OPERA
TUESDAY & FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 & 15, 2019 (continuing through DECEMBER 7)
7:30 PM TUESDAY
8:00 PM FRIDAY

Philip Glass: Akhnaten
Metropolitan Opera
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, Upper West Side, Manhattan

$30-$445
https://www.metopera.org/season/2019-20-season/akhnaten/

The List Event Of The Season, or something like it. This isn't Philip Glass's best opera, but it's pretty great. It's about an oddball Pharaoh who imposed monotheism on Ancient Egypt, apparently practiced androgyny, was married to Nefertiti, and sired King Tut (obviously all fodder for an opera — if not quite all in this opera). One problem with the original production back in the '80s was that the production itself was pretty lame, but that shouldn't be a problem here. Phelim McDermott, who did such a great job at the Met with Glass's Satyagraha (although a not-so-great job with Così fan Tutte) directs. And while you might cringe at the thought of jugglers in this opera, they're led by Sean Gandini, the best in the world (seriously). Starring are the knockout countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (who might have been born to play Akhnaten) and rising-star mezzo J'Nai Bridges, making her Met debut. Karen Kamansek, another welcome Met debutante, conducts. You can't even think of missing this.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: All that will be open in the area when this is over is P.J. Clarke's.