Two new Turandot productions debut in Torre del Lago and Macerata

Two new productions of Puccini's Turandot opened in summer 2017 at the Festival Pucciniano in Torre del Lago and the Sferisterio in Macerata. The Torre del Lago staging, replacing a 2008 version by Maurizio Scaparro, Enzo Figerio, and Franca Squarciapino that toured a dozen theatres worldwide, was directed by journalist Alfonso Signorini (editor of Chi magazine) rather than a professional director, assisted by Carla Tolomei (sets), Cristina Gaeta (choreography), Fausta Puglisi (costumes), and Valerio Alfieri (lighting). The production, co-produced with the National Opera of Georgia, features a single set depicting a fairy-tale Beijing with the Forbidden City gate, dominant red and white colors, and traditional yet innovative elements such as the Ping-Pong-Pang masks and the two Turandot-Calaf duets. In Macerata, the experimental theatre duo Ricci/Forte staged a psychoanalytic interpretation set on an ice field, where Liù is shot by Turandot instead of committing suicide, Turandot is raped in a mobile home, and children are killed to prevent future relationships with the princess. Despite controversial departures from the libretto, the Macerata production was warmly received by the audience.