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Anna Nicole

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Anna Nicole
Opera by Mark-Anthony Turnage
Turnage in 2014
LibrettistRichard Thomas
Based onLife of Anna Nicole Smith
Premiere
17 February 2011 (2011-02-17)

Anna Nicole is an opera in 2 acts and 16 scenes, with music by Mark-Anthony Turnage to an English libretto by Richard Thomas. Based on the life of American model Anna Nicole Smith,[1] the opera received its première on 17 February 2011 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, directed by Richard Jones.[2][3][4][5] A recording of the opera was broadcast on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 25 March 2011.[6] The broadcast drew in 67,700 viewers.[7] The opera received its first London revival at Covent Garden in September 2014.[8][9]

Premiere

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The opera received its European continental premiere at Theater Dortmund (Germany) in April 2013 with American soprano Emily Newton in the title role.[10] Anna Nicole received its U.S. premiere on September 17, 2013, in a production by the New York City Opera at the Brooklyn Academy of Music,[11] the last work staged by the City Opera before its closure that year.[12] It starred Sarah Joy Miller as Anna and Robert Brubaker as J. Howard Marshall II.[13]

Roles

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Role Voice type Premiere cast, 17 February 2011
Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Anna NicolesopranoEva-Maria Westbroek
Virgie, her mothermezzo-sopranoSusan Bickley
Daddy Hogan, her fatherbassJeremy White
Billy, her first husbandbaritoneGrant Doyle
J. Howard Marshall, her second husbandtenorAlan Oke
Kay, her auntmezzo-sopranoRebecca de Pont Davies
Shelley, her cousinmezzo-sopranoLoré Lixenberg
Stern, her lawyerbass-baritoneGerald Finley
Young Daniel, her sonsilentAndrew Gilbert
Teenage DanielbaritoneDominic Rowntree
Larry King, a television journalisttenorPeter Hoare
Blossommezzo-sopranoAllison Cook
Doctor YestenorAndrew Rees
Mayor of MexiatenorWynne Evans
Deputy Mayor of Mexia (Roy Fiction)baritoneDamian Thantrey
TruckertenorJeffrey Lloyd-Roberts
Dominic GenttenorDominic Peckham
PatronbaritoneGrant Doyle
RunnerbaritoneZhengZhong Zhou
Meat Rack Quartetsoprano
soprano
mezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano
Marianne Cotterill
Kiera Lyness
Louise Armit
Andrea Hazell
Marshall's familymezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano
baritone
bass
Loré Lixenberg
Rebecca de Pont Davies
Grant Doyle
Jeremy White
Four Lap Dancerssoprano
soprano
mezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano
Yvonne Barclay
Katy Batho
Amy Catt
Amanda Floyd
Onstage BandJohn Parricelli (guitarist)
John Paul Jones (bass guitarist)
Peter Erskine (drummer)

Synopsis

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Act 1

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  • 'Scene Zero' – Overture
  • Scene 1 – 'America Sings'
  • Scene 2 – "No! It's Mu-Hay-Uh."
  • Scene 3 – "Hey We're Family"
  • Scene 4 – 'Falling in Loath Again'
  • Scene 5 – 'Life Implants'
  • Scene 6 – 'American Dreaming'
  • Scene 7 – 'Marriage in the White Dove Chapel'

Act 2

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  • Scene 8 – 'Red Carpet Diem'
  • Scene 9 – 'Partay!'
  • Scene 10 – "Not Dead Yet!"
  • Scene 11 – 'Backstage at the Larry King Show'
  • Scene 12 – 'The Larry King Show and Tell'
  • Scene 13 – "Good Morning Hollywood"
  • Scene 14 – 'Birth Worth'
  • Scene 15 – 'Daniel Death'
  • Scene 16 – 'Clown Messiah'

References

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  1. Peter Conrad (1 January 2011). "Anna Nicole: the opera". The Observer. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  2. "Anna Nicole Smith opera opens in London". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  3. Andrew Clements (17 February 2011). "Anna Nicole – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  4. Anne Midgette (17 February 2011). "Royal Opera's Anna Nicole misses the inner beauty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  5. Anthony Tommasini (17 February 2011). "Va-Va-Voom Goes the Soprano". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  6. "Anna Nicole from the Royal Opera House". BBC. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  7. "BBC4's Anna Nicole opera draws 70,000". Broadcast Now. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  8. Tim Ashley (12 September 2014). "Anna Nicole review – a scabrous tale of sex, money and ambition". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  9. Kate Kellaway (13 September 2014). "Anna Nicole review – an abject story told indecently well". The Observer. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  10. "Opernneuheit in Dortmund: Anna Nicole". Online Merker (in German). 17 September 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  11. "New York City Opera and BAM Begin U.S. Premiere of Anna Nicole Opera Today". Broadway World. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  12. "City Opera Closes Its Doors". Wall Street Journal. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  13. Anthony Tommasini (18 September 2013). "An Opera Plot Ripped From the Tabloids". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
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