Opera Parallèle Presents: Mad Men at the Opera with "Trouble in Tahiti" and "A Hand of Bridge"

Opera ParallÈLe Presents
"Mad Men at the OPERA"
Leonard Bernstein's "Trouble in Tahiti" (1951) offers a candid portrait of the troubled marriage of a young suburban couple and features some of Bernstein's most haunting music. The cast is lead by baritone and former Adler Fellow Eugene Brancoveanu as disillusioned Sam, with mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez as his estranged wife Dinah. Also starring Krista Wigle, Andres Ramirez, and Randall Bunnell as the "Greek" chorus of bystanders providing satirical commentary.… Show more
"Trouble in Tahiti" draws upon popular songs styles to deliver an uncompromising critique of post-war American materialism. Beneath the couple's marital discord is a profound longing for love and intimacy. Their spiritual emptiness, in contrast to a veneer of happy consumerism, creates the heart of the drama and is emphasized by sudden stylistic shifts in the music.
Samuel Barber's "A Hand of Bridge" will be presented before Tahiti as a prologue. Two bored couples playing their customary game of bridge fantasize during the game, while each member reflects on the state of their relationship.
Opera Parallèle's orchestra is conducted by Nicole Paiement.
Concept Designer and Stage Drector Brian Staufenbiel brings the story to life with a backdrop inspired by magazine covers of the 1960s and a bygone era of B movie classics.

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