Following in the venerable footsteps of genre mashing musicals like Hamilton and Sylvia, Nmon Ford’s Orfeus takes those boundary blurring principles and unleashes them on the world of opera.
Using an eclectic mash up of house, opera and pop, this unique production transports Ovid’s legendary story to a dystopian world where Orfeus must do battle against his father Pluto for the object of his affections, Eurydice.
The production is the work of award winning singer Nmon Ford. The American baritone has written the words, music and libretto for the new show himself, and he has also claimed the lead role of Orfeus. Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown the Musical) will take on directorial duties for the world premiere of the new show.
Previous to beginning work on the new production, Ford impressed in a variety of performances for the English National Opera, BBC Symphony and New York Philharmonic Orchestra. and BBC Symphony.
Ford also enjoys a prodigious recording career, having won a Grammy for his stint as a featured soloist on the Songs of Innocence and Experience (Naxos).
For his debut as a writer, the baritone has chosen to take on one of the classics in the operatic cannon. The story of Orpheus has inspired artists, writers and playwrights for thousands of years. Written by the legendary Roman writer Ovid, the tale or Orpheus and Eurydice has traditionally been seen as an allegory for the power of love to overcome all obstacles, even death.
Orfeus is expected to open at the Young Vic in late 2020.
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