We did it! REV. 23 premiered to standing ovations from you, our audience! And what an audience you’ve been—engaged, supportive, receptive and thoughtful. When has opera ever elicited the hooting and hollering we heard at John Hancock Hall? Your over-the-top response takes opera out of the elitist realm back to the populist art form it always was. And this laugh-out-loud enjoyment came from a diverse group (yes, kids came too!) from communities all over the greater Boston area, a testament to the outreach of our Total Access Program which guarantees a seat to all who want to experience opera. Thank you!
Looking back on the four years it took to develop REV. 23, I can’t help but be moved by the grit, unwavering faith and uncompromising passion of our team that put on this show. It’s these same qualities that infuse us as we continue to work on our next opera(s): Each one has a four-year development cycle, so we have several operas in different stages of gestation in the pipeline. Unlike the production of an extant work, new opera, especially original new opera which is not based on a pre-existing play, book, or movie, is onerous and challenging—but ultimately oh so fulfilling—as our creatives and artists collaborate to shape the dramaturgy and the music, explore the characters and develop the best way to tell a new story.
Four years of hard work and it’s over after three performances. I’ve been asked whether it’s really worth it. In saner moments, my head sometimes says “maybe not,” but my heart unfailing, resoundingly always says “yes!”
Get ready Boston for White Snake Projects’ 2018 production of PermaDeath, a video game opera pushing the bounds of technology to create larger-than-life CGI characters fighting against that ultimate sanction—PermaDeath or permanent death. We hope we can count on your support again as we continue to innovate this art form.