On April 7, The Baden-Baden Osterfestpiele will open with a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca.”

The production will be directed by Philipp Himmelmann, who is best known for his work in Verdi’s “Don Carlo” in Berlin and Puccini’s “Tosca” at the Bregenz festival. Sir Simon Rattle returns to conducting duties after leading Baden-Baden’s production of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” in 2014.

Kristine Opolais, who has become a well-regarded Puccini singer takes on the title role for the first time since 2013. Opolais is slated to reprise it at the Metropolitan Opera in a new production by David McVicar.

Marcelo Alvarez will be her Cavaradossi, a role he has performed all over the world including New York, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Paris and Monte Carlo. He is slated to reprise Cavaradossi in New York in May 2018.

Evgeny Nikitin rounds out the starry cast in his first appearance as Scarpia since 2015. The bass-baritone has become recognized for his work in Wagner and he recently opened the Metropolitan Opera season in Wagner’s “Tristan Und Isolde.” He next appears as Klingsor at the Metropolitan Opera, Paris National Opera, and Baden-Baden.

The production runs from April 7 to the 17. They will also perform a concert version with the Berlin Philharmonic as part of the festival.