Jupiter's Journey to the Earth

Company: the little OPERA theatre of NY

Synopsis

For the child in all of us (ages 7+), Jupiter’s Journey to the Earth is a family-friendly chamber opera sung in English based upon the story of “Philemon and Baucis” from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” This new adaptation and production will mix puppeteers, opera singers, and instrumentalists in a show the entire family can enjoy. Franz Joseph Haydn’s opera Philemon und Baucis, oder Jupiters Reise auf die Erde was originally written for a marionette theater at the Royal Castle of Esterhazy in the 18th Century. In the story, the gods look down upon the earth and observe mankind’s cruelty towards one another and the world in which they live. At first, the gods throw storms upon the earth as punishment for the humans’ bad behavior. But before destroying everything, the gods decide to search for any moral good remaining. Jupiter and Mercury descend upon the earth and discover a husband and wife whose kindness proves humanity is worth saving.