Theater News

Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice Sets Met Opera Premiere

Ruhl’s 2003 play is now an operatic reimagining of the Orpheus myth.

Hayley Levitt
New York City
Barry Banks as Hades, Erin Morley as Eurydice, Ronnita Miller as Big Stone, Stacey Tappan as Little Stone, and Chad Shelton as Loud Stone in Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice.
Barry Banks as Hades, Erin Morley as Eurydice, Ronnita Miller as Big Stone, Stacey Tappan as Little Stone, and Chad Shelton as Loud Stone in Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice.
(© Marty Sohl / Met Opera)

Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice will have its Metropolitan Opera premiere on November 23, making Aucoin, at 31, the youngest composer to have a Met premiere since 1938. The run will include seven performances through December 16.

Eurydice, which reimagines the ancient Greek Orpheus myth by telling the story from Eurydice's perspective, features a libretto by Sarah Ruhl, based on her acclaimed 2003 play. Mary Zimmerman directs, with Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium and soprano Erin Morley starring in the title role.

Joining Morley will be baritone Joshua Hopkins as Orpheus, and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and bass-baritone Nathan Berg in their Met debuts as Orpheus's otherworldly alter ego and Eurydice's father, respectively. Tenor Barry Banks sings the role of Hades. Also in their Met debuts, countertenor John Holiday will sing the role of Orpheus's Double for the December 11 and 16 performances, and conductor Daniela Candillari will lead the December 8 performance.

Eurydice is a co-production of the Metropolitan Opera and LA Opera. The creative team includes set designer Daniel Ostling, costume designer Ana Kuzmanic, lighting designer T.J. Gerckens, projection designer S. Katy Tucker, and choreographer Denis Jones.

The performance of Eurydice on Saturday, December 4, will be transmitted live to cinemas around the globe as part of The Met: Live in HD series. The December 4 performance will also be the first Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcast of the 2021–22 season, which will be broadcast over the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. The November 23 performance of Eurydice will be broadcast live on Met Opera Radio on Sirius XM Channel 355, and audio will also be streamed live on the Met's website, metopera.org.