Miami performances are at the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami.

Fort Lauderdale performances are at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.

Children must be at least six years old to attend.

FEATURED ON-SITE DINING

Orfeo ed Euridice

CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK

A wife must enter the Underworld to discover the depth of her husband’s devotion.

Gluck’s masterpiece is most famous for its immortal aria, “Che farò senza Euridice.” But it’s also a compelling and deeply personal story of how far one man will go to prove his devotion to his wife. The grief-stricken musician and poet Orfeo risks the terrifying depths of the Underworld to bring back his beloved Euridice alive. For years, the role of Orfeo was the specialty of mezzo-sopranos, but FGO has cast one of today’s most dazzling countertenors, Anthony Roth Costanzo, hailed by The New York Times as an “utterly riveting” performer.

SYNOPSIS

Mythological Greece

Euridice’s Death

The musician and poet Orpheus and the community mourn the sudden death of Orpheus’s wife Euridice. They perform rituals to remember and honor their deceased friend.

Orpheus wishes to mourn by himself, so his companions leave him. He appeals to nature for solace, but to no avail. He cries out to the gods pleading for the chance to take her back from their clutches.

Amor, the goddess of love, tells Orpheus that the gods were moved by his despair and will allow him to reclaim his wife with the conditions that he does not look at her or speak to her until they return. Conquering his fear, Orpheus steels himself for the journey.

Hades

Orpheus has descended into the underworld where the Furies attempt to stop him from continuing on his journey. He sings of his pain and pleads to them for mercy. At first, the Furies refuse, but when Orpheus repeats his tender requests, they recede and allow him to continue.

Elysian Fields

Orpheus reaches a meadow where spirits live in perfect harmony amidst sublime beauty. He takes delight in the peaceful scene but declares that only the sight of Euridice can ease his grief. The spirits bring in Euridice, and she and Orpheus begin the journey back to the upper world.

The Return Journey

Orpheus leads Euridice back to the upper world. She becomes suspicious when he will not look at her. He exhorts his wife to have faith and continue their ascent, but when she seems to give up, Orpheus defies the gods’ command and looks at Euridice. She dies again, and Orpheus, feeling responsible for her second death, gives vent to his feelings. He is about to take his own life when Amor appears and tells him his fidelity has earned him a happy outcome. She restores Euridice to life.

A Celebration of Life

Friends gather to celebrate the return of the happy couple, and they exult in the power of love and life.

—Courtesy of Seattle Opera