Organization

Adelaide Festival

Conductor

Stephanie Childress

Singer

Soprano

Sharleen Joynt

Bess McNeill

Baritone

Benjamin Taylor

Jan Nyman

Elizabeth van Os

Bess's Mother

Mezzo-soprano

Gabrielle Barkidjija

Dodo McNeill

Tenor

David Portillo

Dr Richardson

Nathan Stark

Councilman

Bass

Robert Mellon

Terry

Scottish Opera

Houston Grand Opera

Opera Ventures

Opéra Comique

Detroit Opera

Stage director

Tom Morris

Orchestra

Detroit Opera Orchestra

Breaking the Waves

Detroit

United States

Detroit Opera House

Breaking the Waves Poster

Public

Private

Approved

The season also includes Missy Mazzoli’s heart-wrenching opera Breaking the Waves, inspired by the controversial Lars von Trier film, which tells the story of a woman in an extreme environment in Scotland, defying her community of faith. Stephanie Childress will make her Detroit Opera conducting debut leading the cast and Detroit Opera Orchestra in Breaking the Waves, a co-production of Opera Ventures, Scottish Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Adelaide Festival and Théâtre National de l’Opéra Comique that was first performed in 2019 at Scottish Opera, directed by Tom Morris. “This marks the first mainstage production here that features a woman as the composer, which is something I’m very excited about,” says Sharon. “It’s a work that tells the story of a woman’s agency in an impossible situation, grappling with what it means to be pious and good. It’s a powerful and searing work, and Mazzoli’s orchestration is oceanic, with soundscapes depicting a deeply human conflict, and collision in so many ways.”

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Ensemble

Co-Producer