"Murasaki's Moon" & Prelude to the Opera: Japanese Folk Dancing

The Program:

Prelude to the Opera: Traditional Japanese Dancing​

This program of opera and dance will open with traditional Japanese Folk Dancing performed by the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York.

This organization has performed in the United States and abroad. Beautiful costumes, props and music enhance the presentation and will provide a memorable experience of the culture and history of Japan and the Japanese people.

Murasaki’s Moon   COMPOSER: Michi Wiancko, LIBRETTIST: Deborah Brevoort   Commissioned by Onsite Opera, MetLive Arts, and American Lyric Theater

​An opera for all ages, Murasaki’s Moon is a journey into the world of Lady Murasaki, the 11th century lady-in-waiting at the imperial court of Japan who changed the world of literature with her ground-breaking creation, The Tale of the Genji.  Her extraordinary work is considered by most to be the first novel ever written.  The opera explores Murasaki’s trials and tribulations as she tries to reconcile her destiny as a writer with the limitations of her life as a woman at the Imperial Court.

The opera, set to music that includes beautiful Japanese instrumentation, is an inspiring story that connects present-day audiences to Murasaki’s struggles, which are not unlike our own in the 21st Century.

An afternoon to remember!