Puccini's Tosca opens Vancouver Opera's 67th season October 24

Puccini's Tosca returns to Vancouver for the first time in 13 years, opening the Vancouver Opera's 67th season with a production described as a gripping thriller of passion, politics, and betrayal.

The opera, set in Rome circa 1800, unfolds over a breathless 24 hours as the celebrated singer Floria Tosca is caught between the man she loves and a ruthless chief of police determined to possess her. "From its explosive opening chords to some of the most recognizable and emotionally powerful music in the operatic repertoire, Tosca moves with the intensity of a political thriller," said Vancouver Opera General Director Tom Wright.

Performances take place at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on October 24 and October 29 at 7:30 p.m., and November 1 at 2 p.m. The co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria pairs the music of Puccini with stage direction by Brenna Corner, artistic director of Pacific Opera Victoria, and music direction by Jacques Lacombe.

The cast features internationally acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury in her return to Vancouver as Floria Tosca, Canadian tenor David Pomeroy as her lover Mario Cavaradossi, and Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl as the formidable villain Baron Scarpia. They are joined by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Chorus, and Vancouver Opera Children's Chorus. Set and video design are by Scott Reid, with costume design by Kevin Knight and lighting by Michael Walton.

Tickets are available through the Vancouver Opera box office online or by calling 604-683-0222. Tosca is the fifth-most-performed opera in the world.