by InTrieste
As part of the Trieste Estate 2025 cultural program, the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi will host a new staging of Ralph Benatzky’s beloved operetta Al Cavallino Bianco (The White Horse Inn), inviting audiences to experience “The Sound of Trieste” — a celebration of music set against the city’s historic charm and stunning natural backdrop.
Running from July 19 to 22, the operetta will be conducted by Maestro Ayrton Desimpelaere and directed by Andrea Binetti, with choreography by Noemi Gaggi and Luca Miclausig. The production is presented by the Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, a cornerstone of the city’s operatic and musical tradition.
Set in a picturesque Austrian lakeside inn, Al Cavallino Bianco combines romance, comedy, and mistaken identities, all underscored by a lively score that has delighted European audiences since its 1930 premiere. The operetta’s Trieste revival features soprano Erica Zulikha Benato as the innkeeper Josepha Vogelhuber, with Andrea Binetti also performing as the suitor Leopoldo Brandmeyer. Laura Ulloa, Francesco Castoro, Gualtiero Giorgini, Alessio Colautti, Marzia Postogna, and Valentino Pagliei round out a diverse cast of characters, each adding to the colorful dynamics of the story.
Paolo Longo leads the chorus in this production, which aims to highlight Trieste’s unique blend of Central European and Mediterranean influences — a cultural duality reflected in both the music and the setting of the operetta.
The event is part of a broader initiative to showcase Trieste as a musical capital nestled between the sea and the mountains, where Imperial elegance meets contemporary creativity. With its 19th-century theater and rich operatic legacy, the city offers an ideal stage for this light-hearted, yet technically rich performance.
