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Gaetano Donizetti: Opera "L'elisir d'amore"

東京芸術劇場 フェニーチェ堺 ロームシアター京都

Gaetano Donizetti’s comic and romantic opera reborn for contemporary audiences as a happy and cute tale! Touring to three cities across Japan this autumn!

L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) is a romantic opera about Nemorino, a naive young man who is in love with the beautiful, intelligent, yet rather headstrong Adina, and wins her heart with the unlikely help of a fake love potion. Featuring famous tenor arias like “Una furtiva lagrima” (A furtive tear), “Prendi, per me sei libero” (Take it, I have freed you), and “Ei corregge ogni difetto” (It cures all), this is an elegantly told, comical, and touching love story.

An alumnus of Kyoto University of Art and Design (today Kyoto University of the Arts), director Kunio Sugihara has worked in a wide range of genres, from Greek tragedy to kabuki and contemporary drama. He now takes on his first opera. The conductor is Sebastiano Rolli, a specialist in bel canto opera. The curtain rises on this ultra-happy and cute version of L’elisir d’amore, brought to life by a cast of up-and-coming singers from Japan and abroad.

Co-Production

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre(Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), FENICE SACAY (SAKAI CITY CULTURAL FOUNDATION), ROHM Theatre Kyoto (Kyoto City Music Art Cultural Promoting Foundation)

Supported

The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan through the Japan Arts Council

Nominal support

Embassy of Italy

THEATRE

  • TOKYOSun. 09. Nov. 2025
    Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
    Concert Hall

    Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall
    14:00, on Sunday 9, November 2025

    [ Tickets ] (Reserved seating, tax included)
    SS : ¥22,000 / S : ¥19,000 / A : ¥17,000 / B : ¥13,000 / C : ¥9,000 / D : ¥6,000 18 and Under seats: ¥1,000

    [ Tickets Inquiries ](on sale from Friday 4 July 2025)
    Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Online | https://www.geigeki.jp/t/
    Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre | TEL.03-5391-2111

  • OSAKASun. 16. Nov. 2025
    FENICE SACAY

    FENICE SACAY
    14:00, on Sunday 16, November 2025

    [ Tickets ] (Reserved seating, tax included)
    S : ¥13,000 / A : ¥11,000 / B : ¥9,000 / C : ¥5,000

    [ Tickets Inquiries ](on sale from Saturday 14 June 2025)
    FENICE SACAY Online| https://www.fenice-sacay.jp/event/27388/
    FENICE SACAY | TEL.0570-08-0089

  • KYOTOSun. 18. Jan. 2026
    ROHM Theatre Kyoto Main Hall

    ROHM Theatre Kyoto Main Hall
    14:00, on Sunday 18, January 2026

    [ Tickets ] (Reserved seating, tax included)
    SS : ¥13,000 / S : ¥11,000 / A : ¥8,000 / B : ¥6,000 / C : ¥4,000 / D : ¥3,000
    25 and Under Tickets: S seats: ¥5,000
    18 and Under seats: S seats: ¥3,000

    [ Tickets Inquiries ](on sale from Saturday 28 June 2025)
    ROHM Theatre Kyoto Ticket Online | https://rohmtheatrekyoto.jp/en/event/134534/

    [ Special Sponsorship ]
    Nitto Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd.

SYNOPSIS

- Act 1 -

In a small farming village in the Basque Country, Spain, Adina is the beautiful and smart daughter of a landowner. She is reading the story of Tristan and Isolde. The shy and naive Nemorino watches her from afar, utterly entranced. Adina reads to the villagers the tale of Princess Isolde, who falls in love with Tristan after they drink a love potion.

Sergeant Belcore arrives with his soldiers and Adina catches his eye. He tries to woo her, but she leaves with the excuse of needing time to think. Nemorino also calls out to Adina, though she rebuffs him.

The medicine peddler Dulcamara arrives in the village square and sells Nemorino a love potion, the “elixir of love,” which is actually just cheap wine. Convinced that the potion will take effect tomorrow and drunk from the wine, Nemorino becomes more assertive toward Adina. Her pride hurt, Adina announces that she will marry Belcore. When news arrives that the regiment is to leave the next morning, it means they have to hold the wedding ceremony today. A shocked Nemorino rushes to seek out Dulcamara’s help.

- Act 2 -

Adina and Belcore’s wedding celebration is underway. Nemorino desires another bottle of the potion to speed up the effect, but has no money to buy it. Hearing that he can get cash right away if he joins the army, Nemorino volunteers to join Belcore’s regiment.

A rumor spreads among the village girls that Nemorino has inherited a huge fortune from an uncle. Nemorino suddenly finds himself at the center of attention of the fawning young women, which leads him to believe the potion has finally taken effect. Adina is rattled by this sight, but then hears from Dulcamara that Nemorino has joined the army to get money to buy a love potion and is moved by the depth of Nemorino’s love for her.

Adina buys back Nemorino’s enlistment contract and breaks off her wedding to Belcore. Nemorino and Adina confess their true feelings for each other and swear eternal love. Belcore is graceful in defeat and departs. Proud that the love potion has actually worked, a merry Dulcamara also leaves, seen off by all the villagers.

CAST&STAFF

Conductor:Sebastiano Rolli
Direction:Kunio Sugihara

Artists

Adina:Yurie Takano
Nemorino:Naoki Miyasato(Tokyo, Osaka)
Shuhei Itoga(Kyoto)
Belcore:Takaoki Onishi(Tokyo, Osaka)
Hibiki Ikeuchi(Kyoto)
Dr. Dulcamara:Sergio Vitale
Giannetta:Yuki Akimoto
Dancers:Kan Fukuhara, Saori Yoneda, Masataka Uchiumi, Marina Mizushima, Himawari Inoue, Yuto Miyagi
Chorus:The Opera Choir(Tokyo)
The Special Chorus, Sakai+Kyoto(Osaka, Kyoto)
Orchestra:The Opera Band(Tokyo)
Osaka Symphony Orchestra(Osaka)
City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra(Kyoto)

Staff

Scenery coordinator: Yuichiro Kanai
Lighting designer: Masayoshi Takada (RYU)
Sound designer: Koichi Ishimaru(Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre)
Costume coordinator: Tei Ei
Hair dressing & Make-up: Kei Kokufuda
Choreographers: Yui Kitagawa, Yuki Shina(Momonga Complex)
Supertitle: Tomoki Oda (Japanese), June Ikeda (English)
Chorus masters: Hiroyuki Tsuji, Ryoto Tokita
Assistant conductor: Tomoya Matsukawa
Korrepetitor: Takayuki Ezawa
Assistant stage director: Sachi Negishi
Stage manager: Takeshi Sakai
Production managers: Hideya Seki, Yoshiki Shibata (assistant)
Promotional Design:Hideyuki Kato(grindhouse)
Promotional Illustration:Rick

© ROHM Theatre Kyoto. All rights reserved.

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