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Esther Returns to NYC Opera
Soprano Lauren Flanigan is back in the role she originated more than fifteen years ago
Lead actress Lauren Flanigan
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When George Steele took over the duties of Artistic Director and General Manager of the NYC Opera, his aim was to provide audiences with a varied collection of impressive operatic works. This goal seems fairly run of the mill, until one inspects the audience Steele aimed for and the collection he intended to present. “I wanted to operate under the very strong belief that you don’t have to know opera to enjoy it. We’ve really tried to make it accessible,” Steele explains as he discusses NYC Opera’s latest production, Esther.
Certainly the season opener (running November 7–19), the first presentation of the opera since its debut at NYC Opera in 1993, helps to meet Steele’s goal. Hugo Weisgall’s Esther, with a libretto by Charles Kondek, tells the biblical tale of the title character—a young queen whose bravery and leadership save her fellow Jews from near–destruction in ancient Persia. Its music is clearly rooted in traditional forms, with clearly delineated arias and the smooth, clear voice of soprano Lauren Flanigan (the woman who originated the role more than fifteen years ago). But it also has touches of modern. The opera will be performed in English, with English supertitles. As Steele explained, “We were the first opera to have supertitles, making us much more accessible to everyone.”
The opera in and of itself is enough to lure audiences from all walks of life, but the NYC Opera is also presenting supplementary art to accompany Esther. As with each production this season, the Opera has chosen a piece of art, which in the words of Steele, “talk about the visual content of the work.” The piece accompanying Esther is a photograph by Rachel Papo. “She is an American soldier in the act of taking on this duty…she looks uncertain but ready to take on this duty…not without a little rue—much like Esther.”
For more information on Esther and the accompanying art at NYC Opera, please visit www.nycopera.com.