Falling Angel Opera Opens At The National Opera Center

Falling Angel, the book that the film Angel Heart was based on, is coming to the opera. On May 15, the Center for Contemporary Opera in New York will present Falling Angel. The opera was Composed by J. Mark Scearce with a libretto from Lucy Thurber, an Obie-winning playwright

Falling Angel, the 1978 book from William Hjortsberg, never left New York City so it’s nice to have it back. Harry Angel went uptown, downtown, underground in abandoned subway station, Coney Island and Westchester, looking for a missing crooner with golden tonsils named Johnny Favorite. In the 1986 movie, Robert De Niro, who was doing a Martin Scorsese impression as the cloven hooved fellow, led Mickey Rourke to New Orleans.

Since Falling Angel, Hjortsberg, has been writing screenplays like Legend, the 1985 Tom Cruise/David Bowie movie. Hjortsberg recently returned to literary fold with his latest novel, Manana.

According to the official synopsis at the National Opera Center web site, Falling Angel, “follows detective Harry Angel as he investigates a series of brutal murders in post World War II New York City. As Harry moves further and further into his investigation he uncovers that the murderer may be himself and he may not be who he believes himself to be. Falling Angel is a story about identity, selling your soul to the devil and complicated family emotions.”

Cast (in alphabetical order): Kearstin Piper Brown, Epiphany Proudfoot; Kearstin Piper Brown, Epiphany Proudfoot; David Gordon, Doctor Fowler; Antoine Hodge, Toots Sweet/Louis Cyphre; Jeremiah Johnson, Harry Angel; Michael Kuhn, Johnny Favorite; Patrick McNally, Young Soldier; Margaret O’Connell, Margaret Krusemark; George Sommerville, Ethan Krusemark. Ensemble: Jon Olsen, Kathryn Supina, Julia Snowden, Matthew Yohn.

You can read more about it and get tickets, etc. right here.