Washington National Opera
Turandot
Opera House
Love makes a princess stronger in this glorious production by Francesca Zambello, offering a Turandot for our times.
Please be advised that this production includes references to sexual violence and includes some mature themes, including brief onstage depictions of violence.
May 11 - 25, 2024
Genre
Opera
Price Range
$45.00 – $299.00
Runtime
2 hours 40 minutes (including one 25-minute intermission)
WNO Season Sponsor
View Digital Program
Ewa Płonka (Turandot) in Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
WORLD PREMIERE
Her heart is a riddle only love can solve.
Powerful princess Turandot plays by her own rules. She invites any suitor to marry her, but first they’ll have to correctly solve three riddles—or face a gruesome death. The men are dropping like flies until Prince Calaf cracks the code. When he poses his own riddle back to Turandot, she finally has a glimpse at true love. But will Turandot’s icy heart freeze love out?
Color… pageantry… spectacle… there’s a reason why Turandot is at the top of the opera canon. Puccini’s final work mesmerizes with its sumptuous music, from the alluring overture to Prince Calaf’s passionate “Nessun dorma,” one of the world’s most famous arias ever written. Grammy Award®–winning composer Christopher Tin, known for his film and video game soundtracks, and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton offer a compelling new world premiere ending to Puccini’s final, unfinished work.
Turandot will let audience members decide for themselves: is Turandot mercilessly cruel, or justifiably cautious?
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PRAISE FOR TURANDOT
“Zambello’s Turandot resonates for our times like hitting the sweet spot of a gong.” —DC Theater Arts
“The new ending... provided a compelling modern gloss on this cruel fairy tale and the glorious music Puccini wrote for it.” —Washington Classical Review
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Music by Giacomo Puccini and Christopher Tin / Libretto by Giuseppe Adami, Renato Simoni, and Susan Soon He Stanton
In Italian with Projected English Titles
Composed 1924
New Production/World Premiere Ending
A New Ending for Turandot with Christopher Tin and Susan Soon He Stanton
“A Turandot for Today” with the Chinese American Museum | Washington National Opera
Scene from Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Yonghoon Lee (Calaf) in Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Ewa Płonka (Turandot) in Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Scene from Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha (Liù) in Washington Natinoal Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Ethan Vincent (Chancellor), Jonathan Pierce Rhodes (Head Chef), and Sahel Salam (Majordomo) in Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Yonghoon Lee (Calaf), Ewa Płonka (Turandot), and Neil Shicoff (Emperor Altoum) in Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver
Scene from Washington National Opera's Turandot. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Washington National Opera’s new production of Puccini’s Turandot seeks to reclaim the dignity of opera’s icy queen. With her commission of a new finale from playwright Susan Soon He Stanton and composer Christopher Tin, director Francesca Zambello is bringing a Turandot for our times, exploding past cultural appropriation and gender dynamics to reveal deeper, lasting truths about these incomplete characters.
May 8, 2024
Turandot may be set in China, but it has never truly reflected Chinese culture. This Washington National Opera’s new production expands the idea of what the opera’s world could be.
Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello describes the impetus and creative team’s collaborative process to create a Turandot for our time.
Turandot
Turandot
CAST NOTE: The character names in Turandot come directly from Puccini’s original score.
Composer
Librettist
Conductor
Conductor
Director
Co Choreographer
Dive into the themes of Turandot with these community events around Washington, D.C.!
Delve deeper as you take a peek inside the composer’s mind, behind the scenes of planning a production, and into the history and social context of the opera.
Free with a Turandot ticket, starting 1 hour before the performance and lasting 25–30 minutes:
May 11, 24 & 25: WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and composer Christopher Tin
May 13, 17, 19 & 22: WNO Music Administrator Ken Weiss
WNO Touch Carts allow audience members to see—and feel!—props and costume pieces to explore opera in new ways and make our productions more accessible to a variety of patrons. Touch Carts are open to all approximately one hour before the performances on May 13, 19, and 24.
Stay after for a Post-Performance Artist Q&A
Don’t miss your opportunity to engage directly with our artists and share your thoughts on the experience you just had! Here’s your chance to ask questions and get the inside scoop on the production from members of the cast and creative team.
Free with a Turandot ticket, beginning immediately after the performance:
May 13: WNO Director of Artistic Planning Samuel Gelber
May 19: WNO Director of Production Chelsea Dennis
Help build a rich legacy on the values of artistic excellence, engagement with a broad community, and a thriving future for the art form of opera and its audiences.
All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.
All ticket prices are subject to change based on demand. Purchase early to lock in prices and the best seats!
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