Community Event
Opera Idaho presents La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi at the Egyptian Theatre.
Friday, March 7, 2025 / 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 9, 2025 / 2:30 pm
Based on La Dame aux camélias (The Lady of the Camellias), a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Sung in Italian, with English and Spanish supertitles.
La Traviata is one of opera’s most beloved works, featuring Verdi’s lush music and a heart-wrenching story of love and sacrifice. Follow the journey of Violetta, a glamorous courtesan, as she falls deeply in love with Alfredo, only to face societal pressures and personal struggles that test the limits of their devotion. Full of unforgettable arias and emotional depth, this opera is a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences around the world.

Verdi often based his operas on real-life stories or pre-existing works. La Traviata is adapted from Alexandre Dumas’s novel, La Dame aux Camélias, inspired by Dumas’s own experiences with the courtesan Marie Duplessis.

The opera premiered in 1853 at La Fenice Opera House in Venice, Italy. The opera was not received well. The audience dis not appreciate the casting choices and even jeered at times during the premiere. The next day, Verdi wrote in a letter “La traviata last night a failure. Was the fault mine or the singers’? Time will tell.” Time fell in Verdi’s favor as it went on to become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas of all time.

Violetta’s aria “Sempre Libera” is famously featured in the film Pretty Woman, during the opera scene attended by the characters Edward and Vivian. The story’s themes have inspired various films, including The Bohemian Girl (1936) and Moulin Rouge (2001).