Brazilian soprano Thayana Roverso will star in a 1960s Peruvian Andes adaptation of Gaetano Donizetti's opera The Elixir of Love in Lima on August 19. The production by the Opera Italia Program brings together performers from Italy, Brazil, Chile, and Peru for a four-date run across two major performing arts venues in the Peruvian capital.
The staging opens with performances on August 19 and August 20 at the Gran Teatro Nacional in the San Borja district of Lima. It will then move to the historic Teatro Municipal de Lima for shows on August 22 and August 23. Gaetano Donizetti's classic comic opera, which premiered in 1832 at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan, is being staged for the second 2026 season of the Opera Italia Program in co-production with Peru's Ministry of Culture and the Teatro Municipal de Lima.
The Opera Italia Program maintains its headquarters in Lima and receives official backing from the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute. In addition to staging high-level lyrical concerts, the organization focuses on vocal training for young singers across Latin America. For this production, musical director Lorenzo Tazzieri and stage director Luigi Orfeo have transposed Donizetti's original narrative to the Peruvian highlands during the 1960s. The story follows Nemorino, a tender peasant in love with the beautiful landowner Adina, who does not return his feelings. Desperate for her affection, Nemorino buys a magic elixir from Doctor Dulcamara, unaware that the swindling doctor has sold him cheap wine, while Adina is engaged to Sergeant Belcore.
An Andean Setting and Female Independence
Roverso will sing the role of Adina during the initial performances at the Gran Teatro Nacional, sharing the lead role during the run with Chilean soprano Tabita Martinez, who will perform at the Teatro Municipal de Lima. Roverso told Peruvian newspaper La República that performing as Adina felt special because her first opera role was Giannetta, Adina's friend in the same opera. She noted that the directors permitted her to profile Adina according to her own personality, describing Adina as an attentive woman who understands what she wants, controls the plot, and holds a deeply feminine role. She added that the opera carries enduring relevance by addressing the vulnerability of love and the universal need to feel loved.
Roverso highlighted that the Andean adaptation emphasizes female independence, stating that she believes firmly in women's freedom. She observed that male chauvinism is not threatened by female sensuality, but rather by a woman's ability to decide for herself and live freely. Having spent two months in Peru training young vocal talents from Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil, Roverso expressed conviction that Latin America can bring a distinct flavor to classical opera. She noted that audiences in Lima will see two distinct Latin American interpretations of Adina presented by vocalists from Brazil and Chile.
Vocal Athletics and Opera Myths
Having performed in international venues across China, Jordan, and Italy, Roverso dismissed the idea that opera is an elitist art form. She pointed out that large numbers of young people attend opera in Brazil and internationally, explaining that opera was originally created as entertainment for the general public before television existed, when audiences gathered to socialize and seek recreation. She emphasized that predictions claiming digital technology would cause opera to vanish were false, as audiences continue to seek live performances that combine music, theater, acting, and stage design simultaneously.
Roverso also dispelled myths surrounding vocal talent, comparing classical opera singers to Olympic athletes. She stated that a bohemian lifestyle is incompatible with an opera career because singers perform using their entire body rather than just their vocal cords. She noted that opera singers do not use microphones and must sustain or vary their vocal tone for nearly two hours on stage. To meet those demanding physical requirements, she maintains strict discipline by participating in sports, going to sleep early, and avoiding alcohol.
Cast Details and Ticket Sales
The production features tenor Ricardo Gaio as the romantic peasant Nemorino seeking the love potion, with baritone Luis Asmat taking the role of the arrogant and seductive Sergeant Belcore. Basso buffo Marco Camastra performs as the charismatic doctor Dulcamara who turns the town upside down, while sopranos Flor Velasquez and Daniela Lamina alternate in the role of Adina's lively friend Giannetta. Musical backing is provided by the Bicentenario National Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Polo Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, and the Simon Boccanegra Youth Lyrical Choir, uniting performers from Italy, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.
Tickets for the performances at the Gran Teatro Nacional are available through the Joinnus ticketing platform, with prices ranging from 15 to 50 Peruvian soles. Tickets for the shows at the Teatro Municipal de Lima can be purchased through Ticketmaster, also priced between 15 and 50 soles.
