Translated as The Queen of Spades, Tchaikovsky’s penultimate opera concerns love, death, class and gambling. Loosely based on the Alexander Pushkin novella of the same name, one of the arias sung by Pique Dame’s hero Herman inspired a popular Russian phrase: “What is our life? A game!” The role of Herman, originated by famed tenor Nikolay Figner, also carries the daunting task of singing in all seven scenes. West Bay Opera—who last produced Pique Dame in 2007—presents a royal flush of four performances, closing with a matinee on May 29.
Thu, 8pm, $35+
Lucie Stern Theater, Palo Alto
