It debuts this November.
BILLY CORGAN Is Turning SMASHING PUMPKINS' Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness Into An Opera
Smashing Pumpkins mastermind Billy Corgan has teamed up with Lyric Opera of Chicago to turn Smashing Pumpkins' decade-defining double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness into a whole opera.
A Night Of Mellon Collie And Infinite Sadness will be staged across seven nights only, between November 21 and 30. The opera features Corgan (I'm assuming not attempting to sing opera) alongside the Lyric Opera Of Chicago Orchestra And Chorus, newly commissioned arrangements and orchestrations by Corgan and James Lowe, and costumes from House of Gilles by Gilles and Chloé Mendel Corgan.
"It is thrilling to collaborate with Lyric head John Mangum, my musical partner James Lowe, and all of the artists at Lyric in reimagining this very special and historic album, and to discover how Lyric's full operatic treatment is helping me experience my own compositions in powerful new ways," said Corgan.
"Opera and rock both tell stories of heightened emotions, and I am excited for both fans of my music and traditional opera fans to hear some truly inspired work; for the balance here is to honor both traditions in a magisterial way."
John Mangum, general director, president and CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago, adds: "Next season is filled with a tremendous range of lavish and powerful opera productions that we are excited to share with our audiences. I'm just as excited about the special performances like A Night Of Mellon Collie And Infinite Sadness that open the aperture and expand the definition of opera and what an American opera company can be. The season clearly illustrates how this company continues to push the art form forward and create new work that can only happen in Chicago."
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