Opera North - Orpheus in the Underworld

Orpheus in the Underworld

A comedic romp through Hadestown!

The Can-Can! Moulin Rouge! Spoofing both mythology and the foibles of man. Offenbach’s smash-hit operetta is this summer’s hottest party in hell. Eurydice tired of bickering with annoying husband Orpheus, decides it might be fun to party with the Gods below and takes off with Pluto… raucous fun, mortals in love, gods in disguise, lively tunes, and that famous dance ensue!

With orchestra.

Sung in French with English dialogue; projected English translations.

Creative Team

Louis Burkot, conductor
David Ronis, director
Kurt Domoney, choreographer
Nate Bertone, scenic designer
John Bartenstein, lighting designer
Rebecca Ming, costume designer

Performances

Thursday, July 11 at 7pm
Friday, July 12 at 7pm
Sunday, July 14 at 5pm

Buy Single Tickets HERE

Meet the cast -- and the mythological characters they portray!

Elias Aguirre - Opera North

Elias Aguierre as Orpheus

Orpheus was a musician, poet and prophet in Greek mythology. His parents were the king of Thrace Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope. As he grew older, it became apparent that Orpheus was extremely gifted musically. He could play any instrument perfectly and his singing voice was so beautiful that it could charm animals, trees and even rocks.

When he was grown, Orpheus journeyed to Olympus to meet Apollo, god of music. Apollo was so impressed with Orpheus that he gave him the lyre and taught him how to play. With his new instrument in hand, Orpheus returned to Thrace where he quickly became famous for his music. Everyone who heard him play or sing fell instantly in love with him, including Eurydice.

Abby Brodnick - Opera North

Abby Brodnick as Eurydice

Eurydice was a nymph in Greek mythology, one of the daughters of the god Apollo. She was married to Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet.

After their marriage, Eurydice was pursued by Aristaeus; in her effort to evade him, she stepped on a snake, she was bitten and died. Orpheus, devastated, started playing such a mournful melody on his lyre that the nymphs and gods wept in pain; they advised him to search for Eurydice in the Underworld and bring her back.

Noah Rogers - Opera North

Noah Rogers as Public Opinion

In Orpheus in the Underworld, Public Opinion is a comical, female character who encourages Orpheus to rescue his wife Eurydice from the Underworld.  The role of Public Opinion is meant to represent "the voice of the collective Greek chorus".

Sergio Manzo - Opera North

Sergio Manza as Jupiter

Known by the Greeks as Zeus, this Roman king of the gods and skies is known for swaying from the Olympians for some sexual gratification, wooing mortals across the land. In this respect, Offenbach’s depiction of Jupiter is right on the money. In Act I, the collected gods of Mount Olympus mock Jupiter for his habitual mortal-loving, and his interest in Eurydice is one of the main plots of the opera.                

Widely worshipped by the Ancient Romans, this sky-father came into power after usurping his father Saturn (who was later associated with the Greek god of time, Chronos), and held a huge sway in the religions of the time. The Romans used the eagle – a symbol widely associated with Jupiter – as a standard (a flag bearer), with each Roman legion having one eagle-bearer.

Siyi Yan - Opera North

Siyi Yan as Juno

As the goddess of marriage, queen of the gods and most significantly Jupiter’s wife, you wouldn’t be wrong if you said Juno isn’t very happy about Jupiter’s adulterous pastimes.

The patron goddess of Rome, the domains of Juno (known as Hera in Greece) should not trick you – she hides her warlike and strict demeanor within. Behind every great man is an even greater woman, and the same applies for the gods!

Funnily enough, the Juno we meet in Orpheus in the Underworld doesn’t really approve of Jupiter’s newfound admiration of Eurydice, nor does she particularly appreciate his lengthy history of mortal women he’s wooed. She joins the other gods in their vocal revolt against Jupiter’s reign, bringing up his many wrongdoings he’s committed previously.

Angel Gomez - Opera North

Angel Raii Gomez as Pluto

The god of death acts sneakily in Orpheus in the Underworld, masquerading as Aristaeus at first before taking Eurydice away to the Underworld – not that Orpheus is too bothered about it!

Confusingly, the Greeks knew Pluto as Hades, but also the underworld itself as Hades. This may have been what led Offenbach to use the Roman names for the gods, as Hades taking Eurydice to Hades to be Hades’ prisoner may have been a tad confusing!

