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A double-bill of short operas written 270 years apart, yet similar in themes of love and betrayal. Both Elle and Dido suffer the devastating consequences of heartbreak. Their stories resonate across time, bringing the audience in-close as they share these deeply human experiences. 

Described by Poulenc as “a musical confession,” La voix humaine (The Human Voice) is an extraordinary one-woman show is dramatically riveting, emotionally raw, and achingly personal. Poulenc’s setting of Jean Cocteau’s fierce drama takes audiences to a place where they are eavesdroppers and voyeurs. Elle, the tragic heroine, is having one final phone call with her longtime lover, who is abandoning her for another. Elle’s voice is all we hear of their conversation—and from feigned indifference to panic and despair, her every emotion is searingly conveyed.

Based on Book IV of Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, Dido and Aeneas is one of the earliest known English operas, and one of the most performed operas from the Baroque period. Dido the Queen of Carthage falls in love with the Trojan warrior Aeneas, yet scheming sorcery and spells doom their fate. Hear the abandoned and heartbroken queen conclude the epic tale with one of opera’s most memorable laments.

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Cast & Creative

La voix humaine
Elle: Carrie Hennessey
Conductor & Pianist: Robert Mollicone
Director: Céline Ricci
Performed in French with English supertitles
Running time: approx. 40 minutes

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Content Advisory

• Recommended for ages five (5) and over
• Contains haze and strobe effects

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