BIO-OPERA

Times called the newest addition to the “sisterhood of the fallen”. Like the operatic version of Margaret Campbell, this Anna Nicole is familiar too, in her way.

The list, as previously mentioned Marylin Monroe, Malcom X, Oliver Sacks... goes on and on And it brings us, for now, to 2019 and the premiere of The (R) Evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell Here was a man with an arguably greater impact on our lives than all the above names combined By some estimates, his phones can be found in the pockets and handbags of 28% of the world’s cellular customers, and his signature jeans and black mock turtleneck have embedded themselves in our collective subconsciousness. Ask any person to picture a stereotypical modern tech-maestro in their mind’s eye, and they will see Steve Jobs.

Jobs may have moved through the world like a god at times, but he was no angel For all his contributions to communication and productivity, his story was littered with troubling personal choices and bad faith acts. He could be warm and welcoming on stage, but cold and calculating in the office. He was a visionary world-builder. He was a deadbeat dad. In other words, ideal for opera.

For his part, (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs librettist Mark Campbell knew the challenge he was facing. In a recent interview, he admitted some initial reluctance about representing Jobs’ personal journey on stage But he quickly understood that there were opportunities for nuanced humanity in an iconic, complicated man like the Apple co-founder, that his evolution had lessons for all of us Still, the line between vilification and glorification was very fine, and Campbell had to walk it carefully if he hoped to interrogate, and perhaps re-shape, the version of Steve Jobs we all have in our heads.

When asked about his process as a librettist, Campbell says he “starts from the heart” and that his job is to “write words people will want to sing.” It’s an ideal starting place for The (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs No other art form, not even film, has as many tools at its disposal to tackle such a topic Operas about people like Anna Nicole Smith, Colonel Gaddafi and Jerry Springer might not stand the test of time, but that doesn’t mean they were bad ideas. Because it’s music that best unties the knots of narrative impossibility Song is ultimately more powerful than any special effect, any literary trick. It doesn’t always work, sure. But when it does...

Sponsors

PRESENTING SPONSOR

C. COMSTOCK CLAYTON FOUNDATION

SJ & JESSIE E QUINNEY FOUNDATION

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

JUDY BRADY† & DREW W. BROWNING

SET AND COSTUME SPONSOR

EMMA ECCLES JONES FOUNDATION

OPERA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SPONSOR

STEVE & BETTY SUELLENTROP

STAGE DIRECTOR SPONSOR

GEORGE SPECIALE

SPONSOR OF JOHN MOORE AS STEVE JOBS

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