Theater News

Robert Woodruff to Direct Madame White Snake Opera

Robert Woodruff
(Courtesy Opera Boston)
Robert Woodruff
(Courtesy Opera Boston)

Robert Woodruff will direct the world premiere of Madame White Snake, a new opera based on an ancient Chinese legend, by composer Zhou Long and librettist Cerise Lim Jacobs. Co-commissioned by Opera Boston with the Beijing Music Festival, it will perform at the Cutler Majestic Theatre for three performances February 26, 28, and March 2, and two performances in Beijing in October 2010.

The opera is the story of a powerful white snake demon who transforms into a beautiful woman to experience love. Opera Boston Music Director Gil Rose will conduct. Soprano Ying Huang will sing the title role, and male soprano Michael Maniaci will sing the role of Xiao Qing.

Woodruff’s directing credits include productions with The Flying Karamazov Brothers at Lincoln Center Theatre and Arena Stage and premieres of works by Sam Shepard at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He is an internationally acclaimed director of theater and opera who has served as either director or associate artist with several theater organizations, including the Eureka Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and the American Repertory Theater. He was most recently represented in New York, directing Rinde Eckert’s Orpheus X.

For more information, visit www.operaboston.org.