KlezCalendar

Based on the classic Jewish play by S. Ansky, this new 3-Act opera
features renowned international artists, and combines music, drama,
dance, realtime video projections, and more. The world premiere of
this production will be held in Montreal at the Segal Centre for
Performing Arts. The Dybbuk has been often described as Romeo &
Juliet meets The Exorcist. Indeed, the play’s subtitle, Between Two
Worlds, indicates the duality, which is both the center and source of
the haunting drama of life vs. death, demonic vs. angelic, the
natural vs. the unnatural, the ancient customs vs. modernity. Channan
and Leah are betrothed to each other by their fathers even before
their birth. But the two are denied their fate when Leah’s father
breaks the marriage contract and offers his daughter to a richer man.
Chanan attempts through mysticism and magic to regain Leah, but
weakened from prolonged prayer and fasting, he dies and enters the
spirit world.

In this chamber opera, Ofer Ben-Amots characterizes the separate
realms of the two central characters by having Leah carry the vocal
role—singing, reciting, and acting—while the role of the other
main character, Channan, is performed wordlessly entirely on the
clarinet. In Hebrew and English.