returning for the first time since 2015

The Met revives David Alden's Film Noir inspired production of  Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera for the first time since 2015! A scintillating tale of murder and intrigue supports tenor Charles Castronovo in his first outing as the threatened King Gustavo. Political plots and hidden passions are only emphasized in this stylistic, contemporary staging.

What is the story?

Originally commissioned by the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 1857, Un Ballo Maschera 'The Masked Ball' concerns the assassination of Sweden's King Gustav III in 1792 during a masked ball. While a conspiracy grows, Gustav ignores the threats to his life - to his peril. It is also seen as Verdi's exploration of Gustav's homosexuality - another play on the mask of the title.