Orpheus in the Underworld - Great Lakes Operetta
July 10,* 17,† 18* – 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
July 11,† 12,* 19† – 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
*Roman Cast; †Greco Cast
Bramble Arts Loft
5545 N Clark St 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60640
Great Lakes Operetta (GLO) presents its first full-length, fully-staged operetta, Jacques Offenbach’s seminal work, Orpheus in the Underworld. Originally premiering as Orphée aux enfers, this musical spoof of the Orpheus myth was the Hadestown of 1858’s Paris and had a cultural impact comparable to Hamilton or The Phantom of the Opera. The original book was written in part by Ludovic Halévy (of Carmen fame), and the score introduced the now world-famous “cancan” (known in the show as the “Infernal Gallop”). The show is raucous, wacky, and surprisingly modern, and the score is one of Offenbach’s best, ensuring its continued popularity. GLO’s production will premiere a new English translation by Francis Lynch, who also re-orchestrated the score for a small chamber ensemble.
"Our tagline at Great Lakes Operetta is 'Where Opera Meets Musical Theater,' and Orpheus in the Underworld is the perfect show to demonstrate this,” said SarahAnn Sutter, Stage Director. “While the performers sing in an operatic style, the dialogue, dance breaks, and overall sense of fun really show how operetta was the precursor of modern musical theater. There is nothing stuffy or boring about Orpheus!”
The production is produced by GLO Executive Director Kristin Weed, directed by GLO Artistic Director SarahAnn Sutter, music directed by Lindsey Baer, and assistant music directed by Anna Therese George. Sarah Jenks serves as Collaborative Pianist and Chiron Finn as Stage Manager. The production features two casts (with alternating performance dates), including Mason Montuoro as Orpheus, Gabrielle Goudard† and Gabrielle Haigh* as Eurydice, Jennifer Barrett† and Isabella Daltoso* as Public Opinion, Jonathon Joseph Larson† and Sasha Tomasevich* as Pluto, Alexander Quackenbush as Jupiter, Solamada Pando Girard as John Styx/Vesta, Halle Rosemond† and Catherine Larson* as Diana, Hillary Esqueda† and Abigail Greer Arcomona* as Cupid, Alexandra Kassouf† and Val Beck* as Venus, Kristin Weed† and Kelly Killorin* as Mercury, Eugenia Bouboudakis (July 17, 18, 19) and Allison Mann (July 10, 11, 12) as Minerva, Katarina Bakas as Juno, Jonathan Rodney as Mars, and Lucas Gassmann as Bacchus.
General admission tickets for adults are $38, with discounted rates for children, students, and seniors. Tickets are on sale now – visit https://greatlakesoperetta.com/orpheus/ and use discount code STOREFRONTOPERA for $5 off adult and senior/student tickets.
