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THE REEF

Music by Anthony Davis

Libretto by Joan Ross Sorkin

WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE

LOCATION

Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center

129 West 67th Street, New York, NY

DATE

Wednesday, April 10 at 7:00 PM

DURATION

1 hour, 30 minutes

The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the opera’s creators

LANGUAGE

Sung in English

Based on the novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, the new opera by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis and librettist Joan Ross Sorkin tells the suspenseful story of a young widow and her former lover’s attempt to rekindle their romance. The tension is heightened in Davis and Sorkin’s retelling, which underscores the inequalities of race and social class at a sugar plantation on Martinique. Berkshire Opera Festival is proud to present Act One of this two-act opera for the very first time in a workshop performance featuring an exciting cast of emerging artists, including current students and recent alumni of some of the area's notable conservatories and music schools.

CREATORS

ANTHONY DAVIS

Composer

Composer Anthony Davis was the winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera The Central Park Five.

JOAN ROSS SORKIN

Librettist

Joan Ross Sorkin is a playwright, musical theatre bookwriter and lyricist, opera librettist, and screenwriter.

TICKETING INFO

​Premium tickets are $50 and include prime seating and an invitation to a post-show reception. An open bar and complimentary desserts will be provided.

General Admission tickets are $25.

 

Student tickets are $10 and available in-person at the Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center box office or over the phone.

CREATORS

Librettist

Joan Ross Sorkin is a playwright, musical theatre bookwriter and lyricist, opera librettist, and screenwriter. Her opera credits include Strange Fruit with Chandler Carter, developed by New York City Opera and Golden Fleece Composers' Chamber Theatre and commissioned and premiered by Long Leaf Opera. Joan has been the long-time President of the Board of The York Theatre Company and a member of The Dramatists Guild (and DG Opera Committee), The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, ASCAP, The League of Professional Theatre Women, and New Victory Theater's LabWorks Project.

Composer

Anthony Davis was the winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera The Central Park Five. His first opera, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, with a libretto by Thulani Davis, had its world premiere at the New York City Opera in 1986. A revised version of X, which debuted at Detroit Opera in May 2022, was presented at the Met in 2023. Davis’ fourth opera, Amistad, also with a libretto by Thulani Davis, premiered at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1997. His other works include the music for the Broadway production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America as well as music for orchestra and chorus. Davis is currently a distinguished professor of music at the University of California, San Diego. 

CAST

ANNELIESE KLENETSKY

Anna de Chantal

ERIN REPPENHAGEN

Madame de Chantal

COMING SOON

ERIK GRENDAHL

George Darrow

NICOLETTA BERRY

Sonya

RYAN BRYCE JOHNSON

Christophe de Chantal

CHANTAL FREEMAN

“The Invisibles” Soprano

MARKEL REED

“The Invisibles” Baritone

RELATED

SYNOPSIS

Adapted from the Edith Wharton novel of the same name, the story of the opera has been reset at Les Alizés (Trade Winds), a wealthy French sugar cane plantation on the Caribbean island of Martinique in 1911.  The opera tells the tale of unrequited love, doomed by the strict conventions of society that breed intolerance based on race and class.  Anna Leath, an American widow, is trapped on the plantation with her aristocratic French mother-in-law and falls in love with an American diplomat whom she knew in New York.  Unbeknownst to her, he has had an affair with her young daughter’s mixed-race nursemaid.  Anna’s stepson is also in love with the island girl, who cares more for the diplomat.  The mother-in-law forbids the union with her grandson, and although Anna supports the marriage, the toxic fumes of prejudice bend even her will.  When Anna discovers the nursemaid is carrying the diplomat’s child, she knows her love is forever tainted.  After the accidental death of her stepson, Anna chooses propriety over passion by sending her lover away, consoled only by the thought of keeping his yet unborn child in her care.

 

Throughout the opera, the collective conscience of the island is represented by the “Invisibles,” a Greek chorus of islanders who observe the action through a lens magnified by the inequalities of race and class between the island workers and the aristocratic plantation owners.  In addition to providing social commentary of those in the “Great House,” they echo the thoughts, fears, and desires of the characters.  They also represent the forces of nature that govern the island — water, wind, heat, and light, the oppressors and disruptors of life and love.

Synopsis provided by Joan Ross Sorkin

PERFORMANCE SPONSORS

BOF's workshop performance of The Reef is made possible in part by the generous support of Ken and Susan Kramer and a National Endowment for the Arts ArtWorks grant.

Performance sponsorships are still available. Download sponsorship information HERE. Please contact BOF Executive Director Abigail Rollins with any questions or to sign on as a sponsor. Thank you!

RECEPTION SPONSOR

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center dedicated to the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of Edith Wharton (1862-1937). The Mount presents Wharton’s life and achievements through tours of her house and gardens, and programming. The Mount is the literary hub of the Berkshires and hosts lectures and panels by national authors and scholars both on-site and online. Seasonal cultural offerings on the property include an annual outdoor sculpture show, music, and childrens’ programming.

The Mount's Book Club for The Reef is on March 21

Join us to discuss both Wharton's novel and BOF's workshop performance

Learn more about composer Anthony Davis

OPERA America hosted Davis for a discussion about his career in opera for their "Onstage" series

Merkin Hall

For directions and more information about our venue for The Reef, head to their website

CREATIVE TEAM

Pianist and Principal Coach

LYNN BAKER

English Diction Coach

THE REEF

Music by Anthony Davis

Libretto by Joan Ross Sorkin

WORKSHOP PERFORMANCE

CAST

 Anna de Chantal

ERIN REPPENHAGEN

Madame de Chantal

George Darrow

Christophe de Chantal

BLANCHE WAZELLE

Effie de Chantal

"The Invisibles"

Soprano

"The Invisibles"

Mezzo-Soprano

"The Invisibles"

Tenor

"The Invisibles"

Baritone

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