Live Arts Miami Presents: MORNING/MOURNING An Experiential Opera

Miami Dade College's Live Arts Miami will present the Southeast premiere of “mɔɹnɪŋ [morning//mourning]" a critically acclaimed modern opera by artist Gelsey Bell, running from October 17 to 19, 2024, at The Art Lab at MDC Wolfson.

Making its first appearance outside of New York, this captivating new work offers a playful and fantastical exploration of a post-human world, inspired by novelist Alan Weisman's book “The World Without Us.”  

Set in a future where humans no longer exist,"mɔɹnɪŋ [morning//mourning]" imagines a world where Earth undergoes a miraculous metamorphosis. Through an ensemble of five vocalist/multi-instrumentalists—including Gelsey Bell, Aviva Jaye, Mia Pak, Brian McCorkle and Paul Pinto—the audience is guided on a poetic journey through the changes on Earth as forests grow back, new species evolve and the human-made world gradually erodes away. The title implies the dual emotional nature of the show, populated with music that is simultaneously life-affirming and hopeful and undeniably sorrowful. It explores the political and ethical contradictions of our current environmental crisis and poses existential questions about what it means to leave a lasting impact on the planet. How long will our influence linger? How will the Earth look without us? And what lessons can we learn today from imagining this future?

The work premiered in January 2023 at the Prototype Festival in New York to an extended run of sold-out shows and critical acclaim. “I was immediately struck by its exquisite artistry, unexpected humor and hopeful tone” says Kathryn Garcia, executive director of Live Arts Miami of the show's premiere, “The work truly transports you to another reality, capturing your imagination with vivid storytelling, beautiful music and outstanding performances.” 

Gelsey Bell, the show's creator, reflects on the piece's deeper purpose: “This piece was created to expand how we think about time scales, to conceive of transformation over long periods of time, in ways that highlight the staying power of some human activities and speak to how long it can take ecosystems to adapt.” She adds “Opera and experimental music theater is such a great place to explore epic story. So how can you get more epic than going 1.6 billion years into the future?”