Giacomo Puccini's adventure through the American West, La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the West) was inspired by a similarly named play by author David Belasco, and explores the primal wildness, unrefined cultural customs, and the vivid colors of distant California during the times of the 1840s/50s 'gold rush'. While it is less revered in comparison to other Puccini works, the opera is still considered to have been several years ahead of its time. Musically, it combines elements of African-American jazz rhythms and melodies from the New Orleans period with Puccini's rich compositional style, and was well-received by audiences as a true novelty when it premiered in New York in 1910. Similarly, at the Łódź premiere in 1971, Puccini's magic was revered by local opera patrons. Now taking the stage at the Grand Theatre in Łódź, a similar if not greater reception is expect in 2023! The musical director of the performance is Wojciech Rodek, with Karolina Sofulak is directing. Sharing the female lead are Dorota Wójcik and Anna Wierzbicka, joined by Dominik Sutowicz as the bandit in love. Performance in Italian with subtitles in Polish.