Merola Opera Program continues its 2024 Summer Festival with a fully staged production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Merola artists will perform this masterpiece, based on the retelling of the Don Juan legend with libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, set to one of Mozart’s richest and most lyrical scores. Don Giovanni combines comedy and tragedy, following an unrepentant rake who comes up against a trio of determined women and one implacable statue. This dramatic opera, first performed in 1787, breathes life into the story's alluring and alarming combination of dark and light topics with a supernatural twist. Maestro Stefano Sarzani, who has conducted internationally for leading opera companies, will make his Merola debut at the podium. Staging this piece will be world-renowned soprano Patricia Racette (Merola ‘88) who for decades has captivated audiences at major opera houses around the world, including San Francisco Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, before launching her career as an in-demand director.