Cabildo

High summer, 2019. A tour group in New Orleans has waded through swamps and hurricane damage to see where ?gentleman pirate’ Pierre Lafitte was imprisoned during the War of 1812. Captivated, newlywed Mary imagines the story of Lafitte’s escape with his lover Valerie.

Sung in English without surtitles. Incorporating folk and Creole influences, Cabildo is the only opera from pioneering composer Amy Beach. This new production explores the dark underside of the American dream and asks: how does nostalgia blind us to our past crimes?