James Conlon conducts a new-to-Los Angeles production by Michael Cavanagh

(Los Angeles) February 6, 2025 — From March 8 through 30, LA Opera will present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte, conducted by Music Director James Conlon. The opera will be seen in a new-to-Los Angeles production, created by the late Michael Cavanagh, that cleverly resets the action in a posh 1930s American country club.

"Così fan tutte is one of the most popular of all operas, yet it has been absent from our repertory since 2011,” said President and CEO Christopher Koelsch. “I am particularly pleased to welcome the long overdue return of Mozart’s delightful comedy to our stage under the baton of James Conlon, our magnificent music director. Sadly, we mourn the recent passing of director Michael Cavanagh, who was scheduled to restage for us the production he had created for San Francisco Opera in 2021. But we are fortunate indeed that his close associate Shawna Lucey, who made a memorable debut here with her production of La Traviata last season, will step in as the ideal replacement director.”

About Così fan tutte
In the opera's deftly constructed plot, two young men go undercover to test the fidelity of their lady loves. What could possibly go wrong? Filled with ravishingly beautiful music, Così fan tutte [“Women are all alike”] was bracingly politically incorrect even for Mozart’s day. The production originally created by director Michael Cavanagh deftly blends elegance and farce to emphasize the very real human emotions embedded throughout Mozart’s miraculous score.

Meet the Cast
The brilliant ensemble cast features two longtime company favorites: soprano Ana María Martínez will portray Despina, her 11th leading role with the company, and baritone Rod Gilfry, who made his LAO debut in the company's inaugural 1986 production of Otello, will perform the role of Don Alfonso.

The cast will include two performers who recently trained with the company's Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program: soprano Erica Petrocelli and tenor Anthony León, who will appear respectively as Fiordiligi and Ferrando.

Mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb, who made her company debut in 2023 as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, will return as Dorabella. Baritone Justin Austin, who made his LAO debut in November as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, returns as Guglielmo.

The Creative Team
Director Michael Cavanagh's original production, previously seen at San Francisco Opera in 2021 and at Dallas Opera in 2023, will be staged in Los Angeles by director Shawna Lucey, who made her company debut directing La Traviata last year. Erhard Rom makes his company debut as scenic designer; he will return later in the season as scenic designer of Rigoletto. The costume designer is Constance Hoffman and the lighting designer is Jane Cox. Jeremy Frank is the chorus director and the intimacy director is Sara E. Widzer.

Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of Così fan tutte presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:

• Saturday, March 8, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, March 16, 2024, at 2pm
• Wednesday, March 19, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Saturday, March 22, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Thursday, March 27, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, March 30, 2024, at 2pm

Tickets
Tickets begin at $33.50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Cosi.

Così fan tutte is sung in Italian with an English translation projected above the stage.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

Production made possible by generous support from
The Carol and Warner Henry Production Fund for Mozart Operas
The Emanuel Treitel Senior Citizen Fund

Rod Gilfry’s appearance made possible by generous support from
The Eva and Marc Stern Principal Artists Fund

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

This production is dedicated to the memory of founding board member Alice Coulombe.

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.