Anna Nicole

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

Anna Nicole is an 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, the opera received its première on 17 February 2011 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, directed by Richard Jones. A recording of the opera was broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 25 March 2011. The broadcast drew in 67,700 viewers. The opera received its first London revival at Covent Garden in September 2014.

Premiere

The opera received its European continental premiere at Theater Dortmund (Germany) in April 2013 with American soprano Emily Newton in the title role. 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, the last work staged by the City Opera before its closure that year.

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.