Cosí fan tutte with
Penrith Symphony Orchestra

“The passion was palpable. If you like the razor-edged wit of Shakespeare’s comedies, you’re bound to like Cosí and, if you like Cosí, you’re bound to be very amused and impressed by Operantics’ reading. ‘Bravo!’ and ‘encore!’”

Brad Syke—Syke On Stage
“The Independent Theatre in North Sydney last night rang to the sound of impressive operatic voices, as the newly formed company Operantics debuted its first production: a hilarious, modern Australian—but Italian-language—version of Cosí fan tutte”

Holly Champion, hollychampion.com

Cosí fan tutte (1790)

WA Mozart | Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte

Performed at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, September 2016

Synopsis

Operantics brings their staging of Mozart’s sparkling comedy Così fan tutte comes to life at the Joan, performed by a cast of vibrant voices and the acclaimed Penrith Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Paul Terracini.

Fiordiligi and Dorabella are two elegant sisters, contentedly in love with their devoted fiancés, Guglielmo and Ferrando. But when their friend Don Alfonso proposes a rather cynical wager—that no woman is truly faithful—the young men agree to test their lovers' loyalty. Disguises are donned, identities are swapped, and with the help of Despina, the sisters’ clever and conniving maid, the stage is set for a deliciously tangled web of romance, deception and delightful confusion.

Add a few ridiculous moustaches, a fair amount of swooning, and some of Mozart’s most exquisite music, and you have an evening of opera that is both uproariously funny and surprisingly moving.

This enchanting production invites audiences to laugh, reflect, and revel in the timeless brilliance of Mozart’s music, brought vividly to life by Penrith’s premier symphonic ensemble.

Production Team

Conductor — Paul Terracini
Orchestra — Penrith Symphony Orchestra
Producer — Katie Miller-Crispe
Piano — Nathaniel Kong
Production Photography — John Kilkeary
Surtitles — Tristan Entwistle

Cast

Fiordiligi — Joelene Griffith
Dorabella — Katie Miller-Crispe
Despina — Samanta Lestavel
Ferrando — Dave Smith
Guglielmo — Tristan Entwistle
Don Alfonso — Ian Warwick

With Thanks To …

Paul Chegwidden, Susan Heming, John Kilkeary, Liam Kinney, Victoria Parsons, Joseph Restubog, Dean Sinclair, Geoff Sirmai, Ghillian Sullivan, Josephine Flores Tam