The virtuous Empress Octavia is betrayed by her increasingly erratic husband, Nero, putting all of Rome on the brink of rebellion in the GRAMMY-winning Boston Early Music Festival’s fully staged production of Reinhard Keiser’s Octavia. Written for the famed Hamburg Opera in 1705, Octavia brings lavish spectacle and brilliant orchestration to a nuanced tale of the corruption of power and the resilience of love. The Centerpiece Opera of a weeklong Festival of Early Music, BEMF will offer four fully staged performances, June 8, 11, 13, and 15, 2025 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA).
GRAMMY-winning Musical Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs and acclaimed Stage Director Gilbert Blin lead the fully staged North American premiere in a production replete with opulent stagecraft and impeccable musicianship. As Rome breaks out in open rebellion, a fantastical parade of philosophers, clowns, ghosts, and despots comes alive on the stage as noble Octavia struggles to survive the turmoil and cruelty swirling around her. Breathtaking sets, sumptuous, period-inspired costumes, exquisite Baroque dance, and beautifully evocative music combine in an operatic feast sure to delight.
Joining the directorial team will be Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, Dance Director Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, Choreographer Hubert Hazebroucq, Set Designer Alexander McCargar, Costume Designer Anna Kjellsdotter, Lighting Designer Kelly Martin, Assistant Stage Director Ellen Hargis, and Executive Producer Kathleen Fay. BEMF has assembled an outstanding cast of 11 singers, with GRAMMY-nominated soprano Emőke Baráth in the title role alongside BEMF favorites bass-baritone Douglas Ray Williams as Nero, sopranos Amanda Forsythe and Sherezade Panthaki, and GRAMMY-winning tenor Aaron Sheehan among others.
Tickets are priced at $30, $67, $87, $117, $153, and $250. Tickets and subscription packages are available through the BEMF Box Office at 617-661-1812 or BEMF.org.