Opera Colorado to Premiere New Adaptation of THE SCARLET LETTER

This May, Opera Colorado will present the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter-a new adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's iconic American novel by composer Lori Laitman and librettist David Mason. The premiere marks yet another major milestone for Opera Colorado, which recently announced a return to a three-production season in 2016-17.

Under the direction of Beth Greenberg, who is making her Opera Colorado debut, and with set design by Erhard Rom and costume design by Terese Wadden, Opera Colorado's premiere of The Scarlet Letter will feature soprano Laura Claycomb as Hester Prynne in her Opera Colorado debut. Claycomb takes the place of Elizabeth Futral, who has had to withdraw from the production due to personal health reasons. Additional cast members include: baritone Malcolm MacKenzie as Roger Chillingworth; tenor Dominic Armstrong as Arthur Dimmesdale; mezzo-soprano Margaret Gawrysiak as Mistress Hibbons; baritone Daniel Belcher as Governor Bellingham; and tenor Kyle Erdos Knapp as John Wilson.

"Opera Colorado is committed to presenting new American opera-from our co-production of John Adams' Nixon in China in 2008, to the presentation of Daniel Catan's Florencia En El Amazonas in 2012, to our upcoming presentation of Laura Kaminsky's As One in 2017, and now the world premiere of The Scarlet Letter," stated General Director Greg Carpenter. "Lori Laitman and David Mason have created a truly American opera which speaks to social issues that are just as relevant today as they were over 160 years ago when Hawthorne first published his celebrated novel." Carpenter continued, "We are sorry that Elizabeth has had to withdraw from the production and wish her all the best. We are thrilled that Laura Claycomb was available to step into the role of Hester Prynne. We know that Laura will bring this role to life in a most compelling way and we look forward to introducing her to our audiences."