Overview
- The Berlin premiere on Sunday introduced Rolando Villazón’s staging that relocates the 1813 opera to Mexico’s Lucha Libre scene.
- An in-ring bout in Act I featured German wrestlers Pascal Spalter and Rambo, complete with masks and crowd-rousing theatrics.
- Spalter said his operatic debut was great fun and that his nerves eased only after applause following the first act.
- The production keeps the story’s focus on love and liberation, with a villainous Bey as a wrestling studio owner and Isabella seeking to free her lover.
- Five additional performances are scheduled at the Deutsche Oper, with the next show on Wednesday.