The New Amsterdam Opera has announced that it will be performing Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani” at the Sanctuary Theater in New York City on May 9, 2020.

The cast for the opera will be announced at a later date, though the work will be conducted by Music Director Keith Chambers.

”I Vespri,” has rarely received performances in New York in recent history. The opera has been showcased just 45 times at the Metropolitan Opera. Its first performance with the company was in 1967 with the most recent coming in 2004.

The New York City Ballet has performed the opera’s ballet as a program, but the work itself has not seen any other major performances since.

This is the second time in the last few years that the company puts on a rare Verdi opera; back in 2017, the company showcased “La Forza del Destino.” Earlier in 2019, the company showcased Massenet’s “Hérodiade” with Donizetti’s “La Favorite” being the 2018 showcase.