Work of the Week - Howard Shore: The Fly

Based on the 1957 George Langelaan short story and the 1986 David Cronenberg horror film, Howard Shore’s first opera The Fly is an engrossing exploration of the physical and psychological transformation in which a brilliant scientist begins to mutate into a hybrid of man and fly after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong. Researcher Seth Brundle makes a stunning breakthrough in the field of matter transportation when he successfully teleports a living creature. Frustrated in his budding romance with a scientific journalist, and in need of a human subject, he recklessly attempts to teleport himself. An unseen fly enters the transmission booth as well, however, and Brundle soon realizes that his experiment has had "mixed" results.

Howard Shore comments on his Opera: "I always believed The Fly to be a classic opera story. It’s a tale of love and death, true love surviving in the face of physical decay and ultimate sacrifice. To bring this work to the opera stage has been a longtime dream. I am very proud to be working with these fantastic collaborators in the realization of this dream."

World Premiere
2 July 2008 · Paris (F) Théâtre du Châtelet
Co-production with the Los Angeles Opera
Conductor Plácido Domingo
Director David Cronenberg
Set designer Dante Ferretti
Costume designer Denise Cronenberg

Further performances:
Paris: July 5, 8, 11, 13
Los Angeles Opera: September 7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 27