Don Giovanni, Mozart’s unforgettable opera that has remained one of the world’s most staged works for more than 300 years, is getting a renewed focus for November’s Calgary Opera performances.

Traditionally the story revolves around the titular Don Giovanni, but in Director Anna Theodosakis’ take, the powerful women characters of Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina are getting a new focus highlighting their roles in Giovanni’s downfall.

This isn’t to say, Giovanni, played and sung by Calgarian Phillip Addis, doesn’t get his own demise—literally being dragged alive to hell as punishment for being an absolute rake.

Theodosakis said the goal is to help build and showcase the strength of the women who are so wronged by Giovanni.

“In talking to Jonathan Brandani, the conductor, we wanted to really make sure that the women of the story have more agency. It’s not just the men in the story helping them out, like Don Ottavio, but that they’re really empowered themselves to seek justice and tell their stories,” she said.

Theodosakis said that another aspect of the staging that would be new for audiences would be the explicit character-building implied in the original work but never expanded upon.

“Traditionally, there are a couple scenes where Donna Elvira supports Zerlina, but I’m planning to take it a little bit further and track how their relationships grow and build over the course of the opera,” she said.

“Another example is in Don Ottavio’s act two aria, he asked Zerlina and Masetto to go comfort Donna Anna in the cemetery, and I’ve never seen a production where those characters actually go and do that.”

“So, in this instance, I am actually having Zerlina go to Donna Anna to help her, and she’ll be more featured in then Donna Anna aria after that, and then also at the end, after Don Giovanni goes into hell.”

The final image the audience will be left with will be the three women standing arm in arm, survivors of Giovanni’s evil.

Donna Anna is being played by Quilico award-winning artist Midori Marsh, Donna Elvira by Top 30 Canadian Classical Artists Under 30 artist Aviva Fortunata, and Zerlina by second-year McPhee Artist Christina Thanisch-Smith.

Modern audiences tired of damsels in distress

The characters that Mozart wrote into Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina, said Theodosakis, were strong and the new emphasis brings those characteristics to the forefront.

“I think modern audiences are tired of damsels and distress. It just doesn’t really track,” she said.

“We are making cuts to the show to make it under the three hours, and we were really conscious of when making the cuts we weren’t cutting out any character development from the female characters, which sometimes happens when you’re making cuts. So, our story is definitely following Don Giovanni throughout the day, but there’s going to be some really special moments between the women.”

The Calgary Opera production also retains the traditional setting of the 18th Century, despite the benefit of the complexity the time period offers.

The opera is centred around multiple locations in quick succession, something Calgary Opera has addressed by creating a large set with modular flying pieces to travel throughout the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium stage. The massive height of that stage is also being taken to full advantage.

“We have very rich costumes of the period, and lots of large, intricate dresses and capes, and amazing hats. Set wise, it’s going to be very dark and spooky with a Gothic feel, so kind of a Spanish Gothic feel,” said Theodosakis.

The retention of the past, she said, is also an important way of helping the audience connect that to the evil that Giovanni does as being timeless.

“It’s showing that the humanity and these stories are still relevant to this time, and have lasting power because there’s a lot of truth in them,” she said.

“I’m hoping audiences will really take away how impactful the genre of opera can be as it combines music and drama seamlessly. This piece is one of the best and most done pieces because the marriage between the music and the drama is spectacular – and there really is nothing better than that last scene of him being dragged to hell.”

Don Giovanni plays at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium on Nov. 2, 6, and 8. Tickets are on sale now at www.calgaryopera.com.