Today : World première of 'The Manchurian Candidate' by Kevin Puts in St. Paul (MN)

Today, the Minnesota Opera presents the world première performance of The Manchurian Candidate by Kevin Puts, with a libretto by Mark Campbell after Richard Condon's novel. Performances will take place at the Ordway Theater.

 

It is Puts' second opera after Silent Night, first performed by Minnesota Opera on November 12, 2011.

An American soldier, decorated during the Korean War, is brainwashed into becoming an unwitting assassin in a conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government. Can a fellow POW crack the code in time to stop him ? (reproduced from the opera website)

The cast includes Matthew Worth (Sergeant Raymond Shaw), Brenda Harris (Eleanor Iselin), Daniel Sumegi (Senator Johnny Iselin), Leonardo Capalbo (Captain Ben Marco), Adriana Zabala (Rosie Chayney), among others. Michael Christie conducts and Kevin Newbury directs.

The opera should last about 2 hours and 10 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.