Peabody Opera Theatre Presents Staged Premiere Of Kirke Mechem's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

The Peabody Institute's 2019-20 concert season continues with Peabody Opera Theatre's staged premiere of Pride and Prejudice, an opera by Kirke Mechem, based on the novel by Jane Austen. The production will be performed November 20-23 at 7:30 pm in Peabody's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall under the stage direction of Samuel Mungo, accompanied by the Peabody Opera Theatre Orchestra conducted by Joseph Young.

Centered on the spirited courtship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Kirke Mechem's Pride and Prejudice offers a new look at the classic Jane Austen tale. Mechem capitalizes on the strong characters, humor, opportunities for grand ensembles, and scenic beauty to invite the audience to experience the fascinating love story as it has never been seen before, an opera.

Noting that "[Jane] Austen's Pride and Prejudice practically begs to be set to music," reviewers on Austenacious, a Jane Austen Society blog, praised Mechem's opera as "a spot-on aural representation of the people and universe of the novel. Mrs. Bennett as a high soprano? Check. Darcy as a graceful yet manly baritone? Check. Mr. Collins as hilariously imperious bass baritone? Check check check..."

The composer Kirke Mechem will present at a free Jane Austen symposium to be held on Saturday, November 23 at 1:00 pm in the George Peabody Library. Additional speakers will include Johns Hopkins University professor Mary Favret, Goucher professor and Austen expert Juliette Wells, and playwright Sarah Rose Kearns.

All events will be held on the Peabody campus at 17 East Mount Vernon Place. To reserve free tickets, call the box office at 667-208-6620 or order tickets online at peabody.universitytickets.com. For more information on the Peabody Institute's events, please visit peabody.jhu.edu/events.