ELLEN WEST – WORLD PREMIERE
Opera Saratoga presents the World Premiere of ELLEN WEST, by Ricky Ian Gordon and Frank Bidart
In June and July of 2019, Opera Saratoga presents the world premiere of Ellen West, a new chamber opera by composer Ricky Ian Gordon and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Frank Bidart. Opera Saratoga has co-commissioned the opera with Beth Morrison Projects (BMP). Following the world premiere in Saratoga Springs, the production will be presented by BMP as part of the PROTOTYPE Festival in January 2020. The operaEllen West is inspired by the case study of a real-life, early 20th-century woman who suffered from body dysmorphia and multiple eating disorders.
Through the presentation of Ellen West and related community engagement events (including symposia, high-school programs, and meet-the artist sessions), Opera Saratoga will introduce an important, moving, and relevant opera into the repertoire, while simultaneously opening a meaningful dialogue and promoting greater public awareness, understanding, and compassion towards those suffering from eating disorders.
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