Pia Douwes et al

Pia Douwes takes on the role of one of the greatest opera divas of all time, Maria Callas. In Master Class by successful author Terrence McNally, Douwes plays the famous singer, with music by Verdi, Puccini and Bellini, in a beautiful and award-winning piece about diva behavior, passion for music and bad men.

At half past seven in the evening, screenwriter Lex Passchier (Eyeballs, Deep Grounds) and theater programmer Katja Brenninkmeijer will give an introduction to this performance. 

The introduction is free, please register here.

Maria Callas gave master classes at the Juilliard School in New York in the autumn of her career. Her voice had lost strength, but interest in the greatest opera singer of this century was still unprecedented. Callas mercilessly confronts three of her opera students with their musical shortcomings. Her views on text and interpretation, the need to be personal, Callas instills in her pupils humor and a wicked sense of superiority. 

Master Class won several awards, including a Tony and Drama Desk Award, received unanimously favorable reviews in the Netherlands, a nomination for the Dutch Theater Audience Award and was selected for the Theater Festival. 

Master Class has impressive leading actors to its name worldwide. Zoe Caldwell, Audra McDonald and Patty Lupone performed the performance on Broadway, with the latter also taking on the role on the West End. Roman Polanski directed in Paris and in Australia Maria Callas was brought to life by Maria Mercedes.