Tosca

Streamed June 25–27, 2021

Overview

Tosca has just about everything: great tunes, desperate lovers, loads of action, and a bad guy you love to hate.”

–The Seattle Times

Music by Giacomo Puccini; Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica

Don’t mess with the diva! A fiery prima donna struggles to free her true love from the clutches of a ruthless police chief in Puccini’s surefire favorite. Filled with iconic arias and impressive musical moments, the rousing score brings Tosca’s emotional extremes into sharp relief as the story rushes towards its thrilling conclusion. The crackling melodrama grabs hold from the get-go, making Tosca ideal for anyone who loves drama and music.

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Performance Information

In Italian with English Subtitles

Performance Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Questions about streaming? View our Streaming FAQs.

Movie-style Rating: PG-13

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Trailer

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Proceeds from this opera stream benefitted artists, musicians, and crew via union funds, including the AGMA Artists Relief Fund. We are grateful to all of our union partners for their creativity and enthusiasm to put these operas on stage.

Cast

Alexandra LoBianco

Floria Tosca

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Isolde, Tristan and Isolde

Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
Seattle Opera Debut: Donna Anna, Don Giovanni (’14)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Brünnhilde, Celebration Concert: Die Walküre (’21); Floria Tosca, Tosca (’21); Santuzza, Cavalleria rusticana (’20); Aida, Aida (’18)
Engagements: Turandot, Turandot (Maryland Lyric Opera); Leonore, Fidelio (North Carolina Opera); Floria Tosca, Tosca (Portland Opera); Overseer/Klytämnestra’s Confidante, Elektra (Metropolitan Opera)

Last updated: February 2022

Alexandra LoBianco

Floria Tosca

Michael Chioldi

Baron Scarpia

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Tonio, Pagliacci

Hometown: New York, NY
Seattle Opera Debut: Baron Scarpia, Tosca (’21)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Donner, Das Rheingold ('23); Giorgio Germont, La traviata ('23); Marcello, La bohème (’21)
Engagements: Iago, Otello (MET Opera Orchestra Tour); Álvaro, Florencia en el Amazonas (Metropolitan Opera); Germont, La Traviata (Pittsburgh Opera); Rigoletto, Rigoletto (Metropolitan Opera); Falstaff, Falstaff (Palm Beach Opera); The Dutchman, The Flying Dutchman (Utah Opera)

Last Updated: June 2024

Michael Chioldi

Baron Scarpia

Seattle Opera Debut

Dominick Chenes

Cavaradossi

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Alfredo, La traviata

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Seattle Opera Debut: Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly (’17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Cavaradossi, Tosca ('21)
Recently: Don Jose, Carmen (Palm Beach Opera); Alfredo, La traviata (New National Theatre Tokyo); Turiddu, Cavalleria Rusticana (New Orleans Opera); Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly (Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège); Carlo, I Masnadieri (Valencia Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia); Pollione, Norma (Oper Leipzig)

Last Updated: April 2023

Dominick Chenes

Cavaradossi

Adam Lau

Angelotti

Bass
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Soloist, 60th Anniversary Concert & Gala
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Narbal, Les Troyens in Concert; Cesare Angelotti, Tosca

Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Seattle Opera Debut: Papa and Makoto Kobayashi, An American Dream (’15)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Angelotti, Tosca (’21); Masetto, Don Giovanni (’21); Alidoro, Cinderella (’19); Kōbun Chino Otogawa, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (’19); Ferrando, Il trovatore (’19); Speaker, The Magic Flute ('17)
Engagements: Colline, La bohème (Opera Philadelphia); Dr. Grenvil, La traviata (Metropolitan Opera); Sarastro, The Magic Flute (Ravinia Festival); Soloist, Verdi’s Requiem (Carnegie Hall); Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro (Utah Opera); Sam, Un Ballo in Maschera (San Francisco Opera)

Last Updated: January 2024

Adam Lau

Angelotti

Matthew Burns

Sacristan

Bass-baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Sacristan, Tosca

Hometown: Richmond, VA
Seattle Opera Debut
Recently: Leporello, Don Giovanni (Michigan Opera Theater); Dansker, Billy Budd (Central City Opera); Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Virginia Opera)
Upcoming: Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (Utah Opera)

Last Updated: March 2021

Matthew Burns

Sacristan

Seattle Opera Debut

Andrew Stenson

Spoletta

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Shepherd/Sailor, Tristan and Isolde

