Name: Al Fresco: Justin Austin
Start: 2025-08-06T19:30:00
Location: Edwin J. Nieman Sr. House

The Florentine Opera is set to dazzle audiences with a captivating lineup of events that span comedy, drama, and timeless classics. From the comic opera 'Scalia/Ginsburg,' which humorously explores the unexpected friendship between two renowned Supreme Court Justices, to the powerful performances by rising star Justin Austin, there's something for every opera enthusiast. The season promises a blend of musical artistry, engaging narratives, and cultural reflections, all set to unfold across Milwaukee's iconic venues.

Opera Delights: The Florentine Opera's Captivating Season of Events

Michael Banwarth

Justin Austin

The Florentine Opera

The Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) is a haunting opera that dives into the stormy, occasionally uncanny, love life of poet Hoffmann. In a series of flashbacks (and perhaps a bit too much wine), Hoffmann recounts three romantic escapades, each with its own fantastical twist—and each disastrously interrupted by a shadowy villain determined to ruin his good time. The opera is a blend of romance, heartbreak, and just the right dose of the surreal, proving that in Hoffmann’s world, if something seems too good to be true, it probably involves an evil doppelgänger or a mechanical doll.

Tales of Hoffmann

Marcus Performing Arts Center

Tosca, set in 1800s Rome, is a whirlwind of love, jealousy, and political intrigue starrings a fiery diva; her political activist lover, and the ruthless police chief who sees “no” as just a starting point. His obsession with Tosca is all of their downfall. 

Known for its intense drama and high-stakes twists, Tosca serves up enough passion, betrayal, and mayhem to keep even the toughest opera cynic hooked—because in Tosca, love conquers all, but not before a little murder.

Tosca

Baritone Justin Austin, praised for his "mighty lyric voice" (NYT) and "intensity and charisma" (Opera), was named Rising Star of the Year at the 2024 International Opera Awards and is a recipient of the 2024 Marian Anderson Vocal Award, earning acclaim for his expressive artistry and immaculate musicianship.

Al Fresco: Justin Austin

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