Real Life-Inspired Bel Canto Opera Begins World Premiere Tonight | Playbill

News Real Life-Inspired Bel Canto Opera Begins World Premiere Tonight Performances begin Dec. 7 for Lyric Opera of Chicago's world premiere production of Bel Canto, a new work curated by Lyric's creative consultant, Renée Fleming and adapted from Ann Patchett's best-selling novel of the same name.

Bel Canto, whose story of terrorism, music and resilience is inspired by real-life events, is composed by Jimmy López with a libretto by Nilo Cruz.

Here's how Lyric bills the new work: "Superstar American diva Roxane Coss has flown to Peru to sing at the vice president's home for a visiting Japanese mogul who is an opera buff. Dignitaries of every nationality are there — but an international crisis explodes when terrorists storm the mansion and take everyone hostage. Isolated for months, unlikely alliances form between captors and captives as fear and anger mingle uneasily with desire and even love. Music is the one universal language — but can it draw forth the humanity that exists in us all?"

The opera features a cast that is led by Danielle de Niese, along with J’nai Bridges, Jeongcheol Cha, Andrew Stenson, Rafael Davila, Jacques Imbrailo, William Burden, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Runi Brattaberg, John Irvin, Anthony Clark Evans, Takaoki Onishi, Bradley Smoak, Alec Carlson, Annie Rosen and Diana Newman. Kevin Newbury directs, Sir Andrew Davis is conductor and Michael Black is chorus master.

The production's creative team includes set design by David Korins, costume design by Constance Hoffman, lighting design by Duane Schuler and projection design by Greg Emetaz.

Performances are scheduled to run through Jan. 17, 2016. For more information and to purchase tickets visit LyricOpera.

 
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