Hometown: Rochester, MN
Seattle Opera Young Artist: 2010/11, 2011/12
Seattle Opera Debut: Arturo, Lucia di Lammermoor (’10)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Nemorino, The Elixir of Love (’21); Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (’21); Spoletta, Tosca (’21);Tamino, The Magic Flute (’17); Tonio, La Fille du Regiment (’13); Orphée, Orphée et Eurydice (’12)
Engagements: Bill, Flight (The Dallas Opera); Bao Yu (cover), Dream of the Red Chamber (San Francisco Opera)

Last Updated: August 2022

Andrew Stenson

Spoletta

José Rubio

Sciarrone

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Sciarrone, Tosca

Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Seattle Opera Debut
Recently: Hannah (Before), As One (Alamo City Opera); Alfio, Cavalleria rusticana (Juneau Lyric Opera); Mills, The Diary of John Rabe (Jiangsu Grand Opera Theater), Walter Harper, Princess Sophia (Orpheus Project)
Upcoming: Alfio, Cavalleria rusticana (Vashon Opera); Mills, The Diary of John Rabe (Jiangsu Grand Opera Theater)

Last Updated: March 2021

José Rubio

Sciarrone

Seattle Opera Debut

Ryan Bede

Jailer

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Jailer, Tosca

Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Second Priest, The Magic Flute (’17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Moralès, Carmen ('19); Fiorello, The Barber of Seville (’17); Jim Crowley, An American Dream (’17)
Recently: Belcore, The Elixir of Love (Tacoma Opera); Schaunard, La bohème (Lyric Opera Northwest); Masetto, Don Giovanni (Opera Idaho)
Upcoming: Bass soloist, Mozart Requiem (Symphony Tacoma); Jim Crowley, An American Dream (Opera Idaho)

Last updated: March 2021

Ryan Bede

Jailer

Ellaina Lewis

Shepherd Boy

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Ensemble, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

Hometown: Washington, DC
Seattle Opera Debut: Strawberry Woman, Porgy and Bess (’18)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Chorus Member, La traviata (’23); Recitalist, From His Heart’s Deep Core (’23); Girlfriend 2/Congregant 2, Blue (‘22);Chorus Member, La bohème (’21);Shepherd Boy, Tosca (’21);Chorus Member, Eugene Onegin (’20)
Engagements: Soloist, Mass No. 2 in G Major by Franz Schubert (Seattle Choral Company); Soloist, Cassandra by William C. White (Harmonia Orchestra & Chorus)

Last Updated: November 2023

Ellaina Lewis

Shepherd Boy

Creative Team

Kazem Abdullah

Conductor

At Seattle Opera in 2023/24: Conductor, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X; Conductor, 60th Anniversary Concert & Gala

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Seattle Opera Debut: Tosca (’21)
Engagements: Proximity (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Omar (LA Opera); X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Michigan Opera Theater); The Central Park Five (Portland Opera); Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Metropolitan Opera); Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera)

Last Updated: December 2022

Kazem Abdullah

Conductor

Seattle Opera Debut

Dan Wallace Miller

Director

Director
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Pagliacci

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: The Combat (’17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21); Tosca (’21); Three Singing Sisters ('19); Il trovatore (’19)
Engagements: Director, Rigoletto (Opera San Jose); Director, Scenes Program (Santa Fe Opera); Director, Roméo et Juliette (Central City Opera); Director, Susannah (Wolf Trap); Director, Tosca (Opera Naples); Director, Carmen (Kentucky Opera)

Last updated: June 2024

Dan Wallace Miller

Director

Christopher Mumaw

Production Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Production Designer, Tosca

Hometown: Dayton, OH
Seattle Opera Debut: Scenic Designer, The Combat ('17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Associate Scenic Designer, Il Trovatore ('19)
Recently: Scenic Designer, Admissions (Seattle Public Theatre); Scenic Designer, Howl's Moving Castle (Book-It Repertory Theatre); Scenic Designer, Sunset Baby (ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery)

Last updated: March 2021

Christopher Mumaw

Production Designer

Liesl Alice Gatcheco

Costume Designer

Costume Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2022/23: Costume Designer, A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Costume Shop Stitcher, Carmen (’03)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Costume Designer, Orpheus and Eurydice (’21); Flight (’21); The Elixir of Love (’21); Don Giovanni (’20)
Engagements: Costume Designer, A Thousand Splendid Suns (Seattle Opera)

