Palmetto Opera brings ‘Rigoletto’ to life

It’s been more than 150 years since Giuseppe Verdi transformed Victor Hugo’s controversial play “Le Roi s’amuse” (The King Amuses Himself) into “Rigoletto,” which is considered a launching pad for the Italian composer’s brilliant career.

Along with “Il trovatore” (1853; The Troubadour), and “La traviata” (1853; The Fallen Woman), it is one of his best-loved operas and considered at masterpiece.

Verdi was passionate about adapting Hugo’s play, convinced that it was the “greatest subject and perhaps the greatest drama of all time.” Banned in France, the opera, with a number of plot changes, finally made it past local censors and premiered in Venice in 1851. Even Victor Hugo was said to be pleased with the result, which is both action-packed and filled with gorgeous orchestral devices.

Saturday, the Palmetto Opera will bring this story of love, jealousy, rage and murder to the Koger Center for the Arts. The work is produced by the opera company Teatro Lirco d’Europa under the direction of Giorgio Lalov, who made his operatic debut at La Scala, in Milan, at the age of 25.

The cast will include an orchestra composed entirely of SC Philharmonic musicians; opera students from USC will sing supporting roles and members of the Palmetto Mastersingers and USC Dance Company also will be featured.

The Palmetto Opera began in 2001 with a group of motivated enthusiasts and a goal to bring professional opera to the Midlands and South Carolina. The group strives to promote local talent, hosting competitions and offering opportunities for local musicians to perform.

The performance begins at 7 p.m. and will feature English subtitles. Tickets are $45.

For more information, visit palmettoopera.org

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 6:00 AM.