Stephen Fry Joins the Cast of LA Opera's Premiere of OEDIPUS REX as the Narrator

LA Opera will present the company premiere of Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex at 2pm on Sunday, June 6, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A special video presentation of the opera will subsequently stream on LA Opera's On Now digital platform, also free of charge, beginning June 17.

Conducted by Music Director James Conlon and starring tenor Russell Thomas, the company's Artist in Residence, the concert performance marks LA Opera's first public, in-person performance-and the first indoor performance at The Music Center-since March 8, 2020. Strict safety precautions will be in effect for everyone in attendance. The socially distanced presentation features projected animations created by Manual Cinema, an Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio and film/video production company. Grant Gershon is the chorus director. Matthew Diamond is the director of the streaming presentation of Oedipus Rex.

"The energy and excitement at rehearsals is palpable," said Christopher Koelsch. "Everyone at the company-from the performers who have been largely silenced by this pandemic to the backstage staff-is elated at the prospect of performing before a live audience inside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion once again, especially given their extraordinary support during the shutdown."

"I am overjoyed to be reunited with the orchestra and chorus and all of my colleagues at LA Opera, celebrating our reemergence after more than a year," said James Conlon. "Making music and theater is our collective life's passion, and we return with this unique masterpiece of the early 20th century. This 'opera-oratorio,' as Stravinsky called it, is a unique creation that broke tradition nearly a century ago, and its freshness and vitality remain undiminished today."

While tickets are free, a strict protocol for entry has been created using the LA County Department of Public Health's current restrictions for live events. To attend Oedipus Rex, audience members must either be able to prove that they were fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at least two weeks before the performance (i.e., on or before May 22) or show proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the performance. Fully vaccinated audience members will be seated in the orchestra section of the theater; those with negative test results will be assigned socially distant seating in Founders Circle. (Vaccinated audience members may choose to be seated in the more socially distant Founders Circle.)

All audience members must show photo ID along with proof of vaccine or negative test result at the door to enter. Masks must be worn at all times while inside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The running time is approximately 50 minutes, with no intermission.

Admission is free, but ticketing is extremely limited. Tickets will be released on a rolling basis, available at first to those who were most affected by previous LA Opera cancelations. LA Opera is also inviting healthcare workers and first responders to attend, through the company's Connects community engagement programs. Any remaining tickets will be released at a later date. Prospective audience members who meet the requirements for attendance and who wish to reserve tickets should be sure to follow LA Opera on social channels and to sign up at LAOpera.org/newsletter to receive email updates regarding ticket availability.

In addition to implementing enhanced cleaning procedures and other expanded safety measures, The Music Center received a UL "healthy building" verification for its venues' air quality in March 2021, becoming the first performing arts organization in the country to receive that designation. New air filters were recently installed throughout the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The building is fitted with high-quality air, ventilation and filtration systems that provide a complete change of air inside the theater four to six times per hour, as recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

For more information about the performance and entry requirements, please visit LAOpera.org/Oedipus.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is located at 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA, 90012.

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