The LA Opera is pushing boundaries with its latest offering “Hercules vs Vampires.” This fun piece combines the movie “Hercules in the Center of the Earth”, operatic singers and the fabulous LA Opera orchestra.  The movie’s plot, and I use that term loosely, is that “Hercules must journey in Hades itself to retrieve the magic stone that will free his love from the powers of darkness” (via IDBM). The twist with this production is that the dialogue was dubbed with the opera singers. Hearing choice lines like “Zeus! Give me Strength” and “I’ve Been Tricked by the Gods” sung with operatic passion is a enjoy like no other. Patrick Morganelli adapted the text and composed the music which is a great showcase for the La Opera orchestra lead by Christopher Allen. 

“Hercules vs Vampires” is a limited run production with just four performances. But it’s a great sign that the opera is committed to exploring unique vehicles and attracting younger audiences with offbeat productions. Hopefully, more opera around the country will continue along this same path.