Norwegian National Opera and Ballet to Perform ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet will present Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” beginning Nov. 20 at the Oslo Opera House. The Norwegian-language operetta, directed by Vidar Magnussen, will run through Dec. 16 on the venue’s Main Stage.

The production features music by Offenbach and a libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux, with a Norwegian translation by Matilde Holdhus. Johannes Gustavsson will conduct, with Heidi Bruun Nedregaard serving as reprise director. The creative team also includes set designer Gjermund Andresen, Costume Designer Ingrid Nylander, lighting designer Torkel Skjærven and choreographer Stian Danielsen. The Opera Chorus and The Opera Orchestra will also participate.

The cast includes Magnus Ingemund Kjelstad as Orpheus, Beate Mordal as Eurydice, Aleksander Nohr as Jupiter, Markus Bjørlykke as Pluto, Kristoffer Olsen as Folk, Johannes Nikolai Aas as Mars, Ørjan Bruskeland Hinna as Mercury, Jeanette Goldstein as Venus, Kari Ulfsnes Kleiven as Minerva, Cecilie C. Ødegården as Juno, Ian Marcus Bjørsvik as John Styx, Per Kristian Ruud-Enggrav as Bacchus, Valeska Zürn as Elisabeth Schönfragen, Thale Bergsaune as Diana and Sandra Bendrik or Kjerstin Løvdal as Cupid, depending on the performance date. The dancing roles include Ole Kristian Tangen, Tuva Svendsen, Julie Moviken, Henriette Hamli Grønningen, Stian Bergdølmo and Vilja Tjemsland Kwasny.

The operetta reimagines the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as a satire of opera, human behavior and authority. In this version, Eurydice is unhappy with her husband, Orpheus, and has fallen for Pluto, ruler of the underworld. When Eurydice is taken to the underworld, public opinion pressures Orpheus to attempt a rescue. The production is performed in Norwegian with English and Norwegian subtitles.