THE MOBY DICK BLUES
An Opera
JUNE 7-22, 2025
The Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa, NYC
An Opera
JUNE 7-22, 2025
The Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa, NYC
PREMIERE!
WRITTEN & CREATED BY MICHAEL GORMAN | DIRECTED BY JOE JOHN BATTISTA | MUSIC DIRECTOR KAVI GASPAR
Moby Dick Meets The Perfect Storm.
Playwright Michael Gorman’s epic new blues-rock opera begs the question
“What was Ahab, but an addict, really, and what was Moby Dick but an allusion to opium,
and heroin, its contemporary scourge?”
In a tale that stretches across generations and ancients—lost mariners, lost souls, lost lives—this iconoclastic working-class opera about a New England fishing community’s daunting quest for survival and transformation in the face of the opiate crisis calls for a reevaluation of Ahabs
vengeful obsession with the White Whale, and our own destructive relationship with
nature, the environment, and OURSELVES.
Told through lyrics and live music that span the spectrum from blues, spoken word, rap,
and rock, this enthralling theatrical experience and environmental installation takes us
down to “the crossroads" where the past and future collide in a dramatic struggle
for the soul of a community.
A Working-Class Opera—for our planet...for our times.
Playwright Michael Gorman’s epic new blues-rock opera begs the question
“What was Ahab, but an addict, really, and what was Moby Dick but an allusion to opium,
and heroin, its contemporary scourge?”
In a tale that stretches across generations and ancients—lost mariners, lost souls, lost lives—this iconoclastic working-class opera about a New England fishing community’s daunting quest for survival and transformation in the face of the opiate crisis calls for a reevaluation of Ahabs
vengeful obsession with the White Whale, and our own destructive relationship with
nature, the environment, and OURSELVES.
Told through lyrics and live music that span the spectrum from blues, spoken word, rap,
and rock, this enthralling theatrical experience and environmental installation takes us
down to “the crossroads" where the past and future collide in a dramatic struggle
for the soul of a community.
A Working-Class Opera—for our planet...for our times.
Watch the Promo Video for THE MOBY DICK BLUES—An Opera!
CREATIVE & PRODUCTION TEAM
WRITTEN & CREATED by MICHAEL GORMAN
DIRECTED by JOE JOHN BATTISTA
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARI TOMPKINS
MUSIC DIRECTOR KAVI GASPAR
STAGE MANAGER SARA GIERC
SET DESIGN & INSTALLATION THE FORTY HOUR CLUB/DONALD EASTMAN
LIGHTING DESIGN CHRIS AKERLIND
COSTUME DESIGN ANGELA WENDT
ASSOC. COSTUME DESIGN SARAH BOYDEN
LEAD CHOREOGRAPHER SEVIN CEVIKER
SONG CHOREOGRAPHER MACKENNA GOODWIN
SOUND DESIGN IAAN FINE
PRODUCTION MANAGER DONNA DALY
COLLABORATING ARTIST GREGORY DE LA HABA
PRODUCED by: THE FORTY HOUR CLUB--MICHAEL GORMAN, DONNA DALY
DIRECTED by JOE JOHN BATTISTA
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARI TOMPKINS
MUSIC DIRECTOR KAVI GASPAR
STAGE MANAGER SARA GIERC
SET DESIGN & INSTALLATION THE FORTY HOUR CLUB/DONALD EASTMAN
LIGHTING DESIGN CHRIS AKERLIND
COSTUME DESIGN ANGELA WENDT
ASSOC. COSTUME DESIGN SARAH BOYDEN
LEAD CHOREOGRAPHER SEVIN CEVIKER
SONG CHOREOGRAPHER MACKENNA GOODWIN
SOUND DESIGN IAAN FINE
PRODUCTION MANAGER DONNA DALY
COLLABORATING ARTIST GREGORY DE LA HABA
PRODUCED by: THE FORTY HOUR CLUB--MICHAEL GORMAN, DONNA DALY
THE B-FLAT BLUES BAND
LEAD GUITAR: JOE JOHN BATTISTA
BASS/PEDAL STEEL & LAP STEEL GUITAR: RON RAYMOND
KEYBOARD: KAVI GASPAR
DRUMS: ZIANNI ORANGE
RHYTHM GUITAR: CHARLES JOURDAN
BASS/PEDAL STEEL & LAP STEEL GUITAR: RON RAYMOND
KEYBOARD: KAVI GASPAR
DRUMS: ZIANNI ORANGE
RHYTHM GUITAR: CHARLES JOURDAN
FOLLOW THE SHOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Forty Hour Club is currently seeking a producing partner(s) for "The Moby Dick Blues".