The Metropolitan Opera’s high-definition broadcast of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s comic masterpiece, Così fan tutte, receives a brilliant, stylized update in this acclaimed production directed by Phelim McDermott. Transporting the classic 18th-century battle of the sexes to a vibrant, carnival-inspired setting of the United States during the 1950s, the story unfolds around the bustling Skyline Motel and a seaside Pleasure Garden. With a witty Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, the opera follows a cynical philosopher, Don Alfonso, who wagers a bet with two young officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, that their fiancées will not remain faithful. To prove his point, Alfonso enlists the help of the motel’s clever maid, Despina, forcing the young men to disguise themselves and attempt to woo each other’s heartbroken lovers, Fiordiligi and Dorabella.

 

What begins as a playful game of deception quickly escalates into a complex exploration of human nature, romantic illusions, and genuine heartbreak. As the disguised suitors fake a dramatic poisoning and utilize hilarious medical vibration machines to gain sympathy, the sisters’ initial moral outrage slowly dissolves into curiosity and temptation. By the time the fairground festivities culminate in a chaotic double wedding overseen by Despina in disguise as a lawyer, the elaborate charade is unmasked, forcing all four lovers to confront their own vulnerabilities and capacity for betrayal. Blending Mozart’s breathtakingly beautiful, sublime scores with a colorful, Mid-Century American aesthetic, this Met Opera HD presentation delivers a delightful, provocative evening of operatic theater that captures the timeless truth behind the phrase “thus do they all.”

 

Run Time: 3 hrs 35 min

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