The Italian Lesson and La Serva Padrona

Opera on the Spot presents a double bill of Lee Hoiby’s The Italian Lesson followed by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona (The Servant turned Mistress). Based on the famous comedic monologue by Ruth Draper, The Italian Lesson offers a window into the chaotic life of a New York society matron. To follow, we will present another comedic one-act opera, La Serva Padrona. This Baroque “opera buffa” tells the story of a cunning maid and her aging master. Although these two operas were made nearly two hundred years apart, they both creatively defy musical norms and expectations to audiences’ delight. Just like any other Opera on the Spot performance, get ready for an evening of immersive, unconventional and electric opera like you’ve never heard before!