Over the years , many famous books have been adapted into operas — The Great Gatsby , Lolita , andThe Handmaid ’s Tale , to name a few . Most recently , Stephen King fans were able to curb out a musical adaption ofThe polishing , perform by the Minnesota Opera in the state ’s majuscule city of St. Paul last workweek , NPR report .
woefully , the two - hour show only run from May 7 to 15 , and no next performance have been formally announced . However , ifsold - out ticketsandglowing reviewsare any indicant , opera lovers who missedThe Shining ’s premiere run might someday be able to enjoy succeeding performance of the yield .
Curious howThe Shiningmade it from page to stage ? A few years ago , Minnesota Opera ’s esthetic director , Dale Johnson , and stage director Eric Simonson decide they wanted to commission a horror opera house , MinnPost report . ( The Shiningis part of the Minnesota Opera ’s New Works Initiative , an first step to lure new interview by backing and premiering fresh novel operas . )
Simonson suggestedThe polishing , and composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell were hired to transform the way-out idea into a reality . Eventually , the originative duo received approval from King to adjust his well - sell 1977 novel into opera form .
The production is n’t base on Stanley Kubrick ’s likewise - entitle 1980 movie starring Jack Nicholson — principally because “ the movie is not operatic at all , ” Campbell told MinnPost . “ There ’s no journeying of any character . ” However , he “ go back and understand the novel and thought , ‘ This is a very exciting idea for an opera . ’ ”
The opera ’s libretto is faithful to the novel ’s plot . It tells the story of Jack Torrance , a recover soaker who slowly descends into madness while working as winter caretaker at the haunt Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies . While snowed in after a bad winter storm , the hotel ’s spirits urge him to pop his married woman and Logos . fit in to Moravec and Campbell , their adjustment is just as chilling — if not more so — than the Word of God .
The Shiningsold out week before its first performance on May 7 . However , you could still heed to snippet of the show via the video above , courtesy of Classicalite .
[ h / tNPR ]
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