Nico Muhly and Stephen Karam’s Newly Commissioned Opera Dark Sisters to Get NY Debut in 2011

Gotham Chamber Opera, Music-Theatre Group and the Opera Company of Philadelphia have announced casting for the companies’ jointly commissioned Dark Sisters, featuring music by Nico Muhly and libretto by Stephen Karam, the piece will be directed by Rebecca Taichman and conducted by Neal Goren. A special event was held on October 28 at the Chelsea Art Museum to celebrate the announcement.

The opera will be performed in November 2011 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in Manhattan, and then in June 2012 as part of the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s chamber opera series at the Perelman Theater.

Dark Sisters follows a woman as she attempts to escape her life as a member of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints), a sect that split from mainstream Mormonism in the early 20th Century largely because of the LDS Church’s renunciation of polygamy.

The cast will be headed by Caitlin Lynch (Eliza) and Kevin Burdette (Prophet/King), with Kristina Bachrach (Lucinda), Jennifer Check (Almera), Eve Gigliotti (Ruth), Brenda Harris (Presendia), and Jennifer Zetlan (Zina).

Muhly’s other works include the orchestral pieces It Remains to Be Seen, Wish You Were Here, Step Music, and Detailed Instructions. In addition, he has written the scores for such films as The Reader, Choking Man and Joshua . Karam’s plays include Speech & Debate, columbinus, Girl on Girl, and the forthcoming Sons of the Prophet.