10 Days in a Madhouse is a Tapestry Opera and Opera Philadelphia production & commission, co-presented by the Luminato Festival and the Canadian Opera Company (COC) in association with TO Live.
In a Canadian premiere co-presented with Luminato Festival and the Canadian Opera Company, Tapestry Opera’s season will culminate with the highly anticipated 10 Days in a Madhouse. This psychological opera is inspired by the true story of journalist Nellie Bly, who in 1887 feigned insanity to expose the brutal realities of Blackwell’s Asylum. With a libretto by celebrated Canadian writer Hannah Moscovitch and orchestral score by rising star composer René Orth, Bly’s journey exposing misogynistic pseudo-psychology and abuse at the asylum is vividly and heartbreakingly directed by Joanna Settle. Canadian conductor Sandra Horst leads the musical direction with a dynamic score that blends electronic and acoustic elements to create a sense of tension that mirrors the drama on stage. This world premiere production, awarded Best New Opera 2024 by the Music Critics Association of North America, promises a gripping and unforgettable experience.
Canadian soprano Mireille Asselin stars as Nellie. Deemed “a treasure” by the Toronto Star, Asselin brings her “power [and] dramatic chops” to the role of Nellie, navigating the violence of indifference and its swift corrosion of one’s grasp on reality. American mezzo-soprano Taylor-Alexis DuPont brings her “beautifully rich and spirited voice” (Washington Post) to the role of Lizzie, whom Nellie befriends on the inside, while American baritone Jorell Williams, with his “stunning vocals” (Seattle Times) performs as the asylum’s malevolent Dr. Josiah Blackwell. Canadian soprano Lauren Pearl completes the cast, reprising her role from the world premiere as Nurse/Matron, effectively “physically embod[ying] the institution’s sadism” (The Wall Street Journal). The main cast is supported by a chorus of 9 singers.
