Tosca In Bryant Park: Free Opera Under The Stars On Saturday

MIDTOWN, NY – New York City Opera will present “Tosca” at Bryant Park on Saturday, Aug. 24, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passing of composer Giacomo Puccini.

The free outdoor performance begins at 7 p.m. There are no tickets, but entry is on a first come, first served basis. Picnic blankets are available for audience members to borrow, but bring your own basket.

More information is available here.

Tosca transports audiences to Italy, and to Rome specifically, during a period of political turmoil as Napoleon’s influence – and armies – spread across Europe.

Floria Tosca, a beloved opera singer, is caught in a dangerous web of love, jealousy, and political intrigue, desperate to protect her lover, painter Mario Cavaradossi, from the ruthless chief of police, Baron Scarpia.

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end well.

New York City Opera, which Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia once called “the people’s opera,” was founded in 1943. The company nearly shuttered in 2013 but re-emerged from bankruptcy in 2016.

Saturday’s concert is part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances series, which concludes in September. Catch the legendary Eddie Palmieri, now 87, on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m, before performances conclude for the season on Sept. 13.