Alcina

About

Brought to life by a stellar cast and an orchestra of period instruments, this production unleashes the opera’s raw emotional intensity and virtuosic fire. At its center is Nikola Printz, whose magnetic performance reveals both Alcina’s intoxicating power and vulnerability beneath the spell. Dark, seductive, and musically electric, this staging is presented as a co-production between Festival Opera and The San Francisco Early Music Society. The production features two distinct formats across its run: concert performances at UC Berkeley's Hertz Hall, which serve as the finale and highlight of the 2026 Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, and a full theatrical production at the Lesher Center for the Arts. The fully staged version at the Lesher Center includes a content advisory for acted depictions of death and drug use, fog or haze effects, and the use of an acted weapon, and is recommended for audiences ages 10 and up.