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The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb will conclude its opera and rich theatre season with the premiere of opera Il Segretto di Susanna, a work by the Italian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, with Ivo Lipanović as conductor and Saša Broz as stage director. The premiere of this one-act comical opera will take place on July 5, 2024 at the Klovićevi dvori Gallery.
The cast for the opening night: Susanna is Josipa Bilić (alternation is Ivana Lazar), the count is Matija Meić (alternation is Siniša Hapač), the servant is Andrija Nazlić and the maid is Gloria Dubelj.

Although I am a passionate opera fan since my early childhood, this is the second time I am directing an opera work. I am honoured to have been invited by the general manager Iva Hraste Sočo and thrilled with the selected title. The music is very attractive with a humorous libretto and the entire intensive working process is conducted in a lovely atmosphere. Josipa Bilić, Ivana Lazar, Matija Meić and Siniša Hapač led by maestro Ivo Lipanović along actors Glorija Dubelj and Andrij Nazlić at each rehearsal open some new moments in the interaction of music and the scenes I am directing on the stage, says Saša Broz, revealing how she placed the work in its authentic time period because that was the only dramaturgical solution that could justify the fact that women were forbidden to smoke in public places and leave their homes without the permission of their husband.
Due to this I have made a small step forward in building the character of Susanna who in my concept is a self-confident woman who knows how to wisely get what she desires. Susanna is also confident in her love for Gil, but at the same time does not wish to give up her vice. When we started shaping her character in such a manner, automatically other layers in the marriage relationship between Susanna and Gil opened up and instead of a rigid and traditional marriage, we achieved a concept of a modern marriage.

Costume designer Mia Popovski and set designer Sara Haas are responsible for the visual appearance of the performance. Stage movement was created by Nastasja Štefanić Kralj while the lighting designer was Aleksandar Čavlek.
I would like to thank the director of the CNT Opera Željka Barišić Pulig and the artistic adviser Ljubomir Puškarić for exceptional support during the entire process. This is very important to me on a personal level as well, said Saša Broz.

Il Segretto di Susanna is planned for July 6, 8 and 9 at the atrium of the Klovićevi dvori Gallery in a diptych with one-act opera Stanac by Jakov Gotovac.