Kearstin Piper Brown, left, as Poppea, and Anthony Roth Costanzo, as Nero, in a scene from 'The Comet/Poppea' in the Run AMOC Festival at Lincoln Center, June 17, 2025, in New York. (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts via AP)
In a daring fusion of two seemingly distant worlds, The Comet/Poppea brings ancient Rome and Jazz Age New York into a shared orbit. The production, now running at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival, reimagines power, race, and societal collapse on a spinning stage—literally.
A Bold Opera Reimagined
This unique theatrical blend merges Claudio Monteverdi’s 1643 opera L’incoronazione di Poppea with The Comet, a contemporary work by George E. Lewis. Directed by Yuval Sharon, the piece explores unsettling parallels between Roman imperialism and 20th-century racial divisions.
Seen first in Los Angeles last year, the production unfolds on a rotating stage that spins every 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Only 290 attendees sit in split seating banks on either side of the platform, while the rest of the grand David H. Koch Theater remains empty—creating an eerie, intimate setting.
The Comet/Poppea - Two Tales, One Uneasy Truth
Monteverdi’s opera follows Emperor Nero as he abandons his wife Ottavia to install his lover Poppea as empress. It’s a tale of ambition, seduction, and unchecked power.
Running parallel is The Comet, adapted from W.E.B. Du Bois’ 1920 short story. In this version, a Black working-class man and a white high-society woman believe they’re the last two people alive after a comet strike. They briefly imagine a world free from racial divisions—until reality crashes in, and segregation proves unshakable.
A Set That Reflects Division
The visual storytelling is just as layered. Mimi Lien’s set shows two contrasting worlds: one side hosts a Roman-style tiered space with a marble bath, while the other captures a glowing red Art Deco restaurant reminiscent of the Rainbow Room. The lighting, designed by John Torres, shifts the mood seamlessly as the narratives unfold.
Emotions That Spin With the Stage
Davóne Tines delivers a powerful performance as both Jim and Mercury, wrestling with themes of identity and power. As the last man alive—finally allowed into exclusive spaces—Jim tastes freedom before being thrust back into racial reality. “What does it mean to be the last man, and a Black man?” Tines asks. “Then to have even that freedom denied?”
Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo plays both Nero and Julia’s rigid father. His journey with this production started in 2018, but it nearly didn’t happen. “The pandemic shut everything down,” he recalls. “Producers pulled out—twice. But we kept rebuilding.”
Soundscapes That Collide
Lewis’s score draws on dissonance, jazz, and modern sound textures. It intertwines seamlessly with Monteverdi’s baroque compositions, even playing from a jukebox in the restaurant set. “It was always meant to be messy,” said Lewis. “These are two worlds that shouldn’t meet—but do.”
A Risk Worth Watching
The Comet/Poppea is part of Run AMOC*, featuring 12 works at Lincoln Center—10 of which are New York premieres. Friday’s performance will stream live on Facebook and YouTube.
This bold, immersive production doesn’t offer easy answers. But it does demand that we look again—at the past, at today, and at how close the two really are.
