Anna Nicole
| Anna Nicole | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage | |
| Librettist | Richard Thomas |
| Based on | Life of Anna Nicole Smith |
| Premiere | 17 February 2011 Royal Opera House, London |
Anna Nicole is an English opera in 2 acts and 16 scenes, with music by Mark-Anthony Turnage to an English libretto by Richard Thomas. Based on the life of American model Anna Nicole Smith,[1] the opera received its première on 17 February 2011 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, directed by Richard Jones.[2][3][4][5] A recording of the opera was broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 25 March 2011.[6] The broadcast drew in 67,700 viewers.[7] The opera received its first London revival at Covent Garden in September 2014.[8][9]
Premiere
[edit]The opera received its European continental premiere at Theater Dortmund (Germany) in April 2013 with American soprano Emily Newton in the title role.[10] 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,[11] the last work staged by the City Opera before its closure that year.[12][13]
Roles
[edit]| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 17 February 2011 Conductor: Antonio Pappano |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Nicole | soprano | Eva-Maria Westbroek |
| Virgie, her mother | mezzo-soprano | Susan Bickley |
| Daddy Hogan, her father | bass | Jeremy White |
| Billy, her first husband | baritone | Grant Doyle |
| J. Howard Marshall, her second husband | tenor | Alan Oke |
| Kay, her aunt | mezzo-soprano | Rebecca de Pont Davies |
| Shelley, her cousin | mezzo-soprano | Loré Lixenberg |
| Stern, her lawyer | bass-baritone | Gerald Finley |
| Young Daniel, her son | silent | Andrew Gilbert |
| Teenage Daniel | baritone | Dominic Rowntree |
| Larry King, a television journalist | tenor | Peter Hoare |
| Blossom | mezzo-soprano | Allison Cook |
| Doctor Yes | tenor | Andrew Rees |
| Mayor of Mexia | tenor | Wynne Evans |
| Deputy Mayor of Mexia (Roy Fiction) | baritone | Damian Thantrey |
| Trucker | tenor | Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts |
| Dominic Gent | tenor | Dominic Peckham |
| Patron | baritone | Grant Doyle |
| Runner | baritone | ZhengZhong Zhou |
| Meat Rack Quartet | soprano soprano mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano |
Marianne Cotterill Kiera Lyness Louise Armit Andrea Hazell |
| Marshall's family | mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano baritone bass |
Loré Lixenberg Rebecca de Pont Davies Grant Doyle Jeremy White |
| Four Lap Dancers | soprano 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) |
Synopsis
[edit]Act 1
[edit]- 'Scene Zero' – Overture
- Scene 1 – 'America Sings'
- Scene 2 – "No! It's Mu-Hay-Uh."
- Scene 3 – "Hey We're Family"
- Scene 4 – 'Falling in Loath Again'
- Scene 5 – 'Life Implants'
- Scene 6 – 'American Dreaming'
- Scene 7 – 'Marriage in the White Dove Chapel'
Act 2
[edit]- Scene 8 – 'Red Carpet Diem'
- Scene 9 – 'Partay!'
- Scene 10 – "Not Dead Yet!"
- Scene 11 – 'Backstage at the Larry King Show'
- Scene 12 – 'The Larry King Show and Tell'
- Scene 13 – "Good Morning Hollywood"
- Scene 14 – 'Birth Worth'
- Scene 15 – 'Daniel Death'
- Scene 16 – 'Clown Messiah'
References
[edit]- ^ Peter Conrad (2011-01-01). "Anna Nicole: the opera". The Observer. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ "Anna Nicole Smith opera opens in London". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
- ^ Andrew Clements (2011-02-17). "Anna Nicole – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ Anne Midgette (2011-02-17). "Royal Opera's Anna Nicole misses the inner beauty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ Anthony Tommasini (2011-02-17). "Va-Va-Voom Goes the Soprano". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ "Anna Nicole from the Royal Opera House". BBC website. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
- ^ "BBC4's Anna Nicole opera draws 70,000". Broadcast Now. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
- ^ Tim Ashley (2014-09-12). "Anna Nicole review – a scabrous tale of sex, money and ambition". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ Kate Kellaway (2014-09-13). "Anna Nicole review – an abject story told indecently well". The Observer. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ "Opernneuheit in Dortmund: Anna Nicole". Online Merker (in German). 17 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ^ "New York City Opera and BAM Begin U.S. Premiere of Anna Nicole Opera Today". Broadway World. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
- ^ "City Opera Closes Its Doors". Wall Street Journal. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ^ Anthony Tommasini (2013-09-18). "An Opera Plot Ripped From the Tabloids". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
External links
[edit]- "A Tabloid Star Is Joining the Sisterhood of the Fallen" by Michael White, The New York Times (11 February 2011)
- Brooklyn Academy of Music, BAM 2013 Next Wave Festival, programme note on Anna Nicole
- Anna Nicole (trailer) – Royal Opera House on YouTube (February 2011)
- Anna Nicole (trailer) – Oper Dortmund on YouTube (April 2013)
| Opera |
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| Orchestral music |
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| Concertante |
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