One of the earliest operas composed specifically for the radio, The Old Maid and the Thief premiered on April 22, 1939 on NBC Radio. 60 years later, NYMVAE's production will pay homage to this unusual original performance. Composed of 14 short scenes each preceded by a narrated "announcement", the production will presented in vintage radio medium as a "behind the scenes" of the cast on NBC's 1939 set. The opera stars Miss Todd, an old maid and small-town busybody. Her house maid, Laetitia, is worried of becoming like her employer and hatches a scheme when Bob, a handsome wanderer arrives in town. Informed from her spinsterly neighbor, Miss Pinkerton that Bob is actually a thief, Miss Todd is distressed but is convinced by Laetitia to let him stay with them. Chaos enshews as Bob cleans out the town and Miss Todd's home, assisted by the wily Laetitia. The two run off together as Miss Todd is left behind in an empty, ransacked house.