Music by LILIYA UGAY
Libretto by JULIAN CROUCH

The Opposable Thumb is a new opera about a young woman determined to escape the mayhem that descends upon a zoo when war strikes. Based on various true accounts of the last two hundred years, this fascinating work questions whether mankind is superior to the animals that are contained behind the bars of the zoo’s cages, or just another ape with an opposable thumb, and a trigger pulling finger.

ALT’s libretto reading of this rich story, embedded with comedy and deep humanity, was one of the company’s most popular events last season. Now, hear Julian Crouch’s extraordinary libretto come alive in Liliya Ugay’s evocative, highly theatrical score during the first piano vocal reading of the opera.

Eva – Laura Krumm
The Pilot – Andrew Bidlack
Hagenback – Scott Conner
Greta, a Cook – Caroline Worra
Old Soldier – Gideon Dabi
Young Soldier – Jordan Rutter

Monkey – Sydney Anderson
Chameleon – Boya Wei
Hyena – Amelia Watkins
Ibis – Courtney Miller
Rhino – Vera Savage
Lion – Cierra Byrd.

Pianist – Sara Chiesa

Conducted by Emily Senturia