Sung in English and Italian with projected English translation

Appropriate for all ages

2 hours and 25 minutes
1 intermission

THE PHOENIX
or
The Operatic Adventures
of Lorenzo Da Ponte
on Two Continents in Two Acts

Mozart's notorious librettist is reborn.

Lorenzo da Ponte led a scandalous life that rivaled the stories he committed to paper, including some of his most popular operas: Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and The Marriage of Figaro. After becoming a priest and poet in Venice, he was banished when it was discovered that he had connections to many brothels and a secret family with two children. Luckily, he was introduced to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Austria and flourished as a librettist. His new-found fame gained him access to the upper echelons of European society. Yet after much success, Da Ponte found himself bankrupt and needing to flee once more. He sought refuge in America where he made a modest living as a grocer before rising again to establish the New York City’s first opera company in 1833.

This world premiere by composer Tarik O’Regan and librettist John Caird features Thomas Hampson and Luca Pisaroni playing the different ages of Da Ponte as a group of actors come together to create a stage adaptation of this amazing story of redemption. 


Cast and Creative Team

Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Richard Bado, Chorus Master
The Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Master Chair 

Original Production by Houston Grand Opera. 

Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera.