Verdi: Rigoletto
2h 5m

The opera's dramatic structure frames and enhances the characters. Scenes of magnificence regularly alternate with scenes of darkness and squalor. From sumptuous interiors, we move to a dark street, a lonely inn. The secondary figures are astutely counterpoised: the plotting courtiers against the plotting Sparafucile and Maddalena (also ambiguously tender-hearted). When Rigoletto says "Pari siamo", he could be expressing the motto of the whole work: the beautiful and the ugly can be equally good, equally evil.
Cast

Louis Quilico
Rigoletto

Luciano Pavarotti
Il Duca di Mantua

Christiane Eda-Pierre
Gilda
Ara Berberian
Sparafucile

Isola Jones
Maddalena
John Darrenkamp
Marullo
Batyah Godfrey
Giovanna
Betsy Norden
Countess Ceprano
Norman Andersson
Count Ceprano
Charles Anthony
Borsa
Richard J. Clark
Monterone

James Levine
Self - Conductor
Nadyne Brewer
A page
Paul de Paola
Chief guard
MET Orchestra
Unknown
Crew

Brian Large
Director
John Dexter
Director, Production Design
Francesco Maria Piave
Writer
Michael Bronson
Executive Producer, Producer
Clemente D'Alessio
Producer
Karen Adler Barbosa
Associate Producer
Tanya Moiseiwitsch
Costume Designer, Set Designer
Christina Calamari
Wardrobe Master
Nina Lawson
Hairstylist
Victor Callegari
Makeup Artist

Jay David Saks
Sound Director
Gil Wechsler
Lighting Design

Giuseppe Verdi
Original Music Composer

James Levine
Music Director
Norbert Vesak
Choreographer
Anthony A. Bliss
General Manager

Victor Hugo
Original Story