Opera Orlando stages ambitious collision of Berlioz and Mascagni at the Dr. Phillips Center

Prepare for a heady double bill of iconic opera as Opera Orlando pits Berlioz against Mascagni (though not, sadly, in the ring).

For two nights at Steinmetz — a venue made for this — Opera Orlando does double duty on the comedy Beatrice + Benedict and tragedy Cavalleria Rusticana. But lest ye think that you’re going to have to smuggle in snacks for a marathon double feature, there’s an innovative gambit at play here: Both operas are happening in an overlapping fashion, with the events of one harmoniously rubbing up against the other.

Two distinct casts — with assists from the Orlando Ballet, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opera Orlando Youth Company — share one timeline and stage. Murder and mayhem on the one hand, plus a “merry war of words,” all on the same fateful Easter. Has the opera cinematic universe finally arrived?

Various times Friday and Sunday, April 25 and 27, Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, $29.

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This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2025.