Aida - 'most famous Opera of all time' returns to the Artscape from 23 to 31 May
Cape Town Opera brings Verdi’s powerful opera to life with an all-African cast, presenting a futuristic reimagining of this beloved classic.
CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson speaks to Magdaleen Minnaar, artistic director of Cape Town Opera and director of this year's production of Aida.
Listen below:
Giuseppe Verdi's Aida is one of the most famous operas of all time and it's coming to Cape Town's Artscape Opera House from 23 to 31 May.
Cape Town Opera brings Verdi’s powerful Aida to life with an all-African cast, presenting a futuristic reimagining of this beloved story.
The Italian opera will have English and isiXhosa subtitles.
Set against a backdrop of war, forbidden love and cultural conflict, this timeless opera is brought to life once again in an era of African futurism, in a world 1000 years from now.
The story follows Aida, an enslaved Ethiopian princess, and Radamès, an Egyptian military commander, navigating love amidst loyalty, betrayal and the clash between two civilisations.
Ntuthuko Ziqubu plays the King of Egypt, Lonwabo Mose plays Ramfis, Van Wyk Venter is the Messenger, and Khayakazi Madlala is the High Priestess in a version of Aida that's "aesthetically avant-garde and visually engaging with bold geometric forms, innovative costuming and immersive lighting to transport you to a thousand years from now in a very eloquent way," says Minnaar.
This innovative production redefines grand opera within an African context. Under Minnaar’s direction, Aida’s 153-year-old story is told in a unique, indigenous and thoughtful way.
The show will feature a chorus of 56 singers and dancers, with US-based conductor Kamal Khan conducting the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
It will be, without question, a cultural highlight for South Africa in 2025.
Tickets are available at Webtickets.
Schools are also welcome to book directly for special performances for learners through Cape Town Opera for a day loaded with edutainment.
"I'm hoping that 1000 years from now, they'll look back at our archival material in the same way we look at Star Trek for starship inspiration. So, it's been very interesting to imagine what fashion looks like in 1000 years from now..."
- Magdaleen Minnaar, Artistic Director - Cape Town Opera and Director of AIDA
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.