Frida (opera)

Frida is an opera based on the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo with music by Robert Xavier Rodriguez, book by Hilary Blecher, lyrics and monologues by Migdalia Cruz, conceived by Hilary Blecher.

Performances

It was commissioned by the American Music Theater Festival (now Prince Music Theater) and premiered in Philadelphia in 1991, starring Helen Schneider as Frida. It was revised in 1993. It has subsequently been produced at American Repertory Theater (Boston), the Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Summer Opera (San Francisco), the Houston Grand Opera, the Vienna Schauspielhaus, in Recklinghausen and Nordhausen (Germany), and by the Society for New Music (Syracuse, New York). In 2007, the opera was produced at the Festival de Mayo in Guadalajara in a Spanish translation by Josefina Garcia. Original Cast: Helen Schneider (Frida Kahlo); Marc Krause (Diego Rivera); Karen Hale (Mother/Lupe Rivera/Mrs. Rockefeller/Mrs. Trotsky); Alba Quezada (Cristina/Mrs. Ford); David Toney (Mr. Kahlo/Mr. Rockefeller/A. Cachucha/Edward G. Robinson/Petate Vendor)

Recordings

• Musical Theater Works Concert Suite from Frida – Angelina Réaux, Soprano; Voices of Change; Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Conductor CRI, CD824

References

• Listing on G. Schirmer website
• Additional information on composer's website
• New York Times article
• Opera America article
• New York Times review
• The Harvard Crimson review