Chicago Opera Theater 2017-18 Review: Elizabeth Cree: A Masterpiece Hits the Stage in Potent Fashion

The Chicago Opera Theater presented a stellar performance of “Elizabeth Cree” on Feb. 10, 2018, at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building. A co-production with Opera Philadelphia, this murder mystery opera based on Peter Ackroyd’s historical crime novel, “The Trial of Elizabeth Cree,” treads a knife-edge, successfully balancing horrific dramatic narrative, tongue-in-cheek vaudeville, and bittersweet pathos. Mark Campbell’s text {…}

Feb 6, 2018

Q & A: Kevin Puts & Mark Campbell On the Creation of ‘Elizabeth Cree’

Murder, mystery, and mayhem are on offer in “Elizabeth Cree” when it opens this Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Chicago Opera Theater. Set in 1880s Victorian London, the opera begins with the hanging of Elizabeth Cree for the murder of her husband, John. The story then circles back to the trial for that murder and Elizabeth’s own narrative of her {…}

Jul 18, 2017

Santa Fe Opera 2017 Preview: ‘The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs’ Set to Make Its Mark

At the end of this week, audiences in the US will get the operatic event of the summer. That, of course, is the world premiere of “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” an opera written by Mark Campbell with music by Mason Bates. The work kicks off its run on July 22 at the Santa Fe Opera and runs through August {…}

Jul 15, 2017

Writing Operatic History – Librettist Mark Campbell on Creating Operas About Steve Jobs, Georgia O’Keeffe, & Murderers

Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Puccini’s “Tosca.” Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” What’s wrong with that picture? For most opera lovers, nothing whatsoever. And yet the underlying truth that everyone overlooks is that those works don’t exist without the other major figures attached to the respective works. It should really be Verdi and Piave’s “La Traviata,” for example as the former would {…}

Jun 1, 2017

Fun Facts About Kevin Puts’ ‘Elizabeth Cree’ & The Crypt Sessions

“The only thing alive in a Crypt is the sound,” said Mark Campbell during a preview presentation of “Elizabeth Cree.” And right he was as Daniela Mack and Joseph Gaines’ voices rang through the crypt first performing selections from Britten and Poulenc and later from the new work at the Crypt Sessions. The evening was filled with good wine, food {…}

May 9, 2017

San Francisco Opera Announces ‘The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs’ For 2019-20

The San Francisco Opera has announced that it will present “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” the first full-length opera written by Bay Area composer Mason Bates and set to a libretto by Mark Campbell in 2019-20 season. It will join Santa Fe Opera and Seattle Opera, with support from Cal Performances as a co-commissioner. The new work will be a co-production {…}

May 6, 2017

The Crypt Sessions To Preview Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s ‘Elizabeth Cree’

The Crypt Sessions Season 2 continues on May 31, 2017, with a preview of “Elizabeth Cree.” The new work was composed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning team of composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell and is slated to have its world premiere Sept. 14, 2017, as part of Opera Philadelphia’s inaugural fall festival. Puts will accompany mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, who will create the title role {…}