Billy Corgan to take orchestral Mellon Collie opera to Europe, including two London dates
Billy Corgan is bringing his operatic reworking of Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness to Europe this September, with two nights confirmed at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
The shows follow a seven-date run at the Lyric Opera of Chicago last year, which drew attention for reimagining the Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 double album as a fully orchestral and vocal performance.
Corgan
composed the piece with Grammy-nominated conductor James Lowe. The
European dates will feature baritone Ed Parks (for London, Belgium and
France), soprano Sydney Mancasola, mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, tenor
Dominick Valdes Chenes, and baritone Dean Murphy (for Spain only).
Costumes have been designed by House of Gilles, the New York couture
house co-owned by Chloé Mendel Corgan, the musician’s wife.
“The success of translating Mellon Collie into operatic and classical form has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life,” Corgan said. Lowe added: “It has been so gratifying to discover how the nuances and layers of Mellon Collie reveal themselves in fresh new ways in these symphonic, choral, and operatic settings.”
The Chicago run received positive notices, with the Chicago Tribune noting “no shortage of curiosity and surprise” and describing the performances as reinforcing “Corgan’s unofficial status as the biggest romantic of his generation”. Billboard called it “a symphonic and operatic reimagining of the band’s 1995 double album”.
The European tour will visit London (1 and 2 September), Antwerp’s Queen Elisabeth Hall (6 September, two shows), Paris’s Salle Pleyel (8 and 9 September), and Madrid’s Palacio Vistalegre (11 September). Tickets go on pre-sale on 12 May at 10.00am BST, with London general sale on 14 May at 10.00am BST.
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