Moby-Dick at American Repertory Theater

At the world premiere performance in April 2010, the audience broke into spontaneous applause three times during the first act and screamed and yelled its approval at the curtain calls with shredded programs fluttering down from the highest seating levels. This world premiere is based on Herman Melville’s 19th century literary masterpiece, Moby-Dick, exploring the lethal power of obsession and the need for human connection and understanding in an increasingly multicultural world; one filled with mysterious encounters, exotic characters and one man’s quest for a white whale that leaves death and destruction in its wake.

The actions of this large and emotionally irresistible work are played out against a multimedia-enriched staging that ranges from striking to near miraculous. Using dazzling computer-generated effects, the visual impact of Moby-Dick pulls you into the action from the first chord of the achingly beautiful music. The towering role of Ahab is sung by Jay Hunter Morris, Jonathan Boyd is Greenhorn and Starbuck is Morgan Smith. Directed by Leonard Foglia with huge nautical sets designed by Robert Brill, Jake Heggie’s monumental composition and Gene Scheer’s libretto is a vibrant piece of compelling musical theater.