The Royal Opera House (ROH) will stage the opera’s world premiere on the life of Anna Nicole Smith, the former model of Playboy magazine who passed away in 2007.
The production, composed by Mark-Anthony Turnage and written by Richard Thomas, will be a big event in the arts calendar of the United Kingdom, the ROH said. Thomas co-created the controversial work ‘Jerry Springer: The Opera’.
Smith passed away at the age of 39 due to an accidental prescription drug overdose.
The stripper, who found fame as an actress and model, was involved in a long-time struggle to claim a part of her late husband’s estate. J Howard Marshall, a 89-year-old billionaire oil magnate, was 63 years older than her when they got married.
The opera’s ending would be Smith’s death, instead of the court row over her remains’ disposal and her daughter’s custody that ensued.
The opera’s world premiere will take place at the Covent Garden on 17 February 2011, featuring Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as the lead actor.
The ROH 2010/11 season also highlights Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland of Royal Ballet, which was co-produced by the National Ballet of Canada, featuring Christopher Wheeldon’s choreography.
Philip Glass’s chamber opera titled ‘In The Penal Colony’, an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s short story regarding an execution machine, will premiere in the UK in September.
The premiere of ‘Adriana Lecouvreur,’ which was based on the French actress’ life will come in November, featuring world famous soprano Angela Gheorghiou in the title role.
