Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) opens its 33rd season with Giuseppe Verdi’s legendary tragedy “Rigoletto,” Nov. 6, 8 and 10 at the Lobero Theatre.

Showtimes include a newly added Tuesday evening performance on Nov. 10, expanding the run from the company’s traditional two performances to three.

Based on Victor Hugo’s play “Le roi s’amuse,” “Rigoletto,” tells the story of a court jester whose biting humor at the expense of a grieving father brings down a devastating curse on his own daughter.

“Filled with some of Verdi’s most celebrated music, including the aria ‘La donna è mobile,’ ‘Rigoletto’ is one of the most beloved and frequently performed works in the operatic repertoire,” OSB said.

“Beyond the hit tunes, ‘Rigoletto’ is the work that established Verdi as the supreme dramatist of 119th century opera,” said Kostis Protopapas, OSB’s artistic and general director.

“Part thriller, part psychological drama, part cautionary tale, ‘Rigoletto’ is a tragedy of Shakespearean depth and intensity,” Protopapas said.

“Our last two seasons have played to consistently full houses, and our connection with our audience has never been deeper,” he said. “This third performance allows us to share our work with more people.”

The production reunites director Octavio Cardenas and designer Daniel Chapman, the team behind the company’s recent productions of “Pagliacci” and “Zorro.”

Baritone Ben Lowe, last heard with Opera Santa Barbara as Tonio in “Pagliacci” (2024), returns in the title role of the fateful jester.

Soprano Oriana Falla-Geis, the heroine of the company’s 2024 “Zorro,” sings Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda; tenor Arnold Geis makes his company debut as the Duke of Mantua; Colin Ramsey portrays the assassin Sparafucile; and mezzo-soprano Xeni Tziouvaras makes her company debut as the alluring Maddalena.

Protopapas conducts performance, which runs about 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one intermission, and is sung in Italian with English captions.

Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6; 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8; and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Single tickets start at $35 for the Tuesday performance and $52 for Friday. Tickets are available at the Lobero Theatre Box Office by calling 805-963-0761, or online at lobero.org.

The company advises patrons to purchase tickets only through the Lobero Theatre Box Office, not through third-party vendors.