Watch Brokeback Mountain the Opera

Brokeback Mountain the Opera is a 2014 adaptation of the popular 2005 film of the same name, which was based on the short story by Annie Proulx. The opera was composed by Charles Wuorinen with a libretto by Annie Proulx, and premiered at the Teatro Real in Madrid. The production has since been performed in the United States and several other countries around the world.

The story centers around two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who fall in love while working together as sheepherders in the mountains of Wyoming in the early 1960s. Despite being married to women and living in a society that does not approve of homosexuality, they continue their relationship in secret over the course of 20 years. The opera follows the trials and tribulations of their love affair, as they struggle to reconcile their feelings for each other with the expectations of their families and society at large.

The opera is structured around a series of scenes that depict key moments in Ennis and Jack's relationship, including their initial meeting, their first sexual encounter, and their eventual separation. The music is operatic in style, with soaring melodies and lush orchestration that support the emotional intensity of the story. The libretto is sung in English, with occasional use of Spanish and other languages to emphasize the multicultural setting of the story.

The lead roles of Ennis and Jack are sung by baritones Daniel Okulitch and Tom Randle, respectively. Okulitch's rich, resonant voice conveys the stoic strength and vulnerability of Ennis, while Randle's expressive tenor captures the passion and tenderness of Jack. Heather Buck portrays the role of Alma, Ennis's wife, with a soprano voice that conveys both her love for Ennis and her sorrow at the loss of her marriage.

One of the most striking aspects of Brokeback Mountain the Opera is its use of imagery and symbolism to convey the emotional depth of the story. The set design, by Riccardo Hernandez, features a series of towering, jagged peaks that evoke the rugged landscape of the Wyoming mountains. The lighting design, by Jennifer Tipton, uses a vivid palette of colors to reflect the changing moods of the story, from hopeful blues and greens to dark, foreboding reds and blacks.

The production also makes use of several cinematic elements, such as projections of landscapes and close-ups of the singers' faces, to create a sense of intimacy and emotional immediacy. These elements work together to create a powerful and immersive theatrical experience that draws the audience deeply into the world of the story.

Overall, Brokeback Mountain the Opera is a moving and thought-provoking adaptation of a beloved story. Its powerful music, striking visuals, and nuanced performances bring to life the complex emotions and experiences of its characters, while also challenging societal norms around love, marriage, and identity.

Brokeback Mountain the Opera is a 2014 music movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 10 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.5.