The Metropolitan Opera: The Queen of Spades

On stage and screen, this Met production reimagines a 19th century opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, transposed into a dark, aristocratic Russian world. Lisa, a naive young woman, becomes entangled with Hermann, a daredevil officer consumed by risk and cards. Their forbidden attraction unfolds under a chilling atmosphere where desire meets danger, and the price of obsession starts to mount. Across the hall, Yeletsky, Lisa's fiancé, carries his own tension and loyalty, while the Countess lingers as a ghostly figure whose memories drive the events. The score sweeps through lush melodies and eerie motifs, guiding a narrative of longing, fate, and the seductive lure of a fabled fortune. Soprano Sonya Yoncheva headlines in her Met debut, supported by an ensemble.

Released in 2025 as a Met film, the production is directed by Elijah Moshinsky and adapts Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades for screen. Yoncheva stars as Lisa, with Soghomyan as Hermann, Golovatenko as Yeletsky, Urmana as Countess, conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson.

Box office data for this Met film has not been publicly disclosed, so worldwide earnings cannot be cited. Some outlets may publish estimates later, but until figures emerge viewers should consider the work on its own terms for audiences worldwide.

Beyond a single staging, Queen of Spades has long shaped the operatic imagination with its eerie mood and fatal glamour. This Met interpretation leans into its spectral figures and obsessive pull, offering lush orchestration and a tense, theatrical arc that resonates with modern audiences seeking psychological drama and lasting relevance.

The production emphasizes a mood of desire and danger, where loyalty and social pressure collide with fate. Yoncheva brings bright vocal propulsion to Lisa's arc, while Soghomonyan's Hermann embodies reckless obsession, and Wilson's conducting threads the score into a gripping emotional current for devoted opera lovers around the world today.