Roulette To Present CELESTIAL EXCURSIONS Opera by Robert Ashley

Roulette will present a production of Robert Ashley's acclaimed experimental opera Celestial Excursions, Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 8pm. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Tickets go on sale on July 21. 

Through the exploration of stream-of-consciousness poetry, rigorous rhythmic storytelling, and unusual narrative forms, Robert Ashley invented the possibility of a new kind of opera ensemble and an innovative vocal and orchestral vocabulary. Celestial Experiences, like his other works, brilliantly displays the composer's idiosyncratic voice and his compelling preoccupation with American vernacular speech and the states of mind of seemingly ordinary people.

Last seen in New York in 2009, Celestial Excursions delves into mostly uncharted territory—the concerns, behavior, and language of “old people.” Set in the confined world of assisted living, the libretto intermingles reminiscence, regret, love, nightmare, old sayings, and songs on the radio into an opera that proceeds with relentless speed and precision in ensemble singing. The result is a mesmerizing layering of voices, delivered with extraordinary rhythmic intensity.