When the eccentric patriarch Simon Powers downloads himself into The System, his entire house comes to life around his family and friends. A groundbreaking new production developed by the MIT Media Lab in partnership with the A.R.T., Tod Machover's Death and the Powers explores what we leave behind for the world and our loved ones, using specially designed technology and an expressively animated stage, including a chorus of robots and a musical chandelier. Machover, called “America’s most wired composer” by the L.A. Times, distinctively blends technological and artistic finesse to create a score that is passionately inventive, yet filled with arching melodic lines. Death and the Powers, which received its world premiere in Monaco in the fall of 2010, is supported by Futurum Association (Monaco), and will be presented in collaboration with Chicago Opera Theater, in association with Opera Boston.
| Choreography | Karole Armitage |
| Costume Design | David C. Woolard |
| Lighting Design | Donald Holder |
| Sound Design | Chris Full |
| Visual and Software Design | Peter Torpey |
| Media Design | Matt Checkowski |
| Sound Technology | Ben Bloomberg |
| Associate Director | Andrew Eggert |
Cast |
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| Simon Powers | James Maddalena |
| Evvy | Emily Albrink |
| Miranda | Sara Heaton |
| Nicholas | Hal Cazalet |
| The United Way | Douglas Dodson |
| The United Nations | David Kravitz |
| The Administration | Tom McNichols |
The Miseries |
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Yavni Bar–Yam, Julie Chilton, Rachel Coffin, Maru Colbert, Erin Cole, Pete Cormier, Becki Dennis, Kevin Fennessy, Andrea Foertsch, Lori Forman, Laura Hubbard, Olga Karagiozi, George King, Taya Leary, Diana Librizzi, Emily Lonardo, Meg Di Maggio, Maggie Morio, Rebecca Perry, Matt Phillipps, Oliver L. Saffery, Rebecca Schneebaum, John A. Shane, Bob Stachel, Jeff Q, Julia C. Tenney, Lauren Thomas, Larry Vigus, Amy West, Casey Wright, Alina Wysocki |
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Chorus of Operabots |
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Orchestra |
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| Flue/Piccolo | Sarah Brady |
| Oboe/English Horn | Jennifer Slowik |
| Clarinet/Bass Clarinet | Michael Norsworthy |
| French Horn | Whitacre Hill |
| Trumpet | Terry Everson |
| Trombone | Hans Bohn |
| Tuba | Kenneth Amis |
| Percussion | Robert Schulz |
| Keyboard 1 (including live electronics) | John McDonald |
| Keyboard 2 (including electronic triggers for sound and image) | Linda Osborn-Blaschke |
| Violin I | Charles Dimmick |
| Violin II | Annie Rabbat |
| Viola | Joan Ellersick |
| Cello | Nicole Cariglia |
| Bass | Anthony D'Amico |
Additional Credits |
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| Manager | Sisie Siu Cohen |
| Robot Mechanical Design | Bob Hsiung |
| Robotic Control Systems | Michael Miller |
| Interaction Design | Elena Jessop |
| Assistant Director | Allegra Libonati |
| Assistant Lighting Designer | Rebecca Makus |
| Production Stage Manager | Nancy Harrington |
| Stage Managers | Julie Baldauff |
| Carolyn Boyd | |
| Dana Stremming | |
| Technology Development | Opera of the Future Group, MIT Media Lab |
| Production Team Credits | |
WGBH's "Greater Boston" - A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus is about to have four of her directorial efforts running simultaneously—including Hair, The Donkey Show, Death and the Powers, and Prometheus Bound. More
A synopsis of Death and the Powers. More
A note from Death and the Powers librettist Robert Pinsky. More
Jenna Clark Embrey on Death and the Powers Production Designer Alex McDowell. More
"Musician/robot enthusiast explains the human themes behind his futuristic opera." - Time Out Boston More
"There’s a decent argument that the true onstage stars of “Death’’ are made of wires, metal, and LED lights. These are the robots, including a dozen “Operabots,’’ as Machover calls them, with plastic, pizza box-shaped heads..." - The Boston Globe More
A note by Peter Torpey, Elena Jessop, and Ben Bloomberg. More
A note from Death and the Powers composer Tod Machover. More
A poem by Robert Pinsky, librettist for Death and the Powers: The Robots’ Opera and former U.S. Poet Laureate. More
Pages
Press Releases
Performance sponsors:
Rebecca Gold Milikowsky and Nathan Milikowsky; Don and Susan Ware
Restaurant Parnters: Rustic Kitchen
