The World Premiere Of Sky on Swings

Known for critically praised productions I Have No Stories To Tell You (2014) and Sophia's Forest (2018), composer Lembit Beecher and librettist Hannah Moscovitch return with the Philadelphia Opera-commissioned world premiere of Sky On Swings, a poignant mediation the passage of time, and the lives and memories behind Alzheimer's. American mezzo-sopranos Frederica von Stade and Marietta Simpson tackle the emotionally challenging roles of two women afflicted by the disease.

Van Stade portrays elderly woman Danny, who at the opera's opening has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is still coming to terms with the foreboding prognosis. She resides in the same care home as Martha, portrayed by Simpson, whose Alzheimers is much more advanced. Together they face their fears of loss and disintegration, finding strength in fleeting moments of happiness and love.