Tosca | June 2015

Opera in three acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

TOSCA IS A BATTLE OF WITS AND WILLS, OF PASSION AND PAIN. Based on the real life Italian political struggles of 1800, watch as a young opera diva, Floria Tosca, becomes trapped between her allegiance to her rebel lover and the scheming of a vicious police chief who will stop at nothing in his lust for her.

Synopsis:

Act 1: Rome is ruled by fear. Republicanism collapses and shifts to royalism. Scarpia, Chief of Police and a royalist, commits many republicans to prison. One of the republicans, Angelotti, succeeds in breaking out of prison and rushes into the church of Sant' Andrea della Valle. He meets up with another republican, Cavaradossi, who harbors Angelotti in his secret hideout. After the two leave the church, Scarpia, who is giving chase to Angelotti, enters the church. Scarpia can't find Angelotti but meets Tosca there, who is a singer and Cavaradossi's lover. Scarpia tricks Tosca into going to Cavaradossi's house and has his agents secretly follow her

Act 2: In the Farnese Palace, Scarpia receives word that his agents can't find Angelotti but have arrested Cavaradossi. Scarpia tortures Cavaradossi, but Cavaradossi does not confess Angelotti's whereabouts. Scarpia calls Tosca and shows her her lover's tortured state. Tosca confesses the secret hideout to Scarpia. Then, word comes that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo which is a defeat for royalism. Cavaradossi exclaims with delight. Scarpia is furious with him and condemns Cavaradossi to death. Tosca begs Scarpia to save her lover's life. Scarpia demands that Tosca yield herself to him in exchange for her lover's life. As Scarpia goes to touch Tosca, she stabs him to death with a knife from the table.

Act 3: Tosca runs to Cavaradossi who is confined to the prison in the castle of Sant'Angelo. But, the firing squad carry out their orders to shoot Cavaradossi. When Scarpia's agents rush to arrest Tosca for Scarpia's murder, she kills herself by leaping from the castle.

CAST:

Approximate Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes, with 2 intermissions.