John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra arrives at the Met

Julia Bullock (Cleopatra), Gerald Finley (Antony) and Paul Appleby (Caesar)

Julia Bullock (Cleopatra)

Paul Appleby (Caesar)

Gerald Finley (Antony)

By David Wolfson, 13 May 2025

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“score, singers and stage direction come together to create memorable, relatable music drama”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 12 May 2025

Adams, Antony and Cleopatra

Metropolitan Opera

John Adams, Conductor

Elkhanah Pulitzer, Director

Mimi Lien, Set Designer

Constance Hoffman, Costume Designer

David Finn, Lighting Designer

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Mark Grey, Sound Design

Gerald Finley, Antony

Julia Bullock, Cleopatra

Paul Appleby, Caesar

Elizabeth DeShong, Octavia

Alfred Walker, Enobarbus

Taylor Raven, Charmian

Brenton Ryan, Eros

Bill Morrison, Projection designer

Annie-B Parson, Choreography

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David Wolfson

David Wolfson holds a PhD in composition from Rutgers University, and has taught at Rutgers University, Montclair State University and Hunter College. He is enjoying an eclectic career, having composed opera, musical theatre, touring children’s musicals, and incidental music for plays; choral music, band music, orchestral music, chamber music, art songs, and music for solo piano; comedy songs, cabaret songs and one memorable score for an amusement park big-headed-costumed-character show. You can find more information here.

Julia Bullock and Gerald Finley generate real heat as Antony and Cleopatra arrives at the Met