Friday March 13th, 2026
7:30 PM Performance
Sunday March 15th, 2026
2:30 PM Performance
Uihlein Hall, Marcus Performing Arts Center
Run time 3 hours, with one short intermission
Performed French with English supertitles
Rated - PG
Show Events
Opening Night Dinner
March 13, 2026 at 5:30pm
Saint Kate Arc Theater
139 E Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Pre-Opera Talk
March 13, 2026 at 6:30pm
March 15, 2026 at 1:30pm
Anello Atrium (MPAC)
Opening Night Post-Show Party after the show
Saint Kate Arc Theater
139 E Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Cash bar
Role Sponsor - Hoffmann
Nita Soref Charitable Trust
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.
Need the TL;DR? Don’t worry—Maggey’s got you covered! Here’s her quick take:
SONG:Barcarolle Anna Netrebko & Elīna Garanča – Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann: Barcarolle
SONG:Doll’s aria (“Les oiseaux dans la charmille”) Les Contes d'Hoffmann: "Les oiseaux dans la charmille" (Erin Morley)
SONG: Act I “Drig drig drig”
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
*Indicates Florentine Opera Debut | + Baumgartner Studio Artist | ^ Baumgartner Studio Artist Alum
