love and misunderstandings in the town square, culminating in joyous weddings and a happy conclusion. The mood shifts as the same setting becomes the backdrop for Mascagni’s powerful verismo opera, weaving a story of passion, betrayal, and tragedy.

This all-new opera mash-up is the brainchild of Opera Orlando's artistic director, Grant Preisser, who leads the production. Making his company debut, conductor Pasquale Valerio brings his expertise to the forefront, accompanied by the talents of the Opera Orlando Chorus and Youth Company, as well as dancers from the Orlando Ballet.

"Beatrice Benedict" will be performed in English, while "Cavalleria Rusticana" will be sung in Italian, with both operas featuring English and Spanish supertitles. The total runtime for the evening is 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one intermission.

Subscriptions for the 24/25 season are now available, offering special season launch pricing until July 4. Subscribers can save up to 50% and enjoy an additional 10% discount on two subscriber add-on productions. This is a unique opportunity to experience the fusion of comedy and tragedy in one unforgettable evening at the Dr. Phillips Center.

For more information on tickets and subscriptions, please visit the Dr. Phillips Center's official website or contact the Bill & Mary Darden Box Office at 407.358.6603.

EPSG:4326

Beatrice Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Fall in love all over again with this timeless classic! A wonderful opportunity to bring the entire family to Arizona Opera and experience familiar favorites and beloved characters. This treasured musical is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, and set in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938. The Sound of Music tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as governess to a large family while she decides whether to become a nun.

Maria falls in love with the children, and eventually their widower father, Captain von Trapp. He is ordered to accept a commission in the German navy, but he opposes the Nazis. Captain von Trapp and Maria decide on a daring plan to flee Austria with the children, with everything at stake. Many songs from the musical have become family classics, including "Edelweiss," "My Favorite Things," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Do-Re-Mi," and the title song, "The Sound of Music."

Costume Designer, Lighting Designer

Sarah Riffle

Events

Past events

25 - 27 Apr, 2025

Beatrice Benedict / Cavalleria Rusticana · Opera Orlando

3 - 12 Mar, 2023

The Sound of Music · Arizona Opera

About

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