Turandot

About

Giacomo Puccini's captivating opera tells the story of Prince Caláf, whose return to Beijing, China alters life for everyone, including his elderly father, the deposed king, and his father's loyal slave girl, Liú. Our handsome hero promptly falls in love with the worst possible woman: the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot, daughter of a Chinese conqueror who delights in the business of executing her various suitors. In order to win her hand and keep his head, Caláf must correctly answer three riddles. Sung in Italian with English supertitles, this passionate opera deals in romance, yes, but also incorporates themes of "family loyalty, faithfulness to duty, openness to emotion, and honesty to oneself."