La traviata

Austin Opera brings Verdi's La traviata to The Long Center this spring, with three performances running from Sunday, April 18, through Saturday, April 24. It's one of the most famous operas in the world, and for good reason: it's home to some of the repertoire's most recognizable ensembles and one of its ultimate soprano roles.

Set in Paris, the story follows the courtesan Violetta Valéry, whose love for the young Alfredo Germont is torn apart by his father, Giorgio, who demands she abandon him to preserve family honor. The drama ends with Violetta, dying of tuberculosis, finding a final moment of strength with Alfredo. It's a heavy one, but that's why it's stayed a staple for more than 150 years.

On stage, soprano Sara Gartland takes on Violetta, with tenor Kameron Lopreore as Alfredo and baritone Joo Won Kang as Giorgio Germont, marking Kang's Austin Opera debut. Music director Timothy Myers conducts, and E. Loren Meeker directs. The production is a co-production with Opera San Antonio, following the two companies' successful 2025 collaboration on Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Desmond Heeley handles the staging, as well as the set and costume design.

It's sung in Italian with English projected titles, so you can follow the story even if you don't speak the language. The performance runs 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 20-minute intermission, and the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus provide the music. You can catch it at Dell Hall, part of The Long Center for the Performing Arts at 701 W. Riverside Dr. in Austin. The dates are Sunday, April 18, at 2 PM; Thursday, April 22, at 7:30 PM; and Saturday, April 24, at 7:30 PM.