Opera Philadelphia’s O18 festival launched September 20 with the world premiere of Sky on Swings, starring Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade. The chamber opera, by composer Lembit Beecher and librettist Hannah Moscovitch, runs through September 29 at the Perelman Theater.
Joanna Settle directs the work, about two women battling different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The production coincides with World Alzheimer’s Month, the international campaign mounted each September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia.Flip through photos of the production below:
Daniel Taylor and Frederica von Stade
Frederica von Stade and Daniel Taylor
Veronica Chapman-Smith and Marietta Simpson
Sharleen Joynt
Marietta Simpson, George Somerville, and Frank Mitchell
Marietta Simpson
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Sharleen Joynt, Marietta Simpson, and Frederica von Stade
Frederica von Stade and Marietta Simpson
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Steven Pisano
Renée Rollin and Frederica von Stade
Veronica Chapman-Smith, George Somerville, Maren Montalbano, and Frank Mitchell
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Veronica Chapman-Smith, Marietta Simpson, and Frederica von Stade
Marietta Simpson and Frederica von Stade
Dominic M. Mercier
