Watch Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV

Verdi’s Shakespearean comedy features an ensemble cast in Robert Carsen’s staging, with baritone Michael Volle performing in his first Verdi role at the Met as the knight Falstaff, tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance.

Karen Almond / Met Opera

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Michael Volle as Falstaff and Ailyn Pérez as Alice in Verdi's "Falstaff."

Reuniting after their acclaimed turns in the production’s 2019 run are soprano Ailyn Pérez as Alice Ford, soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano as Meg Page, and mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Mistress Quickly. Soprano Hera Hyesang Park and tenor Bogdan Volkov are the young couple Nannetta and Fenton, and Maestro Daniele Rustioni conducts. Ryan Speedo Green hosts.

Karen Almond / Met Opera

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Jennifer Johnson Cano as Meg, Michael Volle as Falstaff, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Mistress Quickly in Verdi's "Falstaff."

GREAT PERFORMANCES brings the best in the performing arts from across America and around the world to a U.S. television audience. It presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

Karen Almond / Met Opera

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A scene from Verdi's "Falstaff" with Michael Volle (center) in the title role.

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