‘The Wall’ opera gets U.S. release date
Another Brick in the Wall—The Opera, the production based on Pink Floyd’s 1979 album The Wall, has an American premiere date. The Cincinnati Opera announced Friday that the show will debut in July 2018.
“Another Brick in the Wall—The Opera is a genuine opera, not a ‘rock opera,'” Cincinnati Opera artistic director Evans Mirageas said in a statement. “There’s nary a drum set or electric guitar to be heard. It will sound breathtaking in the renovated Music Hall with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the pit.”
“There is no question about the melodies; they are pre-existing and famous,” Mirageas continued. “The discovery is how those melodies have been transformed into genuine ‘opera speak.'”
The opera received its world premiere this past Saturday in Montreal at the Opéra de Montréal and has nine more performances scheduled through the end of March. Conductor Alain Trudel and baritone Etienne Dupuis, who plays the lead role of Pink, will reprise their Montreal performances in the Cincinnati iteration.
Roger Waters, who conceptualized and wrote the overwhelming majority of The Wall, penned original words and music for the opera. Julien Bilodeau composed the production’s score and Dominic Champagne headed stage direction.
Waters has returned to The Wall throughout his career; from 2010 to 2013 he staged The Wall Live, an international tour totaling 219 concerts. Last month, the classic rock icon teased that he’ll release his first solo album in a quarter-century, Is This the Life We Really Want?, on May 19.
