Phelim McDermott, whose productions include the hugely successful Satyagraha by Philip Glass,
returns to the Met with a new staging of Glass’s Akhnaten, conducted by Karen Kamensek in her
Met debut. 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. One of the staging’s distinctive visual
features is provided by the Gandini Juggling Company, whose movements are perfectly
choreographed with the orchestral score. 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.
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