Philip Glass's The Perfect American
Phelim McDermott (stage director), Dennis Russell Davies (conductor) – With Christopher Purves (Walt Disney), David Pittsinger (Roy Disney)...
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Cast
Dennis Russell Davies — Music director
Phelim Mc Dermott — Stage director
Dan Potra — Set designer, costume designer
Jon Clark — Lighting
Ben Wright — Choreographer
Leo Warner (59 Productions) — Video
Andrés Máspero — Chorus master
Christopher Purves — Walt Disney
David Pittsinger — Roy
Donald Kaasch — Dantine
Janis Kelly — Hazel George
Marie McLaughlin — Lillian Disney
Sarah Tynan — Sharon
Nazan Fikret — Diane
Rosie Lomas — Lucy / Josh
Zachary James — Abraham Licoln / Employee of the mortuary
John Easterlin — Andy Warhol
Program notes
In 2013 at Madrid’s Teatro Real, Philip Glass presented the world premiere of his most recent creation, the opera The Perfect American (with a libretto by Rudy Wurlitzer based on Peter Stephan Jungk’s novel of the same name). A fictionalized account of the last months in the life of Walt Disney, the opera explores the state of mind of this extremely influential 20th century cultural icon. His biggest concerns at that pivotal moment? A despondent Walt Disney laments the fact that the science of cryogenics will not enable him to live forever as he had hoped...
Though at first glance Walt seems like the happy owner of a magic wand that can grant all of his wishes, it soon becomes clear that he is as tortured as Wilhelm Dantine, an illustrator who worked for him, responsible for Sleeping Beauty among other animated features. Fascinated by the petulant megalomania of a man who identified with Mickey Mouse, Dantine desperately seeks Disney’s approval, risking his own ruin. In this opera, the universe of this “perfect American” is recreated by the magical presence of people close to Walt Disney: his wife Lillian, his confidante Hazel, his brother Roy, his children Dian and Sharon, and his close collaborators.
Photo © Javier del Real
