‘Circus Days & Nights’ By Professor David Henry Hwang Premiers at Malmo Opera

By
Robbie Armstrong
April 30, 2021

Circus Days & Nights is a new opera by the legendary composer Philip Glass, Associate Professor and librettist David Henry Hwang, and circus director Tilde Björfors. Co-produced by Cirkus Cirkör and Malmö Opera, the collaboration will feature a unique fusion of circus and opera.

Circus Days & Nights is based on a collection of poems by American poet Robert Lax. The opera follows Lax when he was a young reporter who joined a circus company in 1940s America. Lax views acrobatics and circus art the narrative of a metaphor for life and human endeavor: the tent that is torn down and rebuilt before each new performance, the artists' endeavor to achieve perfection, triumphs and failures. The opera plays out Lax’s journey through the enchanting world of the circus.

Malmo Opera is transforming the performing space for Hwang’s opera to become an experiential journey. The stage will become a circus arena with tents, ropes, seesaws and trapeze bars. Flying features will soar above the audiences and a human cannonball will emerge during the course of the opera. Recent scenic renderings show a floating cloud, which performers will fly upon during the performance. 

David Henry Hwang is a playwright, screenwriter, television writer, and librettist, whose stage works include the plays M. ButterflyChinglishYellow FaceKung FuGolden ChildThe Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the Broadway musicals Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida (co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 revival) and Disney’s Tarzan. Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a three-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. He is also America’s most-produced living opera librettist, whose works have been honored with two Grammy Awards, and he co-wrote the Gold Record Solo with the late pop star Prince.

Hwang has another upcoming opera commission at the Kennedy Center. As a part of the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary season, Hwang will partner with composer Huang Ruo on a new opera. 

Circus Days & Nights will open at Malmo Opera prior to beginning a world tour through Asia, Europe, and North America. The Malmo Opera production is available for live streaming. Tickets can be purchased here

You can watch a preview of the music of Circus Days & Nights here.