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Samson and Delilah

  • The Kennedy Center 2700 F Street Northwest Washington, DC, 20566 United States (map)

Performances: Mar 1, Mar 7 @7pm; Mar 13 @7:30pm; Mar 16 and Mar 21 @7pm

Her will is more powerful than his strength.

Music by Camille Saint-Saëns / Libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire
In French with Projected English Titles
WNO production

With superhuman strength and unmatched feats, Samson has everything it takes to free the enslaved Hebrews from the Philistines, their oppressors. But his enemies possess a weapon that can bring the warrior to his knees: the beautiful and irresistible Delilah. When Delilah seduces Samson into revealing the source of his physical power, his faith will be put to a final, catastrophic test.

This vivid staging of the iconic tale of love and betrayal features a lavish production and sumptuous period costumes, set against the tumultuous backdrop of two clashing nations. Saint-Saëns’s famous opera soars with some of the most splendid vocal music in French grand opera, including Delilah’s bewitching “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” (“My heart opens itself to your voice”) aria known around the world. From the provocative Bacchanale dance to the epic finale, Samson and Delilah depicts the danger of tenderness laced with deceit.

Performance Timing: Act One & Act Two 83 mins.; Intermission - 25 min.; Act Two - 35 mins

Earlier Event: March 7
Dinosaur Park Open House
Later Event: March 7
On A Winter's Night