Teatro Grattacielo has announced a new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte, bringing a contemporary interpretation of the opera to audiences in New York this summer.
The performances will take place on 17 July at 7pm and 19 July at 3pm at the Ellen Stewart Theatre, located within Shares at La MaMa on East 4th Street in Manhattan. Tickets for the production will start at $52.75.
Widely regarded as one of the defining works of the operatic repertoire, Così fan tutte was the third collaboration between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. The opera remains known for its blend of humour, emotional complexity and commentary on relationships and human behaviour.
The latest production is directed by Cate Pisaroni and conducted by Abdiel Vázquez. Teatro Grattacielo said the staging seeks to reposition the opera for contemporary audiences through a modern conceptual framework centred on identity, intimacy and emotional openness.
According to the production notes, the interpretation presents the familiar narrative through “a polyamorous, design-driven lens”, reframing the opera as “a contemporary exploration of love as process rather than verdict”.
The company added: “Pisaroni transforms Mozart’s experiment in fidelity into an open, emotionally intelligent study of connection, self-construction, and fluid identity, set within a minimalist world inspired by Bauhaus geometry and Lars von Trier’s Dogville.”
The staging introduces Cupid as a central dramatic figure within the production. Rather than functioning as a symbolic romantic character, Cupid is positioned as “a narrator, observer, and provocateur who moves between worlds and exposes the opera’s emotional machinery”.
Teatro Grattacielo said the production emphasises the tension between emotional vulnerability and formal structure, while remaining faithful to Mozart’s original score and compositional precision.
“The production heightens the tension between structure and vulnerability, allowing Mozart’s precise musical architecture to open into questions of desire, contradiction, tenderness, and transformation,” the company stated.
“The result honors Mozart’s wit while boldly re-examining intimacy, transparency, and the human desire to design—and test—the boundaries of love.”
The production also draws historical connections to Lorenzo da Ponte’s later life in the United States. After collaborating with Mozart in Europe, da Ponte eventually settled in New York, where he became involved in teaching and promoting Italian opera in America.
Teatro Grattacielo noted that the city’s historical association with da Ponte adds another dimension to the project.
“And in a fitting resonance for a New York–based project, Lorenzo da Ponte—who later lived, taught, and helped introduce Italian opera to the United States—left a cultural imprint on the city that subtly echoes through this contemporary reimagining.”
Minimalist staging and modern themes aim to attract wider audiences
The creative direction reflects a broader trend within the performing arts sector, where classical works are increasingly being revisited through modern social and cultural perspectives in an effort to engage younger and more diverse audiences.
By combining minimalist staging with themes surrounding fluid identity and contemporary relationships, Teatro Grattacielo’s production seeks to balance the historical significance of Mozart’s work with modern theatrical storytelling.
The opera will be performed in Italian with English supertitles. Running time is scheduled at two hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.
Accessibility provisions have also been confirmed for audience members attending the performances. Teatro Grattacielo said La MaMa and all of its productions are wheelchair accessible and disability-friendly, with additional accommodations available upon request.
Founded to champion rarely performed operatic repertoire alongside new interpretations of established classics, Teatro Grattacielo has built a reputation for presenting experimental and visually distinctive productions in New York’s independent arts scene.
The upcoming staging of Così fan tutte continues that approach, combining Mozart’s original composition with a contemporary reinterpretation designed to resonate with present-day audiences while preserving the opera’s underlying wit and emotional complexity.
