Rufus Wainwright's PRIMA DONNA to Open at Royal Opera in Stockholm

Rufus Wainwright pays tribute to Opera Diva in PRIMA DONNA at the Royal Opera in Stockholm opening night 10th of October

On a floor in 1970s Paris, a fallen opera star is planning his revenge. Her career took an abrupt slump during a traumatic night six years earlier, and now the question is: will the voice and servers hold for a dignified return to the limelight? While our diva tries to turn back time and maintain her glorious life in the privacy of the home, the outside world seems to disappear further and further away. A visit by a journalist raises and hopes that her time is not over. But can she overcome her demons?

Prima Donna is the indie icon and opera lover Rufus Wainwright's tribute to the romantic opera art. The work, which is his first opera, had its world premiere at the Manchester International Festival in 2009 and has since been performed by several opera houses. After the premiere, The Times wrote that Prima Donna is "a love song to opera, imbued with the ever-recurring operatic theme of loss, betrayal, delusion and nostalgia". Prima Donna is a Maria Callas-inspired story about the self-burning diva and our insatiable need to praise and mock her.

Rufus Wainwrights´love for opera started when he was 13 years old when he heard the recording of the Swedish Opera singer Jussi Björling in Verdis Requiem. When the two hour long recording played its final note Rufus was obsessed with opera and classical music. He also enjoyed listening to Birgit Nilsson, the international Swedish opera diva. Rufus i currently in Stockholm to see the opening of his opera and he was especially thrilled to see the status of Jussi Björling outside the Royal Opera House.

The cast

RÉGINE SAINT LAURENT Elin Rombo

PHILIPPE Jeremy Carpenter

MARIE Beate Mordal

ANDRÉ Conny Thimander

FRANÇOIS Ruben Lundström

DIRIGENT Jayce Ogren

Kungliga hovkapellet.

Creative Team

Music Rufus Wainwright

Lyrics Rufus Wainwrightoch Bernadette Colomine

DirectorMårten Forslund

Scenography Sabine Theunissen

Mask and costume design Jeanette Stener

Lightning design Linus Fellbom

Tickets

Prima Donna is scheduled to play in Stockholm 10 of October till the 14th of November. Currently sold out, but if the social distancing rules are increased from 50 to 500 there might be possible to increase the number of available seats. A decision is espected from the government the 8th of October.

https://www.operan.se/forestallningar/prima-donna/

Prima Donne will be possible to view on line from the 28th of November 2020 at:

https://www.operanplay.se/