U.S. Premiere of IDASPE Will Be Staged at the Byham Theater By Pittsburgh's Experimental Quantum Theatre in October

Quantum Theatre, in collaboration with Chatham Baroque, and supported by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, will present Idaspe by Riccardo Broschi at the Byham Theater for just five performances, October 7-15, 2022. Acclaimed London composer, writer and director Claire van Kampen led the creation of this marriage of contemporary theater and Baroque-era opera, and Daniel Nesta Curtis will conduct. This will mark the FIRST EDITION of Idaspe in modern notation.

"I've always been attracted to masterful artists speaking through an artistic language different from my own, and Quantum's most successful projects represent those collaborations," said Quantum Theatre's Artistic Director Karla Boos. "Idaspe is an ultimate coming together of artists across disciplines, each bringing mastery from their field and respect for what others bring to our great joint venture."

The story follows two children from the post-war Middle East who came to Naples as refugees. They are separated in an underworld where organized crime is more welcoming than "legitimate" business. As adults, the siblings become powerful bosses of two opposing clans. Artaserse, the more brutal, kidnaps two women from his rivals, an incident that will force a face-to-face clash in an escalating war. The kidnapped women are not the only prisoners in this story, where every character is held captive by circumstances and their emotions. Their existential struggle is conveyed in transcendent music. Might they find that all-consuming power and violence are not the only means to survive?

Chatham Baroque's three Artistic Directors (Andrew Fouts, violin; Patricia Halverson, viola da gamba; Scott Pauley, theorbo and baroque guitar) have been busy creating a new musical score for Idaspe, working closely with van Kampen. Chatham Baroque says the score existed only in a dusty old 366-page hand-copied manuscript from the 1730s.

"The original opera would have run for more than 3.5 hours," said Chatham Baroque. "Our collective job was to pare it down to a reasonable running time, while preserving the most important parts of the story and the very best of the music. We can't wait to start rehearsals for Idaspe-to really see and hear it come to life again for the first time since the 1730s."

Idaspe brings in world-renowned artists to Pittsburgh, including a diverse cast, featuring Vivica Genaux, John Holiday, Karim Sulayman, Pascale Beaudin, Zoie Reams, Shannon Delijani and Wei En Chan. Biographies of artists can be found in the Idaspe sourcebook at this link.

The award-winning artistic team includes Antonia Franceschi, choreographer; Narelle Sisson, Scenic Designer; Mary Ellen Stebbins, Lighting Designer; and Ilona Somogyi, Costume Designer. Full biographies of the creative team can be found in the Idaspe sourcebook at the link above.

Tickets are available now for Idaspe through the Byham Box Office. Ticket prices range from $23-$51.

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