In this Behind the Curtain conversation, musicologist Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano and Dr. Arianne Helou, a dramaturg and French studies scholar, discuss Oedipus Rex, composed by Igor Stravinsky to a libretto by Jean Cocteau, and based on the ancient Greek tragedy of the same name by Sophocles. The 1927 opera is a highly stylized, ritualistic work set in the time of plague.
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, LA Opera will present Oedipus Rex at our home in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. With a limited audience and safety protocols observed, it will be our first public, indoor performance since March 2020. Richard Seaver Music Director James Conlon conducts a stellar cast led by tenor Russell Thomas, LA Opera's Artist in Residence, as Oedipus, the doomed king. Mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges returns as Jocasta, his queen (and mother). Legendary actor Stephen Fry will make his LA Opera debut (via audio recording) as the Narrator in this equally-legendary tale.
A special online version of Oedipus Rex will be released on June 17 for home viewing.
