Merola Opera Program presents "If I Were You" Opera on the Couch

San Francisco’s acclaimed Merola Opera Program will present the first opera commissioned in the Program’s 62-year history, the world premiere of "If I Were You" by distinguished American composer Jake Heggie and noted librettist Gene Scheer. This ground-breaking work will be presented August 1 – 6, 2019, at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre in the War Memorial Performing Arts Center. The opera will be conducted by Nicole Paiement, Founder and Artistic Director of Opera Parallèle, and directed by Keturah Stickann, best known for bringing to stage new productions of "Orphée," "Rigoletto," and "La rondine," among many others. "If I Were You" will be presented with two alternating casts, made up of 29 singers from nine countries, chosen from over 800 applicants worldwide, to participate in this summer’s Merola season.

Opera on the Couch provides a forum where psychoanalytic insights deepen the meaning and experience of opera. The discussion of "If I Were You" will occur immediately after the show on Sunday, August 4, when the immediate visceral experience of music, drama and spectacle will enliven a fuller and deeper understanding of the emotional and psychological aspects of the work.