Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna to Debut in Manchester This Weekend

Rufus Wainwright

Songwriter Rufus Wainwright‘s long-touted opera, entitled Prima Donna, is all set to debut in Manchester this weekend. It will be staged at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, as part of the city’s international fesitval.

In an interview with the BBC World Service, Wainwright revealed that writing Prima Donna, done largely on tour between 2007 and 2008, was, as many of us who may have toyed with the idea of composing an opera in the past can imagine, quite difficult:

“It’s never easy. That’s the great thing about opera – no matter how trained or knowledgeable you are it’s always going to take every little ounce of your being. It’s a full body experience, no matter what.”

Wainwright has no plans to abandon pop music altogether. Besides, many fans will have noticed operatic tendencies in much of his previous recorded output, particularly 2007′s Release The Stars.

Prima Donna, written entirely in French, will focus on a day in the life of fictional soprano Regine Saint-Laurent, who, having found herself of a certain age, must decide whether to continue with her career or not. The character is loosely inspired by Maria Callas.

Prima Donna will run from July 10th-19th, before touring London, New York and Melbourne. His official website is also currently looking for photos of him in lederhosen, should you have any lying around.

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