| After Aida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Julian Mitchell |
| Characters | Giuseppe Verdi Arrigo Boito Giulio Ricordi Franco Faccio Giuseppina Strepponi |
| Date premiered | 1985 |
| Place premiered | Taliesin Theatre Swansea, Wales |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Biography of Giuseppe Verdi |
| Genre | Drama, musical, suspense, comedy |
| Setting | 1879–1887; Italy |
After Aida (original title:Verdi's Messiah) is a 1985 play-with-music byJulian Mitchell. It is aboutGiuseppe Verdi, and the pressure put upon him after his attempt to retire from composing. Continued insistent prodding from his friends eventually results in one of his greatest masterpieces, the operaOtello, which premiered in 1887.
Brian McMaster, managing director of theWelsh National Opera, commissioned the play, originally as a vehicle for the company's touring season to far-flung Welsh towns with smaller theatres than the average opera house. McMaster initially askedJulian Mitchell, author of the hit play-turned-filmAnother Country, to write about the backstage life of an opera company. Mitchell, although he had been an opera fan in his youth, knew little about this milieu when he began working on the project.
In the course of his extensive research, however, Mitchell happened on "Boito and Verdi", the final chapter in Frank Walker's biographyThe Man Verdi.[1] This was a dramatic situation that immediately appealed to him – "a great artist going through a crisis, brought back to composition after a long silence, and finding himself a substitute prodigal son in the process" – and he took it as his subject matter.[2]
To familiarize himself with backstage and off-stage opera life, Mitchell took singing lessons, attended opera rehearsals and auditions, and talked to conductors, singers, directors,répétiteurs, and designers. Mitchell said he found that the restrictions placed on the piece—small stage, single set, and only a few actors—actually became liberating, and helped him create a well-crafted and artistically sound play.[2]
The two-act play spans the years from 1879 to 1887, and centers around the composer Verdi and his life and works after he has retired from composing and moved to his country estate.
Verdi's two friends,Giulio Ricordi the publisher andFranco Faccio the conductor, convinced that Verdi should write another opera, try to persuade him to come out of retirement and collaborate with the young librettistArrigo Boito on a new work. One likely subject for a new opera is the playOthello, since Shakespeare is one of Verdi's favourite authors. Verdi's wifeGiuseppina Strepponi, tired of seeing him moping about, also assists in the attempt to get Verdi composing again.
The play focuses on this major turning point in Verdi's creative life, and combines it with a selection of opera excerpts, drama, and humor. The production is punctuated with full arias and vocal ensembles fromAida,Rigoletto,Ernani, theRequiem,Macbeth,Simon Boccanegra, andOtello. Also included are arias from Boito'sMefistofele andRossini'sOtello.
After Aida opened on 24 October 1985 inSwansea, Wales, at theTaliesin Theatre. As planned, the production then toured to 11 other towns and cities throughout Wales.
The production starredRichard Griffiths (Verdi) andIan Charleson (Boito), with a supporting cast that included four singers from the Welsh National Opera. It was directed byHoward Davies, and the music director was Martin Andre. The show was produced byRobert Fox withEd andDavid Mirvish.
After Aida received itsLondon premiere at theOld Vic theatre, opening on 11 March 1986. Giuseppina Strepponi was played byGemma Jones, and the other cast members remained the same, except for a new cast of WNO singers.
Additional performers, from the Welsh National Opera:
The 1986 London cast was the same except forGemma Jones, who played Giuseppina Strepponi. The singers, from the WNO, were as follows: sopranos Elizabeth Collier and Christine Teare, mezzo-sopranos Beverley Mills and Wendy Verco, tenors John Harris and Mark Hamilton, baritones Henry Newman and Steven Page, and pianists Martin Andre and Michael Lloyd.
After Aida received mixed to favorable reviews,[3] and has been praised for its intelligence, humor, and panache.The Sunday Times review said "the plot ... is quite riveting.... For all that we know the outcome, it has us on tenterhooks!”[4] The play has occasionally been compared toAmadeus, withAfter Aida being noted for its accuracy, thoughtfulness, and erudition, andAmadeus having the edge in terms of raw dramatic impact.[5]
After Aida was published in 1986 by Amber Lane Press.
