Fifteen years after its world premiere in Dallas, Jake Heggie’s opera Moby-Dick is finally making its way to the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Having toured numerous cities across the United States, as well as Calgary, Canada, and Adelaide, Australia, New Yorkers will now have the chance to experience this epic adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic novel.
The opera, composed by Heggie with a libretto by Gene Scheer, condenses Melville’s sprawling novel into just 64 pages of text. “I’d say around 40% to 50% of the libretto is taken directly from the novel,” Scheer explained. “But we had to reshape the phrasing to make it singable.” He also noted a key difference between the book and the opera: in Melville’s novel, Ishmael (renamed Greenhorn in the opera) recounts past events, whereas in theatre, “we want to see the story unfold in real time. The opera is essentially about his education—how he becomes the storyteller.”
Who is Jake Heggie?
Jake Heggie is one of the most celebrated American opera composers of his generation. Born in 1961, he gained international recognition with his debut opera, Dead Man Walking (2000), based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean. Since then, he has written several works, including Three Decembers, Great Scott, and If I Were You.
About the production
The production, directed by Leonard Foglia, is the same one that premiered in Dallas, though the Metropolitan Opera has newly expanded it for its stage. Foglia recalled his initial reaction when asked to bring Moby-Dick to life: “I thought, ‘That’s great!’ Then I ran to a bookshop, bought the novel, and thought, ‘Oh my God, what am I in for?’”
With set designs by Robert Brill and projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, the production uses multimedia effects to recreate the vastness of the ocean and the perilous drama of a whaling expedition.
The cast features Brandon Jovanovich as Captain Ahab, Peter Mattei as first mate Starbuck, and Ryan Speedo Green as Queequeg. Janai Brugger performs the role of Pip, Ahab’s cabin boy, in a traditional trouser role. Tenor Stephen Costello, the only cast member returning from the opera’s 2010 Dallas premiere, reprises his role as Greenhorn. Karen Kamensek conducts the production.
Moby-Dick opens at the Metropolitan Opera on 3rd March, with eight performances running until 29th March.
For more information, visit the Met’s website.
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