Two different haunted houses. One operatic stage.
Usher House and The Canterville Ghost, dubbed Scare Pair by composer-librettist Gordon Getty, combines the two one-hour operas into a single program that has entertained audiences in New York and Los Angeles.
Writer Edgar Allan Poe takes the stage himself as the main character of Usher House, an unsettling chiller based on Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The Canterville Ghost puts a deft spin on Oscar Wilde’s witty short story of the same name, in which the 300-year-old ghost of an English nobleman fails to impress his newest audience, a family of Americans who simply refuse to be frightened.
Audience appeal
Scare Pair is accessible across generations. The ghostly theme is a natural October offering, but the production is appropriate any time of year, clocking in at a crowd-pleasing two and a half hours, including intermission.
Music you leave humming
“Both operas had a genuinely American feel to them – the cowboy lilt of a waltz or a simple populist tune – they also shared a common theme: of being haunted by inheritance. Of course they come to different conclusions.” – Bachtrack
Tour-Ready PRODUCTION
Scare Pair’s artistic team has assembled the two operas’ elements into a single compelling and efficient package and will partner with presenting companies to tailor the show to specific circumstances and venues.