New York – Louisa Proske, who launched the scrappy Heartbeat Opera in 2014, is set to direct Verdi’s Macbeth for the Metropolitan Opera’s season opening. The appointment came after another director withdrew, and Met general manager Peter Gelb praised Proske’s proven track record and ability to work quickly.
Fast‑track preparation
Proske recalled Gelb’s request: “Can you do it very, very fast? The design was due yesterday.” She accepted the challenge, noting her love for “impossible challenges.” With a tight timeline, she re‑engaged collaborators she had previously worked with at the Met, including costume designer Montana Levi Blanco, set designer Jon Bausor, and choreographer Jorrell Lawyer‑Jefferson.
Creative vision
Drawing on her Cambridge thesis on Shakespeare’s play, Proske describes the production as “a terrifying tale for terrifying times,” emphasizing themes of corrupt lust for power, societal decay, and the slide into tyranny. She frames the witches as “greedy voyeurs” who watch the protagonists’ descent into crime and bloodshed.
Bausor’s set evokes a modern war‑torn landscape, featuring a false proscenium that resembles a concrete wall with a massive breach and rubble. Blanco’s costumes blend Renaissance silhouettes with plush fabrics, underscoring the story’s focus on power.
Cast and schedule
The cast includes baritone Quinn Kelsey as Macbeth, soprano Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff, and bass‑baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo. Met music director Yannick Nezet‑Seguin will conduct the orchestra and chorus. The production opens on Tuesday and runs for ten performances, with a Saturday matinee on Oct. 17 broadcast live to movie theaters worldwide.
From Heartbeat to the Met
Proske says the core of Heartbeat—“exact, inventive, visceral storytelling”—remains central to her Met work. After leaving Heartbeat in 2018, she directed at Oper Halle in Germany and has freelanced across Europe and the United States. Heartbeat artistic director Jacob Ashworth praised her rise, noting that innovative, “downtown renegade” companies often influence larger institutions.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
