Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole is an opera in 2 acts by Mark-Anthony Turnage to an English libretto by Richard Thomas. It received its première on 17 February 2011 at the Royal Opera House, London, directed by Richard Jones.[1] The story is based on the life of Anna Nicole Smith. A recording of the opera was broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 25 March 2011.[2] The broadcast drew in 67,700 viewers.[3] A special introduction and intermission was filmed - hosted by Clemency Burton-Hill.[1][4][5][6] The opera received its European continental premiere at Theater Dortmund (Germany) in April 2013 with American soprano Emily Newton in the title role.[7]

Anna Nicole received its U.S. premiere on September 17, 2013, in a production by the New York City Opera at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[8] Anna Nicole was the last work to be staged by the City Opera, which ceased operations on October 1, 2013.[9]

Reception

New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini described Anna Nicole as "a weirdly inspired work... engrossing, outrageous, entertaining and, ultimately, deeply moving." He characterized the libretto as "clever, literate and perceptive" and found the score to be "pulsing, wild and, when called for, yearning. Tommasini praised the initial production as "a musically rich, audacious and inexplicably poignant work."[10]

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast, 17 February 2011
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Anna Nicolesoprano Eva-Maria Westbroek
Virgie, her mothermezzo-sopranoSusan Bickley
Daddy Hogan, her fatherbassJeremy White
Billy, her first husbandbaritoneGrant Doyle
J. Howard Marshall, her second husbandtenorAlan Oke
Kay, her auntmezzo-sopranoRebecca de Pont Davies
Shelley, her cousinmezzo-sopranoLoré Lixenberg
Stern, her lawyerbass-baritoneGerald Finley
Young Daniel, her sonsilentAndrew Gilbert
Teenage DanielbaritoneDominic Rowntree
Larry King, a television journalisttenorPeter Hoare
Blossommezzo-soprano Allison Cook
Doctor YestenorAndrew Rees
Mayor of MexiatenorWynne Evans
Deputy Mayor of Mexia (Roy Fiction)baritone Damian Thantrey
TruckertenorJeffrey Lloyd-Roberts
Dominic GenttenorDominic Peckham
PatronbaritoneGrant Doyle
RunnerbaritoneZhengZhong Zhou
Meat Rack Quartetsoprano
soprano
mezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano		Marianne Cotterill
Kiera Lyness
Louise Armit
Andrea Hazell
Marshall's familymezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano
baritone
bass		Loré Lixenberg
Rebecca de Pont Davies
Grant Doyle
Jeremy White
Four Lap Dancerssoprano
soprano
mezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano 		Yvonne Barclay
Katy Batho
Amy Catt
Amanda Floyd
Onstage Band John Parricelli (guitarist)
John Paul Jones (bass guitarist)
Peter Erskine (drummer)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Anna Nicole Smith opera opens in London". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  2. ↑ "Anna Nicole from the Royal Opera House". BBC Website. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  3. ↑ "BBC4's Anna Nicole opera draws 70,000". Broadcast Now. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  4. ↑ Premiere details at the Royal Opera House. Archived July 23, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Apart from that, Anna Nicole, did you enjoy the show?" by Norman Lebrecht (18 February 2011)
  6. ↑ "Anna Nicole, the opera by Anne Midgette, The Washington Post (17 February 2011)
  7. ↑ "Opernneuheit in Dortmund: "Anna Nicole"". Online Merker. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  8. ↑ "New York City Opera and BAM Begin U.S. Premiere of ANNA NICOLE Opera Today". Broadway World. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  9. ↑ "City Opera Closes Its Doors". Wall Street Journal. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  10. ↑ Va-Va-Voom Goes the Soprano New York Times, February 17, 2011 (print edition February 19, p.C1/C5)

External links