Detroit Opera sets the stage for a modern-day ‘Faust’
‘Faust’ visits Detroit Opera House with a modern lens.
Performer Amina Edris (right) and Detroit Opera artistic director Yuval Sharon at WDET's studios on Nov. 8, 2022.
The Detroit Opera will be showing an updated rendition of ‘Faust’ with performances on Friday and Sunday this week.
Yuval Sharon is the artistic director at Detroit Opera. The New York Times describes Sharon as “opera’s disrupter in residence.”
The show explores the character of Faust, played by Zack Borichevsky, as he strikes a deal with the devil, a second chance for youth, vitality and love. Little does he know, the deal comes with devastating consequences for him and those surrounding him. In this version, Faust is a tech billionaire whose desire to go beyond what’s humanly possible comes at the cost of his own humanity.
Soprano Amina Edris will be performing the role of Marguerite, and baritone Babatunde Akinboboye will be performing the role of Valentin. Aside from being popular in theatres across the country, Akinboboye also has a strong following on social media.
In 2018, Akinboboye combined his love of classical opera and hip hop and created a new genre known as “hip hopera” during a viral video, gaining over 10 million views on social media.
Sharon and Edris joined CultureShift to talk about the 1859 version of ‘Faust,’ what the audience can expect and the differences between opera and musical theater.
“I think this version is much truer to the original spirit of of the piece, but also to me feels so much lighter and more energetic and more enjoyable.” — Yuval Sharon, Detroit Opera artistic director
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