Falstaff
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Conductor: Steven White
Director: Chas Rader-Shieber
Scenic Designer: Cameron Anderson
Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece of wit, charm, and musical ingenuity offers a bright and buoyant finale to AVA’s 91st opera season. Completed when he was nearly 80, Verdi’s final opera stands as a triumphant departure from the grand dramas that defined his earlier career. Falstaff is a bold and witty adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, with shades of Henry IV, brought to life through a bubbling libretto by Arrigo Boito.
At the center of this fast-paced comedy is the bumbling yet endearing rogue, Sir John Falstaff, who misguidedly attempts to woo two clever, wealthy women for financial gain. What follows is a riotous chain of mischief, disguises, and comeuppance, as the clever women turn the tables on the devious knight. Verdi’s music mirrors the humor and vitality of the story, with dazzling ensembles and spirited arias.
Since its premiere in 1893, Falstaff has remained one of opera’s crowning comic achievements – a joyous, sophisticated celebration of folly, resilience, and the human spirit, with a dazzling finale that wholeheartedly declares: “All the world is a jest!”
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
April 18, 21, 23 & 25, 2026, 7:30 PM
AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater
May 5, 2026, 7:30 PM
The Haverford School’s Centennial Hall
Falstaff is generously sponsored by Judith Broudy.
The Young Professionals performance is generously sponsored by Charlotte H. Watts.
CAST LISTS
(In order of vocal appearance.)
April 18, 23 & May 5
Caius – Richard Troxell (’92)
Falstaff – Raúl Morales Velazco
Bardolfo – Matthew Sink
Pistola – Cumhur Görgün
Meg Page – Katie Dobbs
Alice Ford – Veronica Richer
Mistress Quickly – Maiya Williams
Nannetta – Jasmine Ismail
Fenton – Josh Berg
Ford – Jacob Hanes
Host of the Garter Inn – Joshua Klein
Chorus – Joshua Klein, Geoffrey Schmelzer, Anna Thompson, Alla Yarosh
April 21 & 25
Caius – Richard Troxell (’92)
Falstaff – Ryan Wornall
Bardolfo – Matthew Sink
Pistola – Nan Wang
Meg Page – Julianna Smith
Alice Ford – Daniela Machado
Mistress Quickly – Dawson Franzino
Nannetta – Beautiful Sheriff
Fenton – Cole McIlquham
Ford – Alex Mathews
Host of the Garter Inn – Joshua Klein
Chorus – Joshua Klein, Geoffrey Schmelzer, Anna Thompson, Alla Yarosh
Meet the Artists
