Tosca for Joburg Theatre in July – Presented by Cape Town Opera

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Heading the stellar cast in both cities will be soprano Nobulumko Mngxekeza as the fiery Floria Tosca

Cape Town Opera (CTO) will present Puccini’s powerful TOSCA to Joburg Theatre audiences on the Mandela Stage from 21 to 30 July 2023, ahead of its Cape Town season in September 2023. 

The highly-anticipated grand-scale opera is directed by CTO’s Artistic Director Magdalene Minnaar, with set and costume design by Maritha Visagie and Leopold Senekal, movement direction by Fiona du Plooy and lighting design by Oliver Hauser. 

Puccini’s score reveals his compositional mastery and skill in distilling humanity’s most profound emotions into music. Maestro Adam Szmidt will conduct the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sempre Opera Chorus will be directed by Paul Ferreira. An exciting addition to the cast of 60 is the inclusion of a 24-member children’s chorus, overseen by Elana Neethling. 

Heading the stellar cast in both cities will be soprano Nobulumko Mngxekeza as the fiery Floria Tosca, in her first production with Cape Town Opera since being appointed as soloist last year. Mngxekeza has enjoyed an outstanding international career and recently returned from Belgium to begin rehearsals. 

“I am so excited to direct Nobulumko alongside an exceptional lineup of Cape Town Opera artists in what happens to be one of my favorite operas of all time; layered, dynamic, and a feast for the senses,” says Minnaar. Joining Mngxekeza will be tenor Lukhanyo Moyake as Cavaradossi, Tosca’s love interest, and award-winning baritone Conroy Scott as the malicious police chief Baron Scarpia. 

Cape Town Opera Judith Neilson Young Artists include Lwazi Dlamini as Sciarrone, Van Wyk Venter as Spoletta, and Reuben Mbonambi as the escaped political prisoner Angelotti.

TOSCA — an opera in three acts — is about Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi, a pair of ill-fated lovers whose romance plays out amid Italy’s political turmoil in 1800. It is a wrenching, passionate and at times violent melodrama of love, loss, jealousy and deception set against the backdrop of a  revolution. 

Cape Town Opera’s production blends Roman grandeur with contemporary elements and strong references to the splendid architecture of the day. The costumes will be a stunning combination of old and new, with rich palettes and elegant period pieces. 

TOSCA promises to be a marvelous spectacle loaded with the drama, intrigue, and mystery that audiences have come to expect and appreciate from this powerful artistic genre. 

Cape Town Opera acknowledges the support of the Judith Neilson Head Trust for the Johannesburg tour and the Rupert Music Foundation and the City of Cape Town for the Artscape season.

Tickets for TOSCA at Joburg Theatre cost from R180 to R550 and are available at www.joburgtheatre.com 

Parental guidance is advised.