Tintin album to become opera
The opera will be conceived as a lyrical comedy with music by Mozart, Rossini, Offenbach, Puccini, Gounod, and Verdi. Text will be taken from Hergé’s album itself.
Belgian singer Amani Devos will be playing Tintin, and soprano Hélène Bernardy will take on the role of opera diva Bianca Castafiore. Finally, the gruff Captain Haddock, who in the comics is everything but a fan of Castafiore's singing, will be played by comedian Michel de Warzée, who has no professional singing experience.
Sticking to the comic
"We want to stick as close to the original script of the album as possible. We've reworked the dialogue from the comic to opera lyrics, but we're trying to remain as close to the Tintin oeuvre as we can. Moreover, The Castafiore Emerald is the most musical Tintin story there is", says François de Carpentries, who reshaped the comic strip into an opera, and who will also be directing the show.
Performances will take place in the gardens of Terhulpen Castle, a large estate in Walloon Brabant that is classified as exceptional Walloon heritage. The eight shows are planned between 17 and 27 September.