Arab News Japan

DUBAI: The State Theatre St. Petersburg Opera will return to the UAE this month with performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The company will stage the production at Zabeel Theatre in Dubai on Nov. 19 and 20, followed by two shows at the Cultural Foundation Theatre in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 22 and 23. All performances will begin at 8 p.m.

The visit marks the Russian opera troupe’s first appearance in the Emirates since taking part in the cultural program of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Founded in 1987, the St. Petersburg Opera is led by Yuri Alexandrov, one of Russia’s most prominent directors and a recipient of the titles People’s Artist of Russia and Golden Mask award winner. Alexandrov has directed more than 300 productions at major international venues, including La Scala, Arena di Verona, the Metropolitan Opera and the Mariinsky Theatre.

In Alexandrov’s interpretation of Rigoletto, Verdi’s court jester is portrayed not as the traditional hunchbacked fool but as a quick-witted, cynical man who wears his deformity and mask as disguises in the corrupt court of the Duke.

The production, performed in Italian with English subtitles, runs about three hours and 15 minutes, including two intervals.