"They chose to portray her as this kind of seductive, sexual, conniving woman. And I'm not so sure this is the path that I want to take."
Egyptian-born, New Zealand-raised soprano Amina Edris grew up against the backdrop of Egypt's ancient monuments - the temples at Luxor, the tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. So when she was offered the lead role in composer John Adams's new opera "Antony and Cleopatra," she couldn't resist bringing a story from her native country to life.
But getting under the skin of Cleopatra meant cutting through millennia of stereotype and propaganda, as Edris explains in this video interview ahead of the opera's world premiere.
"Much of her story was told by the Romans who wanted to spread rumors of her," Edris explains. But her mission is to humanize Cleopatra, not as a femme fatale but as a savvy political leader: "When I think of her, I think of power. I think of strength. I think of resilience. There's a reason why she outlived so many people around her."
See Edris bring the role to life on stage when "Antony and Cleopatra" is unveiled on September 10, 2022: sfopera.com/cleopatra #CleopatraSF
Негізгі бет Behind the Music: Soprano Amina Edris on Becoming Cleopatra
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