ENO to stage the UK premiere of Philip Glass’s new opera The Perfect American, directed by Phelim McDermott
ENO’s commitment to staging highly original, theatrical work, with collaborations across artistic disciplines continues with the staging of the much anticipated UK premiere of The Perfect American by Philip Glass, directed by Phelim McDermott. Author and screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer’s libretto, based on Peter Stephen Jungk’s novel, is a factional story about Walt Disney during the final years of his life, narrated by cartoonist Wilhelm Dantine, who worked for Disney in the 1950s. British conductor Gareth Jones makes his ENO debut with an impressive cast featuring Christopher Purves as Walt Disney.
One of the world’s most influential composers of operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble and collaborations with artists, Glass’s latest opera, his twenty-forth, was commissioned by ENO and Teatro Real Madrid to mark his 75th birthday and will receive its world premiere in Madrid in January 2013. Glass is perhaps best known for his film work. A three-time Academy Award Nominee and BAFTA award winner, he has received accolades for his film scores to Kundun (1997), Notes on a Scandal (2006) and The Hours (2002) which also received nominations for Golden Globe and Grammy Awards. His operas include Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, Akhnaten, and The Voyage.
British director Phelim McDermott, Artistic Director and co-founder of Improbable Theatre Company, returns to ENO to stage his second Philip Glass opera. McDermott made his ENO debut in 2005 with ENO’s production of Glass’s Satyagraha, a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera New York, where it was subsequently staged. The Guardian described it as ‘an astonishingly beautiful work, and The Times ‘a masterwork of theatrical intensity and integrity’. Completing the creative team is lighting designer Jon Clark and designer Dan Porta, whose acclaimed work on leading international events and costumes includes the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games ceremony.
Conductor Gareth Jones, a frequent collaborator with Bryn Terfel, and founder and Artistic Director of Sinfonia Cymru, was a member of the music staff at Welsh National Opera from 1990 – 2008. Previously he has conducted at Bregenz Festival and Vancouver Opera. This will be his ENO debut.
The Perfect American opens at the London Coliseum on 1 June 2013 for 9 performances – June 1, 6, 8, 13, 17, 20, 25, 27, 28 (7.30pm)
An Opera Undressed performance of The Perfect American will take place on Thursday 13 June. See www.eno.org/undress for more information.