TOSCA

Artistic Team

Conductor - Antony Walker 
Stage Director - Garnett Bruce
Set Designer - Ercole Sormani
Lighting Designer - Andrew Ostrowski
Wig & Make-up Designer - James Geier
Stage Manager - Cindy Knight
Asst Conductor - Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master - Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist - James Lesniak
Asst Stage Director - Frances Rabalais*
Asst Lighting Designer - Todd Nonn
Asst Stage Manager - Lisa-Marie Shuster
Asst Stage Manager - Emily Duffin

_{+    Pittsburgh Opera debut
*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist
**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni}

Production owned by Seattle Opera.

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

• Run time is 2 hours 30 minutes, including two intermissions
• Understand Every Word: Tosca is sung in Italian, but English supertitles are shown at all performances
• Parking Downtown: get real-time parking availability
• Audio Description
• Braille Programs available
• Large-Print Programs available

ACT I. Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, rushes into the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle to hide in the Attavanti chapel. As he vanishes, a Sacristan shuffles in, praying at the sound of the Angelus. Mario Cavaradossi enters to work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene, inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti (Angelotti's sister). Looking at the portrait, he compares her blond beauty to that of his raven-haired lover, the singer Floria Tosca (“Recondita armonia”). The Sacristan grumbles disapproval and leaves. Angelotti emerges and is recognized by his friend and fellow liberal Mario, who gives him food and hurries him back into the chapel as Tosca is heard calling outside. Tosca asks suspiciously why the doors to the church were locked and then reminds him of their rendezvous that evening at his villa (“Non la sospiri la nostra casetta?”). Suddenly recognizing the Marchesa Attavanti in the painting, Tosca is instantly jealous, but Mario reassures her (“Qual’ occhio al mondo”). When she has gone, Mario summons Angelotti from the chapel; a cannon signals that the police have discovered the escape, so the two flee to Mario's villa. Meanwhile, the Sacristan returns with the choir that is to sing a Te Deum that day. Their excitement is silenced by the entrance of Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, in search of Angelotti. When Tosca returns, Scarpia shows her a fan he has just found, bearing the Attavanti crest. Thinking Mario faithless, Tosca tearfully vows vengeance and leaves as the church fills with worshipers. Scarpia, sending his men to follow her to Angelotti, schemes to get the diva in his power (“Va, Tosca!”).

ACT II. In the Farnese Palace, Scarpia anticipates the sadistic pleasure of bending Tosca to his will (“Ha più forte sapore”). The spy Spoletta arrives. He has not found Angelotti, but has arrested Mario, who is brought in for Scarpia to interrogate while Tosca is heard singing a cantata at a royal gala downstairs. She enters just as her lover is being taken to an adjoining room; he will be forced to confess under torture. Unnerved by Scarpia's questioning and the sound of Mario's screams, Tosca reveals Angelotti's hiding place. Mario is brought in; realizing what has happened, he turns on her, but Sciarrone rushes in to announce that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo, a defeat for Scarpia's side. Mario shouts his defiance of tyranny (“Vittoria!”) and is dragged to prison. Scarpia now suggests that Tosca yield herself to him in exchange for her lover's life. Fighting off his embraces, she protests her fate to God, having dedicated her life to art and love (“Vissi d’arte”). Scarpia again insists, but Spoletta interrupts: faced with capture, Angelotti has killed himself. Tosca, forced to give in or lose her lover, agrees to Scarpia's proposition. The baron pretends to order a mock execution for Mario, after which he is to be freed; Spoletta leaves. No sooner has Scarpia written a safe-conduct document for the lovers than Tosca snatches a knife from the table and kills him, then wrenches the safe-conduct pass from the dead man’s hand.

