Franco Zeffirelli and the World’s Great Theatres: From La Scala to the Arena di Verona and Beyond

The works of Franco Zeffirelli graced the world’s most prestigious stages, writing some of the most
memorable chapters in the history of 20th-century opera and theatre direction. From his rise at Teatro La
Scala in Milan to his lavish productions at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, passing through the timeless enchantment of the Arena di Verona, Florence’s Teatro La Pergola, and London’s legendary
theatres such as Covent Garden and the Old Vic, Zeffirelli left an indelible mark on the international stage.

Everything began at Scala di Milano, where in 1953 the young Zeffirelli was invited to design sets and costumes for Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri under director Corrado Pavolini. The following year, he signed his
first production as director — also designing costumes and sets — for La Cenerentola, followed by L’Elisir d’Amore.
In 1955, at La Scala, his artistic partnership with Maria Callas was born — a collaboration that would
become legendary in opera history. But it was in 1963 that Zeffirelli achieved full recognition in Italy with a celebrated production of La Bohème conducted by Herbert von Karajan and starring Mirella Freni as Mimì.
“The evening of that premiere, January 31, 1963, marked the recognition that had already been granted to
me abroad but had been denied at home. For many in the world of theatre and opera, I was just one of
Visconti’s boys… but it all changed with that Bohème.” — FZ
Just months later came two more triumphs: Aida in 1963, with sets and costumes by Lila de Nobili, and La
Traviata in 1964, again under Karajan’s baton — both confirming the director’s unmistakable style and innovative vision.

Florence, Zeffirelli’s hometown, welcomed him at key moments in his career. After working as set designer
for Luchino Visconti’s historic Troilus and Cressida in the Boboli Gardens in 1960, Zeffirelli was invited by
the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino to stage Euridice by Jacopo Peri.
“The staging of Euridice didn’t pose any particular problems for me, because the opera had originally been
conceived as a grand spectacle to celebrate the marriage of Maria de’ Medici and the French ‘dauphin’…”
— FZ
In 1965, again for Il Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, he directed Anna Magnani in La Lupa, marking the great actress’s return to the stage. Zeffirelli returned to the Teatro della Pergola in 1983 with a powerful Maria
Stuarda by Schiller, featuring Rossella Falk and Valentina Cortese.

Alongside his achievements in Florence and Milan, Zeffirelli also developed a meaningful relationship with
the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.

His first production there was Falstaff in 1963, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini.

From the 1990s onward, the collaboration deepened: in 1992, he directed La Bohème and a boldly
innovative Pagliacci, followed in 1993 by a sumptuous Aida with costumes by Lila de Nobili. In the early
2000s, Zeffirelli staged a Tosca conducted by Plácido Domingo, with Luciano Pavarotti, Ines Salazar, and
Juan Pons. This was followed by La Traviata (2007), another Tosca (2008), and Falstaff (2010).

Before gaining widespread recognition in Italy, Zeffirelli had already won over British audiences. In 1960, at
London’s Old Vic, he directed a groundbreaking Romeo and Juliet starring a young Judi Dench and John
Stride. The production was a resounding success, and in 1965 Laurence Olivier invited him back to direct
Much Ado About Nothing.
Riding this wave of acclaim, Zeffirelli returned to Covent Garden, where he directed and designed a prestigious Don Giovanni. In 1973, once again at the Old Vic, he brought Eduardo De Filippo’s Saturday, Sunday, Monday to the British stage in a successful cultural exchange between Italy and the UK.

Paris also embraced the young but already accomplished Zeffirelli. In 1964, he directed the first French
production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. That same year, his production of Norma at the Opéra de Paris, marked a historic moment: it coincided with Maria Callas’s farewell to the stage.
He returned to Paris in 1976 to inaugurate the newly restored
Comédie-Française with a staging of
Lorenzaccio by Alfred de Musset.
During these same years, Zeffirelli was also active in Austria. At  Staatsoper di Vienna, the Vienna Staatsoper, he staged two operatic masterpieces: Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1972 and a legendary Carmen in 1978, conducted by
Carlos Kleiber.

From the very beginning, Zeffirelli enjoyed a privileged relationship with the Metropolitan Opera House in
New York. In 1964, he directed the final production staged at the old Met: Verdi’s Falstaff, conducted by
Leonard Bernstein. Three years later, in 1967, he was invited to inaugurate the new Lincoln Center theatre
with Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber.
His Met productions — including La Bohème, Turandot, Tosca, and Don Giovanni — continue to be revived
in the company’s seasons. A plaque at the Met lists all 11 of his productions, a testament to his lasting
legacy.

From 1995 onward, the Arena di Verona became one of the pillars of Zeffirelli’s operatic work. His
grandiose stagings — from Carmen to Il Trovatore (2001), Aida (2002), Madama Butterfly (2004), Turandot (2010), and Don Giovanni (2012) — turned the Arena into a true temple of wonder. His Traviata, staged posthumously in 2019, was a final, moving tribute to the art form and to the audience that had always embraced him.

Zeffirelli also had the honor of directing inaugural productions in landmark international theatres. In 1998, he staged Aida for the opening of thel New National Theatre di Tokyo. In 2011, he directed Turandot for the
grand opening of the Royal Opera House Muscat, Oman: a lavish production that reaffirmed his role as
a global ambassador for the performing arts.

Across the most important stages in the world — from Teatro La Scala to the Metropolitan Opera House, from the Arena di Verona to Covent Garden, from Teatro La Pergola to the Old Vic — Franco Zeffirelli transformed each venue into an immersive, timeless experience. His artistry, rooted in beauty, discipline,
and grandeur, continues to live on in the collective memory of theatre and opera.