Seth Clarke - Opera North

Seth-Emmanuel Clarke as Mars

Mars, naturally, was widely worshipped by the military factions of the Romans, with the month of March named for him, as this was the month in which the season for farming ended, and warfare began. Considered second in importance to Jupiter, Mars’s popularity was a testament to the Roman Empire’s quick expansion and military prowess.

Mars makes an appearance amongst the gods of Olympus in Orpheus in the Underworld, joining Venus and Cupid in the ‘I am Venus/Cupid’ aria in Act 1. Whilst conflict permeates the opera, Mars keeps to the background, watching the bickering and his influence on events.

Carlyle Quinn - Opera North

Carlyle Quinn as Venus

The goddess of love, sex, beauty and victory, Venus was thought to be the ancestor of Roman people (rather narcissistically!) through her descendant Aeneas, fleeing the siege of Troy to Italy. As with many gods, she was the subject of plenty of festivals, largely in the month of April, due to the springtime association of her domain.

One of the gods found on Mount Olympus, Venus and Cupid introduce themselves as they awake to the second scene of Orpheus in the Underworld. She later mocks Jupiter’s many mortal ‘ventures’, using her knowledge of his scandalous acts to deliver a barbed aria alongside Cupid and Diana.

Joanna Kim - Opera North

Joanna Kim as Diana

Known as Artemis to the Greeks, Diana is the maiden goddess of childbirth and women, associated with the Moon and the hunt. The twin sister of Apollo, she is often depicted with her silver bow aside her tamed hunting beasts.

Worship of Diana in Rome likely started in 550 BC, and her most famous myth entails the goddess turning the young hunter Actaeon into a stag, as punishment for witnessing Diana bathing naked. In Ovid’s retelling, Diana’s dogs then proceed to tear the deer apart.

As might be expected from Offenbach’s tongue-in-cheek take on myth, Diana presents herself in Orpheus in the Underworld as the chaste huntress and goddess, but in reality, seems to be far from it. She laments her current suitor Actaeon’s absence, whom Jupiter has turned into a stag to ‘protect her reputation’. As if that’ll stop her!

Erica Fletcher

Erica Fletcher as Cupid

Cupid, the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection, is usually denoted as the son of Venus (naturally) and Mars and is the Roman counterpart to the Greek deity Eros. While his presence is rather widespread in myths, he normally serves to set events in motion, rather than being in the midst of the plot.

Cupid’s role in Orpheus in the Underworld is playful to say the least – we first meet him as he returns from an amatory night-time escapade, before playing mischief with the gods (and later Eurydice) throughout the rest of the opera.

Simon Brea - Opera North

Simon Brea as Mercury

In Ancient Rome Mercury was the god of trade, profit, commerce and was messenger of the gods.  In Ancient Roman mythology, Mercury was the guide of the dead; he led souls to the spirit world.  Mercury’s origin comes from Greece’s god, Hermes.  Mercury and his Greek counterpart share many characteristics. According to Roman legend, Mercury was the son of Jupiter and Maia, an early Italic goddess of spring.  Mercury is seen as one of Jupiter’s favorite children.

The Ancient Roman gods knew Mercury to be cunning and at times deceitful.  When striking a deal with Mercury, the gods held caution because they knew he was clever and good at trickery.  According to Ancient Roman myths, Mercury was the one of the most mischievous of the gods.  Mercury was notorious for helping mortals.  This means in Roman society he had a huge role in everyday lives.  Many of Rome’s citizens wanted to have some interaction with the gods as it was considered ideal and Mercury was a great way to gain that connection.

Nathan Savant - Opera North

Nathan Savant as John Styx

In Greek mythology, Styx is both a river and a goddess of the underworld. The name Styx literally translates to "shuddering" or "hate" and represents a loathing of death. Styx is one of the five rivers of the underworld, along with the Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, and Phlegethon, that all meet at the underworld's center. In some stories, the water of the Styx is poisonous.

John Styx leads Eurydice through the Underworld and locks her in a cell. Distraught, Eurydice lashes out at Pluto and rejects the advances of drunken Styx. Styx boasts to her of his status when alive, and, admits that he now has to drink himself into oblivion in order to take orders from Pluto.