Last Updated: December 2021

Liesl Alice Gatcheco

Costume Designer

Ashlee Naegle

Supplemental Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer, Pagliacci; Jubilee; Lucidity; Les Troyens in Concert; The Magic Flute; Tosca

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Seattle Opera Debut: Hair and Makeup Intern, Giulio Cesare (2007)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Supplemental Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer, Das Rheingold ('23); Alcina ('23); X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X ('24); The Barber of Seville ('24)

Ashlee Naegle made a name for herself early on in her career by mastering the dying art of wig building. She created and designed for several companies around town until the Seattle Opera created an in-house Hair and Makeup Designer position for her in 2017. During her time as the in-house Hair and Makeup Designer, she has built a sizable wig collection, built a department, and set high standards for wigs, hair and makeup. With each production, her designs are custom built for the performers and their characters to create a believable façade for the audience as well as complement the costumes and production as a whole.

Last Updated: July 2024

Ashlee Naegle

Supplemental Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer

Robertson Witmer

Sound Designer

Sound Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Jubilee; The Magic Flute; Tosca

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: The Falling & The Rising (’19)
Previously at Seattle Opera: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (’24); Das Rheingold (’23); A Thousand Splendid Suns (’23); Orpheus and Eurydice (’22); Tosca ('21); Flight ('21); Don Giovanni ('21); Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (’20)
Engagements: Sound Designer, Camelot (Village Theatre); Composer, Murder in the Alps (Laguna Playhouse)

Last updated: June 2024

Robertson Witmer

Sound Designer

Ken Christensen

Video Director & Editor

At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Video Director, Don Giovanni; Tosca

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Don Giovanni ('21)
Recently: Productions for King County Parks, Woodland Park Zoo, Bloomberg Businessweek
Upcoming: Production for City of Tacoma

Last Updated: December 2020

Ken Christensen

Video Director & Editor

Duane Schuler

Lighting Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2020/21: Lighting Designer, Flight; Tosca

Hometown: Elkhart Lake, WI
Seattle Opera Debut: Norma (’94)
Previously at Seattle Opera: The Magic Flute ('17); Count Ory (’16); The Marriage of Figaro (’16)
Recently: Cinderella (Dutch National Opera); Of Love and Rage (American Ballet Theatre); Manon Lescaut (San Francisco Opera)
Upcoming: The Marriage of Figaro (Santa Fe Opera); Cinderella (Los Angeles Opera); Tosca (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Last Updated: February 2021

Duane Schuler

Lighting Designer

Photos & Videos

Listen to the Music

Articles & Events

The View from the Pit: Maestros on Race and Gender in Opera

Thursday, June 3 from Noon to 1:30PM | Online via Zoom

Tosca conductor Kazem Abdullah joins in a conversation about the crucial role of a conductor in opera and classical music. This leadership role intersects with singers, musicians, creative team members, administration, and more. The conductor also possesses a unique vantage point on opera’s unfolding conversations surrounding race, gender, and intersectionality in the 21st century.

Learn More & RSVP

Interpreting Tosca: An Interview with Alexandra Lobianco

Monday, June 7 at Noon | Online Zoom Webinar

Opera’s most iconic tragic heroine is a figure steeped in the melodrama, passion, violence, and corruption of Puccini’s masterpiece. Join Seattle Opera Scholar in Residence Naomi André for a live interview with soprano Alexandra LoBianco, who portrays Tosca in our spring production.

Learn More & RSVP

Meet the Director: Dan Wallace Miller

As someone who’s both disarmingly zany and down-to-Earth all at once, Dan Wallace Miller brings a presence to opera that’s hard to ignore. From days of running his own company Vespertine Opera Theater, to creating Il trovatore (‘19) and our immersive opera, The Combat (‘17), the stage director possesses a distinct power: helping newcomers (including millennials and Gen Z) realize that they too, are enamored with this art form.

2020/21 Season Sponsor

Barbara Stephanus

Young Singers Season Sponsor

Maureen and Richard Swanson

Production Sponsors

Jay and Susanne Wakefield
ArtsFund
C. E. Stuart Charitable Trust
Marks Family Foundation
Office of Arts & Culture | Seattle
Seattle Opera Foundation

2021 Spring Season

Don Giovanni
Flight
Tosca
Recitals by:
Andrew Stenson
Jasmine Habersham
and more!

Explore the Season