Thirty Naked Men and Ghosts From the ‘80s: Broadway’s Sam Buntrock and Off-Broadway’s Jay Scheib to Direct Operas at BAM

Acclaimed theater directors Sam Buntrock (Sunday in the Park with George) and Jay Scheib (World of Wires) have been tapped to kick off the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) spring season with two new opera productions. First, Scheib will direct Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face, running from February 15-23. That production will be followed by Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, which will play February 24-March 2, with direction by Buntrock.

Powder Her Face is an explicit opera (with a non-singing chorus of thirty nude men) inspired by a sex scandal revolving around Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, which rocked Britain in the early 60s. BAM’s production will be conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer and the cast will feature musicians Allison Cook, Nili Riemer, Matt Boehler, and William Ferguson as well as theater actors Jon Morris (Fuerza Bruta) and Kaneza Schaal (The Wooster Group’s Early Plays).

The Turn of the Screw, which will be conducted by Jayce Ogren, is based on the classic ghost story of the same name by Henry James but staged as a contemporary horror story with visual and emotional inspiration from classic horror films of the 80s. The production will feature set and costume design by David Farley and lighting by David Weiner. Singers will include Sara Jakubia, Dominic Armstrong, Lauren Worsham, Benjamin P. Wenzelberg, Jennifer Goode Cooper, and Sharmay Musacchio.

BAM is a multi-arts center that has been the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas for more than 150 years.