Curtis Opera Theatre: The Comet / Poppea (Photo Roundup)

Curtis Opera Theatre‘s 2024–25 centennial series opened with the East Coast premiere of The Comet / Poppea at Philadelphia’s historic 23rd Street Armory. Led by visionary director Yuval Sharon and conductor Marc Lowenstein, this groundbreaking new work featured rising young stars of the Curtis Opera Theatre, original cast members from the acclaimed Los Angeles production, and members of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Composed by MacArthur Award winner George Lewis and librettist Douglas Kearney, this innovative, technologically ambitious production juxtaposed Pan-Africanist civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois’ 1920 science fiction short story, The Comet, with Claudio Monteverdi’s hot-blooded political thriller, L’incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea), from 1643.

Read David Patrick Stearns’ review of The Comet / Poppea in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Check out photo highlights below showcasing the cast of The Comet / Poppea, courtesy of Wide Eyed Studios.

  • Cedric Berry (Jim), Jeysla Rosario Santos (Poppea), and Sam Higgins (Nero).
  • Jeysla Rosario Santos (Poppea), Joelle Lamarre (Love), and Nikan Ingabire Kanate (Ottavia).
  • Jeysla Rosario Santos (Poppea) and Sam Higgins (Nero).
  • Nikan Ingabire Kanate as Ottavia. Sam Higgins (Nero) in the background.
  • Cedric Berry as Jim.
  • Jeysla Rosario Santos (Poppea) and Curtis Opera Theatre alumna Amanda Lynn Bottoms (Ottone).
  • Kylie Kreucher as Julia.
  • Joelle Lamarre (Love).
  • Nikan Ingabire Kanate (Ottavia), Jeysla Rosario Santos (Poppea), and Amanda Lynn Bottoms (Ottone).
  • Cedric Berry (Jim) and Kylie Kreucher (Julia).
  • Sam Higgins (Nero) and Evan Gray (Seneca).

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