The New York Philharmonic and an international cast perform this semi-staged oratorio that tells the story of Jewish refugees during World War II. Following 1938’s Kristallnacht, two brothers are sent halfway around the world to Shanghai to escape the Nazis. Otto cherishes his heritage, while Josef seeks a new path and falls in love with Lina, a Chinese woman recovering from the death of her mother in the Nanjing Massacre. A tale of love and loss directed by Mary Birnbaum and conducted by Long Yu, Great Performances – Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil is set to music by film and concert composer Aaron Zigman with lyrics by Grammy-winning librettist Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh. Co-commissioned by Maestro Long Yu, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, the 90-minute production was filmed on February 29 and March 1, 2024, at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic. Great Performances – Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil premieres Friday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS app.
Talent:
- Aaron Zigman – Composer
- Mark Campbell – Lyrics
- Brock Walsh – Additional lyrics
- Mary Birnbaum – Stage director
- Michael Beyer – Director for television
- Long Yu – Conductor
- Laura Stanfield Prichard – Dramaturge
- Matthew White – Otto Bader
- Arnold Livingston Geis – Josef Bader
- Huiling Zhu – Li Song
- Meigui Zhang – Lina Song
- Shenyang – Wei Song
- Diana Newman – Tovah Odesska
- Andrew Dwan – Yaakov Odesska
- New York Philharmonic Chorus – Jewish refugees, Shanghai citizens, and more
- Kristen Robinson – Scenic designer
- Oana Botez – Costume designer
- Yuki Nakase Link – Lighting designer
- Joshua Higgason – Projection designer
- Krystal Balleza, Will Vicari – Hair and Makeup designers
Noteworthy Facts:
- Composer Aaron Zigman is a classically trained American composer, producer, arranger, songwriter, and musician who has scored music for films including “The Notebook,” “The Company Men,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “John Q.,” “The Proposal,” “For Colored Girls,” “Sex and the City” and many more.
- Conductor Long Yu is the Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
- The work is a co-commission with Maestro Long Yu, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.