Cosi Fan Tutte: A Searing Hot Tale of Lust, Idealism and Humor Livens The Metropolitan Opera Again
Long since its debut in Vienna, Austria in 1790, and nearly eight years since its previous run, Cosi Fan Tutte reimagined by Phelim McDermott graced the stage at The Metropolitan Opera once again this past month, met by a crowd of new and longtime fans. The comical take on young love, written by Mozart, featured full bodied Italian ballads, and a reimagined set mirroring New York's very own Coney Island in place of Naples. The Metropolitan Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
As a Brooklyn baby that spent many Summer days and nights at Coney Island's old Astroland amusement park, the set design by Tom Pye was a brilliant reconstruction fit with everything worth loving. From the seagulls calling out across the sunset to the greasy rich finger foods for sale and circus performers, McDermott's take on Cosi Fan Tutte invokes all of the energy of youthful Summer romance. The Metropolitan Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
This rendition is set in the 1950's and features on-set replicas of the cherished Tunnel of Love ride complete with true to size swan carts on wheels and spinning Tea Cup ride carts, quintessential to any classic amusement park. What brought true fire to the stage was a cast of Coney Island Circus Sideshow actors including 14 year veteran performer and fire breather Sage Sovereign, an honor to Coney Island's legacy as home to the last permanently housed sideshow in the U.S. The Metropolitan Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
The story of Cosi Fan Tutte explores idealistic love through brothers Ferrando (played by Duke Kim) and Guglielmo (played by Andrey Zhilikhovsky) as they question the fidelity of their partners Fiodiligi (played by Federica Lombardi) and Dorabella (played by Samantha Hankey) by courting them whilst dressed in disguises as unfamiliar suitors. Led down a path of jealousy, paranoia and revelation by Don Alfonso (played by Gerald Finley) the brothers decide that even though imperfect, their relationships are worth keeping. The Metropolitan Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
This tongue-in-cheek opera buffa, whose title translates to Women Are Like That, showcases chauvinism at its limits through humor and powerhouse vocals. The opera leans into the notion that women are incapable of loyalty, while its male leads run rampant with suspicion, schemes, and fury. Soprano Federica Lombardi and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey anchor the production with their striking vocal chemistry. Their Act I duet, “Ah! guarda sorella,” is a standout, blending Lombardi’s rich tone with Hankey’s warm layered mezzo-soprano. Lombardi moves thrillingly between gutteral runs and heady notes while Hankey brings depth to Dorabella with an emotionally charged and at other times vulnerable precense on stage. Equally impressive, Soprano Ana María Martínez brings agility and comic flair to her reprised portrayal of the strategic and emotionally cool Despina. Her tightly spinning vibrato filled the Met, despite revealing that she was falling ill that evening.
The male leads become caricatures of vanity. Tenor Duke Kim as Ferrando, baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Guglielmo, and bass-baritone Gerald Finley as Don Alfonso make a compelling trio in “La mia Dorabella,” their contrasting vocal timbres establishing each character’s personality. Kim’s youthful naivete and Zhilikhovsky’s sly charm play neatly against Finley’s self-assured cynicism. Finley, turns the opera’s exploration of gender bias into dark comedy, delivering lyrics with pointed exaggeration before joining Lombardi and Hankey in their beautifully balanced vocal collaborations. The final trio, “Sani e salvi agli,” offers a fitting close to the opera’s tangled schemes, with Finley’s assured comic presence bringing the cloud high chaos and drama to a vibrating finale. The Metropolitan Opera Cosi Fan Tutte
A can't miss show, Cosi Fan Tutte holsters the whimsy of the 1950's and Coney Island’s dreamy abandon in tandem with detailed set design and glorious costumes from Laura Hopkins to complement the opera’s music and spirit. A standout ferris wheel, hot air balloon and pyrotechnic effects add tons of spectacle, while conductor Nimrod David Pfeffer commands with musical precision.
For more information about this production or upcoming shows at The Met Opera visit, https://www.metopera.org/season/2026-27-season/cosi-fan-tutte/
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