The Met has traditionally put on a new, big production every November. Phelim McDermott, whose productions include the hugely successful Satyagrahaby Philip Glass, returns to the Met with a new staging of Glass’s Akhnaten. Anthony Roth Costanzo sings the title role of the Egyptian pharaoh who attempted to inspire his people to adopt a new religion, abandoning the worship of the old gods for that of a single deity. In her Met debut, J’Nai Bridges sings the role of Nefertiti, Akhnaten’s bride, and Dísella Lárusdóttir is Queen Tye, the pharaoh’s mother.
A special note is given to the production by the participation of the Gandini Juggling Company, with choreography, juggling tricks and acrobatics in perfect harmony with the musical score. Karen Kamensek conducts in her Met debut.
This production of Akhnaten was originally created by LA Opera, Improbable, and English National Opera, where it premiered, winning the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production.
