The unusual heat wave that recently gripped our region may have been a harbinger of what’s to come March 27 and 29. But this “heatwave” will be indoors – specifically The Egyptian Theater in Boise. In fact, the steaminess that will undoubtedly come to the Egyptian may have audiences feeling like they’re in the Egyptian desert.
Appropriately, that will be the setting of what is on stage: the bold, seductive and emotionally charged opera, "Thais."
When it premiered in 1905, "Thais" may have seemed scandalous. The title character was an actress, cult priestess and sex worker. Men were obsessed with her. That leads Thais to become a nun ... and that’s just the beginning. You won’t get any spoilers here.
“With this fabulous cast, I wanted to dig into the psychology of the story,” said Julia Mintzer, acclaimed singer and director of Opera Idaho’s production of "Thais."
"Thais" will be a must-see event. A production is incredibly rare, and not just for Opera Idaho.
“There have only been three other productions of Thais in the U.S. since 2002,” said Mintzer. “It’s such a challenging production to sing. It’s such a tour de force. But we found the right cast and we brought them to Boise.”
The production will also feature a collaboration with Ballet Idaho.
“We’ve decided to weave the dance into the story, so I’ll have all of the principals on stage, interacting with the dancers. It’s part of the plot,” said the director.
Mintzer visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about what she says will be a “transformative” production for the principals and the audience.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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