My new opera, Shalimar the Clown, opens tonight at Opera Theater St. Louis. The opera is based on the 2005 novel by Salman Rushdie, with a libretto by 2016 Obie Award winner and Pulitzer prize finalist Rajiv Joseph. This world-premiere production stars tenor Sean Pannikar and soprano Andriana Chuchman as lovers Shalimar Noman and Boonyi Kaul. The cast includes Greg Dahl, Aubrey Allicock, Jenni Bank, Thomas Hammons, Katharine Goeldner, Geoffrey Apgalo, Elliott Paige and Justin Austin.
Maestro Jayce Ogren conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the OSTL Chorus. Arjun Verma is our sitarist & Javad Butah our tabla maestro. The production and design team, led by director James Robinson, includes Allen Moyer (sets), James Schuette (costumes), Christopher Akerlind (lighting), Tom Watson (wigs and makeup), choreography (Sean Curran) and Greg Emetaz (projections). Maestro Robert Ainsley prepared the magnificent OTSL chorus and our coach and pianist is Andrea Grant.