AMERICAN APOLLO Comes to Des Moines Metro Opera in July

American Apollo comes to Des Moines Metro Opera in July.

Damien Geter and Lila Palmer's American Apollo gives voice to a pivotal figure in American art: Thomas Eugene McKeller, a Black hotel worker who served as model and muse for famous portraitist John Singer Sargent. As a work of historical fiction, the opera imagines the story behind Sargent’s spare, nude portrait and sensual sketches of McKeller, whose image was transformed by Sargent into white-skinned Greek gods featured prominently in murals throughout Boston's Musuem of Fine Arts. Themes of erasure, the white gaze and the intimate relationship between the two men are explored in this powerful new work. Read the synopsis >

This world premiere opera features baritone Justin Austin as Thomas Eugene McKeller, tenor William Burden making a company debut as John Singer Sargent, soprano Mary Dunleavy as Isabella Stewart Gardner, and DMMO Marshall and Judy Flapan Music Director and Principal Conductor David Neely leading the production alongside stage director Shaun Patrick Tubbs, who makes his company debut.

PERFORMANCES

July 13 at 8pm - SOLD OUT
July 18 at 7:30pm - SOLD OUT
July 19 at 1pm

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