Don Giovanni, a two-act opera by Mozart, has captivated artists and philosophers for centuries. Kierkegaard called it a work without blemish, of uninterrupted perfection. So whats all the hype about? Don Giovanni is the antihero, a young, rich, and lecherous playboy, so slutty that he records his sexual conquests on a scroll: 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 1,003 in Spain. In the opening scene, he wears a mask while sneaking into a home to seduce a woman named Donna Anna. But hes caught, kills her father in a duel, escapes unscathed, and is then enlisted to avenge the murder he committed. The ending is legendary. David Pittsinger, a frequent presence at the Met, sings Giovanni; Jacquelyn Wagner, who got her start in Europe, sings Anna; and conductor Andrew Bisantz has been extolled over the years in the Financial Times and New York Magazine. In such seasoned hands, its bound to be a smooth spectacle as staged by the Florida Grand Opera. Don Giovanni performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Au-Rene Theater in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $21 to $200. Call 954-462-0222, or visit browardcenter.org.
Thu., May 12, 8 p.m.; Sat., May 14, 8 p.m., 2011