THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

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

When:

• Saturday, November 11, 2023 * 8:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 14, 2023 * 7:00 PM
• Friday, November 17, 2023 * 7:30 PM
• Sunday, November 19, 2023 * 2:00 PM

Conductor: Antony Walker  
Stage Director: Sam Helfrich
Set Designer: Steven Kemp
Projection Designer: Ian Wallace
Costume Designer: Nancy Leary
Lighting Designer: Derek Van Heel  
Wig & Make-up Designer: James Geier
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:  Laura Weston and Claire Young

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

Production owned by Opera San Jose
Scenery and props originally designed and created by Opera San José

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 and 47 minutes, which includes one 25-minute intermission
• Understand Every Word: The Flying Dutchman is sung in German with English texts projected above the stage
• Parking Downtown: get real-time parking availability
• Pre-Opera Talks before each performance
• Braille Programs available at The Benedum Center
• Download Large-Print Program (also available at The Benedum Center)
• View the Digital Program
• Download the Study Guide
• Download a PDF of our printed program book

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.

ACT I

The Norwegian coast, 19th century. A storm has driven Daland’s ship several miles from his home. Sending his crew off to rest, he leaves the watch in charge of a young steersman, who falls asleep as he sings about his girl. A ghostly schooner drops anchor next to Daland’s ship. Its captain steps ashore and, with increasing despair, reflects on his fate: once every seven years he may leave his ship to find a wife. If she is faithful, she will redeem him from his deathless wandering. If not, he is condemned to sail the ocean until Judgment Day. Daland discovers the phantom ship, and the stranger, who introduces himself as “a Dutchman,” tells him of his plight. The Dutchman offers gold and jewels for a night’s lodging, and when he learns that Daland has a daughter, asks for her hand in marriage. Happy to have found a rich son-in-law, Daland agrees and sets sail for home.

ACT II

Daland’s daughter, Senta, is captivated by the portrait of a pale man in black—the Flying Dutchman. Her friends, working under the watchful eye of Mary, Senta’s nurse, tease Senta about her suitor, Erik, who is a hunter, not a sailor. When the superstitious Mary refuses to sing a ballad about the Dutchman, Senta sings it herself. The song reveals that the Dutchman’s curse was put on him for a blasphemous oath. To everyone’s horror, Senta suddenly declares that she will be the woman to save him. Erik enters with news of the sailors’ return. Alone with Senta, he reminds her of her father’s wish to find her a husband and asks her to plead his cause, but she remains distant. Realizing how much the Dutchman’s picture means to her, he tells her of a frightening dream in which he saw her embrace the Dutchman and sail away on his ship. Senta declares that this is what she must do, and Erik rushes off in despair. A moment later, the Dutchman enters. Senta stands transfixed. Daland follows and asks his daughter to welcome the stranger, whom he has brought to be her husband. Daland leaves, and the Dutchman, who is equally moved by the meeting, asks Senta if she will accept him. Unaware that she realizes who he is, he warns her of making a rash decision, but she vows to be faithful to him unto death. Daland is overjoyed to learn that his daughter has accepted the suitor.

ACT III

At the harbor, the villagers celebrate the sailors’ return. Baffled by the strange silence aboard the Dutchman’s ship, they call out to the crew, inviting them to join the festivities. Suddenly the ghostly sailors appear, mocking their captain’s quest in hollow chanting. The villagers flee in terror. Quiet returns and Senta appears, followed by the distressed Erik. He pleads with her not to marry the Dutchman since she has already pledged her love to him. The Dutchman, who has overheard them, lets go of all hope and boards his ship. When Senta tries to stop him, he explains she will escape damnation—the fate of those who betray him—only because she has not yet proclaimed her vows before God. He reveals his identity and Senta ecstatically replies that she knows who he is. As his ship pulls away, she throws herself into the sea, faithful unto death.

- Adapted from The Metropolitan Opera

• Review: onStage Pittsburgh: Rare Taste of Wagner’s Early Success Staged by Pittsburgh Opera in Brilliant Performance
• Review: Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘The Flying Dutchman’ Soars with Great Talent
• Broadway World: Photos: Get a First Look at Pittsburgh Opera THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Review
• onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera Presents Beloved Favorites, Rare Gems, and Free Concerts this Fall
• Opera Wire: Kyle Albertson Leads Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘The Flying Dutchman’
• Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: November 2023 Theater Guide
• onStage Pittsburgh: What’s On Stage Pittsburgh for the week of October 30th, 2023 to the end of December
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Opera's ghostly 'Flying Dutchman' sails into the Benedum Saturday
• NEXTpittsburgh: 10 things to do this weekend
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Fun things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend
• onStage Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Opera Offers Exclusive Interview with Bryan Register
• 90.5 WESA: WESA Arts newsletter, Nov. 8
• WQED-FM 'Voice of the Arts Podcast' interviews:
  • Maestro Antony Walker
  • Stage Director Sam Helfrich
  • Kyle Albertson (The Dutchman)
  • Marjorie Owens (Senta)
  • Bryan Register (Erik)
  • David Bennett (Supernumerary)
• WESA.fm: What to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 10-12
• On State News - Penn State's Student Blog: What To Do In Pittsburgh Over Thanksgiving Break
• KDKA-TV: Pittsburgh Today Live - Weekend Guide: November 16, 2023
• Tribune Review: 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend - Nov. 17-19

Enjoy these video excerpts of our production of The Flying Dutchman. Videos created and edited by RLG Creations unless otherwise noted. 

View all our Flying Dutchman video excerpts on our special YouTube playlist. 

Daland (Peter Volpe) and the Dutchman (Kyle Albertson) prepare to set sail for Daland's village to meet his daughter Senta.

The Dutchman (Kyle Albertson) rages that all his schemes to wreck his ship and die have failed.

Mary (Leah Heater) and the girls (Pittsburgh Opera Chorus) are aflutter that Daland's ship has docked and they'll soon be reunited with the crew.

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.