As Vancouver Opera prepares to open its 2025-2026 season the company announces the return of Taupe Tuesday.
On October 14th Taupe Tuesday is the Canadian arts community equivalent of America’s Black Friday, and it all starts with Vancouver Opera. “Opera is sometimes misconstrued as inaccessible, whether artistically or in cost of entry”, says Tom Wright, General Director of Vancouver Opera. “We wanted to change that perception and create a program where anyone can attend an opera performance. This year, all Thursday performances of our three 2025–2026 season productions will be available at a very special price: tickets will be 50% off in selected sections.” Taupe Tuesday deals will be available online at Vancouver Opera’s official website, through the box office, or by phone.
The Vancouver Opera season begins October 25th with Verdi’s Rigoletto, and also marks a new partnership with Montecristo Jewellers, who will be the official sponsor for the 2025–2026 season.
Set against a backdrop of decadence and dark intrigue, Verdi’s classic work tells the tale of a father’s desperate love for his daughter, and the dangerous double-edged sword of vengeance. The court jester Rigoletto had long enjoyed the privilege of mocking the Duke of Mantua’s adversaries, but when his beloved daughter becomes the target of the morally corrupt Duke’s abuse, Rigoletto sets in motion a revenge plot that careens with the propulsive energy of an edge-of-the-seat thriller, while bringing themes of opulence and oppression into sharp focus.
Built in partnership with Pacific Opera Victoria, this new production will push the tense tragedy’s boundaries while staying true to Verdi’s timeless story of love and revenge. Under director Glynis Leyshon (Flight of the Hummingbird) and the baton of VO Music Director Jacques Lacombe (Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterfly), fames pieces like “La donna è mobile” and the heart-wrenching “Caro nome” will soar to life on the stage of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
“Working with Pacific Opera Victoria allows us to open our 2025–2026 season with a new production of a masterpiece by one of opera’s greatest composers” says Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director. “Rigoletto is filled with deep, multi-layered emotions, and the powerful voices of our principal performers will make sure that every feeling is felt fully. As the dramatic centerpiece of the story, the father-daughter bond will be sung by the sought-after American baritone Micheal Chioldi in the title role, and the award-winning, rising international star soprano, Sarah Dufresne, as Gilda. We are thrilled to have both artists making their Vancouver Opera debuts in this production.”
Vancouver Opera’s production of Verdi’s Rigoletto runs October 25, October 30 & November 2, 2025 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton Street. For show information and tickets, including Taupe Tuesday offers visit vancouveropera.ca.