Utah Opera’s production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs opened Saturday night at Capitol Theatre. I was incredibly skeptical about seeing this production when Utah Opera announced its 2022-2023 season last spring because a contemporary subject, especially a technological one, seemed terribly mismatched with a traditional art form like opera. But then I listened to samples of the music available on YouTube. I was intrigued. And then Utah Opera dropped its ticket prices for all performances to $30, regardless of the section or the seat. (Tickets for students or patrons under 30 are $15.) I was sold! I chose a main floor, center section seat and hit “purchase.”
Any skepticism I may have had about seeing this production evaporated as the opera began. The tenderness of the prologue captured my attention, and the rest of the show kept me mesmerized until the end. The prologue opens with an adult Steve Jobs (baritone John Moore in his Utah Opera debut) seated in a meditation pose and bathed in white light. A young Steve Jobs (Declan Morrissey) and his father (Stephen Pace) are shown in the upper right corner. The young Steve Jobs celebrates his tenth birthday, and his father has given him a work table where he can build things and take them apart. The music at this point is gentle and ethereal, depicting the love and good intentions between father and son, as well as the calm of a contemplative Steve Jobs.
The first scene advances to 2007 with Steve Jobs announcing the release of the first iPhone. He proclaims all that the world will be able to do with “one device.” The music becomes more energetic, even frenzied, as he announces this incredible news to an eagerly waiting public and media.
The opera continues to follow this pattern with shifts in time that are not chronological and corresponding shifts in the tone and tempo of the music. The set enhances this dynamic by incorporating numerous computer screens whose images alternate between scenes of tranquil beauty and chaotic static. These elements combine to successfully depict the intense duality of Steve Jobs’s character. He was a genius pursuing his passion and the creation of the perfect product that he knew would transform the world. His pursuit came at a staggering cost, however: isolating himself, cutting off the people closest to him, treating people cruelly without remorse, and evolving into the Goliath he once despised. His cancer diagnosis broke him as he had to face, unwillingly, that he was imperfect and finite. John Moore’s portrayal of the moment when Steve Jobs breaks moved many in the audience to tears.
This opera beautifully portrays the rise, fall, and demise of a larger-than-life contemporary icon. At the same time, I perceived that this opera holds up a mirror that allows each of us to examine pieces of our own story: our ambition, the price we are willing (or not willing) to pay to achieve it, our connections — to technology, to art and music, to the natural world, and to each other. An opera that at first seemed like a mismatch was 100% relatable.
The cast did a stellar job of bringing this story to life and captivating the audience. The singers’ voices were evenly matched and blended well, creating a clear, pristine sound throughout. While incredible work goes into singing opera, they made it look and sound effortless, allowing the music and story to live and breathe. I loved all of the performers in this production, but bass singer Wei Wu, taking the part of Zen priest Kobun Chino Otogawa, delivered a noteworthy performance with the clarity and gentleness, yet intensity, in his voice.
The genius of staging a modern opera about a contemporary subject is that it will bring new, possibly younger, patrons to the opera for the first time. Once they have experienced a relatable story, they will be more inclined to return for the traditional repertoire. Whether you are a new opera-goer or an experienced veteran, I highly recommend seeing this show. It will move you and make you think.
Utah Opera’s production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs runs through Sunday, May 14, 2023. As of this writing, Utah Opera had to cancel a couple of performances due to a singer’s illness. Check here or call the box office at 801-533-5626 for more information.
The Good Life 
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