LA TRAVIATA

Where: Benedum Center, at the corner of 7th Street and Penn Ave, downtown Pittsburgh 

When:

• Saturday, March 16, 2024  * 8:00 PM
• Tuesday, March 19, 2024  * 7:00 PM
• Friday, March 22, 2024  * 7:30 PM
• Sunday, March 24, 2024  * 2:00 PM

Giuseppe: Andrew Bloomgarden
Flora’s Servant: Josh Mulkey
Messenger: J. Patrick McGill

Conductor: Antony Walker 
Stage Director: Kristine McIntyre
Scenic Designer: Peter Dean Beck
Costume Designer: Glenn Avery Breed
Wig and Make-up Designer: James Geier
Lighting Designer: Marcus Dilliard
Stage Manager: Cindy Knight
Assistant Conductor: Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master: Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist: James Lesniak
Assistant Stage Director: Haley Stamats*
Assistant Stage Managers:  Bee Anderson and Claire Young

<sub>+    Pittsburgh Opera debut
*    Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist
**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni</sub>

Period production owned by Utah Opera
Scenery Designed by Peter Dean Beck For Florida Grand Opera.  Made available courtesy of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera

Violetta Valéry is hosting a lively party at her beautiful Paris apartment. Flora arrives late with a small group and everyone sits for dinner.

Gastone introduces Violetta to Alfredo Germont, an admirer who has long adored her from afar. Alfredo flirts with her in a rousing drinking song, the famous Brindisi “Libiamo ne’lieti calici”. 

Alfredo confesses to Violetta that he has loved her for more than a year. Moved, Violetta attempts to warn him, saying that she “doesn’t know how to love” but he is undeterred. Later, Violetta seriously considers his proposal but then vows that she wants to remain "sempre libera" - always free.

Alfredo eventually wins Violetta over, and they move to a house in the country. Alfredo sings about how happy he has been ever since Violetta told him “I want to live, faithful to you alone.”  

However, Alfredo’s father Giorgio Germont disapproves of Violetta’s relationship with Alfredo, which threatens his family’s reputation and his daughter’s engagement. He coerces Violetta into breaking up with Alfredo, then returns to console his son. But Alfredo discovers that Violetta has gone to Flora's masquerade and he returns to Paris to confront her there.

At the party, Violetta soon appears on the arm of the Baron, to whom she has returned in an effort to break permanently with Alfredo. After winning a great deal of money, Alfredo confronts Violetta. She lies and says that she no longer loves him, but loves the Baron instead. Enraged, Alfredo calls everyone to witness as he throws the money at Violetta. Germont chastises his son and the Baron challenges Alfredo to a duel.

Several months later, Violetta, now destitute and abandoned, is dying of tuberculosis. In a letter she learns that Germont has finally confessed his plot to Alfredo, who is returning to reconcile with her. Their joyful reunion is soon overshadowed by her illness. Violetta bids farewell “to happy dreams of by-gone days.” Alfredo's father also returns with the Doctor, but it is too late.

We want you to have the best experience possible at our performances!

Here are some details and resources to help. Also visit our Opera FAQs or our Accessibility page.

• Run time currently expected to be approximately 2 hours 40 minutes. There will be 2 intermissions and 1 brief pause. 
• Understand Every Word: Understand Every Word: La Traviata is sung in Italian, but English supertitles are projected above the stage
• Parking Downtown: get real-time parking availability
• Pre-Opera Talks before each performance
• Braille Programs available at The Benedum Center
• Large-Print Programs available at The Benedum Center
• Download the Study Guide

CHILD POLICY:

• Children must be ages 6 and up. Suggestions and tips for bringing children to the opera may be found at pittsburghopera.org/FAQ.
• All children must have a ticket. There is a 50% discount for kids and teens ages 6-18.

• Review - onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘La Traviata’ Another Win For the Company
• Review - Tribune Review: Pittsburgh Opera's 'La traviata' is a party and everyone is invited
• Review - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The elegant meta-tragedy of Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘La Traviata’
• Review - Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: ‘La Traviata’: In All The World, Pittsburgh Opera Brings It Home
• City Paper: Pittsburgh’s top winter events
• onStage Pittsburgh: What’s On Stage Pittsburgh for the week March 4th, to the end of April, 2024
• WESA-FM: What to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 15-17
• City Paper: Pittsburgh’s top events: March 14-20
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Cool Picks - Pittsburgh Opera Opens ‘La Traviata’ at Benedum
• onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera's La Traviata opens Saturday (interview with Leah Heater)
• WQED-FM Voice of the Arts podcast interviews
  • Stage Director Kristine McIntyre
  • Maestro Antony Walker
  • Vuvu Mpofu (Violetta)
  • Michael Chioldi (Giorgio Germont)

• Broadway World - Photos: First Look at Pittsburgh Opera's Production Of LA TRAVIATA

Enjoy these videos below, and view our full set of video excerpts on our YouTube Playlist

Violetta Valéry (Vuvu Mpofu) and Alfredo Germont (Duke Kim) join the party guests in a playful toast

Violetta Valéry (Vuvu Mpofu) extols the virtues of living life 'on a path of unending bliss'.

Giorgio Germont (Michael Chioldi) tries to coax his son Alfedo to come back home to Provence.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has implemented new security and bag policies, effective starting October 1, 2016, at the Benedum Center and their other venues.

You can read their Safety & Security statement, which includes an updated list of prohibited items, and read their Bag Policy, on their website.