By Eyal Solomon…
The new rock adaptation captures Mozart’s spirit and wit—without missing a beat on vocal performance.
Back in 1787, when Mozart unleashed Don Giovanni at Prague’s National Theater, opera was still spelled with a lowercase “o”, a populist art form meant for everyone from powdered aristocrats to beer-soaked commoners. Italian was the Netflix English of its day — the default language of art and entertainment — understood by many, but not all. Back then, Don Giovanni was high-quality fun, a cheeky tale of a womanizer with very bad timing and worse impulse control. The dramatic weight we now assign it? That came later.
Fast-forward 238 years, and here we are at The Cutting Room in NYC, a venue built for grown-ups who like their rock and roll served with cocktails and actual chairs. On stage: a tight rock band, beefed up with a brass section. Three large screens flash the libretto – for those of us who still need help with the English (take that, Met Opera!). Sitting there, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Wolfgang Amadeus himself would’ve grinned ear to ear at the whole scene.


The production, with English adaptation and rock orchestrations by Adam B. Levowitz, stays mostly loyal to the original plot, with the music giving Mozart’s classical themes a modern, amped-up edge. There’s plenty of modern wit woven in, with jokes that land both high and low, plus wads of charm . But despite the casual setting and the rock-club vibe, the homage to the orginal is clear and genuine – and it shows.
Where this show refuses to compromise? The vocals. Full stop. Every lead brought their A-game: Ryan Silverman (Don Giovanni), Richard Coleman (Leporello), Rachel Zatcoff (Donna Elvira), Anchal Dhir (Donna Anna), Felipe Bombonato (Don Ottavio), and Edwin Jhamaal Davis (The Commander). Coleman and Zatcoff stole the night, but really, every voice soared. And that moment when operatic vocals collided with the full force of a rock and brass band? Pure adrenaline. Judging by the whoops and cheers, the rest of the audience agreed.


Walking out, it hit me: For fifty years we’ve slapped the label “rock opera” on any concept album with a narrative arc – Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, whatever. Like we use “soap opera” for melodrama. But if you want to see the real deal – a story-driven, vocally driven, no-corners-cut rock opera – then get yourself to Don Giovanni – The Rock Opera.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni – A Rock Opera will run through August 26, 2025, at The Cutting Room (44 East 32nd Street). visit https://www.dgrocks.com/ for more information.
Photo credits: Ken Howard
