Opera
Billy Budd
By Benjamin Britten
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The Glyndebourne Chorus
Conducted by Sir Mark Elder
Directed by Michael Grandage
As part of a worldwide celebration of the composer’s 100th birthday, Benjamin Britten’s sweeping, seafaring masterpiece comes to BAM in a spectacular production from Glyndebourne Festival Opera, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage (former artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse). From lilting a capella sea shanties to bombastic choral juggernauts, Britten’s magnificent score roars to life under the direction of esteemed conductor Sir Mark Elder and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, while Glyndebourne’s all-male cast fills designer Christopher Oram’s cavernous ship with truly unforgettable sound. Based on Herman Melville’s classic novella, with a powerful libretto by E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier, Billy Budd transforms a British man o’ war into a crucible for human faith and error, where truth is fugitive and justice never absolute.
Set design by Christopher Oram
Costume design by Christopher Oram
Lighting design by Paule Constable
Movement direction by Tom Roden
Made possible by a generous gift from The Howard Gilman Foundation.
Leadership support for Billy Budd
provided by
Aashish & Dinyar Devitre, and Robert L. Turner
Leadership support for opera at BAM provided by
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation
Opera expert Fred Plotkin examines the life and work of Benjamin Britten, in conjunction with Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s production of Billy Budd at BAM this season.
