Digital Premiere: Heartbeat Opera’s “Fidelio” | MetLiveArts

Music by Ludwig van Beethoven Original libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner and Georg Friedrich Treitschke Adapted and directed by Ethan Heard Music arranged and directed by Daniel Schlosberg New English dialogue by Marcus Scott and Ethan Heard A Black activist is wrongfully incarcerated. His wife disguises herself to infiltrate the prison and free him. But when injustice reigns, one woman’s grit may not be enough to save her true love. In February 2022, Heartbeat Opera and MetLiveArts mounted Heartbeat’s Fidelio, a daring adaptation of Beethoven’s only opera for the era of Black Lives Matter. Now, join us as this “urgent, powerful, and poignant” (The New York Times) production – which features the voices of more than 100 incarcerated singers from across the United States – makes its digital debut. “I saw [Heartbeat’s] Fidelio, and was blindsided by its impact.” —The New Yorker ---- Cast: Derrell Acon, Roc Victoria Lawal, Marcy Curtis Bannister, Stan Kelly Griffin, Leah/Lee Corey McKern, Pizarro Also featuring the voices of more than 100 incarcerated singers and 70 volunteers from six prison choirs: Oakdale Community Choir, KUJI Men’s Chorus, UBUNTU Men’s Chorus, HOPE Thru Harmony Women’s Choir, East Hill Singers, and Voices of Hope Learn more here: House Programs 2021_2022/Letters from Inside This program is made possible by the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art, the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, The Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation, Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang, and Betsy and Edward Cohen / Areté Foundation. Piano by Steinway & Sons. Subscribe for new content from The Met: #TheMet #Art #TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt #Museum © 2022 The Metropolitan Museum of Art