On April 25, 30, and May 2 and 6, Michael Fabiano returns to Staatsoper Berlin to reprise the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca. Fabiano has garnered worldwide acclaim for portraying the painter across major opera houses. Critics hailed his performances at The Met in the 2022–23 season, with Operawire writing: “Michael Fabiano as Cavaradossi. One word: supernatural. Anyone who’s heard him knows the sheer power of his voice… Fabiano possesses an instrument handed down from the greats. It’s thrilling, it’s brilliant, and he stands among the most esteemed tenors of our time. That’s why we love to see him in action.”

This revival production by Latvian theatre director Alvis Hermanis offers a fresh take on the story by shifting the action to 1900, the year of the opera’s premiere. Onstage, the singers inhabit a moody, turn-of-the-century world, while behind them, a graphic novel version of the opera’s original 1800 setting unfolds in a series of hand-painted images. Created by Kristīne Jurjāne, these large-scale projections serve as a silent, parallel drama—illustrating what might have been, as the live performance explores something altogether different.

Under the baton of Nicola Luisotti, the cast also includes Aleksandra Kurzak as Tosca, Lucio Gallo as Scarpia, Friedrich Hamel as Angelotti, David Oštrek as the Sacristan, Florian Hoffmann as Spoletta, Dionysios Avgerinos as Sciarrone, and Taehan Kim as the Jailer.