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
Watch the premiere on Facebook, YouTube, or below.
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
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.
Learn more about Heartbeat Opera at www.heartbeatopera.org
Piano by Steinway & Sons.
Recorded on Thursday, February 10, 2022 in The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Image: Curtis Bannister in Heartbeat Opera’s Fidelio, photo by Stephanie Berger
