Pittsburgh, PA
April 11, 2016
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 412.281.0912 ext. 217
Mobile: 412.427.7088
or contact by email
Pittsburgh Opera concludes its 77th season with the Pittsburgh premiere of the David Hockney production of Stravinsky’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS.
The plot follows Tom Rakewell, who squanders his large inheritance on women, drinking and gambling.
- Tom’s journey from fortunate heir, to gambler, to inmate at Bedlam is based on a famous series of engravings by William Hogarth from 1732.
- The opera itself is by Igor Stravinsky, who was inspired by Hogarth’s engravings. It premiered in 1951.
- The libretto was written by poets W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman.
- Pittsburgh Opera is performing the David Hockney production (which Pittsburgh Opera owns), with jaw-dropping sets, props, wigs and costumes designed by “the most influential British artist of all time”. Hockney mimics the feel of Hogarth’s original engravings, using black cross hatching and the three colors printers used in Hogarth’s time: red, blue and green.
The performances are essentially a living David Hockney art installation set to Stravinsky’s beautiful neo-classical music. For an easy video overview of this, please see Glyndebourne’s YouTube video “The Rake’s Progress: An Introduction”, which includes an interview with David Hockney.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS features a superlative cast, including:
- Alek Shrader (Tom Rakewell), a past winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions who has had a meteoric rise in the opera world. Alek has performed around the globe to great acclaim, and is making his Pittsburgh Opera debut.
- Layla Claire (the virtuous Anne Trulove), who has received rave reviews by The New York Times and others for her performance in this role at the Metropolitan Opera. Her most recent Pittsburgh Opera appearance was in 2013, singing the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute.
- David Pittsinger, who sings the role of the sinister Nick Shadow, makes his 13th appearance at Pittsburgh Opera, but first since 2008. Mr. Pittsinger is renowned for his Helen Hayes Award-nominated performance as Emile de Becque in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific at the Kennedy Center. He famously performed in both The Met’s Hamlet and on Broadway in South Pacific on the same day.
On stage April 30, May 3, 6 and 8, THE RAKE’S PROGRESS is a powerful way to end the opera season. Tickets start at just $12.
Performance Dates/Times/Location/Length/Language
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Downtown Pittsburgh
- Saturday, April 30, 8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 3, 7:00 p.m.
- Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, May 8, 2:00 p.m.
3 hours 5 minutes, including 2 intermissions
Sung in the original English with texts projected above the stage
Media Events & Photographs
Please email Chris Cox for reservations
- Photo Call (4/18, 12:30 PM) – Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters
- Full Dress Rehearsal (4/28, 7:00 – 10:00 PM) – Benedum Center
Related Events
- Kegs + Eggs + Opera brunch at the Mattress Factory (4/17)
- Opera Up Close (4/17)
- Carnegie Museum of Art ‘Third Thursday’ (4/21)
- WQED Preview (4/23 & 4/29)
- Meet the Artists (5/3)
- Audio Description (5/3)
Tickets & Group Discounts
Tickets to all performances of THE RAKE’S PROGRESS start at $12.
All performances are at the Benedum Center, 7th Street and Penn Avenue, in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District
To purchase tickets:
- Call 412-456-6666
- Visit the Theatre Square Box Office
- Buy tickets online
Group discounts are available. For discounted group tickets (6 or more), contact Randy Adams at 412-281-0912, x 213.
Three facts about The Rake's Progress
1. An amazing assemblage of 20th century cultural titans had their hands in this opera:
- Music by Igor Stravinsky– “one of music’s truly epochal innovators”
- Libretto (screenplay) by Chester Kallman and W. H. Auden, “arguably the 20th century’s greatest poet”
- Sets and costumes designed by David Hockney, “the most influential British artist of all time”
2. You might expect the owner of the largest David Hockney collection in the greater Pittsburgh area to be one of the regions' many fine museums, or perhaps a wealthy private collector. It’s not. Pittsburgh Opera is the fortunate owner of Mr. Hockney’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS production, which features hundreds of meticulously designed period costumes, amazing wigs, sets and props.
3. David Hockney was a contemporary of Andy Warhol in the Pop Art movement. Andy interviewed David for Andy Warhol’s T.V in 1981. The Andy Warhol Museum is generously loaning Pittsburgh Opera that interview footage, which will be played in the Benedum Center lobby prior to each performance of THE RAKE’S PROGRESS.
Cast & Creative Team
Full information on THE RAKE'S PROGRESS cast and creative team can be found on its landing page.
THE STORY, IN BRIEF
Pittsburgh Opera's production of THE RAKE'S PROGRESS is set in England during the 1700s.
A synopsis of the plot can be found on THE RAKE'S PROGRESS landing page.