The Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) is a haunting opera that dives into the stormy, occasionally uncanny, love life of poet Hoffmann. In a series of flashbacks (and perhaps a bit too much wine), Hoffmann recounts three romantic escapades, each with its own fantastical twist—and each disastrously interrupted by a shadowy villain determined to ruin his good time. The opera is a blend of romance, heartbreak, and just the right dose of the surreal, proving that in Hoffmann’s world, if something seems too good to be true, it probably involves an evil doppelgänger or a mechanical doll.

Artists & Cast

COMPOSED BY Jacques Offenbach
STAGE DIRECTED BY David Lefkowich *
CONDUCTED BY Francesco Milioto
WITH THE Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
FEATURING The Florentine Opera Chorus,
Dr. Benjamin Rivera, Chorus Master

Performers

Hoffmann Kang Wang *
Heroines: (Antonia, Olympia, Giulietta, Stella) Susanne Burgess *
Villains: (Lindorf, Coppélius, Dr. Miracle, Dappertutto) Christian Pursell *
(Niklaus/Muse) Emily Fons
(Valet Tenors: Frantz, Andres, Cochenille, Pittichinaccio) Julius Ahn *
(Voice of Antonia’s Mother) Lauryn Nelson +
(Spalanzani, Nathanael) Zach Taylor +
(Crespel, Hermann) David Drettwan +
(Schlémil, Luther) Dylan Gregg