Julian Kim performed the role of Giorgio Germont in La traviata at Teatro La Fenice in the iconic production directed by Robert Carsen. This acclaimed staging places Verdi’s tragedy in a sleek, contemporary world, transforming the setting into one of luxury, isolation, and emotional distance. Characters appear in modern formalwear — Germont in a dark suit and tie — against a backdrop of towering forest imagery that suggests judgment and detachment.

The stage is strewn with money throughout, used symbolically to represent love, power, and emptiness. Violetta is showered in banknotes during scenes of celebration, while later acts contrast her isolation and despair with the visual excess of glittering party scenes, highlighting the opera’s themes of superficial wealth and emotional cost.

The production holds particular resonance in Venice, where La traviata premiered in 1853. In this revival, Julian Kim was praised for a deeply convincing portrayal of Germont, with one review noting he “deservedly received the most noticeable applause” of the evening.