The Dutch National Opera presents this World Premiere Recording of the opera 'Waiting for Miss Monroe' by leading Dutch composer Robin de Raaff. Star soprano Laura Aikin performs as the main protagonist in the role of Marylin Monroe, backed by the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Steven Sloane.

Following 'RAAFF' (2004), composer Robin de Raaff thought twice about throwing himself into such an enormous project as an opera again. That is until Marilyn Monroe crossed his path: the fifties' idol who preferred to entrust her deepest secrets to a tape recorder rather than to her psychiatrist. The tapes that were found still exist, but have not been released, and this fact took root in the composer's mind. Janine Brogt, who worked with him previously wrote a penetrating libretto. In three acts and a total of 90 minutes - the classic Hollywood film format - we witness the final months of the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Robin de Raaff and Janine Brogt: "It's not a biography, but rather a meditation on the character. We use the reality to get to her inner being: to her loneliness, her fears, her triumphs and her demons. She grew older and felt the competition of younger actresses, and was pressured by producers to keep making comedies, whereas she had serious ambitions. Her attempts at finding her own way through all this stopped abruptly with her death. This opera lets you experience that again."

The Dutch National Opera is the largest opera company in the Netherlands and is housed in Dutch National Opera & Ballet, in Amsterdam. Under the leadership of artistic director Pierre Audi and the managing director of Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Els van der Plas, DNO has grown into one of the most important and pioneering opera companies in Europe.

Artists

Laura Aikin (Marilyn Monroe), Dale Duesing (Fox), Helena Rasker (Paula), David DQ Lee (Whitey), Maria Kowan (Eve), Alain Coulombe (Gable), Tom Randle (DiMaggio), John Tessier (John F. Kennedy), Daniel Belcher (Robert F. Kennedy), Hendrickje Van Kerckhove (Norma Jeane)

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Steven Sloane