MET Opera: Hamlet (Exempt)

When Australian composer Brett Dean’s Hamlet had its world premiere at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017, The Guardian declared, “New opera doesn’t often get to sound this good … Shakespeare offers a gauntlet to composers that shouldn’t always be picked up, but Dean’s Hamlet rises to the challenge.” Neil Armfield, who directed the work’s premiere, brings this riveting contemporary masterpiece staging to the Met. Many of the original cast members have followed, including tenor Allan Clayton in the title role. Nicholas Carter makes his Met debut conducting a remarkable ensemble, which also features soprano Brenda Rae as Ophelia, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, baritone Rod Gilfry as Claudius, and legendary bass Sir John Tomlinson as the ghost of Hamlet’s father.

Cast: Allan Clayton, Brenda Rae, Sarah Connolly, Rod Gilfry, Sir John Tomlinson

Conductor: Nicholas Carter