WHAT happens when Mozart’s infamous seducer, Don Giovanni, is torn from 17th-century Seville (Spain) and thrust into the glittering towers and shadowy backstreets of modern-day Kuala Lumpur?

That’s the bold vision Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO) brings to life in its upcoming retelling of the timeless masterpiece Don Giovanni, taking the stage at Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) from Oct 23-26.

It’s likely KLCO’s most mischievous production of the year – one that follows a season of celebration with The Golden Age Of Broadway and Young Mozart Voyager lighting up its 10th anniversary. And the festivities continue next month, as KLCO readies Ravel 150, a double-bill performance marking the 150th anniversary of composer Maurice Ravel.

All eyes – and rehearsals – are now on Don Giovanni, as KLCO fine-tunes every detail in preparation for its KLPac run. Directed by Singaporean opera director and producer Heather Tan and conducted by Malaysian Bernard Tan, who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Collaborative Piano from the University of Michigan in the US, this production reinterprets Don Giovanni not as a nobleman, but as a charismatic yet ruthless businessman controlling a fashion empire.

His unrelenting conquests unfold across the urbane backdrop of Kuala Lumpur, reflecting power and manipulation in the modern age.

“Don Giovanni is a very popular opera that is considered a staple in many opera practitioners’ repertoire.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025