Here, kitty kitty…

USC students go feline for Henze’s societal introspection

This one’s particularly good for the “cat people” among us:  The English Cat is coming to USC this weekend, and while the run started on Wednesday night, there are still two chances to see it. (Get tickets right now — the Visions and Voices series tends to sell out.)

The two-act opera is based on a story by celebrated 19th century writer Honoré de Balzac, and composed in the early 1980s by Hans Werner Henze, with a libretto by controversial UK playwright Edward Bond.  Using a furry tale of arranged marriage, infidelity, corrupt jurisprudence and romantic martyrdom, there’s nothing kittenish about these characters, and the social commentary is hard to miss.  It is Henze’s economical and imaginative score that makes the show a genuine fascination, and it will be a particular challenge for even very talented students.  Conducted by Brent McMunn and directed by Ken Cazan, it should be well worth the trip.

USC Thornton Opera
and USC Symphony
present