Reviews: What Did Critics Think of Dead Man Walking at the Metropolitan Opera? | 半岛体育

半岛体育

半岛体育 Universe Reviews: What Did Critics Think of Dead Man Walking at the Metropolitan Opera?

The NYC institution kicked off its 2023-24 season with the house premiere of Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally's opera September 26.

A scene from Dead Man Walking at The Metropolitan Opera Karen Almond / Met Opera

The Metropolitan Opera's 2023-24 season opened September 26 with the company premiere of Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally's Dead Man Walking鈥攁nd the reviews are in!

Based on the memoir of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean about her experience as spiritual adviser to convicted murderers on death row, Dead Man Walking has become one of the most frequently-produced operas of the 21st century since its premiere 23 years ago. Joyce DiDonato stars as Sister Helen in the new production directed by Ivo van Hove, joined by Ryan McKinny as the convicted Joseph De Rocher, and Susan Graham, who played Sister Helen at the opera's premiere, as De Rocher's mother.

Read the reviews here.



*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.

半岛体育 will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

Also in the cast are Latonia Moore as Sister Rose, Raymond Aceto as Warden George Benton, and Rodney Gilfry as Owen Hart. Met Music Director Yannick N茅zet-S茅guin conducts. Ivo van Hove's production features scenic and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld, costume design by An D鈥橦uys, projection design by Christopher Ash, and sound design by Tom Gibbons.

Dead Man Walking is Ivo van Hove's second opera production with the Met, following his production of Don Giovanni which opened in May. This pairing of director and opera is emblematic of the season to come, which will emphasize contemporary works and modern re-imaginings of classics.

Of the season's six new productions, four will be Met premieres of works from within the past forty years: Dead Man Walking; Anthony Davis' X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, directed by Robert O'Hara; Daniel Cat谩n's Florencia en el Amazonas, directed by Mary Zimmerman; and John Adams' El Ni帽o, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. The new productions of classics will be Bizet鈥檚 Carmen, directed by Carrie Cracknell; and Verdi's La Forza del Destino, directed by Mariusz Treli艅ski. The season will also include revivals of contemporary hits from recent seasons: Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up In My Bones, and Kevin Puts' The Hours, the latter of which will see the return of its original stars, Ren茅e Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, and Kelli O'Hara.

Performances of Dead Man Walking continue through October 21.

For more information, visit .

 
Today鈥檚 Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!