PBS has set the premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s powerful new opera Grounded as part of their Great Performances at the Met series. Based on librettist George Brant’s acclaimed play and featuring mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, Grounded will air Friday, March 21, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.
The opera wrestles with complex, often-overlooked issues created by 21st-century warming: the ethical conflicts created by the use of modern military technology and the psychological and emotional toll supposedly safe remote technology takes on our servicepersons.
D’Angelo stars as Jess, a hot-shot fighter pilot whose unplanned pregnancy takes her out of the cockpit and lands her in Las Vegas, operating a Reaper drone halfway around the world. As she adjusts to this new way of doing battle, she struggles under the pressure to be the perfect soldier, the perfect wife, and the perfect mother all at the same time.
Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium, leading a cast that also features tenor Ben Bliss as the Wyoming rancher who sweeps Jess off her feet. Michael Mayer’s high-tech staging, using a vast array of LED screens, presents a variety of perspectives on the action, including the drone’s predatory view from high above.
The production originally played at The Metropolitan Opera from September 23- October 19, 2024.
Photo Credit: Met Opera
