Conductor: Michelle Rofrano
Director: John de los Santos
Scenic Designer: Cameron Anderson
Two families at war. Two lovers in danger. Vincenzo Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi retells Shakespeare’s famous story of Romeo and Juliet in the shadow of medieval Italy’s bloody political conflicts and personal betrayals. Set against the backdrop of 13th-century Verona, this opera departs from the familiar tale, recasting the Capuleti and Montecchi not as feuding households, but as rival political factions, echoing the historical clash between the Guelphs and Ghibellines.
Bellini’s enchanting melodies are masterfully set against a plot brimming with intrigue, as the Capuleti and Montecchi families brutally vie against each other for political dominance over Verona. A crown jewel of the bel canto tradition, I Capuleti e i Montecchi marries haunting melodies with a frantic, emotionally charged narrative that pulses with forbidden love, reckless loyalty, and the tragic cost of vengeance. With its lush score and dramatic tension, this brooding masterpiece continues to enthrall audiences nearly two centuries after its 1830 premiere at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice.
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.