CHICAGO THEATRE REVIEW

John de los Santos constructed the libretto for When Adonis Calls from the poems of Gavin Geoffrey Dillard. The opera was first selected as part of the 2015 Fort Worth Opera Frontiers Showcase and presented in concert by operamission in NYC. The piece was staged as part of Opera America’s 2017 New Works Forum. It had its world premiere on May 11, 2018 at the Asheville Lyric Opera, and was then given a new production in Chicago by Thompson Street Opera in December of the same year.

When Adonis Calls is the story of an accomplished author  struggling with writer’s block who is contacted by an eager young fan interested in both an artistic and personal correspondence. What follows is a sensual game of literary discovery that leads the two into realms of unbridled eroticism, demons, and secret longings. Their writings culminate in a meeting in the flesh that transcends beyond what either of them imagined when they first put pen to paper.

When Adonis Calls  blends a ninety minute score of romantic lyricism with dance and a fresh perspective of operatic storytelling. The piece utilizes an ensemble of two baritones, string quartet, percussionist, and two dancers.