GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET: Rigoletto

Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 12 p.m. on KPBS TV

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening") makes his Met debut with a new production of Verdi’s "Rigoletto." The new staging moves the opera’s tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960.

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Piotr Beczala as the Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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Željko Lucic as the title character of Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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Diana Damrau as Gilda and Željko Lucic as Rigoletto in Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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Piotr Beczala as the Duke and Oksana Volkova as Maddalena in Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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Željko Lucic as Rigoletto, Diana Damrau as Gilda, Oksana Volkova as Maddalena, and Piotr Beczala as the Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

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A scene from Act I of Verdi's "Rigoletto."

Courtesy of Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Polish tenor Piotr Beczala sings the Duke, an amoral lounge singer whose entourage includes the world-weary comedian Rigoletto, sung by Serbian baritone Željko Lučić.

German soprano Diana Damrau sings the role of the innocent Gilda, Rigoletto’s daughter and the victim of the predatory Duke. Michele Mariotti conducts his first company performances of the Verdi masterwork, which features one of the most famous arias in all of opera, “La donna è mobile.”

Soprano Renee Fleming hosts the transmission and conducts backstage interviews with the stars.

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GP at the Met: Rigoletto Preview

"Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) makes his Met debut with a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The new staging moves the opera’s tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy

"Rigoletto: "Caro nome"

"Diana Damrau performs "Caro nome" from Verdi's "Rigoletto." "Rigoletto" airs on Great Performances at the Met Friday

"Rigoletto: "Questa o quella"

"Piotr Beczala performs the Duke's aria from Act I of Verdi's "Rigoletto." "Rigoletto" airs on Great Performances at the Met Friday

Rigoletto: Act 1 Duet

"The Act 1 Duet at the final dress rehearsal of "Rigoletto" with Diana Damrau as Gilda and Zeljko Lucic as Rigoletto. "Rigoletto" airs Friday