WORLD PREMIERE
She has long been condemned as a harlot, or dismissed as a minor player in a well-known sacred narrative, but ancient manuscripts discovered in recent decades tell a very different story, giving us a striking new viewpoint on Jesus' message to humanity. Mary Magdalene is placed at the center of the story in this world premiere by Mark Adamo, a "brilliant theater composer" (The New Yorker) whose Little Women is the most frequently performed new opera of the past 20 years. Kevin Newbury, lauded for his "imagination and emotional nuance" (The New York Times), directs a resplendent cast that includes Sasha Cooke, William Burden and Maria Kanyova. Nathan Gunn, who possesses "a voice of stunning authority" (The New York Times), sings the role of Yeshua. Michael Christie, in his San Francisco Opera debut, conducts.
Sung in English with English supertitles
Approximate running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Pre-Opera Talks are free to ticketholders and take place in the main theater in the Orchestra section, 55 minutes prior to curtain.
San Francisco Opera production
Commissioned by San Francisco Opera
Production photo: Nathan Gunn in Pittsburgh Opera production of Billy Budd by David Bachman/Pittsburgh Opera
Audio excerpts are from three works by Mark Adamo:
Little Women; Houston Grand Opera Orchestra conducted by Patrick Summers, March 2001.
Lysistrata; Houston Grand Opera Orchestra conducted by Stefan Lano, March 2005.
“Mik’hail” from the fourth and final movement of Four Angels: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra; National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin, June 2006.
Cast
Production Credits
* San Francisco Opera Debut