One hundred years ago, Puccini’s La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) premiered at the Metropolitan Opera. It was the first world premiere in the history of the Metropolitan. Arturo Toscanini was in the pit; Emmy Destinn and Enrico Caruso were the lovers.  Celebrating the opera’s centennial, the Met is presenting a revival of the Giancarlo del Monaco production, starring Deborah Voigt and Marcello Giordani.

Based on the play ”The Girl of the Golden West” by David Belasco, who also wrote the play on which Puccini based Madama Butterfly, the opera is set in the gold rush country of California. Minnie runs a bar – and finds time to read the Bible to the miners. Sheriff Jack Rance has designs on her, but she loses her heart to a mysterious stranger who turns out to be an outlaw on the run.  Only Minnie’s formidable poker skills are able to keep her man out of the sheriff’s grasp in Act II.  But can she save him from hanging in Act III?

Executive Director Karl Hesser will prepare you for the Met HD telecast in an entertaining introduction to the story, the characters and Puccini’s romantic score.

The program is repeated at 7:00 pm.

Lake Wales Arts Center.

$5.00