Lakes Area Music Festival –The Beautiful Helen of Troy

Music by Jacques Offenbach
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

Premiered December 17, 1864 at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris Sung in French with English supertitles, spoken dialogue in English (translation by Richard Traubner)

This hysterical and absurd romp through Ancient Greece is complete with Spartan soldiers, Prince Paris, and of course the most beautiful woman in the world—Helen of Troy. La belle Hélène proves that no matter the value we place in Jupiter’s laws, the love of Venus will always prevail.

CAST
Hélène                    Anna Dennis
Pâris                       Zachary Wilder
Calchas                  John Taylor Ward
Ménélas                 Jason McStoots
Agamemnon          Gary Moss

Jonathan Brandani, conductor
JJ Hudson, director
Jerome Wills, set design and technical director
Tlaloc Lopez-Waterman, lighting and projection designer
Meriem Bahri, lead costume designer
Ruthie Gmeinder, costume designer
Mary Box, répétiteur