David Griffiths

London society matron Lady Sneerwell loves to gossip and spends her free time engaged in manipulation. When she selfishly derails the romance of Charles Surface, her scheming unexpectedly creates a ripple effect among her well-to-do acquaintances.

Leonard Bernstein's 1952 opera is a biting satire on the emptiness of materialist values and the false promise of suburban comforts. This production, conducted by the composer himself, presents a live-action cast performing on an animated set. Inspired by jazz and American musical comedy, the score is a path-breaking fusion of lyric art with popular entertainment.