Tosca is a three-act opera by Puccini, adapted from Victorien Sardou's 1887 play La Tosca. Its passionate tale of jealousy, revenge and deceit has thrilled audiences for more than a century. Tosca is sung in Italian, with English supertitles.
Tosca is a profound meditation on the dark side of love, and the crimes we commit in the name of passion. When painter Cavaradossi discovers an escaped political prisoner, he conceals the man from the authorities. But his actions arouse the suspicion of his lover, the fiery singer Tosca. Convinced that Cavaradossi loves another, she betrays him to the lecherous Chief of Police. When the truth emerges, Tosca is distraught, and concocts a plan to save him – but there is no perfect crime, and she sparks a tragic chain of events from which nobody will emerge unscathed.
This enthralling opera has an intensity and depth to test the sensibilities of cast and audience alike. As the show builds to a terrifying climax, expect soaring arias and dark, powerful bass work. Tosca is an operatic masterpiece, infused with a nervous energy to keep audience members on the edges of their seats.
Tosca is the 8th most frequently performed opera in North America. Since the show premiered in 1900, its title role has brought fame to sopranos including Maria Callas and Angela Gheorghiu.