Vancouver opens its 2025-26 season with a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, and hit it out of the park!

With Director Glynis Leyshon at the helm, whose previous operatic productions of The Birds, and Rinaldo with Pacific Opera Victoria drew huge critical acclaim (including my own), this production was serious enough to underscore the drama, but with lovely touches of stagecraft that made it unique and compelling throughout.

Opening the opera with a scene reminiscent of Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, we have the men’s chorus entering menacingly on the stage in hooded cloaks and Venetian bauta masks. Then they finally all remove the masks and cloaks to reveal themselves in tuxedos at a Gentleman’s club in late Victorian London. The setting works extremely well, including underscore the place of power and privilege where women (like the daughter of Count Monterone) are being abused with impunity.

The VO men’s chorus was well balanced and fulfilled the story well, showing the arrogance and privilege of men who think they’re above the law while they wreak havoc on the lives of others. Jason Cook, Henry Chen, and Lyndon Ladeur-Jhuty all had smaller roles that were executed ably and with the perfect degree of haughty disdain.

At the head of this party is our Duke, played by tenor Yongzhao Yu in his VO debut. With a brilliant voice that was full of colour and height, Yu strutted around, seducing all the women, then discarding them with nary a second glance. His seduction and nonchalance felt very real, the kind of character you love to hate, and Yu embodied the swagger of this character perfectly.

In the title role is baritone Michael Chioldi. This is obviously a role Chioldi has played many times, something he knew down to his bones, as he fully embodied every nuance of the role and the music. With a full, luscious voice, and amazing chemistry with Gilda, his agony at the loss of his daughter was so real and heartbreaking.

In any other production, this would be an amazing cast with little to critique, but the show was absolutely stolen by soprano Sarah Dufresne as Gilda. To say her performance was transformative would be a gross understatement. With a voice so pure and clear that it would seemingly belong to a different fach, Dufresne still soared effortlessly above the other huge voices on the stage without any difficulty. Her “Caro nome” was perfection embodied. Having heard this aria so many times, by so many singers, I felt like I was hearing it for the first time under Dufresne’s absolute mastery. With vocal control that is as flawless as it appears effortless, the aria truly felt like a young girl in love, rather than a showy, difficult soprano aria. With coloratura and musicality that is unparalleled, the audience was so hushed during her aria that you could feel the held breath in the room, followed by at least a full minute of applause.

A special mention should also go out to bass-caritone Nathan Berg as the shady Sparafucile. Despite the smaller role, Berg’s vocal performance was dark and powerful, with low notes that easily cut through the orchestra and ensembles.

The set, designed by James Rotondo was simple, but aesthetically lovely. With a map of London printed onto the floor, and projections of London city in the background, even the subtle touches of fog made the cityscape come to life. The lighting design by Gerald King was striking, and the use of small amounts of fog to highlight particular spotlights was a wonderful understatement to the action on stage.

Music Director Jacques Lacombe led the VO Orchestra with amazing sensitivity and nuance throughout, from musical sound effects to sweeping melodic passages with consummate skill.

This production was one of the best VO has put on, and hopefully the prelude for a spectacular season yet to come.