BWW Review: EURYDICE at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
On February 1, 2020, Los Angeles Opera presented the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin's third opera, Eurydice. He composed it together with Sarah Ruhl who wrote the original 2003 play. Aucoin, Ruhl, and this presentation's stage director, Mary Zimmerman, have been the recipients of the MacArthur Fellowships known as "Genius Grants."
Zimmerman set Eurydice's story in modern times and it opens with Orpheus and Eurydice playing beach ball in strong sunlight. Orpheus ties a string around Eurydice's ring finger and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile in the Underworld, her deceased father writes her a letter that he does not know how to send to earth. Orpheus and his bride dance with amusingly silly motions at their wedding where Eurydice is accosted by Hades. He offers her champagne after telling her he has a letter addressed to her. He never gives her the letter, however, and she falls to her death trying to get it. After she dies, the elevator that takes her down to the Underworld rains forgetfulness upon her.