Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole
Opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage
LibrettistRichard Thomas
Based onLife of Anna Nicole Smith
Premiere
17 February 2011 (2011-02-17)

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

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

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

Act 1

  • '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

  • 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

  1. ^ Peter Conrad (2011-01-01). "Anna Nicole: the opera". The Observer. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  2. ^ "Anna Nicole Smith opera opens in London". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  3. ^ Andrew Clements (2011-02-17). "Anna Nicole – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  4. ^ Anne Midgette (2011-02-17). "Royal Opera's Anna Nicole misses the inner beauty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  5. ^ Anthony Tommasini (2011-02-17). "Va-Va-Voom Goes the Soprano". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  6. ^ "Anna Nicole from the Royal Opera House". BBC website. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  7. ^ "BBC4's Anna Nicole opera draws 70,000". Broadcast Now. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  8. ^ Tim Ashley (2014-09-12). "Anna Nicole review – a scabrous tale of sex, money and ambition". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  9. ^ Kate Kellaway (2014-09-13). "Anna Nicole review – an abject story told indecently well". The Observer. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  10. ^ "Opernneuheit in Dortmund: Anna Nicole". Online Merker (in German). 17 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  11. ^ "New York City Opera and BAM Begin U.S. Premiere of Anna Nicole Opera Today". Broadway World. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  12. ^ "City Opera Closes Its Doors". Wall Street Journal. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  13. ^ Anthony Tommasini (2013-09-18). "An Opera Plot Ripped From the Tabloids". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-09-01.