the christmas spider
Composed by clint borzOni
libretto by john de los santos
On a bitterly cold Christmas Eve, a poor woodcutter and his two children have no gifts, barely enough to eat, and are in danger of losing their home to an impatient landlady. The surprise discovery of a large, but gentle arachnid leads to a seemingly miraculous turn of good fortune for the family, reinforcing the importance of love and togetherness.
Inspired by a Ukrainian legend (which resulted in the placing of spider ornaments on Christmas trees for a lucky New Year), THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER is the third operatic collaboration between composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos following When Adonis Calls and The Copper Queen. Their goal is to dramatize a new tale for all ages, complete with an original yuletide carol, that adds to the rich musical tapestry of the holiday canon.
It is currently being developed as both a live performance for all ages and an animated holiday special.
CLINT JOSEPH BORZONI is the Resident Composer for Musica Marin, a nonprofit organization that presents, supports and inspires classical music throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an award winning composer whose “highly original yet lyrical music…[and] natural gift for melody and harmonic structure” (The Huffington Post) has resulted in international performances and premieres.
Clint Borzoni
Composer
JOHN DE LOS SANTOS has been called a “brilliant combination of literary insight and choreographic creativity.” He has staged a range of productions that include opera, musicals, plays, concerts, and ballet. His productions include the world premiere of The Astronaut Love Show at the Kraine Theater (NYC), The Rose and the Knife, Otello, and Le Comte Ory (called “a perfect fusion” by The New York Times) for LoftOpera (NYC), La Cage Aux Folles for Skylight Music Theatre, La Fille du Regiment for Arizona Opera, South Pacific for Ashlawn Opera, María de Buenos Aires for San Diego and Fort Worth Opera, and Lexington Philharmonic, and Green Sneakers for Opera Birmingham and the Southside Theatre at San Francisco’s historic Fort Mason Center. He choreographed the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s Great Scott, directed by Jack O’Brien, for the Dallas Opera. His choreography has also been seen at the Washington National, Florida Grand, Philadelphia, Des Moines Metro, Utah Festival, and Austin Lyric Opera Companies.
John De Los Santos
Librettist
PRESS
COMING SOON
Information
Duration 60' / no intermission
Commission Developed by The American Opera Project. The Christmas Spider is currently seeking co-commissioners and presenting partners.
Premiere TBA
Roles 4 singers with optional chorus. Olha (low soprano or high mezzo), Fedorov (Baritone), Dmytro and Zoya (boy and girl soprano).
Instrumentation Violin, flute, cello, piano/percussion.