STRELLA Comes to Greek National Opera in January 2023

After a successful run of auditions, the Greek National Opera has announced the cast of the chamber opera Strella to music by Michalis Paraskakis and with a libretto by Alexandra K, based on on Panos H. Koutras' film of the same title. The production will premiere on the Greek National Opera Alternative Stage at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on Saturday 28 January 2023 and will run for a total of 12 performances until 12 February 2023, conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis and directed by George Koutlis.

The premiere of Strella, initially scheduled for 18 January, is moved to Saturday 28 January 2023 on the GNO Alternative Stage at the SNFCC. The rest of the performance dates are also rescheduled as follows: 29, 31 January and 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 February 2023.

Michalis Paraskakis' new chamber opera Strella - commissioned by the Greek National Opera - is based on the multi-award-winning film by Panos Η. Koutras from 2009, a landmark film in modern Greek cinema, an iconic work for the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in Greece and internationally.

The stage direction is by George Koutlis, a sought-after and much-discussed director with a declared affinity for poetic, paradoxical realism and the grotesque. The ten-member ensemble is conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis.

Yorgos, a 48-year-old man just released from prison, meets Strella, a young trans sex worker with a passion for Maria Callas, in a squalid Athens hotel. For the first time after a long while, the future looks promising for both of them. However, Yorgos has unfinished business with his past and his history comes back to haunt him. Along with Strella, they have to find their own way to redemption.

Michalis Paraskakis' challenge, as a composer in the so-called "new music" tradition, is to write music that is fresh and trenchant, in line with the film's realism and dramatic qualities.

In its operatic guise, Strella moves even further in the direction of magic realism, thanks to Alexandra K*'s libretto, which retains the fundamental structure and essence of the film.

13 years later, in an age when daring and truth are absolutely essential, the film's characters remain timely and are dealt with not as caricatures, but as regular people who fall in love and experience pain.

The roles of Strella, Mary and Vilma will be performed by trans women that have been selected through auditions held in October 2022, and the movement coach and choreography is by trans artist Fenia Apostolou. Letta Kappa will perform as Strella, Ioanna Zam-Petrou as Mary, and Victoria Tsitouridou-Maya as Vilma.

The cast also includes: Anastasia Kotsali (Callas), Dionisos Tsantinis (Yorgos), Nikos Spanatis (Alex), Yannis Filias (Antonis, Yuri), Nicolas Maraziotis (Nikos, Police Officer), Nina Naï (drag performer), George Roupas (Kouloukousis), Alexandros Stavropoulos (Squirrel).

The set has been designed by Eva Manidaki, costumes by Ioanna Tsami and the lighting by Nikos Vlasopoulos.

Tickets for Strella went on sale on Monday 19 December 2022, at 9.00. Tickets starting from 15 euros will be available at the GNO Box Office (2130885700 - daily 09.00-21.00 / Group reservations: 2130885742) and ticketservices.gr/en.