ACT III. The voice of a shepherd boy is heard as church bells toll at dawn. Mario awaits execution at the Castel Sant'Angelo; he bribes the jailer to convey a farewell note to Tosca. Writing it, overcome with memories of love, he gives way to despair (“E lucevan le stelle”). Suddenly Tosca arrives, filled with the story of her recent adventures. Mario caresses the hands that committed murder for his sake, and the two hail their future. As the firing squad appears, the diva coaches Mario on how to fake his death convincingly; the soldiers fire and depart. Tosca urges Mario to hurry, but when he fails to move, she discovers that Scarpia's treachery has transcended the grave—the bullets were real. When Spoletta rushes in to arrest Tosca for Scarpia's murder, she cries to Scarpia to meet her before God, then leaps to her death.

~Adapted from Opera News

Here's what other people are saying about Tosca:

• BroadwayWorld: Pittsburgh Opera to Present Puccini's Tosca This Fall
• Opera Wire: Leah Crocetto Headlines Pittsburgh Opera’s Opening Night Tosca
• Tribune Review: Fall Arts: Pittsburgh Opera's productions range from classic Tosca to modern Moby Dick
• Pittsburgh Magazine: October Best of Culture in Pittsburgh
• Tribune Review: Entertainment Planner Sept 28-Oct 11
• BroadwayWorld: Photo Flash: Pittsburgh Opera Presents Tosca
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Opera opens season with Tosca featuring Pittsburgh Youth Chorus members
• Tribune Review: Tosca coming to the Benedum
• The Almanac: Pittsburgh opens season with Tosca
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh things to do this weekend, Oct.5-8
• City Paper: Short List: Oct. 5-12
• Tribune Review: Entertainment planner: Oct. 5-18
• WQED-FM podcast interviews:
  • Christopher Hahn
  • Antony Walker
  • Leah Crocetto
  • Mark Delavan
• Medium: Behind the "Scenery" at Pittsburgh Opera's Tosca
• Tribune Review: Fox Chapel Area students singing in Pittsburgh Opera's "Tosca"
• Pittsburgh in the Round: Tosca Review
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Pittsburgh Opera thrills with season opener 'Tosca' at Benedum Center"
• OperaWire: "Pittsburgh Opera 2017-18 Review – Tosca: Leah Crocetto Triumphs In Her First Tosca"
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ at Pittsburgh Opera
• Empty Nest blog: Pittsburgh Opera –Tosca-Romance, Loyalty, Love, and Deceit – An explosive musical experience
• Trib Live: 14 young voices join the Pittsburgh Opera on stage for Tosca

See more Pittsburgh Opera videos on our YouTube channel!

Mario Cavaradossi (Thiago Arancam) sings of his love for Floria Tosca, while the church Sacristan (Matt Scollin) expresses his disapproval.

Mario Cavaradossi (Thiago Arancam) convinces his jealous lover Floria Tosca (Leah Crocetto) that he loves her and her alone.

Lecherous, vile, evil Scarpia (Mark Delavan) boasts how he prefers "violent conquest" over "soft surrender."

Floria Tosca (Leah Crocetto) laments the cruel choice that the evil Scarpia (Mark Delavan) is forcing her to make.

Mario Cavaradossi (Thiago Arancam), who is scheduled to be executed within the hour, sings of his love for Floria Tosca.

Listen to Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn give a brief synopsis of Tosca featuring excerpts from the following audio clips in the 1953 EMI Records recording with Victor De Sabata conducting the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala in Milan:

• "Recondita armonia" - sung by Giuseppe Di Stefano playing the role of Mario Cavaradossi
• "Te Deum" - sung by the chorus and Tito Gobbi playing the role of Scarpia
• "Ha piu forte" - sung by Scarpia (Tito Gobbi)
• "Vissi d'arte" - sung by Maria Callas playing the role of Floria Tosca
• "E qual via scegliete" - sung by Scarpia (Tito Gobbi) and Tosca (Maria Callas)
• "E lucevan le stelle” - sung by Cavaradossi (Giuseppe Di Stefano)
• "Presto, su! Mario! Mario!" - sung by Tosca (Maria Callas)
• "Ah! Finalmente!" - the Orchestra del Teatro

Click play below or download these excerpts for an offline treat!

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.