Abduction
A Comedy in Three Acts
Based on Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Belmonte and Constance, or The Abduction from the Seraglio) by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist
Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
Johann Gottlieb Stephanie
First performance
July 16, 1782, Burgtheater, Vienna, Austria
Run time
Approximately 2 hrs 45 min
including two intermissions
Sung in German with English dialogue
English captions projected above the stage
Date
Friday, October 16, 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 18, 2:30 pm
Venue
The Egyptian Theatre
700 W Main St, Boise
Doors open
6:00 pm (Oct 16) | 1:00 pm (Oct 18)
Center Stage with Stacey
6:30 pm (Oct 16) | 1:30 pm (Oct 18)
Ticket Prices
Adult: $41 to $132
Senior: $33 to $119
Youth: $29 to $87
Military discount available
Groups
Save 20% on groups of 10 or more. Contact the box office at 208-345-3531.
All tickets show the “all-in” price, fees and tax included.
About the Show
What should be a simple rescue quickly becomes anything but.
When Belmonte sets out to reunite with his beloved Konstanze, he expects courage, determination, and maybe a little luck to be enough. Instead, he finds himself caught in a whirlwind of clever schemes, mistaken assumptions, oversized personalities, and one hilariously stubborn overseer who seems determined to foil every plan.
With the help of his quick thinking friend Pedrillo and the spirited Blondchen, every new attempt to outsmart their captors seems to unravel in an entirely unexpected way. As disguises, deception, and romance collide, the line between carefully laid plans and complete chaos grows thinner by the minute.
Filled with sparkling melodies, dazzling vocal fireworks, and laugh out loud moments, Abduction showcases Mozart at his most playful. Beneath the comedy, however, lies a story that challenges first impressions and reminds us that kindness can appear where we least expect it.
Part of Opera Idaho’s Unraveled season, Abduction celebrates the moments when our assumptions fall apart, our plans go delightfully off course, and our greatest surprises reveal something unexpected about ourselves and others.
Whether you’re discovering opera for the first time or you’re a longtime fan, Abduction is an irresistible blend of romance, comedy, and unforgettable music that proves sometimes the best adventures are the ones that don’t go according to plan.
About the Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) is widely regarded as one of history’s greatest composers. A child prodigy who began performing across Europe before the age of ten, Mozart possessed an extraordinary ability to write music that was both technically brilliant and deeply expressive. During his short lifetime, he composed more than 600 works, many of which remain cornerstones of the classical repertoire.
Although his remarkable talent earned him admiration from royalty and audiences alike, Mozart spent much of his adult life pursuing artistic independence as a freelance composer. His operas, in particular, revealed an unmatched gift for bringing characters to life, balancing humor, drama, and emotional honesty with music of remarkable beauty and sophistication.
Composed in 1782, The Abduction from the Seraglio marked Mozart’s first great operatic success in Vienna and helped establish German-language opera as a serious artistic form. Blending sparkling comedy with moments of genuine compassion, the work reflects Mozart’s belief that even the funniest stories are most powerful when their characters feel real. Its demanding vocal writing and memorable melodies continue to delight audiences more than two centuries later.
From The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni to The Magic Flute, Mozart transformed opera by creating characters who are wonderfully flawed, deeply human, and instantly recognizable. The Abduction from the Seraglio remains a perfect introduction to that genius, combining dazzling music, irresistible comedy, and timeless storytelling.
Synopsis (spoilers)
Act I
Turkey, the 1700s. Pasha Selim has bought as slaves three Europeans taken prisoner by pirates: Konstanze, a young Spanish lady; Blondchen, her English maid; and Pedrillo, who is the servant of Konstanze’s fiancé, Belmonte, and in love with Blondchen. Belmonte has traced the trio to the pasha’s seaside palace, where Konstanze has become her new master’s favorite. The pasha has made Pedrillo his gardener and has given Blondchen to Osmin, his palace overseer.
At the palace gate, Belmonte encounters Osmin, who treats him coolly and flies into a rage when Belmonte asks about Pedrillo, Osmin’s rival. Osmin drives Belmonte away and then rails at Pedrillo when he suggests that they should finally make peace. Belmonte returns and learns from Pedrillo that the pasha has fallen in love with Konstanze but will not force himself on her. Pedrillo will try to arrange a meeting between Konstanze and Belmonte and an escape by boat with Blondchen.
Konstanze returns from a pleasure trip with the pasha. He has been treating her with respect but she cannot forget Belmonte and keeps rejecting his advances. Pedrillo introduces Belmonte to the pasha as a promising young architect and Selim welcomes him. Osmin tries to bar the way as Belmonte and Pedrillo enter the palace, but they force their way past him.
Act II
In the palace garden, Blondchen explains to Osmin how a European woman should be treated. Konstanze finds Blondchen and laments her sad situation. When the pasha again asks her to marry him, she tells him she would prefer torture, even death, to betraying her fiancé. Blondchen and Pedrillo discuss the escape plan: they will get Osmin drunk and all four leave on Belmonte’s ship. Even though Osmin’s religion forbids him to drink wine, Pedrillo has no difficulty in getting him drunk, leaving the coast clear for the two couples to meet.
Act III
That night, Belmonte and Pedrillo come to the ladies’ window with a ladder. Pedrillo sings a serenade as the signal for escape, but this wakes Osmin, who is not too hungover to realize what is going on. The four are locked up. When brought before the pasha, Belmonte suggests he collect a ransom from his wealthy family, the Lostados. At the mention of this name, the pasha realizes that Belmonte is the son of an old enemy, the man who exiled him from his own country. He decides to repay evil with good, freeing Konstanze and Belmonte, and even Blondchen and Pedrillo. The grateful couples praise their benefactor as they prepare to set sail.